The Reality of Homeschooling: Lessons From Our Journey
There are a lot of opinions about homeschooling.
And I mean a lot.
Everyone seems to have something to say about it — what curriculum you should use, what your schedule should look like, whether kids should socialize more, whether parents are “qualified,” and about a thousand other thoughts.
Here’s my personal rule when it comes to those opinions:
If someone isn’t actually doing the homeschooling themselves, they probably don’t get much say in how I run my home.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t ask other homeschool parents for advice. Some of the best ideas I’ve found have come from other moms who are in the trenches doing the same work every day.
But every family’s homeschool journey looks different, and this is what ours has looked like so far.
The Overwhelming World of Homeschool Curriculum
One of the first things you realize when you begin homeschooling is just how many curriculum options exist.
There are:
play-based programs
nature-based learning
sensory-based education
online programs
workbook-based systems
literature-based learning
and plenty of combinations of all of the above
All of them have their place.
The hardest part for me in the beginning wasn’t choosing a philosophy — it was figuring out where my kids actually were academically.
Many homeschool programs don’t neatly label things as “Preschool” or “Kindergarten.” Instead, they use levels. That can be confusing when you're trying to figure out where to start.
My daughter technically should be in kindergarten, but she’s a passionate learner. She loves science, math, and anything involving the human body. If there’s a book about how something works, she’s interested.
My son’s learning path looks very different.
He is nonverbal and communicates using a mix of an AAC device, some sounds, and the occasional grunt or noise. He also happens to have a fantastic sense of humor.
For example, I know he knows his ABCs. I’ve seen him recognize them many times. But if I ask him to point to the letter A, he will sometimes very intentionally point to the wrong letter with his foot… and then laugh like it’s the funniest thing he’s ever done.
Needless to say, homeschooling requires a lot of patience.
Our First Homeschool Curriculum
When we first started homeschooling, I researched everything.
I mean everything.
Eventually I landed on Alphabet Forest: Acorn to Oak, and at the time it worked really well for us. We were living in Arkansas then and life was fairly stable. I had the time and space to fully participate with my kids, and they responded well to the activities.
For a while, it felt like we had found our rhythm.
When Life Interrupted Our Homeschool Plans
Then life happened.
My parents somehow started what I jokingly call a competition over who could stay in the ICU longer.
Since I was the only sibling not working a traditional job outside the home, it made sense for me to step in and help.
Looking back, I probably sacrificed more of myself than I should have. I have seven siblings, and in hindsight they could have stepped up more. But at the time we were also waiting for our house on the West Coast to sell while my spouse had already moved to his new duty station on the East Coast.
Everything felt uncertain, and helping my parents was the right choice in the moment.
But it made homeschooling harder.
I struggled to find the time to prepare materials or run a structured curriculum the way I had been before.
Finding a “Grab and Go” Curriculum
During that season, I leaned heavily on The Good and the Beautiful curriculum.
What helped most was how easy it was to pick up and use without a lot of preparation.
My daughter especially loved it.
In the first week alone she completed 27 pages in the writing section completely on her own.
Seeing her excitement reminded me that sometimes kids thrive when we simply give them the opportunity.
Eventually I added their literature, math, and science programs as well.
The Extra Learning That Happens Along the Way
Our homeschool isn’t only worksheets and books.
My kids also supplement learning through:
ABCmouse
YouTube programs like Catie’s Classroom, Hoots and Tales, and Mo Willems
library programs and activities
One thing we have done consistently since my children were born is reading together every night.
I read three books a night to them when they were babies, and that routine continued even during the chaos of moving and family illness.
Books have been one of the few things that stayed steady through all the transitions.
The Magic of a Good Library
The small-town library we used during that time was absolutely phenomenal.
They hosted:
monthly homeschool learning topics for children of all ages
craft programs
story time
educational materials families could check out
It was one of those community spaces that quietly supports families in ways you don’t fully appreciate until you move away.
Now that we’ve moved to Georgia, I realize just how much we miss it.
A Teacher Who Changed Everything
I also want to give a huge shoutout to Mrs. Peters’ Classroom.
This program helped my nonverbal son begin to verbalize his letters.
He’s four years old, and I can’t even begin to describe how emotional it was the first time I heard him say:
“Momma.”
If you’ve ever waited a long time to hear your child speak, you understand how big that moment is.
It was one of those moments that makes every bit of the patience, the research, and the trial and error worth it.
What Homeschooling Has Taught Me
Homeschooling isn’t perfect.
Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes it’s frustrating. Sometimes it means adjusting everything you planned because life decided to happen that week.
But it’s also incredibly personal.
You get to see the way your children think, learn, struggle, and grow.
And sometimes you get to witness a moment you might have missed otherwise — like hearing your child say “Momma” for the first time.
For our family, that makes the journey worth it.
Curriculum We Currently Use in Our Home
Reading & Language Arts
All About Reading – Pre-Reading
The Good and the Beautiful Preschool Language Arts Course Set
The Good and the Beautiful Kindergarten Prep Language Arts Course
The Good and the Beautiful Level K Language Arts
Handwriting Level K
Early Writing
Doodles and Pre-Writing for Littles Part 1
Doodles and Pre-Writing for Littles Part 2
Math
The Good and the Beautiful Math K Course
Science
The Good and the Beautiful – Science for Little Hearts and Hands
Wind and Waves
Bones and Stones
Additional Curriculum
Alphabet Forest: Acorn to Oak Course
The Complete Alphabet Forest Collection, which includes:
Alphabet Forest
Acorn to Oak Homeschool Planner
A Walk Through Alphabet Forest
The Recipes of Alphabet Forest
The Tales of Alphabet Forest
Write With Me – Level One
Read With Me – Level One
Morning Basket Resources
Construction Morning Basket Activities (Whimsey Printable Shop)
Morning Basket activities from Harbor & Sprout
Learning Support Tools
Flashcards with Movements 2.0 Bundle – Mrs. Peters’ Classroom
