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7 lessons I learned from interviewing 7 homeschooling families (that you need to know)
In the past few months I've published:
- 7 families,
- 50 + questions,
- More than 10,000 words,
- And unique homeschooling approaches
Here are my top takeaways:
Lesson #1: Taking the road less traveled is scary, but fulfilling.
When @CherronSue started homeschooling, she replicated the school-at-home model.
She was an authoritarian parent trying to impose a rigid curriculum.
Her homeschool had daily power struggles and tears.
But things changed amazingly when she:
- Debunked all traditional schooling practices
- Followed her children’s curiosities
- Became a co-learner instead of a teacher
- Ditched textbooks, tests, grades, and assignments
Coming from a traditional schooling background, unschooling and natural learning was a scary decision for her.
But it paid off big time.
The outcome?
- She spent more time with kids building a stronger relationship
- Her kids followed their natural curiosities and educated themselves
- Her kids asked more questions and trusted her with answers.
Advice from Cherron:
“I would encourage other homeschooling families to relax and let their children pursue their interests. To give them as much freedom as possible, especially in the teen years.”
Lesson #2: Make kids financially independent at a young age.
This mom homeschooled her kids without any support from family and husband.
No one believed in her ideas but she stood firm.
And, now everybody is amazed at how she is raising two teen entrepreneurs.
Her 19 yrs old son runs an online institute with her where he teaches young kids:
- Mental maths
- Coding
- Geography
- Language
- And Academic maths
Kids love learning from him.
Why?
Because of his non-traditional approach to teaching.
Her daughter (12 yrs) borrowed 10,000 Rupees from her father and started a handmade jewelry business.
The outcome?
- Son is financially independent at the age of 19.
- They know how to deal with customers and market their services
- Learned money management
Advice from Atufat:
“Don't copy anyone's idea. Every kid is unique. Find out their interests and cherish them. Turn their hobbies into entrepreneurship from a young age, at least. I tried to teach kids how to start a business with nearly zero investment and by utilizing already available resources.”
Lesson #3: Socialisation begins at home.
"But what about socialization?"
This is the top concern when people hear about homeschooling.
And it's a valid one.
Every parent wants their children to develop good social skills, like:
- Working in a team
- Solving problems
- Learning together
- Helping each other
But what kids get at school is quite different:
- Peer pressure
- Unhealthy competition
- Not-so-friendly learning
- Academic pressure
Kids might even get in trouble if they talk in class, right?
@BirdsongCarlos creates social experiences for his kids by letting them:
- Learn in a cooperative environment
- Make an order at a restaurant
- Going to the library and grocery
- Play with diverse age kids at the park
- Participating in the community
Advice from Carlos
“Be a Curator, Not Just a Teacher: You don't need to teach every subject yourself. Instead, learn to curate diverse learning experiences for your child, drawing from various resources and experts.”
Full Interview
Lesson #4: Leverage the Educational Potential of Gaming.
Is gaming bad for kids?
Not if done right.
@anafabrega11 has written extensively about the educational potential of gaming.
And she's even part of an online school (@synthesischool) that teaches kids logical thinking and problem-solving through games.
This homeschooling family uses Minecraft as a learning opportunity. Dad, a programmer, taught his daughter to code using Minecraft.
But that's not all.
He also taught her to use Google SketchUp to make a three-dimensional design for her future room.
She seamlessly incorporates her Minecraft-themed designs into Google SketchUp.
Advice from Irene:
“Find other homeschooling/unschooling parents. Create your own community, whether it is in person or online. We are surrounded by conventional education so if you ask someone in that world about homeschooling it can be frustrating. Start finding new people to lift you on your new journey.”
Lesson #5: Set Clear Boundaries and Handle Judgments with Grace.
Homeschooling parents already have a lot on their plates:
- Self-doubt
- Social pressure
- Managing home, kids, and finances
Even a single negative comment can take a toll on their mental health.
@JamesTippins knows the importance of setting clear boundaries and handling judgments with grace.
He doesn't allow people to insult or pass judgment on his family, whether they're homeschoolers or not.
He makes sure to:
- Communicates clear boundaries
- Don't take judgments personally
- Be assertive but respectful
- Focus on the positive
He even avoids homeschoolers who boast about their kids’ progress and do unhealthy competition.
Outcome?
- They focus on the right things
- They do not compare their family with others
- Their family is happy and in peace
Advice from James
“ Your children are yours and how you educate them is no one's business. I believe that we need to communicate more clearly and not permit people to have opinions or indirectly insult us or others in any form. Every child is different. Teach them differently.”
Lesson #6: Our education system can’t meet individual needs.
Dr Claire (@HippyMomPhD), a university professor, knew the flaws of the education system firsthand.
She saw every day how teachers struggled to meet the needs of each student in a classroom full of dozens of kids.
Every child is unique, with their own learning style, pace, and interests.
But in a traditional classroom setting, teachers are simply unable to give each student the one-on-one attention they need to succeed.
Claire started homeschooling during Covid19 and never looked back.
Homeschooling allowed her to spend more time with her kids.
She could teach each child their own way.
The result? Her kids are now:
- Happier
- Calmer
- Have fewer tantrums
Advice from Claire:
“Find someone to talk to who is currently making it work (even better if they have older kids) just get started. If it doesn't work, you can always go back. 6 months won't harm your kids but it might change their (and your) life.”
Lesson #7: Kids are not roadblockers to your dreams.
When @nikolaj_astrup and his wife started digital nomading the most common question they got was:
“Would you continue this free lifestyle after having kids?”
Their answer was:
“We would just travel with a big bunch of friends with kids”
Cool idea, right?
This thought led him to build the traveling village.
A project where he coordinates with other homeschooling and digital nomading families and they travel for four months together.
Benefit?
- Kids get other kids to hang out and play with.
- Adults never have to compromise on their dream lifestyle
- They can easily homeschool in any part of the world
Advice from Nikolaj:
“Find people who are already doing it and who are strong in beliefs. Your peers and family will likely not understand and in many cases be super negative about it, so you really need someone else in your community.”
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If you read these interviews you will find an interesting thing.
They all have a different way of educating their kids but have a similar goal - raising kids who follow their own curiosities and educate themselves without compromising their mental health.
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Every week I share stories of homeschooling and alternative learning families.
Follow me @AimenBatool if you want to learn how people are educating kids outside a traditional school.
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