How to Homeschool: Embrace the Chaos, Enjoy the Journey!

Are you new to homeschooling?​

Here’s some encouragement and great advice on how to homeschool your child!

In this blog, we’re going to take a look at the biggest question homeschooling parents have when learning how to homeschool:

How do I do this?

Well, I can tell you right now, when I totally figure that out, I’ll let you know!

You are never going to sit back and say, “Wow, I’ve totally got this. Everything is going like clockwork.” Or at least, you’re never going to say that for more than 30 seconds it takes before something happens to throw your day out of whack.

I had a friend once who bemoaned the sad fact that we all want to be Maria, dancing through the Alps, playing the guitar, with our eager little learners following behind, soaking up all the information we teach them with joyful glee. Sorry, but this is your reality check. It won’t be happening.

What is it actually like teaching kids at home?

Now that we’re back in the world of grumpy kids, crashed computers, dropped WiFi, missing textbooks, and pencils that for some reason never, ever stay on the table, let’s uncover how to homeschool, or more specifically, how does homeschooling work?

(As an aside, does anyone else have trouble with gravity in your schoolroom? I am not joking when I say that my littles regularly fall out of their chair multiple times a day, and their pencils are always flying off the table to roll into the corner. Anyone else? We should run a science experiment on how the laws of gravity change when a child sits at a desk.)

What is homeschooling?

That’s easier to answer than how to homeschool. Homeschooling is learning at home, at the beach, at the zoo, at the park… In short, instead of sending your child to sit in a classroom for 7 straight hours with their peers, you are teaching them yourself, or monitoring their learning through books, the internet, videos, and hands-on experiences.

Homeschooling is going to look different for each family and maybe for each child. You have the option to choose any learning styles that work best for you and your child. 

For some families, it might mean a structured start to the day, sitting at desks and working in a textbook. For others, it might be helping the local farrier shoe a horse at the barn while learning about equine health, followed by reading about horses at the library. 

The beauty of homeschooling is its flexibility—it allows families to tailor education to their unique lifestyle and needs.

What are the benefits of homeschooling?

The benefits of homeschooling are endless. You, as the teacher, get to choose a program tailor-made for your child, designed to maximize their interests and abilities. Agreed, that’s a lot of pressure. But the rewards are worth it!

As my mom likes to say, no one in the world cares more about your child’s education than you, and thankfully, we live in the age where all kinds of amazing homeschooling resources are available at your fingertips.

Learn valuable homeschooling information from Ruth Beechick’s You Can Teach Your Child Successfully, which was foundational for the start of Learning Language Arts Through Literature.

One of the best things you can do to boost your home school activities is reading!

Did you know that right here on the Common Sense Press website, you can access countless free book study guides, designed to get your kid reading, thinking, and writing? They also come with great hands-on ideas to dive even deeper into the story.

Here at CSP, we are firm believers that if you can grow a love of reading, well then, the world’s your oyster! If you have a love for reading, spelling, and writing, everything becomes easier. Want to give your kid the best head start? Give them the world through books!

You will find a huge world of homeschooling out there, full of tips, ideas, and support. We’re going to try to dive in deeper here to share some of our family’s experiences, successes, failures, and fun throughout our many years of homeschooling.

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Homeschooling tip

My top tip at the moment is this: find a veteran homeschooler and pick their brain!

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You don’t have to go it alone. While each family will look different how they homeschool, there will be a lot of similarities as well. I hope to share with you what has worked for me over the years and also hear from others on what they’ve learned, since we know you’re never done learning!

Planning and organizing, staying motivated when you don’t want to leave your bed, sticking to a schedule, or picking the best homeschool curriculum for your family—these are all challenges that every family will face.

Hearing from people who have walked this path before and are still alive (and perhaps even sane!) will hopefully encourage us all as we invest in the most important and formative years of our children’s lives!

If you find yourself wondering about alternative options to conventional schooling but you’re overwhelmed, follow the Common Sense Press blog. We will answer all your questions about how to homeschool your child. 

You can also contact us directly with any questions you may have.

You’ve got this! We’ve got this together!

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​Homeschool FAQs

How do I homeschool my kids?

That’s a million-dollar question with no right answer. It changes based on children's grade levels. For younger kids, they need to know how to read and write and do math. For older kids, you’re preparing them for either college or a job. Where do they need to be when they graduate?

What skills, knowledge, etc. do they need? If they’re heading towards a career as a neurosurgeon, those science classes are going to be super important. If they’re leaning towards book editing, or graphic design, you’ll be focusing on different subjects.​

How to plan homeschooling?

Once again, there’s no right answer. Most will break down the material into days and weeks. Grab a planner and figure out when you want to start and wrap up the school year. Try to stay on schedule and get the work done. One day you’ll look back and find you have more days in the year behind you than in front.

How much does it cost to homeschool?

The answer is: it depends! You can actually homeschool for free (Assuming you have access to the internet and a good library). I know of people who get all of their curriculum from free websites or even create their own. Granted, it takes a lot of time, but for somepeople, it's the best thing.

You can totally save some cash by reusing the same curriculum for each kid as they get older. Homeschooling curriculum swaps and used book sales are great for scoring deals. I personally search Ebay to find used textbooks. Ebooks will also save you quite a bit of money. Some publishers, like Common Sense Press, will have "damaged" books on sale. You just have to write/call and ask.

On the other end of the spectrum, you can spend thousands! You can buy a super expensive video program with lists textbooks and workbooks and spend maybe $600 a subject. The choice is yours. I personally started with a super expensive program in my first years of homeschooling because I was scared and thought I needed the structure. Now, I use a mixture of different curriculums to help my homeschool students get the best education.

Bottom line: don't let cost scare you off from homeschooling. It doesn’t have to be expensive!
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Do I need to be trained for homeschooling my child? ​

No, you don’t! Homeschooling doesn’t require a teaching degree. The best thing about homeschooling is that you don’t need any special training to teach your kids. You can jump right in, learn alongside them, and figure it out as you go.
Just check your local laws to make sure you’re following requirements, such as keeping educational records.
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What I love most about homeschooling is the freedom to choose my child’s lessons. I’m not stuck with a strict curriculum, so I can do what works best for my kids.