Great question—homeschooling for the first time can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Here's some practical and encouraging advice for first-time homeschool parents:
🧭 1. Start With Why
Know your reasons for homeschooling—whether it’s flexibility, faith, safety, special needs, or personalized education.
Keep that “why” visible when doubts or tough days come.
Wow! This is spot on. Trust me, no matter how confident you think you are in your decision right now, tough days will come. There will be a day when the kids are fighting you, you "fall behind", or you feel like you are banging your head against the wall and you are tempted to think you made the wrong decision. Know your "why" and stand on that solid ground because your emotions will deceive you, especially during hard seasons.
🐢 2. Go Slow—Deschool First
If your child has been in traditional school, allow a deschooling period (about one month per year of school attended).
Focus on connection, curiosity, and rhythm—not just academics—during this time.
It is important to remember that homeschool is so much more than school at home, and that you cannot successfully homeschool your children without having a good relationship with your children. You are doing life together and building a love for learning, and you need a foundation to build upon. Take time to get to really know each other; to dream together and explore together. Establish family rhythms and set expectations. It is also important to know that you may need to "deschool" periodically throughout your homeschool journey. When I find that I am really butting heads with our children, then it's time to take a break, reset, and perhaps change up some things before diving back in.
📚 3. Curriculum is a Tool, Not a Master
You don’t need to find the perfect curriculum right away.
Start with something simple and adaptable—you can always switch.
Don’t be afraid to mix and match across subjects or use free resources while you find your style
I cannot even being to tell you how many times we have changed our curriculum. There have been years that we have even switched curriculum midyear because it just was not working for us. Each child is different and each season is different. One of the benefits of homeschooling is that we have the freedom to teach in a way that works best for each individual child.
🧠 4. Know That Learning Looks Different at Home
You do not need to replicate public school at home.
Home education is often more efficient—2–4 focused hours per day can be plenty.
Learning can happen through conversations, chores, play, and life skills—not just textbooks.
Absolutely! Sure, our children can read, write, and do arithmetic, but they have also learned how to run a business, can identify plants and trees, know how to survive in the wilderness, can manage a home and cook meals, and so much more. History and science is not something we read from a textbook, but something they experience.
👩👧👦 5. Focus on Relationship First
Homeschooling is as much about the parent-child relationship as it is about academics.
Nurture trust, curiosity, and confidence; the academic success follows.
You are likely going to spend most of your waking moments together. The better the relationship, the better the homeschool experience. I would also add to this, to focus on learning and bettering yourself. This points to the saying "more is caught than taught". Be someone your children look up to and want to copy. If you are having fun learning and bettering yourself, then your children will have fun learning.
🕰️ 6. Establish Rhythms, Not Rigid Schedules
Create flexible routines that fit your family’s natural flow.
Anchor your day with habits: e.g., morning time (read-alouds, devotions), chore time, learning blocks.
Flexible is the key word here! Some of our best lessons and times of learnings have come from chasing down rabbit trails. Leave plenty of margin in your schedule for kids to be curious, ask questions, and be creative. We love starting our day with World Watch News. From there we go into devotions and pray for our local community, friends, family, and also headlines from the news we just watched. From there we move into a family read aloud, then family subjects (for us that is history and science). Afterwards we break for chores, lunch, and outdoor play before finishing up individual subjects (math and literature), while the littles go down for a nap. This rhythm works well for us and the season of life we are in, but you may find a rhythm that works better for your family.
💬 7. Find Community
Look for local co-ops, Facebook groups, library programs, or online communities.
Talking to other homeschool parents can ease fears, spark ideas, and offer much-needed support.
Yes and no. I have definitely overdone it in years past, so give yourself permission to not do all the things. Some years we do co-ops, other years we do not. Our kids are heavily involved in sports, music, trail life, and church activities, so I like to protect the homeschool day by not participating in a bunch more things.
📅 8. Keep Records (Lightly at First)
Know your state’s legal requirements (some require attendance or portfolio tracking).
Keep samples of work, a reading log, or a weekly learning journal—it helps with both legal and personal tracking.
How much record keeping you do will depend heavily on your state. We personally do not keep a lot of records until high school.
❤️ 9. Give Yourself (and Your Child) Grace
There will be hard days. That doesn’t mean you’re failing.
You’re learning together—homeschooling is a marathon, not a sprint.
100 percent YES! Check out my list of book recommendations for resetting your homeschool if you need a perspective shift and are in a season of struggle.
🧩 10. Trust the Process
You will adjust, pivot, and grow. Your confidence will build with time.
What you’re doing matters—it’s okay to not have all the answers today.
Trust me, after 15+ years of homeschooling, I still do not have all the answers, and I probably never will. But every year I become a little more confident and cherish homeschooling a little more. Enjoy the journey! I wish you and your family a fabulous homeschool year! For more inspiration, encouragement, and ideas, check out the Homeschooling tab.
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