20+ Expert Homeschool Bloggers Share Their Best Homeschool Advice

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Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt like throwing in the towel on homeschooling. Oh yeah, I’ve had those days too.

Now, I know I have been called to homeschool, so wouldn’t actually give up, but I also don’t try to hide the fact that homeschooling is TOUGH, and I have made many mistakes along the way.

You’ll find lots of “how to” homeschool advice articles online, and articles sharing advice like “what I wish I’d known as a beginning homeschooler“, but many don’t suggest what NOT to do. What are some common pitfalls homeschooling moms and dads might face…and how might we avoid them (or at least be aware of them!)?

I reached out to some other successful homeschool bloggers and asked them to share a mistake they made when they first started homeschooling, and share some advice for new homeschool moms who might be going through the same thing. Sometimes online, it can seem like we all have our acts together, when the truth is, there is a lot of self-evaluation and growth that goes on during the refining process we call homeschooling our kids.

The responses I received were amazing – so honest and relatable. I love learning from other homeschool moms, especially those with a few more years of experience under their belts.

As you read, you’ll see that many of us homeschooling moms go through periods of trials, questions, and changes. But most importantly, like our kids, we are always learning and growing.

I hope you’ll read each of their thoughts – they have shared their own beginner homeschool mistakes and the homeschool advice they would give if you are experiencing something similar. And, please take a minute to check out their blogs for homeschooling inspiration as a thank you for sharing their words of wisdom!

Some of My Biggest Takeaways

Here are some of my biggest takeaways from the answers I received. There were over 20 homeschool bloggers who shared, so you’ll definitely want to read through them all to see what might speak to you in this season.

1. I learned that it’s important to keep our expectations in check. Sometimes the most beauty happens when we let go of our worry and our expectations of the “perfect” homeschool.

2. I learned that change is ok (and often to be expected!) in homeschooling. Don’t get too far ahead in your planning, and know that a little bit of flexibility goes a long way.

3. You don’t need to have a teaching degree. You love your kids and have their best interests at heart. That’s more than enough.

4. It is ok if we can’t do it all. Outsourcing our weaknesses can be so valuable for our kids (and our sanity!). Homeschooling does not necessarily equal taking the entire load of educating your kids on your shoulders.

5. Homeschool may look different than “school”. There is no one “right” way to teach EVERY child!

6. Make sure you are prioritizing what is important in your homeschool. Is how you are spending your time reflective on your top values and goals? Are those values being communicated to your kids?

Even though sometimes the online-world of homeschooling can feel overwhelming (everyone has their act together but me!), the truth is that no one is perfect. We have all made mistakes, and have challenges and obstacles to overcome each school year.

Let’s hear what these experienced homeschool bloggers have to share. Enjoy!

When I first started homeschooling, I was so excited to play teacher with live human beings! I only had two at that time (I have four children total). I would get all stressed out about doing every.single.lesson.

I would get upset if my son refused to color the notebook page or if my daughter didn’t do all the math questions. They weren’t even very old! I was rather controlling. But, of course, that didn’t continue and I ended up overhauling my whole approach.

Those two are now 22 and 19 years old (the younger two are teens). I see that none of those things that I worried so much about back then really mattered. What really ended up making the most difference was letting all that go. The relationship between my son and daughter and their relationships with me have made far more difference in their success than any of those things I worried so much about back then.

When we first started homeschooling, I expected way too much out of my young kindergartener! I tried to recreate school at home (total disaster!), expected him to do way more work than was age appropriate, and was hard on him when he didn’t meet my expectations. Ugh, mom fail!!

I’ve been able to learn from my mistakes and create an atmosphere that cultivates a love of learning for my other kiddos, plus my unfortunate first child who now gets a nice relaxed education, too.

The biggest mistake I made was refusing to be flexible. I was so convinced I had to stick to a certain schedule or a certain curriculum that when that didn’t work, we all got frustrated and upset.

Nowadays I have learned to relax and let go. We change up our schedule every 6-8 weeks or so and we try a new curriculum style every few months as well. We are all a lot happier for it.

I started out very relaxed, which was good for my young and growing family. I have 8 kids (ages 19 down to 8).

But, I didn’t get serious about writing soon enough. If I could do it over, I would have started all of my kids with IEW writing in 4th grade. My younger 3 kids have done that now, and are really doing well with their writing skills.

At just three, my son could read CVC words and by four, he could read simple sentences and longer words. And this was not due to any special work or effort….it was just a natural skill he had that developed on its own through lots of literacy exposure and his own interests.

My mistake was not only assuming my precious babe was gifted in all areas but pushing him across the board in many subjects because “why not?” He could read, surely he could write too! He could read, so we might as well tackle some math textbooks. He could read, so, heck, let’s read and dissect the Bill of Rights.

Turns out, he was just a little boy who could read early and his mama nearly ruined that skill and interest of his by turning it into the expectation of graduating from Harvard at 12.

I wrote ambitious lesson plans for my entire year in my planner before we starter that first year. It took very little time before I realized my mistake as the arrows and cross-outs began to overtake my beautiful planner as we didn’t get to all that I had planned every day.

Here’s what I wish I had known then that I have learned since:

1.) It’s critical to think and plan. That’s a definite need, so you can stay on track and on mission. But,

2.) It’s best to do that a little bit (a week to a month) at a time.

Here’s why. Homeschooling is a very missional work– you have the opportunity to build incredible relationships with your children, to tailor their education to their needs and interests, and to help them build a strong faith and strong character as you go. That missional work takes time– but it’s so very important.

The conversations you have with your children, the deep learning detours you take when they really get interested in something, and the times of discipline and shepherding their hearts that you get to do cannot be written down in a planner.

So, plan your days– but do so with plenty of margin to allow you to focus on your most important mission of teaching your children diligently to love God, love people, and to be ready to walk through whatever door God opens for them in the days ahead. (In our Heart School class, I spend a lot of time walking through mission and how that impacts every decision you make.)

My biggest mistake was not trusting my instincts. I made my kids do things that were unnecessary at best, and killed their desire to learn at worst.

I’ve learned to listen to the natural teacher in me and we are all the better for it.

My biggest mistake was trying replicate school at home. Our oldest went to public school for kindergarten and it was a disastrous year. We decided to pull her at the end of the year, and start homeschooling.

I kept trying so hard to copy what a public school would do at home and it was just much of a mess as it was when she was in school. It took me 18 months after pulling her to finally dig in and de-school, and I am amazed at the way our homeschool is now. Homeschooling isn’t supposed to be school at home, that’s the point.

Once I realized one of our kids was probably struggling with dyslexia, I made the mistake of listening to “experts” instead of trusting my mom gut to do what was best for him.

It took many years of trial and error to accommodate his learning struggles well and encourage his strengths. Even as a former public school teacher, I’ve learned that “professionals” can never do a better job than a caring parent who is willing to learn alongside their child.

My biggest mistake when we first started homeschooling was having unrealistic expectations. I completely overplanned our day and thought we had to replicated public school at home.

Thankfully, I learned that having a flexible plan with plenty of buffer time for exploring interests and having fun works best for our family.

The biggest mistake I made as a new homeschooler was thinking that what worked for my firstborn would work for all the rest. Then I compounded the error by stubbornly clinging to my original methods even when it became clear that major adjustments were needed!

Four kids and 30 years later, I learned that every child is different and that homeschooling multiple children requires the ability to “turn on a dime!” Whether it’s finding a completely different curriculum or adapting a curriculum for use with a child with different learning needs, getting locked into one way of teaching may severely limit your children’s academic success!

My biggest mistake was pushing my daughter into the standard ages in which a child normally learns to read. She was never ready at that age and it became a big frustration for both of us. This all stemmed from fear that she may never learn to read.

If I could have my time over I would trust her, trust myself and trust the process. Everyone truly does learn on a different time line and allowing children to flourish in their own good time is vitally important.

In the beginning, I was too busy looking at what everyone else was doing and not feeling like I measured up. I was trying to do everything perfectly and feeling like a failure. Instead of seeking more advice from others, I felt judged.

In the end, I learned that my children would be fine if I just did it my way and connected with other moms when I had questions or concerns. There is no such thing as the perfect homeschool mom, and comparison is the thief of joy!

Sally Stansfield is a Bristish, homeschooling mum of 8 living in America, and the creative genius behind Beyond the Stick Figure Online Art School, where she nurtures the inner art genius of every child. Her motto is, if you can draw a stick figure, you can learn to paint and draw. You can connect with her at https://beyondthestickfigure.com

My biggest mistake? I didn’t see me in my homeschool. I didn’t see myself as another human with real needs. I didn’t consider if I was happy homeschooling.

Was I peacefully existing with my people, my kids and my husband? We tend to project onto them – trying to be everything and do everything for our homeschooled kids, from making hot breakfasts, to Fun Fridays and field trips, to clean, tidy rooms, to a robust, engaging education, yet what about the homeschool mama?

I learned that nurturing the nurturer was a requirement for long term satisfaction in my homeschool.

My biggest mistake was not putting my relationship with my child above my curriculum choice.

Looking back I was trying to force my will on a stubborn child. It resolved when I let go and outsourced the subject. She is now excelling, and just needed either a different approach or a different teacher. Both are valid.

I homeschooled for 10 years and learned many lessons through trial and error. The biggest mistake I made the first year was not scheduling my day according to my priorities.

One of my greatest desires was for my kids to love reading and read aloud. But the first year, I read aloud to the kids after lunch. You can guess what happened. I fell asleep reading. That was not the picture I wanted my kids to have about read alouds!

The following years, I made a change. I started our homeschool day with read aloud time. Every day for the next 9 years, we read aloud as a family. . . even when the kids were teenagers. I’m proud to say that all my adult kids enjoy reading and are raising grandkids that love books.

My advice to homeschoolers is to be sure that the first thing they do each day is REALLY the most important thing. For our family, we had morning devotions at breakfast and read aloud once our homeschool day began.

Looking back, my biggest mistake was trying to make my homeschool look like public school. I had fully scheduled days and made sure my kids were learning exactly what other kids their age were.

I have learned that homeschooling is an amazing opportunity to embrace your child and their unique gifts and talents. The most important lessons my kids need to learn don’t come in textbooks.

I’ve made so many mistakes in my homeschool journey (almost 11 years now) and quite frankly, I likely will continue to do so. The reality is that we homeschool mommas are just people. And as such, we’re going to make lots of mistakes because we are never going to be perfect.

That being said, one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made as a homeschool mom is trying to do it all perfectly. While I didn’t consciously begin homeschooling (and mothering) setting out to do it perfectly, I can see now that I daily lived from that mindset. When we begin homeschooling, many new homeschool moms do so with a lot of resistance from the world around us. Being a formally trained educator added to my own sense of overwhelming pressure to “do it right”. I wanted to prove all the naysayers wrong and show them how amazing homeschooling could be. So I pushed my oldest way too hard, too fast and for too long.

I had the American school system in the back of my head. That institutionalized edcuation mentality told me that I needed lesson plans, a specific number of assignments and subjects done each day in order to be successful. What a tragic mistake!!

Since then, I’ve learned to step back and really focus on the main objective. Education should be about learning. Period. The end. Learning includes knowing how to find answers, how to seek knowledge and wisdom, how to ask good questions, how to love others well and then to have the confidence to continue to learn and grow throughout life.

I’ve had to lay down the idol of needing to check off all the boxes in order to best love, equip and educate my children. I no longer look to outside entities to tell me what to teach, when to teach it, and how to teach it. Rather, I equip the individual children God has given me based on who they are, how they’re wired and what their next step is in learning.

Most importantly, I’ve learned how to apologize and ask for forgiveness when I mess up… because I still do that daily. Yikes! Grace, Sweet Momma Friends, there’s so much grace for us all. Resting in that makes such a difference.

The biggest mistake I made when I first began homeschooling was overscheduling my kids – and myself.

I was determined to give my children a “better” education than they would have received in public school. And I mistakenly thought that more homeschool hours equaled a better education.

Boy, was I mistaken.

Soon we were all anxious, grumpy, and dreading school time. I had to back off my Type-A-success-driven-momma plans and rethink our daily workflow.

I replaced my rigid, jam-packed homeschool schedule with a routine that included fewer activities each day, and a loop-schedule. As I run two fast-growing businesses as well, this was a good decision that fits our family’s entrepreneurial lifestyle much better.

My biggest mistake was thinking and planning too far ahead. I used to think I’d have to homeschool my children through high school, but after years of tears I learned to take one year at a time.

Don’t stress about it. Mini goals first.

The biggest mistake I made when I first began homeschooling was doing too much research. As a new homeschooler I wanted to make sure I knew all that I could regarding how to homeschool my son.

Doing research within itself isn’t a bad thing, but doing too much of it overwhelmed me and made me doubt myself more often than not.

What I have learned through this experience was that I didn’t need to do all that research. All I needed to know in order to be successful in my homeschooling was to intentionally build my relationship with my child, know my child’s learning style, his love language and his interests/passions in order to customize my son’s education.

Knowing those details helped me know which curriculum would work for him and which ones wouldn’t be a good fit. Of course, every year or season things change so I just to re-evaluate and adjust a few things if needed and just continue to move forward.

I see this experience not as a mistake but as a learning opportunity . I learned a lot along the way and I wouldn’t change my experience even if I could.

My biggest mistake was not having balance and consistency. I was either doing too little in the business of life, or I’d play catch up and trying to shove tons of material at my son. Overloading him led to frustration and burnout for him and was a huge time suck for me.

Now I try to be consistent, take a break when we need it and let how he’s doing guide me in how much he can handle that day. I also had to learn to let go of trying to be perfect.

Blessed Homeschool is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. You can read my full affiliate disclosure HERE.

What if there is no such thing as mistakes in homeschooling? Only opportunities to learn and grow! Because really, isn’t that the mindset we are ultimately trying to teach our kids?

In your homeschool, you most definitely DON’T NEED a perfect curriculum, the perfect plan or schedule, unrealistic expectations, or a teaching degree; what you do need is love, grace, and willingness to learn alongside your child.

Did you resonate with any of these homeschool bloggers? In the comments, share with us a mistake YOU made when you first began homeschooling, and how you overcame and grew from it! What lessons have you learned along your journey?

If you want to read about how I let go of having the “perfect homeschool schedule”, check out this post.

And finally, here are a few more great tips on keeping your homeschool running smoothly when you feel like things are a little out-of-balance.

Related Posts

• The One Piece of Homeschool Advice You Might Not Agree With
• TEACH by Dennis DiNoia: Learn How to Empower Independently Responsible Learners in Your Homeschool
• Do These 9 Things for a More Successful Homeschool Day

Blessed Homeschool is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. You can read my full affiliate disclosure HERE.