How Do I Know If I'm Doing Enough in Our Homeschool?

You look at your child sprawled across the floor with half a drawing, an open nature journal, and a completely abandoned math worksheet... and you think: “Is this enough?”

You are not alone! I used to ask myself this nearly every day. It was especially aggravated by my ADHD brain constantly thinking of a thousand other great topics we could be studying. I had SO MANY ideas!

Whether you’re brand new to homeschooling or years into it, most of us carry an invisible checklist in our heads.

It sounds like:

• “Shouldn’t we be doing more writing?”

  
  

• “What about science experiments? We haven’t done one in ... well ... ever.”

  
  

• “Is my kid behind in math?”

  
  

• “Public schoolers are in class 6 hours a day… are we slacking?”

  
  

Here’s the hard truth: That checklist is rarely based on your child’s actual needs. It’s often based on your own fear or insecurities.

If your homeschool includes:

• Reading together

• Real conversations

• Exploring ideas

• Making things

• Asking questions

• Being curious

  
  

…then YES. You are doing enough.

Learning isn’t linear. It’s seasonal. It blooms in bursts. It gets messy, and deep, and uneven. And that’s okay.

Public school teachers have to make education linear for so many reasons. They have SO much they are required to teach, and they don't have a choice. Public schools are often told what to teach by people in authority who don't even work in the school system. Your homeschool can be done your way - and in a way that really works for your children.

But What About Academic Requirements?

Yes, there are basic guidelines for graduation and transcripts, and those are absolutely doable. You can check them off your way, with flexible, layered learning that fits your family.

Not everything has to be a curriculum. Not every subject has to be done every day. Not every child needs to hit every milestone on someone else's timeline.

We all know people who still graduated from high school after failing math. Who spent all their time in the auto shop and skipped science class. Who took as many art classes as they allowed but squeaked by in their foreign language class, having only learned how to say hello and goodbye.

What to Ask Yourself Instead:

Next time the doubt creeps in, try asking: “Is my child engaged in learning in even just one thing today?” That is success. “Did we connect today?” That is important. “Is there forward momentum in at least one area?” That's learning their way. “Are we growing together, even if it feels painfully slow?” That's homeschool.

If the answer to most of those is “yes,” then friend, you’re on track!

Give yourself a break and don't be so hard on yourself.

You don’t have to do everything to be doing enough.

And yes, here's a little sales pitch 'cause we've got to buy new markers too (like we don't already have a ziplock bag full of them somewhere!)

If you’re looking for creative-rich ways to cover subjects like science and art without the burnout or stress, check out our Let’s Do School curriculum. It's built by a homeschool mom (me!) who’s been there, mid-meltdown, half-finished workbook, cereal-for-dinner, and all.

Let’s make this year one to remember by being kind to ourselves and enjoying the journey.