10 Things No One Tells You About Homeschooling (But You’ll Be Glad You Knew)

Ever feel like homeschooling is one big mystery box? You open it up, expecting a classical education and fresh-baked bread... and instead you get a glue-covered toddler, a crying second grader, and someone shouting "I'M THE TEACHER NOW" from inside a blanket fort.

Welcome to homeschooling.

It turns out there are some things no one tells you before you start. Things that don’t show up on the curriculum websites. Things you only learn when you’re two weeks deep into phonics and wondering if everyone is faking it.

But you don’t have to wonder.

Here are 10 things no one tells you about homeschooling — and yes, you’ll be glad you knew.

At no extra cost to you, I use affiliate links which helps support this work — and I truly appreciate you purchasing through these. Big thanks!

1. You don’t need a teaching degree to homeschool.

This is one of the biggest lies that holds parents back. You do not need a classroom teaching degree to homeschool your kids.

You need love, commitment, and a little grit. That's it.

My dad struggled a lot with this. When we were in Christian private school, he told me he would have homeschooled us much earlier if he hadn't believed the lie that he wasn't qualified.

He had a diploma in cookery.

My mum had left school after year 10.

But once they jumped in, they never looked back.

In fact, teachers are the #1 profession now turning to homeschooling. If anyone knows how the classroom system really works... it’s them.

So no, you don’t need credentials. You just need to care enough to keep learning alongside your child.

Funny truth: If you’ve ever toilet-trained a toddler, you're already overqualified to teach phonics.

Join my Youtube Channel for lots of fun polls: https://www.youtube.com/@howtohomeschool

2. Homeschooling takes way less time than you think.

Public school is long because it has to be.

Twenty-five kids, one teacher, constant transitions.

At home?

It’s just you and your kids. And let me tell you: things move a lot faster.

Most homeschoolers are done by lunch. A kindergartener might do 45 minutes a day. Older kids can get through everything in 3–5 hours, especially once they start working independently.

Most days, we finish so early it feels like we’re getting away with something illegal.

3. You don’t need a boxed curriculum for everything.

You do not need a complete, perfectly coordinated, 5-subject curriculum set for every grade level. Especially in the early years.

Stick to the basics: reading, writing, and math. The rest can come from books, documentaries, rabbit trails, or just plain life.

History? Read-alouds. Science? Baking, bugs, and backyard explosions.

So, if Pinterest is giving you palpitations, close the app and go dig a hole. That’s nature study.

4. You don’t have to finish the curriculum.

This one might cause panic, but stick with me:

Even classroom teachers don’t finish the curriculum.

They skip, skim, modify.

You should too.

Do what works.

Stop what doesn’t. Curriculum is a tool, not a master.

The only people who finish every page are the ones who printed it all in week one... and burned out by November.

5. Homeschooling doesn’t have to look like school.

You don’t need a Pinterest-worthy classroom.

We homeschool at the dining table, on the floor, in the car, and yes—in a treehouse. I grew up reading books in upside-down positions on the couch or inside homemade cubby houses.

Your homeschool doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It has to work for your family.

If one kid’s reading upside down on the couch and another is explaining photosynthesis to the dog from inside a blanket fort—you’re doing it right.

6. Basically everything counts as school.

Cooking? Home economics. Soccer? PE. Watching Drive Thru History? That’s biblical worldview and social studies.

Homeschooling is life-based learning. And your kids are learning so much more than they would with a worksheet alone.

If I had a dollar for every time we accidentally did school on a Saturday, I could buy the deluxe homeschool planner I never use.

7. Structure is good — but flexibility is better.

Every new homeschooler makes the same mistake: you build a perfect schedule. Colour-coded. Laminated. Glorious.

Then life happens. Someone cries. The toddler eats a crayon. You forget library day exists.

Structure is helpful. But flexibility is how you survive.

I had a perfect schedule once. It lasted 36 minutes.

8. Fear is normal.

Every homeschool parent has those 2 a.m. thoughts:

• Am I doing enough?

• Are they behind?

• Should we just... go back to school?

Fear doesn’t mean you’re failing. It usually means you care. Even classroom teachers doubt themselves—they just do it while eating broken candy canes in the staff room.

If you want help working through that fear without the overwhelm, check out the Homeschool Parenting Program. It’s a grace-filled, step-by-step course that gives you real homeschool confidence for newbies— even if you’re just starting out.

And really?

One of the biggest reasons I didn’t spiral was because I started out with a curriculum that did the heavy lifting.

I use BJU Press, and it’s made everything so much easier. No planning, no guesswork, and my kids still get a high-quality education.

Plus, as they’ve gotten older, they can work more independently—which is a total sanity-saver.

So if you haven’t questioned everything by Wednesday, are you even homeschooling?

9. Your relationship with your kids will deepen.

It won’t always be pretty.

There will be pencil-related drama, math tears, and sibling fights over who gets the good eraser.

But over time, something beautiful happens.

You get to know your kids in a way most parents never do.

And they get to know you — not just as "mum" or "dad," but as their coach, cheerleader, and safe place.

God uses the messy moments. And the growth you’ll see in your kids—and in you? Worth every second.

10. You’ll probably end up learning more than your kids.

You start thinking you’re the teacher. But then it happens...

You find yourself watching a history video at midnight, whisper-yelling "HOW did I not know this?!"

Homeschooling wakes up your curiosity. You learn alongside your kids. And you grow.

You’ll start teaching phonics and end up crying over the beauty of the periodic table.

But maybe curriculum choices are stressing you out?

Check out Curriculum Confidence — the mini course that helps you stop second-guessing and finally choose the right homeschool curriculum for your family.

It’s short, simple, and cuts through the overwhelm like a hot knife through unit studies.

Homeschooling isn’t always easy. But it is worth it.

You’ve got this.

And I’m cheering you on.

Rebecca Devitt