homeschool

I can be found in a variety of online homeschool spaces. Maybe you're one of the people who's posts I've read and who've inspired this blog post.

I've seen many people the past few weeks looking into homeschooling *now*, mid-year, or considering it for the fall, but they don't think they can or they're overwhelmed for a very specific reason: they don't know which curriculum to choose.

Look, you don't need a curriculum to start homeschooling.

You don't even need a curriculum at all. But that's a whole other topic.

A curriculum is a tool. It's there to serve you in terms of achieving some goals. If you haven't even started homeschooling yet, you may not have a clear idea of the goals you have, or will have, for your children. And this is part of the reason it makes it so hard to pick a curriculum: you don't know what will actually serve your needs because you don't know what your needs are yet.

"I need something to guide me!"

There are lots of free things to guide you out there. Chances are you'll struggle with figuring out which guide to use, too. "Which guide is best?" "Which guide will make sure my kids will learn what they need to learn?"

It's all misguided. (Pun truly not intended...) Why do I say that? Because I know that your kids learned to walk and talk and likely recognize some colours and do all kinds of things because of your presence in their lives. You didn't need a curriculum. Your goal was to be with them and show them things. You just made yourself present and lived life with them, teaching them where appropriate--and them simply absorbing a whole bunch of stuff whether you wanted them to or not.

You can start homeschooling the same way. Live life with your kids. Read to and with them from all kinds of reading materials--fiction books, nonfiction books, magazines, craft instructions... Prepare snacks and cook and bake with them (involves reading, math and home economics/life skills). Build sofa forts and explore different ways to make them bigger and still stay in spot or a different shape (engineering!). Get out to field trip spots--or just get out and walk around your neighbourhood, maybe noticing the changes in the snow, trees, position of the sun at the same time of day. If you still want a curriculum, you've got time to think about what you would want to add into your day and why, all while your kids are learning tons with you because you're all just living life. Having a curriculum for the sake of having a curriculum isn't really the way to go (I've seen them often convince homeschool moms that they can't homeschool!).

The main driver for not starting until you have a curriculum figured out is fear, right? Fear of failing. Fear of kids being behind. Fear of kids not learning what they "need" to know. Fear of being inadequate. Fear of what your friends, family or neighbours might say. "Feel the fear and do it anyway." Both in terms of getting started without a curriculum and taking a chance and getting that curriculum that keeps catching your eye. Homeschooling's a big science experiment, not a building construction project where you have to have it all figured out ahead of time, so don't let fear hold you back from embarking on a learning journey with your kids. There's no curriculum required for that.

I see it over and over again.

Moms who are new to homeschooling wanting to know what to teach, so they jump into curriculum. Or moms who have been homeschooling for a while, not really finding "the" curriculum that works, but really wanting structure.

So, I've started working on something that goes beyond just my National Day-inspired topics that I've been sharing in the Bliss-Filled Homeschooling group (I think I'd like to change the name of the group... Maybe "Love Homeschooling!" :D ) for years now. Last week's was well received, so I made another one and decided to share it here with you.

You can grab a pdf version here (no sign-up required!).

I hope you enjoy it!

Homeschooling everywhere is falling apart at this time of year, so if it has hit your home, know it's not just you.

I saw it each year as a homeschooler and see it each year as a substitute teacher. Getting the kids to do work gets harder and harder. This past week, the grade 6s I was with spontaneously held a vote so that we wouldn't do some particular work! "Can't we just have free time?" Kids at home are often wanting the same.

But both in school and at home, my experience has been that total free time can lead to chaos or problems, but guided fun learning is actually very welcome (for the most part). So, I've put together a quick document with a bunch of learning activities you can do this week. The basic daily plan is this:

No need to sign up for my emails, this is a gift for you that you can simply grab the Pre-Christmas Homeschool Plan here! Enjoy!

Until next time,

Starting a new homeschool year doesn’t have to mean diving into every subject and routine all at once. In this post, I share why easing in gently works better for both you and your kids, plus simple ideas for building your schedule step by step. If you’ve ever felt pressure to “do it all” right away, this is the encouragement you need—and there’s even a free resource to help you get started with less stress.

Yes, all of it counts. The play, the questions, the messy projects, the walks, the conversations, the spontaneous curiosity. It's all learning. Maybe not the kind you can file or check off in a curriculum guide… but the kind that sticks. The kind that builds confident, capable, connected kids.

So if you're feeling behind, or worried your summer doesn't look "productive enough," I hope this list reminds you that your kids are still learning, and you're still doing enough.

Give yourself permission to enjoy this season. You don’t have to press pause on joy to keep moving forward.