Trying to decide if you are ready to homeschool?

A Guide to Making the Best Decision for your Season of Life

Deciding whether to homeschool is a deeply personal choice, and for many families, one that can feel overwhelming. And, that makes sense. Choosing how to educate your child(ren) is one of the most important decisions you will make. When we first considered homeschooling, we weren’t sure if we could make it work. With both of us working full-time in demanding corporate jobs and another young child at home, we wondered if we could truly provide the education and life experience we envisioned for our daughter.

But after a lot of research, reflection, and trial and error, we found a homeschooling approach that works for our family—one that blends structured learning with play, adventure, travel, and a strong foundation in critical thinking.

If you're considering homeschooling, this blog will walk you through key factors to help you decide in a systematic and objective manner. Also, you’ll find some practical advice sprinkled throughout to help you navigate this choice with confidence - and maybe avoid some of our initial mistakes!

Defining Your Core Values

Before diving into curricula and schedules, start with the why. What do you want your child’s education to look and feel like? What skills and values do you want them to carry into adulthood?

For our family, literacy was non-negotiable. We view reading and critical thinking as essential life skills, so ensuring our daughters had a literacy-rich environment was a priority. We also wanted their education to be rooted in curiosity and exploration rather than rote memorization. This led us to prioritize hands-on learning experiences, whether through nature walks, baking, or travel-based education.

For example, when introducing math to our kindergartener, we took a pasta-making class in Italy. As a family, we needed to make 100 pieces of pasta, which gave us an opportunity to practice not only counting by ones but also skip counting as we created bundles of ten. It was a perfect blend of culture, real-life math application, and family connection—something that would have been hard to replicate in a traditional school setting.

Ask Yourself:

• What are the top three values that matter most in my child’s education?

• What do I want my child’s learning experience to feel like?

• Do I want to incorporate travel or experiential learning into our schooling?

Research Different Educational Approaches

Homeschooling isn’t one-size-fits-all. There are many different educational philosophies, and finding the right fit can help you create an environment where your child thrives.

Some families prefer a structured, school-at-home model, while others embrace unschooling, which allows learning to unfold organically through interests and daily life. For us, we found a mix between Waldorf-inspired rhythms, Charlotte Mason’s literature-rich approach, and Montessori hands-on learning worked best. This gave us structure without feeling rigid and allowed us to explore the world as part of our education.

Explore These Approaches:

• Waldorf: Emphasizes storytelling, art, nature, and rhythm in learning.

• Charlotte Mason: Living books, nature study, narration.

• Montessori: Hands-on, child-led learning with real-life skills.

• Classical Education: Focus on the trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric).

• Unschooling: Learning through life experiences and interests.

• Worldschooling: Using travel as an educational tool.

Consider a Trial Period

One of the biggest hesitations parents have is the fear of making the wrong decision. But here’s the truth: You don’t have to commit to homeschooling forever.

We started by trying it for a single season. That mindset shift took off the pressure and gave us the freedom to assess whether it worked for our family. Within a few months, we noticed a huge difference—not just in academics, but in our daughter’s confidence, joy, and engagement in learning. That made our decision clearer.

If you’re unsure, try homeschooling for a summer or a semester. Use that time to evaluate what’s working, what’s not, and how it aligns with your goals.

Things to Track During Your Trial:

• Does my child seem more engaged in learning?

• How is our family dynamic affected by homeschooling?

• Are we able to find a rhythm that works for us?

Connect With Other Homeschooling Families

Community is one of the biggest factors in a successful homeschool journey. When we started, we leaned heavily on local and online homeschooling groups to learn from seasoned families. These connections provided reassurance, practical advice, and social opportunities for our children.

Many cities have co-ops where homeschoolers meet for group learning, extracurricular activities, and field trips. Online groups can also be a great resource for finding curriculum recommendations, troubleshooting challenges, and getting encouragement when needed.

Where to Find Support:

• Local homeschooling co-ops

• Facebook groups and online forums

• Homeschool conventions or workshops

• Book clubs and nature groups

Know That It’s Okay to Change Course

One of the most liberating things about homeschooling is the flexibility. You are not locked into one approach forever. If something isn’t working, you can adjust—whether that means tweaking your schedule, trying a different curriculum, or even transitioning back to traditional school if needed.

We evaluate our homeschool decision on a monthly basis. Over a simple family check-in, we ask:

• What’s working well?

• What needs to change?

• Are our children happy and engaged in their learning?

Giving yourself permission to reassess will help you make the best decision for this season of life.

Final Thoughts

Homeschooling has been a challenging but rewarding journey for our family. It has given us the ability to nurture curiosity, provide a literacy-rich environment, and incorporate meaningful real-world experiences like worldschooling. But most importantly, it has allowed us to make intentional choices about our children’s education rather than feeling stuck in a system that didn’t align with our values.

If you’re considering homeschooling, I’d love to hear what factors are most important to you! Drop a comment below or join our email list for more homeschooling insights, book recommendations, and play-based learning resources.