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Homeschooling is definitely a journey. A long journey. A bumpy journey. A journey that you should not take if you think it will be an easy journey. It won’t be.

I have made some mistakes along the way. Okay, I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way. Hey, I am learning how to make this all work. Just like they never handed out those “how-to” manuals to us when we left the hospital with our babies; they don’t have one for homeschooling either. It is different for every family. There isn’t a one size fits all.

So here are some homeschooling mistakes I have made along the way. Maybe you have made some of the same ones. If not, maybe you can learn from mine.

Homeschool Mistake #1: Being too rigid

One problem I made right off was being too rigid in using a particular homeschool method. 

A friend introduced me to the classical style of education. I loved it. I still do. However, I tried to follow it to the tee, and it really wasn’t what my kids needed.

Homeschool styles and methods are great. They provide guidance, especially when you are new to homeschooling. It was what gave me the confidence to go through with homeschooling. I had a plan.

The problem began about a year ago when I realized it was putting a lot more strain on our schooling. We could have spent all day trying to fit in two languages, researching topics, making outlines, and writing papers. Then don’t forget to do logic, science, math, reading, and get it done before swim practice or 4-H.

I was pulling my hair out trying to fit it all in our schedule. I felt we were always behind (more on that later), and rushing. I don’t like feeling rushed.

Then I got smart.

Homeschool methods are a good TOOL. Use the parts that work for you and leave out the things that aren’t a fit. Since this epiphany, homeschooling has become a little less stressful.

This mistake can easily be applied to curriculum, too. Often people forget a curriculum is a good tool, but it shouldn’t dictate your teaching if it isn’t right for your family.

Homeschool Mistake #2: Sticking with a curriculum that isn’t working.

Oh, my poor son. He has been on the brunt of this one too often. It is so easy as a homeschool parent to want to use the same materials with one kid that you used with another. Honestly, it saves money.

Unfortunately, not all kids learn the same way. Not all curriculum choices are going to work for all your kids. I cringe when I think of all the curriculum my son struggled with before I admitted defeat.

My son and daughter learn differently. Some materials I can use with both, but when it comes to writing and spelling, he needs something different. It’s a pain I can’t hand down my daughter’s old books to him, but it is what it is.

I admit I didn’t always make the best choices on homeschool materials due to the cost. I kind of had an inkling my son would do well with a particular curriculum, but it had a hefty price tag compared to others. I wasted so much money avoiding the pricey curriculum by trying out others. I would have been better off buying what I suspected would work right away.

Fortunately, there are used curriculum sales, website sales, eBay, and other marketplaces for used-curriculum to help with keeping the costs down. It was through eBay I was able to find a used IEW program for my son.

Homeschool Mistake #3: Not having a Mission Statement

Another homeschool mistake I made was not making a mission statement for our homeschool right away. I didn’t think I need one until I realized I needed one. A mission statement can keep you on track and focus your homeschool goals. It is a reminder of why you are homeschooling.

At one point, I realized I wasn’t meeting my goals for our homeschool, and it needed to change. I wanted my kids to get out in the world and see all the learning opportunities around them. I was getting in a rut, though, and not doing this. So I began making changes.

A homeschool mission statement can help you stay focused on the end game and make sure you are making choices to meet those goals. I go into more detail on this topic in “Homeschool Mission Statement: 3 Reasons It’s Important“.

Homeschool Mistake #4: Believing we are getting behind

I made the mistake of forgetting you can’t get behind in your homeschool. You only get behind if you are trying to meet someone else’s standard for schooling.

I know some will disagree with me on this point. Here are my thoughts, though.

Homeschooling is a journey. It is one you can set the pace and expectations. If you are trying to stick with the public school calendar, then I guess you can get behind since you expect all your work finished by a certain date.

However, if you go at your own pace and don’t worry about grade levels then you can’t get behind. If you have an end date, why can’t you pick up where you left off after summer vacation?

The beauty of homeschooling is you don’t have to follow anyone else’s standards but your own.

We homeschool year-round, and it has taken me a while to understand we can’t get behind. It doesn’t matter when we finish something. We keep plugging along learning what we need to at our own pace.

I only see getting behind is an issue if you have taken so much time off that your kids haven’t been doing any work. But if they have been working and putting in the days, then you must be working at a pace that is right for your family.

Homeschool Mistake #5: Not having fun.

One of the biggest homeschooling mistakes of all I have made is forgetting to have fun! I want my kids to enjoy learning and for us to have fun making memories together.

When I got so wrapped up in following the classical model to the letter, letting the curriculum dictate what we did, and trying not to fall behind, we started to lose the fun. I also started to lose sight of our mission statement on why we were homeschooling.

I made changes. I don’t get so caught up in schedules and deadlines. We work at our own pace and have added fun back in. We have a Friday Fun Activity every week. You can follow this on my Facebook page.

I want my kids to look back on our time together as a fun time learning. Not mommy freaking out we need to work, work, work. It will only kill their love of learning, and I want them to be life-long learners.

Now this is just a few of the mistakes I have made along the way. There will be more to come. Life is about learning, and I certainly learn a lot from my mistakes. Hopefully you can, too.

What mistakes have you made along the way? Share your comments. I’m sure I can learn from you, too.

Happy Homeschooling!