You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Homeschool

I have a secret! Want to hear it? You don’t have to be perfect to homeschool!

How does that make you feel? I hope relieved! I don’t know about you but when I see all these picture perfect photos on social media I feel overwhelmed and “less than.”

I think it’s important to remember that even though what you see on social media may look perfect, if you actually talk to that mom she will tell you it’s not.

At least she should.

Perfection is a myth

None of us are perfect. In our heads we know that, but often our hearts lead us astray. Recently I shared in a group that at one time I’d researched military school for one of my kiddos. The reaction? Crickets.

It made me realize that sometimes we don’t want to hear the truth. But I think it’s important to be honest because you may truly help encourage another homeschooling mom.

The reality of homeschool life

Homeschooling for many of us is a calling. Just like any calling though, we may do some kicking and screaming along the way.

I did!

Our youngest graduated high school last year, so I’m officially a retired homeschool mom. My heart is still with homeschooling – particularly in encouraging and helping other homeschoolers. 

I homeschooled our three youngest kids from late elementary through high school graduation. What did our homeschool look like?

• Messy! I had to put each kid in 3 different places in the house so there was really no way to contain the papers and books

• Fun! I had fun and I think my kids did too. We all learned a lot along the way.

• Crazy! One of my kids could not stand to hear the other kids. That was difficult and crazy! It’s not possible to have total quiet in a house.

• Interesting! One kid loved learning; she craved good grades. My other two were much less interested. So it could be a challenge to find things to keep them engaged.

• Overwhelming! Truth – I did research military schools as well as trying to figure out how I could get a full-time job that would pay for them to go to a private school!

The beauty of imperfection

You don’t have to be perfect to homeschool, and I think there is a certain kind of beauty in imperfection. Isn’t that where we learn the most? Those crazy, messy, overwhelming times can lead us to truth and honesty.

When was the last time you shared the truth about your homeschooling journey? Do you know a homeschooling family that you could encourage by sharing some of your struggles?

This doesn’t mean you have to bare your soul. It means that when the opportunity presents itself, be transparent. If you meet someone who has a special needs kid and you can relate – do it! If your friend’s child is struggling to learn to read, encourage them or at the least share your own struggles in that area. Possibly you have a difficult teen (homeschooled or not, teenagers can be challenging), reach out to someone who has gone through that and ask them for tips. And be willing to turn around and share how you dealt with it and what you learned.

We’re in this together

Homeschooling is a journey like no other. And no one’s journey looks like anyone else’s. We are in this together, and we need each other. We can learn so much from other homeschoolers – as long as we’re honest!

I’m so glad I had the opportunity and blessing to homeschool three of my kids. If I had it to do over again, I would homeschool all five from the very beginning – no matter how crazy, overwhelming, and imperfect that looked!