Learn + Live Letter Homeschool

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It’s that time of year again…the time when every homeschool influencer you follow starts sharing their curriculum picks a full SEVEN months ahead of when they’ll actually start using them. 😝 And as much as we love seeing (and being!) what works for so many families, we have a couple concerns about this timeline. For one, worrying now about what you’ll do over half a year from now makes it nearly impossible to stay present in your current homeschool work. Instead of stressing about what your child might need in the future, we want to encourage you to enjoy the last few months of this year, fully immersing yourself in current lessons, projects, and skills that your child is working on. There will be plenty of time to think about next year in a few months! 😘 Another thing that gives us pause? The reason why so many families feel the need to shop now. Is it because you truly need to make these decisions now…or because you’re just unhappy with your current choices (and making a new purchase is giving you the serotonin hit you’re craving right now)? 😳 Instead of getting sucked into a psychological marketing ploy or making an impulse purchase that won’t actually serve your family, your time would be better used observing what type of learning will work best for your child based on their organic interests and your family’s natural rhythm. You might even look for curriculum options that provide samples to test if the lessons really provide what you need! 🎉 Did you know we offer sample unit studies for all of our levels? Visit our website to try for yourself—completely free and with zero obligation to continue! #learnandliveletter #homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoollife #homeschoolmom #homeschoolmama #homeschooldad #homeeducation

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It’s important to go into homeschooling with realistic expectations. And the reality is, it’s not always easy or fun! Having a realistic outlook (and accepting the sometimes negative aspects) is important to ensuring that we judge our successes and challenges fairly—and remember that a bad day or not loving an element of homeschool does not mean you are failing! In the name of total disclosure, here are four things I do NOT love about homeschooling! (Don’t forget to check out Part 2: 4 things I LOVE about homeschooling!) 1) It is so much harder to get time to yourself! If you crave along time to reset like I do, you have to be really deliberate about getting that throughout your week. (But there will definitely be weeks when you don’t get as much as you’d like!) 😩 2) The cost! When you’re paying out of pocket for curriculum, sports, arts, lessons, and field trips, it can add up—and it’s typically more expensive financially than sending your kids to public school. 💰 3) All. The. Stuff. Hands-on homeschooling means you need things to put in your child’s hands. That means craft supplies, experiment materials, math manipulative, and more—and finding ways to store and organize them can be difficult if you crave decluttered spaces. 🫣 4) The emotional toll! Managing your child’s emotions, particularly around learning frustrations, can feel triggering and exhausting. And this is on top of what you’re already doing in general parenting! Fortunately, finding ways to help you both regulate and have deeper emotional intelligence is also incredibly rewarding. 💗 What are YOUR least favorite parts of homeschooling?

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PART 2: Just as it’s important to be honest about the not-so-great parts of homeschooling, it’s equally important to celebrate the amazing parts! (Because for us, they make the struggles SO worth it!) Here are my four favorite aspects of homeschooling: 1) The time I get to share with my children! As much as I value my alone time, I know how precious these days and ages are. I love that homeschooling gives us more time together to enjoy their childhoods together! 🔥 2) Getting a front row seat to their major learning milestones! Watching something click for the first time or seeing them experience something they’ve only read about before are incredible memories homeschooling my children lets me share with them. ✨ 3) The bond my children share! Instead of being separated most of the day, my children truly get to grow up together, sharing experiences and strengthening their friendship throughout our time together. I love how close they’ve become and treasure the relationship they have. 💞 4) Being able to give my children the tailored education they deserve. Homeschooling is a privilege I value deeply because it allows me to help ensure they have a positive relationship with learning throughout their lives. I’m able to adapt what and how they learn, instead of being held to standards decided by and for someone else. 🙌🏼 What is your favorite part of homeschooling? Tell us below! 👇