When I wanted to quit Homeschooling & what I did instead

If you have ever said, cried, or thought I want to quit homeschooling, you are not alone. And this is for you.

Have you ever been there at that moment when you thought you were on the brink of insanity? And you told yourself “really I am doing this to myself, if I just did what other moms do, and put them in public school, everything would be easier”.

Well, you are not alone.

I can’t Homeschool anymore

That moment I yelled “I want to quit homeschooling”, came last spring.

You see we have a large family, compared to most, 6 kids to be exact. Some of those kids make homeschooling more frustrating than others.

I found myself frustrated beyond belief, especially with my two oldest boys a 15-year-old freshman, who likes to talk and interrupt every lesson. And my 9-year-old who would rather be doing a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g but school work of any kind.

So between this tag team, I was all but in tears by the time May rolled around.

So I did something drastic, I scheduled a school visit to tour a local (and very small K-12) small town school.

And man for a second I was amazed, not only did I think, I could put those two in school, and their issues would be someone else to deal with.

But I thought “heck I’ll put 5 of them in next year, and free up my day to spend just with my little guy”. That would grades 10, 7, 4, 1, and K.

Man how different my days could look, I was on cloud 9 with the thought of it for about a day or two.

Self-Reliant Vintage Life Skills Curriculum

Then the tide turned

Then I started wondering “what would my day look like?” I thought “what would their days look like?” On the bus at like 6 am home at like 4 pm.

Those long hours started feeling a little unsettling.

Then my oldest daughter said something, that pulled my heart strings.

She said “I will always remember these years, going on homeschool field trips, the fun we have, how close I am with my siblings compared to the other kids I know. But what about the younger kids? They will never remember this or have these experiences”.

And that got me right there.

I had always worked hard to make sure my kids were close to each other, and yes they have sibling squabbles, but in comparison to the other kids we are around, they are really close.

Having my younger kids never get to remember those experiences, made me want to cry just thinking about it.

Homeschooling Motivation

With my change of heart, I decided to do some soul searching. Since the summer break had just begun I knew I had a little time to chew on it, mentally speaking.

Over my time of reflection, I realized I had fallen out of love with homeschooling, and with that, I was more willing to see all the flaws and none of the things I had always valued.

A perspective shift.

If it was me that was magnifying all the downside and not at all paying any mind to all the great things, then I needed to shift me and my thinking.

Journaling

Journaling to me has always been a way to get to the bottom of my thoughts. So I began journaling my thoughts, my memories, my experiences, and my expectations of homeschooling.

I journaled about our trouble areas and the areas I was proud of. I looked at the pros and cons.

Reading motivational books

Secondly, I began to read books on homeschooling. For many of them, I can’t say I will copy the technique or curriculum exactly, but I did get many inspiring changes I could make.

The first book I found helpful was

The Well-Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer

This book opened my mind to the idea of classical education (something I promise I had never given thought to). But as luck would have it has many aspects to help keep my oldest (you know the distracted talker) busy and engaged in his work.

The second book I found to be inspirational is

Homeschool Bravely by Jamie Erickson

In this book, by Jamie Erickson, I found inspiration for homeschooling my next son my struggling learner (you know that kid who hates ALL SCHOOLWORK). I found this like a breath of fresh air breathed into a situation I had been feeling hopeless in.

The third book I read and would recommend was

The Four-Hour School Day: How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life by Durenda Wilson

Packed full of motivation and tips and tricks I never thought I would still need after 10 years of homeschooling, but it helped to validate that we were on the right path all along.

Inspired Homeschooling

After my weeks of reflection, I woke up with a thought or words on my mind that just kept repeating.

Just because there are bumps on the path, doesn’t mean you are on the wrong path.

With that, I was not only falling in love with homeschooling again but I was reinspired and motivated to make some changes and forge bravely ahead, knowing what I was doing was important and it was the right decision all along.

I’ve been there, just about every homeschool mom I have ever met has been there. Heck, my first homeschool mentor homeschooled 9 children some even grew up to be doctors and college professors, she was there at one point. Getting to that point where you just want to quit homeschooling, I think that is a normal part of the journey. What I did to shift that was to evaluate myself and our systems and find new motivation. After all, I know the mission is worthy, and the struggles are temporary ♡♡♡

Beth

Beth is a mother of 6 living on a handful of acres in an old farmhouse in central Kansas. Beth has a background in the military and health and fitness however her passions come from her homestead life. Beth is an enthusiastic homeschooling mom, avid organic gardener, chicken & goat wrangler, who is obsessed with herbs and natural remedies and maintaining an all-around Do-It-Yourself lifestyle. Beth loves to share all she has learned about and sustainable living. While striving for a healthy, natural life, family-centered life.