Curriculum fairs. The mere mention of these two words makes my heart skip a beat. Good or bad heartbeat skipping, you ask? Both.
Thousands of square feet of books, books, books. The only thing the curriculum fair is missing is a cafe kiosk.
So how to choose the right homeschool curriculum?
I’ve noticed the expectant parents with their empty, rolling luggage after they’ve spent plenty of time writing their homeschool curriculum wishlists (and checking them twice).
These parents anticipate hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars spent for the upcoming year. They don’t want to throw out their shoulder as they walk from book to book, flipping, holding a stack, putting a book back, and discovering another gem, hence the rolling luggage.
But I won’t bring that luggage, because I might buy too much. If I must buy something, I have to hold it. The stack can’t become too daunting or I’ll have to return it or at least, come back after another workshop.
At my first curriculum fair, I overheard one mom in tears ask another more experienced mom, what is the right curriculum? I wanted to join in and declare:
The right curriculum does not exist conscientious parent! We all want it to exist, because it would seem to take the responsibility off our shoulders, require us to think less about what we want to impart or how we want to approach our children’s education. It would fulfill, once again, our fairytale vision of our original intention in parenting…that we could have done everything perfectly. Not gonna happen.
Teresa Wiedrick, author of Homeschool Mama Self-Care: Nurturing the Nurturer
What will we teach our children?
Just as all parents across this globe get to decide how to teach their children what to eat, how to speak to their siblings, and when or if to go to bed, the parent may choose what the children will be taught.
Curriculum fairs show us the sky’s the limit. It provides us with endless ideas.
This year, I’m days away from the curriculum fair and I have no list. I’ll bet I’ll put some thoughts together before the end of the weekend. But if my pattern holds consistent, the “must purchase” list becomes shorter and shorter every year.
The fantasy of the right curriculum, the right knowledge base, well, it’s an attempt at feeding our children’s brains with the right information, hoping to equip them to what?
- Compete with God or Google?
- Deciper the Rosetta Stone?
- Know the same stuff as the neighbour’s kids?
- What is an education anyway?
“There isn’t a right way to become educated, there are as many ways as there are fingerprints”.
John Taylor Gatto
The New Homeschooler’s Quick Guide: 9 Mistakes to Avoid for a Stress-Free First Year
“The New Homeschooler’s Quick Guide: 9 Mistakes to Avoid for a Stress-Free First Year” will help you confidently begin your homeschooling journey! This Quick Guide, crafted by an experienced homeschool parent, is your roadmap to a successful start.
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Ready to Go Deeper? Book Your Free Aligned Homeschool Reset Session
You just spent ten minutes hearing me say that curriculum anxiety is almost never actually about curriculum.
So let me ask you directly: is that landing for you right now?
Because if you’re in your first year — or your third — and you’re still feeling like you haven’t found the right program, the right schedule, the right method — I want to gently suggest that the search itself might be worth looking at.
The Aligned Homeschool Reset Session is a free 30-minute call where we look at what’s actually going on in your homeschool. Not what you’re teaching. Not which curriculum you’re using. But what’s underneath the decisions you keep second-guessing.
We’ll look at what’s working, what isn’t, and what one shift could change everything for you and your child right now. You’ll leave with clarity, a concrete next step, and the feeling that someone actually gets what you’re trying to build.
For many moms this is where something unexpected happens. They come in asking about curriculum — and they realize the real question is something older and quieter. It’s the belief that learning has to look a certain way. The pressure to produce proof. The feeling that if they can’t find the right program, maybe the problem is them.
That’s the work I love most. Helping moms deschool not just their homeschool — but themselves. Because when you shift, everything shifts. Your child feels it. Your days feel different. The decisions get clearer.
No pitch. No pressure. Just a focused, honest conversation about what you’re building — and what might be quietly getting in the way.
→ Book Your Free Aligned Homeschool Reset Session
Warmly, Teresa
Book your free Aligned Homeschool Reset Session
I help homeschool moms release pressure, edit expectations, and make small, intentional shifts that lead to a more confident and connected homeschool life.
