Homeschooling Advice from a Veteran Mom: 10 Things I Wish I Had Known

As a homeschooling parent, Cara Rector has learned a lot over the years. In a workshop to homeschooling parents, she shared 10 key lessons she wishes she had known when she first started homeschooling her children.

Cara's Homeschooling Journey

Cara was homeschooled off and on as a child, so she thought she had a good handle on it when she started homeschooling her own kids. But she quickly realized there was a big difference between being the homeschooled child and being the homeschooling parent.

Cara shared a personal story that illustrates this point. About 4 years ago, Cara had to live in the hospital for 5 weeks due to complications with her pregnancy. This disrupted her family's normal homeschooling routine, but Cara says her kids gained invaluable "life learning" during that time.

"They learned in prayer. They grew closer to our Heavenly Father, and they learned that they can get through hard and scary things," Cara said. "What they learned in that five month time period I wouldn't trade for years of scholastic knowledge."

10 Homeschooling Lessons from Cara

1. You don't have to know everything. As Cara says, "You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."

2. Homeschooling is like being married - it has good and bad days.

3. All learning, not just academic, is valuable.

4. Your family doesn't need to fit anyone else's mold.

5. Focus on relationships with your children, not just academic performance.

6. You don't need to prove you are capable to others.

7. Perfection is the opposite of progress.

8. Educational gaps happen no matter how children are educated.

9. Don't compare your children to each other.

10. Give yourself grace and compassion as you learn and grow through the homeschooling journey.

The key takeaway is to be flexible, focus on relationships, and not strive for perfection. Homeschooling is a journey, and Cara encourages parents to give themselves and their families grace along the way.

For Cara's full workshop where she presents these ideas, see the recording here on LDSHE.org.