Thinking About Homeschooling? Start With These 5 Questions
If homeschooling has been on your mind lately, you're not alone. Maybe it started after a rough parent-teacher conference. Maybe your child is bored out of their mind in class, or quietly falling behind. Or maybe you just have a feeling that there's a better way for your kid to learn.
Whatever brought you here, take a deep breath. You don't have to decide anything today.
I've been exactly where you are, wondering, "Can we really do this?" That's why I wrote my new book, Thinking About Homeschooling: 25 Things to Consider Before You Begin. Today I want to share a little of our story and a few of the questions from the book that helped our family the most.
Why We Started Homeschooling
For our family, it really came into focus after COVID. School just didn't feel the same, and we couldn't get the support our son needed.
He was ready to move ahead in math, but the class pace held him back. In writing, he needed extra help that he wasn't getting. And in a classroom of thirty kids, there just wasn't room for both.
We were already working online from home, so we could be there with him. We set up our learning space at the dining room table, where he was part of the family while he worked (we still use it today!). Later, when he reached high school, we switched to an online public school so he could earn a public school diploma while still learning from home.
Was it always smooth? Of course not. But asking the right questions at the start made a huge difference.
5 Questions to Ask Before You Start
These come straight from Part One of the book. Grab a notebook and jot down your answers as you read.
1. What is making you consider homeschooling?
Be as specific as you can. "School isn't working" is a real feeling, but it doesn't tell you what needs to change. "My child needs more guided practice with writing" does. Write down your top three reasons. You'll come back to them more than you think.
2. What should your child have room to learn?
Think about what's missing or rushed right now. Maybe it's more time for reading, life skills like cooking and budgeting, art, faith, or a subject your child is obsessed with. Pick just a few priorities to start.
3. What does your child need right now?
Look at each subject separately. Where can your child work on their own? Where do they need help? Where are they ready for more? Many kids are ahead in one area and need support in another, just like our son was.
4. How does your child feel about the idea?
Ask what they picture when they hear "homeschooling." One child imagines fun projects all day. Another worries about missing friends. Listen first, and plan friendships as carefully as you plan lessons.
5. What are your expectations?
Picture an ordinary Tuesday, not your best day. When will learning happen? What will you need help with? A good plan is one that still works when everyone is tired.
Mom-to-mom tip: Write your reasons down before you dive into curriculum reviews and Facebook groups. It's easy to forget your "why" once you're knee-deep in options.
What's Inside the Book
Those five questions are just the beginning. Thinking About Homeschooling walks you through all 25 questions in four simple parts:
Part One: Is Homeschooling a Good Fit? Your reasons, your priorities, and your child's needs and feelings.
Part Two: What Would We Need to Put in Place? State rules, who teaches, fitting school around work, budgeting, and getting support for you.
Part Three: How Will Learning Actually Happen? Choosing curriculum without getting overwhelmed, finding the right starting level, sample daily routines, teaching kids of different ages, and tracking progress.
Part Four: Building a Homeschool Life That Works. Friendships and co-ops, extra learning support, handling meltdowns (theirs and yours), protecting your energy, and planning your first month.
Every chapter ends with a few questions to think through, a mom-to-mom tip, and one small next step. There's also a complete 25-point checklist at the end.
This book is for you if:
You're seriously thinking about homeschooling but don't know where to start.
You feel overwhelmed by all the curriculum choices and opinions online.
You work from home (or outside the home) and wonder how you'd fit it all in.
You want honest, practical advice from a mom who's been there, not a sales pitch.
Get Your Copy
If you're standing at the edge of this decision, I'd love for this book to be the friend who helps you think it through.
Get Thinking About Homeschooling on Kindle → Find It on Amazon
And while you're here, grab a free printable! Head to my Free Printables page to download a free math activity for your little learner. You can also browse my full collection of sight word, handwriting, sentence writing, and math printables here on the site and in my Etsy shop, PrintableCozyCo.
You don't need a perfect plan to start. You just need to keep listening to your child and take it one small step at a time. You've got this, Mama.
— Nadine
