If I could sit across the table from a mom who is just starting out homeschooling – coffee in hand, kids half-working and half-wiggling – there are so many things I’d want to say. But more than anything I’d want her to hear this first….

Give yourself GRACE!

Homeschooling doesn’t need to look perfect to be meaningful. It doesn’t need to follow school daily guidelines to the letter. It doesn’t need color-coded schedules, matching workbooks, or a checklist that gets fully crossed off every single day.

YOU are NOT BEHIND!

One of the biggest shifts I had to make was letting go of what we “should” be learning and when. Letting go of comparison. Letting go of measuring our days against a traditional school timeline.

Because the truth is – you’re learning too.

You’re learning what your kids need in this season. You’re learning how they think. How they process. What excites them and what shuts them down. And that information? It’s priceless.

Instead of focusing on what hasn’t been done yet, focus on what is happening. Learning doesn’t always look like worksheets and lesson plans. Sometimes it looks like conversations, curiosity, hands-on experiences, and deep dives into things they’re genuinely interested in.

Follow that interest.

When kids are curious, learning sticks. When they feel seen and understood, confidence grows Ane when education is tailored specifically to them – not a classroom of twenty-eight – it becomes something flexible and life-giving instead of stressful.

One of my favorite parts or homeschooling is knowing I can change things. If something isn’t working, we pivot *PIVOT P-I-V-O-T* If one of the boys needs more time, we slow down. If they’re ready for more, we lean in.

I’m not locked into a system that doesn’t fit. I get to meet my kids exactly where they are – and that is a gift.

But maybe the most important thing I’d tell a new homeschool mom is this:

SOAK IT IN. THIS TIME MATTERS.

You are their teaching, yes – but you’re also their safe place, their encourager, their biggest influence. You’re spending time with them you might otherwise miss. You’re witnessing the way their minds work, the way their personalities unfold, the way they grow right in front of you.

That time is irreplaceable.

There will be hard days. Days you question everything. Days you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure of what the next step should be.

And if you’re in that place – please reach out!

Ask the questions. Say the hard things. Get help.

I truly love this life, and I love helping other moms navigate it however I can. You don’t have to have it all figured out to be doing it right.

You’re showing up. You’re paying attention. You’re choosing your kids – every single day!

And that? That matters more than a grade book or perfection ever could.