The #1 Thing I Tell Every New Homeschool Mom

If you’re thinking about homeschooling your kids—or you’re in year one—you may be feeling completely overwhelmed by all the questions.

Where do I even start? What curriculum do I choose? How many hours a day should we be doing school? Am I teaching them enough? What if I fail them? Am I even qualified to do this?

I’ve been there. And truthfully, even a few years in, some of those questions still creep back into my mind every now and then.

But there’s one piece of advice I give almost every new homeschool mom I meet:

Find a co-op. Find your people.

You do not have to figure all of this out by yourself.

Finding a homeschool community relieved so much of the pressure I was putting on myself. There are so many different kinds of co-ops, so it may take a little searching to find one that fits your family, but having other moms walking this same road alongside you is invaluable.

Some may be brand new just like you. Others have been homeschooling for years. You may even find former teachers who chose to homeschool their own children. Everyone brings different experiences, ideas and strengths to the table.

We absolutely love our Wildflowers family. These mamas have talked me off the ledge more than once when I’ve questioned whether I was doing enough or wondered what something was supposed to look like. They’ve helped me realize that homeschooling doesn’t have to look exactly like anyone else’s. We get to figure out what works best for our own family and our own children.

And the community goes far beyond academics.

Through our co-op, we’ve been introduced to field trips, activities, classes, service opportunities and experiences I probably never would have thought to seek out on my own. Our kids learn together, play together, explore together and build friendships—and so do the moms.

Which brings me to one of the first questions people seem to ask when they hear you homeschool:

“But what about socialization?”

I laugh now because sometimes I feel like all we do is socialize.

Between co-op, field trips, extracurricular activities, church, sports, playdates and everyday life, I’m certainly not worried about my girls missing out on being around other people.

Homeschooling doesn’t have to mean doing life alone.

Actually, one of the sweetest surprises of this journey has been discovering just how much community can be part of it.

So if you’re sitting at home with a stack of curriculum options open on your phone wondering whether you’re capable of doing this, my advice isn’t to pick the perfect curriculum first.

Go find your people.

Find the moms who will answer your questions, remind you that there isn’t one right way to homeschool, encourage you on the days you doubt yourself and celebrate alongside you when you see your children thriving.

Doing life alongside others matters—for our kids, but maybe just as much for us moms.

You don’t need to have every answer before you begin. None of us do.

Sometimes you just need a few good people beside you while you figure it out.