The internet and social media have brought many good things to the homeschool community, such as the ability to make connections and receive support and encouragement, to learn about resources you otherwise didn’t know of, to find homeschoolers near you, and other benefits.
However, with that much access into other people’s homes and homeschools, it can also be a negative thing for some people. It can leave you comparing yourself to others and falling into the comparison trap. As we prepare for a new school year and see others online sharing about their curriculum and plans for the new year, it can cause doubts in our own mind. But we shouldn’t let it!
Comparing Can Get Costly
The beauty of the growing popularity of homeschool is how many options there are available when it comes to curriculum. Everywhere you look you will see more beautiful homeschool curriculums being shown, and you may think “Oh, that looks like it would be great!”
There are so many amazing curriculums, and many of them are visually appealing. It can get quite costly if you are buying more than you need. Homeschooling can be done relatively cheap but can become costly if you get trapped into buying all the neat things you see.
You may have already purchased your curriculum, but sometimes due to social media, you see something that intrigues you or looks good so you end up purchasing it too. Maybe you think you’ll do them both, or maybe you just do the new one and take a loss on the original. As much fun as it is to watch videos about curriculum and do research, once you choose something it is best to stick with it for the year unless you realize it’s not the right fit for your child or yourself. Putting off the comparison trap in this way can help you financially and can also help streamline your homeschool.
Comparing Can Get Overwhelming
Homeschool is not doing “regular” school at home, and it doesn’t need to look that way. In many homes, the time needed to finish organized lessons is much less than the time students would be in school. If we try to cram in and incorporate all the cool things we see others doing on social media, it can end up taking much more time than we truly need. This can get overwhelming for your kids and also for you as you wonder why it’s taking so long to get through school. Too much of a good thing can begin to feel like busy work for kids.
It can really help to streamline your priorities. Sit down and make a list of what is important to you and your family, and then determine how you will accomplish that. Choose to utilize only the resources that enhance what you want to do and fit into your goals. While everything may be good, not everything is needed.
Go and read the articles in the Stress-Free Homeschooling section of the Fall 2022 magazine
Want a Relaxed Homeschool? Focus on These Four Things
Homeschooling without Stress: Is It Possible?
And the Ask a Specialist article, Stress-Free Learning
Comparing Can Get Discouraging
Remember that not every family has the same needs or operates the same way. While you may see Instagram Reels of beautiful morning baskets, your children (or you) may not function well in the morning. Or you may live on a homestead, and the morning is chore time, making school happen later in the day. Don’t let this discourage you. While it may look beautiful, there is not only one beautiful way to homeschool. The rhythm that works for one family could induce stress and frustration in another.
There are also many styles of homeschooling, all with their own benefits. Do not compare your unschooling to someone else’s classical method. It will not look the same, and it’s not supposed to. Be confident in your choice and trust yourself! Do not let yourself be discouraged by what others are doing. If you notice a gap or something in your homeschool that needs to be improved, look for something that works for you. Otherwise, don’t fall victim to the comparison trap saying you aren’t doing as much as the Jones’s.
It can help to remind ourselves of our long term goals for our kids and our homeschool. Are we doing what we need to do to achieve our family’s goals? That is really all we need to worry about, not what others are doing. Take time to refocus and make sure your resources and routines align with your goals.
Remember, at the end of the day, the relationship with your kids is what is important. Keep the most important things the most important! Make your resources and your routines work for you, not the other way around.
This article has been written by homeschooling staff writers of The Canadian Schoolhouse (TCS). Enjoy more of our content from TCS contributors and staff writers by visiting our themes page that has a new theme topic added every month!
"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).