by Janny Jackson
Everyone’s homeschool journey looks differently. There are no two that look completely alike. That being said, not everyone is meant to embark on this journey. I know you’re thinking I’m a fraud because of that statement, and it is a very uncommon thing for a homeschooler to say, because I’m sure most of us could convince anyone no matter what their circumstances are that it is possible. However, here are 5 reasons why homeschooling may not be for you.
You Genuinely Don’t Have The Time
There is a difference between saying you don’t have the time because you don’t want to make the time, versus saying you don’t have the time because your days are consumed with work and tasks and you simply can not fit anymore into your day.
Homeschooling can take up a good chunk of your day with your child, however it is not exclusive to just doing the actual work. It takes time to research books and curriculums, shop around for items you need, look for community, planning, organizing, and evaluating how things are going. It can, at times, feel all consuming, especially in the research phase. Only you can determine if you just need to reprioritize or if it is simply just not possible at this time.
Your Mental Health Is At Risk
Mental health is a thing. And it’s something that shouldn’t be ignored. Again, there is a difference between not wanting to do something because you aren’t motivated to do it, versus being so physically inundated with life that adding one more thing into it will make you crack.
Action begets motivation. If you have a task staring at you in the face that you are dreading, you won’t just one day feel like doing it. You just need to do it. Your feelings will catch up, the dopamine will kick in and you’ll realize your thoughts about the task usually aren’t as overwhelming as the actual task is.
With homeschooling on the rise and so many people documenting their journeys, it can either seem incredibly doable or incredibly distressing depending on where you are in your life.
That being said, whether your schedule is packed, or you are dealing with mental challenges, adding in homeschool or any other task could be too overwhelming for you. And that’s okay. Only you can determine what you are capable of in your life. Homeschool is not meant to burden or overwhelm your mental health.
You Want To Be Like Everyone Else
Let’s be real. Social media is highly influential, and if we spend enough time following someone we eventually start to want what they have. Or want to do what they do. What are your intentions for wanting to homeschool? Is it to give your child a safe learning environment in the home and cater to their learning style and potential? Or are you content with your child’s school situation but feel like you should change things up because everyone else is? There is no right or wrong way to school. What matters most is that your child is thriving in whatever environment she or he is in, and that it is not a burden to the health of the family.
You Struggle With Consistency, Scheduling, and Priorities
Does your struggle with these 3 things mean you are completely incapable of homeschooling? Absolutely NOT. I can pretty much guarantee you that every homeschool parent has struggled with at least one or more of these at some point in their journey. If you haven’t read my blog post 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Homeschooling I highly recommend you do so after you’ve finished this one. One of my main points is about the self discipline required to homeschool your child, and without self discipline with time, consistency, and making it a priority, your homeschool will not thrive. That’s just the truth. If you struggle with these, you must recognize that and know that if you are going to continue your quest to begin homeschooling, you will have to really work at improving these things daily. Do some research on how to improve these skills, put what you’ve learned into action, and eventually they will become second nature.
You Think You Aren’t Capable
You know what’s the biggest killer of dreams and desires? Your mindset. It’s not the amount of money you have. It’s not your education level. It’s not your lack of resources or space. It’s not even the naysayers (and trust me they are there). If you don’t believe that you are capable, you will not succeed. Does that mean that everything will go perfectly? Absolutely not. It takes time, practice, and being okay with switching things up to really feel like you know what you’re doing.
There are so many free resources available for homeschoolers. You don’t need a degree to homeschool. The curriculums teach your child, not you. It’s your job to facilitate and be willing to learn alongside your child. Homeschooling will not just grow your child. It will grow you too. In areas you didn’t even know you needed to grow. It’s amazing, rewarding and encouraging. But you have to believe that it’s possible.
I hope this really helped you to seriously ask yourself some important questions as you evaluate whether or not the homeschool life is for you and your family.
Thank you for being here!