15 Reasons You Think You Could Never Homeschool

I could never homeschool because…

How many times have you said that?

How many times have you thought that?

I don’t know what it is with our culture today. We focus so much on empowerment and reaching our goals, but when it comes down to us doing anything we find a little intimidating, we pull out that trusty book of excuses. (Watch my video for more of my thoughts on this!)

I know not everyone wants to homeschool, but there are so many families who have seriously considered it, only to decide against it because of a lack of confidence in themselves, their abilities, and their determination.

Today I’m going to be sharing 15 excuses- yes, excuses– I often hear from people who are longing to teach their children at home, yet can’t seem to bring themselves to take that leap of faith required to start the journey.

Let’s get started.

15 Reasons You Think You Can’t Homeschool (and why you just might be wrong!)

1. I don’t have time to homeschool.

Look, I’m not going to tell you that homeschooling doesn’t take any extra time. What I am going to tell you is that the image that you have of standing in your dining room teaching your kids for 6 hours a day isn’t how homeschooling actually happens. On average, most homeschoolers only spend between 2-4 hours on their school work each day.

2. I have to work.

Hey, I totally get that…and so do a lot of working homeschool moms. Yeah. They actually exist! There are so many ways to work homeschooling into your day- even if you’re employed full time. Working separate shifts, working from home, and enlisting the help of family members for child care are just a few options. Be creative!

3. I don’t have enough money to homeschool.

Guess what? Homeschooling doesn’t have to be expensive! If it were, I could never do it. I’ve got 10 kids at home. In my house, frugal is the name of the game. In fact, you could totally homeschool using the library as your main curriculum source. And if you think about it, you’re actually saving money by keeping your kids home on things such as: gas money, lunch money, fundraisers, school pictures, and clothing (or uniforms), just to name a few.

4. I don’t have enough patience.

Between you and me, most homeschool moms feel the same way! We’re not superheroes. We don’t have superhuman patience. Believe me. Just ask my kids. To tell you the truth, the more time you spend with your kids, the more patience you’ll have. It seems counterintuitive, but it’s true.

5. I don’t have a teaching degree.

Neither do most homeschool moms. They’re completely unnecessary in the homeschooling world. Most people don’t realize this, but home education is nothing like school. All you need is the ability to be resourceful and some stubbornness to boot!

6. My kids won’t listen to me.

If that’s the case, I’d say you should take your kids out of school pronto, because it’s not going to get any better. Your kids need time to get to know you, to respect you, and to honor you. Homeschooling offers plenty of time for them to learn to do that.

7. I want my kids to be socialized.

Um…have you seen what’s going on in schools these days? Not quite the atmosphere I’d want my kids to ‘socialize’ in, to be honest. Besides, homeschooling offers a more natural approach to getting to know others because it’s happening out in the real world with people of all ages and from all walks of life. Can’t get any better than that.

8. I want my kids to be prepared for the real world.

By sending them to a building designed to simulate the real world, rather than keeping them in the real thing? Schools really are about as far from the real world as you can get. Kids are segregated by age and taught in separate classes for separate subjects. Life isn’t like that. In the ‘real world,’ people don’t only work and interact with others their age, and we certainly don’t walk around thinking, I just did math because I balanced my checkbook. Later I’ll do social studies when I talk to my new neighbors from Jamaica. Oh, and I can’t forget about language arts- those thank you cards aren’t going to write themselves. I know it sounds ludicrous, but isn’t that what school does? (For more on this subject, click on this video.)

9. I wouldn’t know what to do and where to start.

It can be really intimidating to think about all the things that have to be done to get started, but there is so much information out there. Believe me, when all is said and done, getting started isn’t difficult and all, and it’s actually really exciting! (Click here to see my “How to Get Started Homeschooling” video series.)

10. I can’t be around my kids that much.

As horrible as that sounds, a lot of us think that at some point in our lives. I did before I pulled my kids out of school. The thing is, society has trained us to see our kids as nuisances instead of the gifts they are. You might not see it now, but, as with patience, the more we’re with our kids, the more we enjoy them. It makes sense. How can you learn to get used to being with your kids if they’re never home?

11. My family wouldn’t approve.

I know that I’ve been really blessed in that my family has been supportive of our choice to homeschool. As difficult as it may be to have people in your lives who are against home education, you really need to remember that you are the parent, and you have the best intentions for your children. And that’s enough.

12. I’m a single mom/dad.

I’m not even going to pretend to know what that’s like, but I can tell you that there are lots of single homeschooling parents out there. As with homeschooling parents who also work, it can be done with diligence, creativity, and flexibility.

13. I hated school. How can I do a good job teaching my own kids?

I actually think that would be a plus in a homeschool environment because it would likely ensure that you wouldn’t try to recreate public school at home. Additionally, perhaps it would be an incentive to keep things interesting, fun, and flexible.

14. I don’t remember anything from school.

Then it should make even more sense to homeschool. Why would you send your kids to the same institution that failed dismally at giving you an effective education? Are you willing to let that happen to your kids, too?

15. My kids are smarter than I am. How would I help with things I don’t understand?

Well, what do you do when there’s something you need to find out how to do in your own life? You may look it up on the internet, get some books out of the library, or just dive in and try it yourself. These are all potential ways to deal with this barrier, as well. If all else fails, there are always tutors (some libraries offer them for free), dual enrollment, and online courses. Remember, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

 

There’s no doubt that deciding to homeschool will be one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. Throw your doubts out the window and have confidence in yourself. Don’t be a slave to your excuses. No one cares for your kids’ education more than you do. 

Now, what are you gonna do about it?