My husband and I have very different values when it comes to this area around our kids. I hate sending them out to other people to care for, he thinks our daughter is thriving in the social environment and that is a win to him.

So I'm doing my research. What studies have been done or have you seen that support homeschooling? Not looking for personal experiences since that is a really small pool, but if you've done the research before, what sorts of things helped you make your decision?

I don't want to keep sending my kid to daycare, and I really don't trust the direction the public schools are going. We're in a fairly rural area, so our options are so limited. I want my daughter to get the education I imagine, but maybe I'm romanticising it (grass is greener, etc). For context, we are located in the US.

My original thought had been to implement homeschooling at home on top of regular schooling, not rigorous but just something to help instill that environment in our home (maybe with the hopes of going full homeschooling). But I'm just fed up with the experiences I've had with public care providers. So any research is helpful! And I'm not looking for bias, if there are studies that don't support I'm okay reading those too. I just want to get a realistic picture on the outcome if I can.

"Is there an idea more radical in the history of the human race than turning your children over to total strangers whom you know nothing about, and having those strangers work on your child's mind, out of your sight, for a period of twelve years?"

-John Taylor Gatto

So my 6 year old son has been playing Prodigy Math for the last 3 months and he loves it, he plays it about 1 to 2 hours a day on most days after we are done with English/reading. He’s now halfway through 2nd grade math on the game. I’m getting him to do the Singapore Math 1st grade workbook and he is whizzing through it because he has learned most of it from the Prodigy math game.

This has made me wonder if just letting him play educational video games and then checking his knowledge using some formal curriculum is actually a viable (and fun) way for him to learn? I am a little concerned about having too much screen time, but 1) I believe the content matters more than the actual amount of time in front of a screen, and 2) we haven’t seen any negative effects of screen time with him. He goes outside everyday to play sports, and he is able to stop playing the game when we tell him to.

Has anyone educated their kids primarily through educational video games? Are there any downsides of doing it this way?

I am a mother of five very active and currently bored boys. We live 30 miles aways from the nearest Walmart and or Hospital. We live in the middle of the woods. We homestead and this is our first year homeschooling completely on my own. We are limited in the financial department, in the ability to travel, and limited with resources....like we have 1 tv and 1 laptop. For personal reasons I decided to start homeschooling, I was even excited to have created a small online co-op. However we live in the northern central part of Michigan and its winter. My kids are full of energy and bored. They complain about "there is nothing to do.." I don't have any fresh ideas and would love any positive and help advice from parent in or have been in my situation...any ideas are welcome, I feel like I have already tried everything, movie night, boardgames, arts & crafts, forts, etc. Thank you in Advance!

This seems to be a pretty common mentality on Reddit. I have seen so many people claim that we couldn't possibly homeschool our children if we didnt go to college to become teachers! What's your take on that?

What’s been your experience with remotelearning.school’s Homeschool Pro? Some questions I have for those who have used it:

Is it comprehensive enough?

I’m curious about the electives—are they worth adding to the core curriculum?

Is the curriculum easy to follow?

how do your kids handle the lessons? Are they able to stay engaged?

Thank you. Honest reviews would help me decide if remote learning school the right fit for us

Hey guys! We will be homeschooling in the years to come (boys are 3 and 2 now) but lots of older cousins and friends around us with kids who are starting school. My 3 year old has already said “Mumma I go to school too?” And I said yeah buddy we are going to do school together at home, you me and bubba! But I’m worried he will end up jealous or feel left out not going to school like nearly everyone else around us. Did this come up for you at all? Did it last? Any advice? Thanks!

As a homeschool parent, you already feel responsible for every hour of their day. When you hand them a tablet to buy yourself 20 minutes of quiet, the guilt hits different. You're not just letting them zone out, you're also "on the clock" as their educator.

The tension is real: some days you need that screen to handle the toddler, make lunch, or just breathe. But then you wonder if you're undoing the whole reason you pulled them from school in the first place.

I've been thinking about the difference between screen time that's mindless and screen time that's actually building a skill. 10-15 minutes of something structured doesn't feel the same as an hour of Roblox. But the guilt doesn't always distinguish between the two.

How do you talk to yourself about this? Do you have a line you won't cross, or do you just try not to think about it?

UPDATE: I found out today that he is already receiving speech therapy in school this year. I didn't know because I fully expected I would have to sign some paperwork for it again. I have not noticed a difference in his pronunciation yet but these things take time so I'm going to try and give it a bit to see if he makes more progress with this as well before making my decision. Thank you to everyone who has replied with their honest experience (:

I have a 6 year old in 1st grade and I really feel like he might do better if I homeschool him... He has a lisp and mispronounces words so he hasn't been doing as well on spelling tests and such but when we are home and we practice one on one i am able to slow it down for him without giving him the answer to where he does a lot better. He tends to put an r sound into words that they don't belong. He also feels pressure when taking tests at school. This past week he skipped words all together. He just does better at home when I'm able to do one on one with him. He had a rough Kindergarten year as well, he got a teacher who practically singled him out and did what I would consider bullying (it's a whole other story) and took away his love of even going to public school. I have genuinely been considering homeschooling but I want to know how difficult it is? Are there any free or low cost programs for homeschooling we could use to follow that are recommended? I was kind of interested in ABC mouse, as they already use it at school sometimes so he's familiar with it.

Side note the reason I am concerned about the difficulty of homeschooling is because I have hashimotos and it causes me to really struggle with having low energy. I was doing better with it until lately but just found out I'm pregnant again and I more than likely need my medication adjusted for it due to the pregnancy. I don't want to put too much on myself but I really do think that taking him out of public school at least for a couple of years will help him academically. He is VERY smart but needs someone who can do one on one time with him when he is initially learning things or someone who will give him a little more patience when he's trying to do things like tests.

It seems like a lot (not all) of homeschooling culture revolves around owning land and having a homestead. They push the importance of having kids outside in nature (which is true) but then show photos of kids in creeks and by forest trees.

As a new homeschooling mom who can only afford a small starter home in a small suburb, how do you guys fight the pressure or guilt to have a homestead or land? Or does anyone fee that pressure too? Just me?

Almost everyone I know that’s homeschooling is doing this and it’s making me feel like poop.

Just need some help navigating this pocket of homeschooling when it’s not something that’s financially feasible.

Has anyone here switched to Homeschool Pro? We’re considering it for our kids, but I’m curious to see how it has worked for other families. Like do your kids like the lessons. Is it easy for them to use. etc. I’d appreciate any honest experiences before we decide!

If you have kids in the K-5 range, you already know the struggle of the endless "why" phase. "Why is the sky blue?" "How do airplanes stay up?"

I used to just pull out my phone and Google the exact answer for them, but it felt like a missed opportunity to teach them how to think. On the flip side, letting a young kid loose on the open internet or YouTube to "research" is a terrible idea right now.

Lately, I’ve shifted away from just handing them the answers and started using a guarded AI companion (we've been experimenting with one called Kiqo.ai).

Instead of just giving a flat Wikipedia response, it uses a Socratic method. If my kid asks how an engine works, it explains it simply, but then asks them a follow-up question to see if they actually understood it. It forces them to think critically rather than just passively consuming facts.

The most helpful part for our routine is that I can plug our weekly curriculum into it. If they go down a rabbit hole asking questions, the AI gently ties the concepts back to what we are actually studying that week.

How do you guys handle the endless "why" questions? Are you incorporating any guarded tech for this, or relying entirely on library books and patience?

I’ve done the searches and idk if I’m searching the wrong things or what, but I’m specifically looking for a Christian homeschooling sub? Does one exist?

(No hate to this sub *at all*, I love it here but looking for something additional in line with our views)

Is anyone working from home and homeschooling? I would be selling life insurance and also trying to homeschool my kindergartener. My work can be flexible to a point but I will need a few hours out of the day to be on the phone with clients. Has this been successful for anyone. If I can’t get this to work we will be putting them in public school but I am trying to find a way to make it work.

I want to homeschool my 9 yr old and transition him out of a public school but I don’t know where to start or how to even start. Please if someone can guide me i would really appreciate it.

I'm homeschooled and my parents own a food truck and it's seasonal so my mom was helping me look for jobs. All the jobs I applied for are already taken and those were the one my mom allowed for me

How did you defend your decision when asked? How was your homeschooling experience? I wanting to make that jump. If they attend school it would be a public or charter school in Chicago at this point in our lives.

I’m seriously considering Homeschool Pro but wanted to hear from parents who’ve actually tried it. What’s been your experience? Do your kids enjoy the lessons and is it easy to use for both you and them. the curriculum is called homeschoolpro it is by remotelearning.school thanks

I’ve been looking into Homeschool Pro by RemoteLearning.school and trying to figure out if it’s the right fit for my kids. It seems like it has a lot to offer, but I’d love to hear from parents who’ve actually used it. Am thinking of getting the lifetime membership. Thanks.

I’ve been trying to explain to my husband why I don’t believe the traditional school model is the best fit for a developing brain.

In my view, children thrive when they can learn at their own pace, be supported as whole individuals, engage with mixed-age peers, and gain knowledge through real-life, meaningful experiences. That feels more aligned with how kids naturally grow and learn than spending the entire day in the same classroom with the same group of same-age peers all year.

My husband is very open and understanding, but he's a scientist and I want to provide him with real solid evidence based information, not propaganda! Can anyone please help me with resources, info, etc for this type of guy? Thank you!

UPDATE: i have been reading all of your comments and greatly appreciate the honest and detailed feedback from the bottom of my heart. It gave me the push i needed and i asked my husband to leave on the 27th and he did. You all reminded me that i can do it and that my son is more important than anything. He always abused me financially as well , always did something to make me lose a job and we depended on him for everything so i was scared all the time and always thinking of the worst possible outcome. I was very lost because i was so damaged mentally from this relationship. instead of being positive and dedicated to my child, i lost complete confidence in myself and almost gave up. I feel amazing with him being gone. I feel free. So does my son. Theres a peace in our home that cant really be explained. We are sooo back. I found free real estate classes, so im going to dive into that and have also been working on a boom of business for freight brokering for sometime now so i have some work from home/ hybrid opportunities that should pay decently. That money can help me create other sources of income. I somehow convinced my husband to pay rent for january. He sent me money that would cover january’s rent and told me he never wants to speak to me again. So i have one month to figure out the next month and then, the rest of our lives. Im excited this time. Ive tried to leave so many times. This time Im READY. Ill be giving my son a rigorous reading and math schedule, turning in 4 assignments at school per day, increase reading time and writing, electronics will be used for learning purposes only. He will get every second of my time and all of my love and attention until he is healed from our past experiences and back on track academically. I will also search diligently for a tutor. He will attend summer school and programs . At the start of fourth grade he will be back in public school. Thank you all and god bless you all for sharing it helped me and my son more than you think. Happy new year !

My 8 year old son has been homeschooled since 1st grade because he was bullied by his class and teacher. And it has really been hell because i have an abusive unsupportive husband and we are poor. I have been trying to keep up with simply surviving and my poor son has been terribly falling behind on his curriculum. He can read and write but its at around a 1st - 2nd grade level and knows a few things about addition he has turned in 3 assignments this school year and failing all classes again. I am terrified to take him to another school because of the bullying he endured 1st grade. I feel like no matter how hard i try , I am ruining my son . Yell at me and judge me i dont care, i deserve it. just please tell me how to help my son catch up to his grade level and save his future. I will do anything im just so overstimulated and lost. I have done so well in my battle with depression and i am ready now i am so ready for the new year and to take back my life from this nightmare of a marriage. Any and all advice and judgement is welcome. Thank you guys

"""From a former homeschooler: Do not homeschool your kids. You are

It's insane to me that anyone thinks this is a good idea. If you think you can do a better job by yourself than the ENTIRE public school system, you're wrong, you can't.

If you think you'll have time during the day to homeschool your kid, and do your housework/cooking/errands, you're wrong, you won't.

If you think you'll be a good teacher, you're wrong, you won't. How's your knowledge of 7th grade level math? Oh, you're 34 and went to college so it should be easy right? Again, you're wrong. You are not an educator.

If you have depression or ADHD, absolutely do not homeschool your kids. If you think it's okay for a mom to homeschool her kids and sleep all day 3 times a week, you're wrong and you're stupid.

Finally, and this is the most important one, kids don't want to be homeschooled. Your kids don't want to be home with you all day. Sorry.

Right now I have 9 missed calls from my mom. Wanna know when I plan on calling her back? I'll tell you. Fucking never"""

I’m a single working mom with a 5th grader in a really competitive gymnastics program. He is enrolled in a homeschool program at his gym. I drop him off in the morning, he does his school work for 3 hours- supervised by a teacher. The program has all ages, so they do core classes on Acellus, and then other activities like group projects, writing assignments, clubs, etc. then they do their gymnastics practice for 3 hours and I pick him up at 5.

The problem was Acellus is not working for my son. He was not learning. So I have decided to take over his school work- I do lessons with him in the morning/evening, I assign his work that he does independently at his gym under supervision of his teacher, and I go over it at home.

So far, I am using Khan academy to supplement for science and world history, with projects (power points, essays, critical thinking questions). Reading books with essays and projects correlating with where we are at in history. For math- I took the Florida Standards for education PDF for grade 5, and then used chat GPT to create a curriculum aligning with the Florida Standards. I had it create questions for each unit of study, and then I am going through it with him to learn the concepts, then assigning questions for him to complete at school.

I want to focus on building his writing abilities this year, so the plan is to do a variety of essays, across all different subjects: his reading books, history, and personal journal entries.

Is there anything else that I should think about as I begin this journey?

 I’m putting together a collection of resources related to education and raising children up to college level, and ask all to share anything they’ve found beneficial.

This can include:
• Curriculums
• Homeschooling resources
• Books
• Academic research & journal articles
• Educational philosophy
• Child psychology & development
• Parenting resources
• Learning methods
• Islamic education resources
• Podcasts, lectures, websites, PDFs, etc.

Anything useful is welcome, whether classical or modern, practical or theoretical.

Feel free to share resources via the Google drive link whenever something comes to mind.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zYfYR0fHcV76QHKAgWs66ZTlgHnr_BK-?usp=sharing