Deciding to homeschool is a huge step, and if you’re feeling a mix of excitement and total overwhelm, you’re not alone.
Whether you’re leaving the traditional school system or starting from day one, figuring everything out can feel like a huge mountain of information to sift through. How do you even begin? What if you mess it up?
Trust me, these are questions every homeschooling parent has asked themselves at some point, no matter how far along they are in their homeschool journey.
Let me ease your mind a little. Homeschooling doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to look like school, and it doesn’t have to follow someone else’s idea of what it should look like.
You get to decide what works for your family. That’s the beauty and freedom of choosing homeschooling!
But before you start printing worksheets, researching curriculum, and completely overwhelming yourself, let’s break it down into simple steps. These are the main things to consider as you get started homeschooling with confidence.
1. The Legalities
Before you get started homeschooling, you’ll need to know your state’s homeschooling laws. Every state (or country) has different requirements. Some are super relaxed, while others have specific rules regarding required subjects, curriculum, record-keeping, or standardized testing.
A great place to start is checking HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association), which can give you an overview of what’s required where you live.
Some states require you to notify the school district, submit an intent to homeschool, or even follow an approved curriculum. Others just let you do your thing with little oversight. Knowing the rules ahead of time will prevent surprises down the road and give you peace of mind as you begin your journey.
2. Deschooling
If your child has been in a traditional school setting, (or even if they haven’t and YOU went through the public school system) deschooling is a super important step for both you and your child/children.
Deschooling is a reset period. It’s a time for both you and your child to decompress from the structure of school and shift into a new learning mindset.
It allows kids to shake off any negative associations with learning and helps you break out of the “school at home” mentality. This is especially important if your child had any negative experiences at school such as bullying or feelings of inadequacy due to the structure of school.
A big question that most parents have is how long should you deschool? A common recommendation is about one month for every year your child spent in school, but really, this depends on your family’s needs as well as your approach to homeschool. If you are planning on taking a more relaxed approach, the transition from deschooling to homeschooling will be hard to notice.
During this time, don’t worry about formal lessons. Let your child explore their interests, play, read, and even just be bored. If you have firm screen time rules, explore what that will look like during this time period and discuss those boundaries with your child.
Spend this time observing what sparks their curiosity. You’ll use this insight later when planning your homeschool approach.
Check out this video for more information.
3. Figuring Out What Direction You Want to Go
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to homeschooling. Every parent has a different vision, and every kid is there to put your vision into perspective. You might start out trying to strictly follow one method of homeschooling and realize it doesn’t work!
One of the first things to think about is what kind of homeschool experience you want for your family. Do you want something structured, or are you drawn to a more relaxed, child-led approach? Here are some of the most common homeschooling methods:
- Traditional – Mimics a school setting with textbooks, worksheets, and structured lessons.
- Classical – Based on a three-stage learning model (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) and emphasizes literature and philosophy.
- Charlotte Mason – Focuses on living books, nature study, and short, engaging lessons.
- Unschooling – Completely child-led, allowing learning to unfold naturally through interests and daily life.
- Unit Studies – Integrates multiple subjects into a single theme (e.g., learning math, history, and science through a study on space).
- Eclectic – A mix of multiple methods, picking and choosing what works best.
- NONE OF THESE!- Guess what? You don’t have to pick any of these or feel like you need to define your homeschool from the beginning, or ever!
You don’t have to commit to one approach forever! Many families evolve over time as they see what works best. We started somewhat traditional and over time started incorporating some Charlotte Mason methods. Sometimes we even throw in a unit study when I notice a strong enough interest forming.
Now, I take what I need from each but follow my own “relaxed” homeschooling approach. It’s not unschooling, but it definitely doesn’t look anything like school.
4. Setting Goals
Before diving into curriculum choices, take a step back and think about your homeschooling goals. What do you want your kids to get out of this experience? Are you focusing on strong academics, nurturing creativity, building life skills, or something else entirely? Your goals will help guide your decisions and keep you from feeling lost in the sea of options.
Some helpful questions to ask yourself:
- What kind of learning environment do I want to create?
- What skills do I want my child to develop?
- What are my child’s strengths and struggles, and how can homeschooling support them?
- What do I value most in education?
Keep in mind that goals can (and should) evolve. What you think is important now may change as you get deeper into homeschooling, and that’s completely okay.
5. Choosing Curriculum & Resources
One of the most overwhelming parts of getting started is choosing a curriculum. There are SO many options, which just goes to show you that there are homeschoolers everywhere from every walk of life.
I’ve got to tell you, there is no “perfect” curriculum. What works for one family may not work for another, and that’s okay!
Some parents love boxed curriculums that provide everything you need for the year. Others prefer a mix-and-match approach using free online resources, library books, hands-on activities or piecing together a variety of curriculums.
If you’re unsure how to sift through and decide from so many options, a lot of curriculum providers offer placement tests or samples to help you gauge what might be a good fit. Whether you are coming from a secular approach or want a more religious-based curriculum will also help guide your choices here.
If you’re taking a relaxed or interest-led approach, you may not even need a formal curriculum for every subject. For example, if your child loves dinosaurs, you can incorporate that into science, reading, and even history without needing a pre-packaged lesson plan.
6. Mapping Out Your Day
Once you’ve got a general idea of what your homeschool will look like, it’s time to think about your daily rhythm. Notice I said rhythm, not schedule. Some families thrive with a structured schedule, while others prefer a more go-with-the-flow approach (we tried the schedule thing and had to loosen it up a TON.) There’s no right or wrong way, just what works best for your family.
Some families are dual income and have to work around their schedule, and that is totally fine! Flexibility is the name of the game when it comes to making your rhythm work for you.
A few things to consider:
- When is your child most focused? Mornings, afternoons, evenings?
- Do you want a set routine (e.g., math first, then reading) or a checklist they can complete at their own pace?
- How will you incorporate free play, outdoor time, and hands-on learning?
Flexibility is key. Some days will be smooth, and others will feel chaotic. That’s normal! Give yourself grace and adjust as needed.
Getting started homeschooling may feel overwhelming at first, but you don’t have to figure it all out overnight. Take it step by step, give yourself time to adjust, and remember that you can always tweak things as you go. There’s no such thing as the perfect homeschool, only what works for your unique family.
Most importantly, enjoy the journey. Homeschooling isn’t just about academics; it’s about creating meaningful connections, fostering a love of learning, and embracing the freedom to do things in a way that truly benefits your child.
Check out this blog post and see if you can relate to any of these common homeschool fears. You’re not alone!
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