I’m moving into a different season of life—one I never saw coming. If you had told me when I first had kids that I’d be considering homeschooling, I would have laughed. It was never part of the plan. But here we are, and as we head into summer, we’re giving it a trial run.
This isn’t a full-on commitment just yet. We’re going to test it out, see how I do with the kids, how they do with me, and decide from there. If it works, we’ll continue. If it doesn’t, they’ll go back to school in the fall. And let me be clear—this decision isn’t mine alone. My kids are involved in it, and they both said yes.
But what I really want to talk about is why I’m choosing this. Because I know people will assume it has something to do with politics, the education system, or healthcare. It doesn’t. At all. This decision is about connection—my connection with my kids, and their connection to learning in a way that actually makes sense.
It’s About Connection, Not Controversy
The last few years have been a massive shift for me, especially in my role as a mother. I used to feel so disconnected from my kids—like I was just going through the motions of parenting without truly being present. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had a lot of internal work to do before I could deepen my relationship with them.
Motherhood didn’t come as naturally to me as I thought it would. I struggled—emotionally, mentally, and even financially. I assumed parenting was just something that instinctively happened, but I’ve learned that true connection with my kids requires intentional effort. And before I could give them that, I had to learn how to connect with myself first.
That work has changed everything. I’ve learned how to regulate my own emotions so that I can help them navigate theirs. I’ve learned how to break generational cycles of reacting out of stress, frustration, or fear. And that has allowed me to build a deeper, more meaningful bond with my kids.
Some of the biggest influences in this journey have been the books Good Inside by Dr. Becky, Mentally Strong Kids by Dr. Amen, and Hold On to Your Kids by Dr. Gabor Maté and Dr. Gordon Neufeld. These books completely reshaped how I approach parenting, how I understand childhood emotions, and even how I reflect on my own upbringing. It’s not about blaming or resenting the past—it’s about doing better now that I know better.
The Financial Freedom to Make This Choice
For a long time, the biggest obstacle to homeschooling wasn’t just emotional—it was financial. I needed to work. We had bills. And homeschooling simply wasn’t feasible.
But my husband and I have worked relentlessly over the last several years to get to a place where this is possible. We started with over $400,000 in debt, and we’re now down to the last $10,000. That journey has been full of unlearning old money habits, developing discipline around spending and saving, and completely restructuring the way we handle finances.
On top of that, building my own business has allowed me to control my schedule while still providing for my family. I don’t have to clock into someone else’s system. I’ve carved out time to be home with my kids, and if I needed to, I could step back from work altogether, and we would still be financially stable. That’s not something that happened overnight—it was years in the making.
Learning in Context: An Education That Makes Sense
One of the biggest reasons I struggled in school was that I didn’t understand the “why” behind what I was learning. It felt disconnected from real life.
And that’s something I don’t want for my kids.
We have a homestead that we’re building, and there are so many opportunities for learning that actually make sense. Instead of just reading about math, my kids can apply it by building an egg stand. Instead of studying problem-solving in theory, we can work together to fix the garden fence. Instead of memorizing facts about biology, we can raise and care for our animals.
I want education to be integrated into our daily life—not something separate from it. Because when kids learn in context, it sticks.
Raising Kids Who Are Capable and Self-Sufficient
Beyond academics, there are life skills I want my kids to have that I never learned growing up.
I want them to know how to grow their own food, how to raise and care for animals, how to cook, and how to be resourceful. These aren’t just homesteading skills—they’re life skills. And in today’s world, where everything is so easily outsourced, I think it’s more important than ever to know how to be self-sufficient.
I also want them to move more. Schools do their best, and I love our local elementary school, but the reality is, kids are sitting at desks for hours a day. I don’t want that for my kids. Movement is a huge part of health, and I want it to be a natural part of their daily lives, not something they have to “make time for” later on when they’re adults.
Parenting as a Mentor, Not an Authority Figure
Another major reason I want to homeschool is the kind of relationship I want to have with my kids as they grow up.
I don’t see myself as an authoritarian figure who just tells them what to do because “I said so.” I want to be a mentor. I want to guide them, model the behaviors I want them to develop, and build a foundation of mutual respect.
That doesn’t mean I let them do whatever they want—I have boundaries, expectations, and structure. But I want them to come to me when they need guidance, not just go to their friends. Friends are great, but they’re also kids. They don’t have the wisdom or experience that a parent does.
I want my kids to feel safe coming to me, knowing that I’ll listen, support them, and help them figure things out—without judgment.
What’s Next?
So, we’re diving into this new chapter, slowly and intentionally.
I’m still figuring out curriculums and how I want to structure our days. It’s overwhelming, but I started early so I could break it down into manageable steps.
Honestly.. who knows how this will go. Maybe we’ll love it, and this will be the start of a whole new way of life for us. Or maybe it won’t be the right fit, and my kids will go back to public school in the fall. Either way, I trust the process.
Right now, this feels like the best decision for our family. I feel content, solid, and completely at peace with it. Two years ago, I wasn’t ready—but I had to go through a lot of personal growth to get here.
This journey isn’t about pulling away from the system or rejecting the world—it’s about stepping fully into my role as a mother. It’s about providing my kids with a strong foundation, one that will carry them into adulthood with confidence, skills, and a deep understanding of the world around them.
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