Our Decision to Homeschool

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases—at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly use or believe will support your homeschool journey.

I’m often asked, “What made you decide to homeschool?”
And honestly, there wasn’t just one reason. It was more like a slow unfolding—a mix of personal experiences, gut feelings, and unexpected nudges that eventually brought us here.

I grew up going to Catholic school until 8th grade, then switched to public school for high school. My husband went through the public school system his whole life, and our oldest, my bonus daughter, did too.

For her, school worked. She enjoyed it, did well, and is now pursuing her degree in education to become a Spanish teacher. Though, there were many conversations with her teachers about how she talked a little too much during class.
Thinking back to those conferences, I remember feeling uneasy. Walking through the school building stirred up something in me, a kind of disconnect. The structure, the vibe, the institutional feel... it just didn’t sit right.

My husband? He didn’t love school. He had a hard time sitting still. A hard time paying attention. 

As for me, I thought I liked it, but looking back, I realize I was just really good at playing the game. I didn’t bring much homework home, I got good grades, but did I really learn? Retain anything? Truly understand what I was taught? I’m not so sure. I definitely memorized and later forgot. And while there were parts I enjoyed, the whole system felt… off. And as an introvert, I often felt drained by the group work, read-alouds, and forced socialization.

So it’s not that we had a “bad” experience with school. But I was starting to recognize that traditional school doesn’t resonate the same way for everyone.

Still, I never planned to homeschool. Honestly, it had never even crossed my mind.
Like many, I grew up hearing that homeschoolers were “weird.” And I didn’t want to be labeled weird. (Although, I care a lot less about that these days!)

But then, one day when my daughter was just a few months old, this unexpected thought popped into my head:
I think I want to homeschool.
And surprisingly, it made me feel light. Free. Joyful, even.

The idea of being part of her learning journey, not just hearing about it secondhand, felt exciting.
Not to say you can’t be incredibly involved with your child’s education if they attend school. You absolutely can. But for me, the idea of homeschooling felt like an even deeper kind of involvement.

At first, I started testing the waters, dropping little “what ifs” in casual conversations, half-joking to see how people would respond.

The responses? Let’s just say they weren’t exactly encouraging.
I work outside the home. I've owned my massage therapy practice since 2004, so most people told me there was no way I could work and homeschool.
Then came the socialization comments.
And of course, “But you’re not a teacher!”

So, I shelved the idea.
She was still so little anyway.
And truthfully, the more doubts I heard, the more I started to believe them myself.

Then 2020 happened. 
Our daughter turned 3 just after the world shut down (she had a drive by birthday parade). She wasn’t in school yet, but like so many of us, that season shifted something in me. It opened my eyes to new ways of doing things, new resources, new perspectives.
Suddenly, more flexible options started appearing. Online curriculum. Digital communities. Different paths.

Over the next year, I started giving the idea the real thought it deserved.
Then one night, just an ordinary evening, reading in bed, my intuition spoke and the decision clicked.
I walked downstairs and talked with my husband.

Let me just say, I have a lot of ideas. And he is endlessly supportive. He’s always up for riding the waves with me, and this one was no different.

I got to work researching and we started with a preschool nature curriculum and a willingness to learn as we go.
I didn’t have it all figured out when we started (I still don’t), I just followed that little nudge and took the first step.

Later, as we settled into homeschooling, I started reading some really helpful books that gave me more clarity and direction. They didn’t spark the decision, but they helped me understand why it felt so right. They gave me language for what I was already experiencing and helped me feel grounded and less alone.

They reminded me that learning is a lifelong journey, for our kids and for us. I began to realize what a gift it is to re-learn right alongside my daughter. Maybe the things I once memorized and forgot would become meaningful again.

How cool is that? That I get to see the world through her eyes and rediscover it with fresh ones of my own?

Those books also helped me shape our days with more intention. Not perfectly, of course, but with purpose.

📘 How Children Learn by John Holt
 
🌲The Call of the Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment

❓ Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School? by Blake Boles
 

And now? Here we are, four years later, still showing up and figuring it out.

Has it been easy? Not even close.
Has it been worth it? Absolutely.

Will it continue to have challenges? I have no doubt.
Will we homeschool forever? I hope we can.

That’s our story. Nothing dramatic. Just honest. Just us.

Join the community and share your journey!