Not gonna lie, a really sucky series of events catapulted us into homeschooling in February 2024. To say that homeschooling was not on my life’s bingo card would be an understatement. My husband and I were public school kids. My mom was a public school teacher. It was always going to be public school for our family. But if you’ve lived long enough, you know that some of the most negative experiences can turn out to be blessings in disguise. That’s exactly what happened to us.
Now in our 3rd year of homeschooling, I’m happy to tell you that our kids are thriving. They’re curious, imaginative and have a love for learning. They’re not anxious every morning and exhausted every afternoon. They spend hours outside. They read books that they actually enjoy, not what an Accelerated Reader test told them they need to be reading. The pressure to perform well on a state test is gone.
Having children with special needs is just the more reason to consider homeschool. (Don’t worry, I thought the opposite at first too.) I am able to adjust my sons’ curriculum and goals in real time whenever they need it. If a subject is challenging, we slow down. If they sail through all of their goals, we don’t have to wait until the next IEP meeting to make new ones. I integrate their special interests into their lessons whenever I can and they’re more engaged when I do. It truly is special education.
Is homeschooling for everyone? Definitely not. But if you’ve been thinking about it, I encourage you to explore. Join a FB homeschooling group. DM a homeschool mom you know and ask her about a typical day. Pick up a book. Or go down the homeschool rabbit hole like I did and pick up a bunch of books. (I tell everyone to start with Homeschool How To: Simple Steps to Get You Started Today. It’s short and super helpful.)
Read a blog. Since you’re already here, mine would be a great place to start! Below are some of the posts I’ve written about homeschooling. Check them out! If you have questions, feel free to reach out through the Contact page.
Thinking About Homeschooling? Start Here
Our First Year of Homeschooling
Choosing Homeschool Curriculum
How to Make Visual Supports at Home
How I Homeschool Our Level 3 Autistic Son