If you’re wondering if you should start homeschooling your child, the experiences of these four mums could help you decide.
Deciding on your child’s education can be overwhelming, let alone when you’re the one doing most of the teaching. As a homeschooler, you will need to make big decisions about homeschool programs, curriculums, social development and national standards.
There is however a growing population of homeschooling families in Australia and the United States. Many of these children either study via distance education through online classes or through a high-quality education program and learning plan formulated by their parents, based on the child’s interests and needs.
When done right, homeschooling allows for a very hands-on experience. Despite popular opinion, homeschooled kids don’t grow up disconnected or lacking in social skills. Besides, many mums are already doing accidental homeschooling by teaching colours, numbers, letters and more before their kids turn five.
What is homeschooling really like? Today, we help you enter the world of four homeschooling mums.
Why homeschool?
Many parents who choose to homeschool feel that the best education entails all aspects of life, not just academia. Others feel the public school system doesn’t hold the same values they wish their kids to be taught.
Here are our four mums’ reasons:
Donna (mum of two, aged 18 and nine):
“My husband wanted me to homeschool but I didn’t think I could do it. At the time, we decided to hold our five-year-old back to start school the following year. When COVID started and my eldest was schooling from home, I noticed his anxiety was down. So I decided to enrol both kids into homeschool and have continued to school the youngest since. I have been doing it for four years now. I wanted to teach my son Christian values, allowing him to grow into his own person, not who the school tells him to be. Also, I wanted to support him to learn through his interests. I will continue homeschooling as long as I feel I can teach what is needed, and if needed, my son can do Years 10-12 at TAFE.”
Emmeline (mum of four, aged nine, seven, six and three):
“I really found that the more school tours I completed, the more I didn’t like the ‘system’. So I started homeschooling and have been doing it since 2021. It was always an option that we had thought about. We really wanted to raise our kids to be fully functional adults in all skills, including basic day-to-day life skills. I have found these are very lacking in most kids these days. I plan to homeschool my children until they graduate high school.”
Leslie (mum of two, aged eight and six):
“I wanted to foster a strong spiritual and bonding relationship with my children, and it inspired me to homeschool. Homeschooling allows us to spend quality time together and create a nurturing environment. I believe that instilling biblical principles and faith in their daily lives is essential for their spiritual growth. By integrating these principles into our lessons, I hope to help them develop a living and active relationship with Jesus, guiding them as they navigate life’s challenges.
“Additionally, I want to cultivate lifelong learners in my children. By encouraging curiosity and critical thinking, I hope to inspire them to seek knowledge beyond traditional education. This approach also fosters resourcefulness, allowing them to find solutions and think independently.
“I believe that a strong work ethic is vital for success, and homeschooling provides the perfect opportunity to model and instil this value. We can set our own pace and create a structured learning environment that emphasises perseverance and dedication.
“I’ve been homeschooling now for three years. Surrounding myself with supportive homeschooling communities provides encouragement and validation, reinforcing my commitment to our educational journey. I see myself homeschooling for the long-term, but I will evaluate our situation each year.”
Louise (mum of three, aged eight, six and four):
“I have been homeschooling for four years. We always had homeschooling at the back of our minds, so when the time came to send our eldest to school, we decided to try homeschooling to see if it was something that would work for us. We homeschool so our children can know and love God and, in turn, love others—which is more challenging than it sounds! I don’t see myself homeschooling for the long-term, but then again, I didn’t think we would homeschool our eldest past Year 2.”
Homeschooling daily routine and structure
Establishing a daily routine and structure is essential for a successful homeschooling experience, though the approach varies widely among families. For some, flexibility is key, allowing their children’s interests and moods to guide the day, while others find that a strict schedule helps maintain focus and ensure consistent progress.
Donna
“We are quite flexible. We have a basic daily structure of what subjects will be done, but the times may vary. Each day can look different. We usually start with general play, breakfast, lessons, lunch, lessons, documentaries and free time. But this can be mixed up or different depending on the day. In-between or after lessons, I do my house chores, cleaning and more.
“We attend many homeschool activities and catch-ups, allowing for social development. I organise a social kids’ world catch-up fortnightly and attend a drama class weekly, but I have also attended other workshops and activities as they come up. I am actually more social now since becoming a homeschooler. There are heaps of Facebook groups for homeschoolers and where I live is one of the fastest-growing homeschool areas with lots of group activities. People I know are less against homeschooling now when they see how much my kids socialise.”
Emmeline
“I’m quite strict with the structure, otherwise the work doesn’t get completed properly. We do our school work in the morning and then free time is in the afternoon. We start our day at about 8.15 am and the day finishes depending on the child and their grade level. My prep child finishes around 9.45 am, and my Year 5 child finishes around 11.45 am. That time also includes their music and dancing practice, which takes about an hour all up.
“I like to do my housework in blocks. I run between assisting in the schooling and cleaning until cleaning is finished. Then I switch to cooking. That way, tasks are completed systematically and I’m not running around like mad.”
Leslie
“The kids have different activities every day and they do their schoolwork in between. When the kids wake up, they do their personal devotion and then we worship as a family: singing, reading the Bible together, memorising Bible verses, reading Bible stories and missionary stories and prayer. Then the kids have breakfast, do their schoolwork and go out for activities and classes. After activities, they have lots of play with their friends, then come back home, followed by reading, writing, drawing, playing and finishing off with evening family worship.
“I balance homeschooling with household responsibilities by creating a structured schedule, prioritising tasks and involving my children in chores. This fosters teamwork and teaches them valuable life skills. My kids participate in daily group activities and belong to various homeschool groups. Their schedule includes piano lessons, homeschool chapel, social meet-up, science class, Apple class, basketball and soccer, martial arts, chess club, sports class and kids’ Bible study. We have church on Saturday, and Sunday is reserved for family outings, birthday parties, special occasions and camps.”
Louise
“Each day, we have an activity and also have time at home to complete work. However, there are days when everything happens in one day and we need to work around that, so it’s key to be flexible. There are times when we get behind in work because relational connections are made and more time needs to be given to foster those relationships.
“A typical day in our house is worship, memorising Bible verses, breakfast, music practice, school work and activity (basketball, hapkido, gymnastics, musical theatre class, soccer, science class or meet-up, depending on the day). The household responsibilities tend to take a pause, but I am slowly getting the kids to help. This ends up taking some time, but I know it’ll be worth it in the end.
“A ‘bad day’ of homeschooling is when the kids simply don’t want to do their work and start acting up. I’ve resorted to raising my voice and comparing how school kids have to do more work in a day, and I’ve learned that none of this actually works. The reason why they don’t want to do work, I found, is that it’s too challenging for them to figure out. The more time I spend with them explaining and also playing board games to help with certain concepts, the more it has helped. Coming from traditional education, I find it tough to veer away from workbooks but to help them feel confident, I am learning different, fun ways to teach.”
Curriculum and testing
When it comes to curriculum and testing in homeschooling, many families strive to balance personalised learning with national education standards. Testing practices vary; some families opt for regular standardised testing, while others focus on informal assessments, emphasising skill mastery over test scores. This balance allows homeschooling families to cater to individual learning styles while staying aligned with national academic expectations.
Donna
“I make my own plan but follow the state’s curriculum guidelines. I make sure I mark off the key learning areas in the curriculum as I go and check to see if I’m covering all the areas. When there is an area of a subject that I don’t know much about, we learn together. Some of my favourite resources are Mathseeds (app and physical books), Reading Eggs (app and physical books), Twinkl, the library, other workbooks and books, and talking to other homeschoolers for suggestions.
“We also make sure we celebrate achievements and milestones. When my son was struggling to read, my husband promised him he would get a big LEGO kit he wanted when he started reading. Yes, he got it! We also do a lot of extracurricular activities. He has done gymnastics, indoor soccer, science workshops, drama, a peek-into-the-past event, inflatable digestion system, museum, zoo, Bollywood dance workshop, a native bee workshop, gravity X, LEGO robotics, a cartoon workshop, excursion to a live musical theatre, swimming, festivals, nature walks, homeschool markets (had his own stall) and whatever else comes up!”
Emmeline
“I use several different curriculums that I put together. As long as the schoolwork is completed and you are using a good course, your kids will be fine at meeting national education standards. Sometimes, I need to turn education into fun games; that way, they engage better.
“My kids are still in primary school, so the work is quite easy. We do certificates and photos to celebrate milestones and achievements. I find a lot of my resources at a variety of random stores like Kmart and Aldi. You just need to find what is useful for your family. My kids do extracurricular activities such as swimming and dancing, so they get a huge chunk of social time each week.”
Leslie
“We use a variety of books and curricula, set clear goals, regularly assess progress and adjust lessons to keep the children engaged and on track. I research the topic if I’m not very familiar with it, use online resources and collaborate with other homeschooling parents.
“I integrate faith into our homeschooling by using biblical principles in lessons, incorporating faith-based resources, praying regularly, having morning and evening family worship, being actively involved in church and ministry, and engaging in community service to reinforce our values and teachings. Some of the most helpful resources for our kids include the Bible, Bible stories, a collection of books at home on various topics and subjects, online platforms like Khan Academy, listening to podcasts: Discovery Mountain, Real Cool History for Kids, Read Aloud Revival, Nature and Science for Kids, Incredible Journey, Car Ride Stories, Curriculum Reading Eggs, books bought from 5 Senses Education, educational apps, library books, hands-on kits, children’s activities in our church, choir, ukulele club, CLICK kids’ Bible study group, and supportive homeschooling communities that provide guidance, ideas and shared experiences for learning.
“I celebrate milestones in our homeschool by giving awards and certificates for their achievements at the end of the year. We also enjoy a special meal celebration together and have a prayer of dedication for every milestone and achievement. I keep homeschooling fun and engaging by incorporating hands-on activities, field trips, creative projects, the kids making products for their businesses and interactive resources. We also explore their interests and allow for plenty of flexibility and lots of play.
Louise
“I used GraceLink as a curriculum and supplemented other key learning areas with workbooks. This year, my eldest was able to take the Year 3 NAPLAN assessment. I signed him up so I could get an idea of what we’re learning and meeting academic milestones. With subjects I’m not familiar with, we learn together. The kids know that I don’t know everything, so we borrow books and search online together. I found that the NAPLAN Express workbooks have been most helpful in our academic journey. It’s fun and many illustrations are given to explain concepts.
“Every year, a group of mums and I organise a graduation for the homeschooling kids. We recognise their achievements and give them the opportunity to share their talents. Extracurricular activities include science classes, excursions to cover history and geography, musical theatre class and many sports (AFL, soccer, martial arts, basketball, gymnastics). At our church, the kids are involved in Adventurers, an activity club for kids, and kids’ choir and ensemble. For socialising, we attend our local homeschool meet-ups and spend a lot of time after activities to catch up with friends.
“I believe that our daily routine, activities and work will help them in the future. The concepts of finishing what we start and not giving up when challenges arise help mindsets be prepared for future academia, careers and life.”
Benefits and challenges
Our homeschool mums reveal the pros and cons of homeschooling.
Donna:
Benefits: My son and I are close and talk openly about anything and everything. It’s been so rewarding not missing out on milestones, especially teaching my son to read and getting to spend time together every day. I wish I had known before I started that I could do it. And it’s not meant to look like “school”. My advice to mums is, if I can do it, you can. Don’t overthink it. Although it’s easy to overthink it, don’t do it. It’s not as hard as we all think it is. Sometimes, you just need to think outside the box. Science can be done at a beach or a rock pool, and maths, tech and creative can be done with LEGO. Cooking is a life skill and includes aspects of science, tech and maths.
Challenges: When your child refuses to do a lesson, you need to adapt. We will swap to fun learning, such as maths on the driveway with chalk. Another challenge is only living off one income. It’s still a struggle in today’s world, with money being tight, but we make do. If everything gets a bit overwhelming, just take a step back, re-evaluate what’s not working and make changes where needed. Sometimes, you may just need a day of relaxing, too!
Emmeline:
Benefits: Being able to see them grow and learn. I would tell mums who are thinking about homeschooling to relax more. It will all be okay and often less is more. Just start! You won’t know unless you try.
Challenges: When no schoolwork gets done. This normally happens after a big day the day before. Sometimes, I will just have a day off. Other times, we have to work into the afternoon or catch-up the following day. Schooling is easy; parenting is the tricky part. Making sure I keep everything up-to-date helps. Getting time for myself is difficult. I sometimes feel isolated, but I try to keep in touch with people who fill my bucket.
Leslie:
Benefits: I don’t feel isolated as a homeschooling mum. I’m blessed to have great family support, homeschool friends, a wonderful church community, local homeschool groups, online forums and social media. Participating in group activities keeps us connected with other families. I also make it a point to engage with friends and family regularly, ensuring I have a strong support network. My husband is also heavily involved in homeschooling our children. Homeschooling has strengthened my relationship with my children through quality time, personalised learning, open communication, and fostering trust and teamwork. The most rewarding part of homeschooling has been witnessing my children’s deepening faith in Jesus, strengthening our relationship as a family, their eagerness to help with house chores, and their growing love for books and learning. If you’re interested in homeschooling, start by researching and connecting with local homeschooling communities for support. Embrace flexibility, set realistic expectations and trust your instincts. Focus on your children’s interests and enjoy the journey together.
Challenges: A “bad day” of homeschooling for me often involves a mix of distractions and a lack of motivation from kids to do their schoolwork. Some of the biggest challenges I’ve faced as a homeschooling mum include maintaining structure, managing time effectively and balancing my own needs with my children’s education. I wish I had known the importance of flexibility and the need for a supportive community to navigate challenges effectively.
Louise:
Benefits: Homeschooling has definitely created ample time to communicate with my children. Sometimes, a bit too much! But it’s great that they have so much to share and have deep questions too. The most rewarding part of homeschooling is seeing how far they have come from when we started, including myself. The homeschooling mums I have met truly inspire me to be a better educator and a more loving parent. We integrate faith in almost every subject when able. When I think back on how I started my homeschooling journey, I put way too much pressure on my son to read and write. I should’ve taken more time to explore books together and spend more time reading to him. Despite it all, he has an incredible love for books. When the kids have activities, that’s when many of us mums or carers get to catch up. The activities are as much for us as they are for them.
Challenges: The biggest challenge I faced in homeschooling was letting go. Although the kids have never been in school, the children they meet in the homeschooling and church community bring conflict to our home. I thought homeschooling would make my kids homely and calm and help them turn away from negative behaviours. Very naive of me! Parenting is humbling, but homeschooling is another level of it. To manage my stress, I would mainly speak with my husband initially, but over time, I have met some amazing mums to share my struggles with. My husband works full-time, so he supports me by being on the same page about homeschooling. And if it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I would’ve continued. He’s a huge proponent of it and supports me all the way. But not every parent is called to homeschool. Sometimes, parents are better off having their own careers and sending their children to school. For the overwhelmed and unsure parent, I would let them know that they are not alone. There is a broader community, and it’s best to connect and build courage and strength to go on this journey together.
Over to you: Home education or mainstream school?
Your child’s learning experience is crucially important to their overall self-esteem, identity formation and future employment outcomes. Local schools don’t have to be the only option for education. Distance learning can be an excellent option for young children. (Some states in Australia require homeschool students to have provisional registration.)
Whichever option, young people will need to strive towards a good ATAR score or final high school grade to ensure they can enter university if they want to. Research the educational methods either you or the school will use to ensure the kids have the best experience.
If you’re still not sure, some schools offer a partial enrolment option which can help you determine whether homeschooling is right for you and your child.
Read next: The secret to motivating our children
