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What if your homeschool could be less about checking off boxes and more about cultivating curiosity, creativity, and connection with your kids? Imagine a homeschool experience where you feel confident, relaxed, and truly in tune with your kids & yourself.
If you’re feeling burnt out or like homeschooling just isn’t working, it might be time to step back and deschool your homeschool. In this post, I’ll share the key signs you need to deschool—and in the upcoming Deschooling Breakthrough Workshop, in just two hours, go from school-at-home stress to confident homeschool mom with a deschooling breakthrough that helps you embrace authentic, child-led learning that truly works for your family.
Feeling the Signs You Need to Deschool? Grab your checklist.
If the signs you need to deschool are clear, it’s time to take action. The Deschool Checklist helps you spot all the sneaky school-ish ideas you didn’t even realize you brought into your homeschool—so you can start building a home education that actually fits your family.
Have you been hearing about this popular word, DESCHOOL, and wondering what it even means & how to even DO it?
I think this is a word yet to be defined in a universal way once and for all. Originally, it was a term penned by Austrian philosopher Ivan Illich.
I think deschooling is a highly effective tool that helps us release doubt, uncertainty, and that not-good-enough feeling in our home-educating families.
Deschooling helps us (& our kids) zero in on the most important elements of learning & education for our kids AND to live our lives on purpose.
I’ve been learning about learning, learning about living with my kids, and learning about what an education is anyway, and in this course, I intend to help you walk toward your freedom and more individualization in your homeschool and life just as I have.
Learning about learning, learning about living with my kids, and learning about what an education is anyway isn’t what I thought it was.
(Is that your experience too?)
Turns out, I didn’t need to have a teaching degree, I didn’t need to lesson plan every homeschool day, and I don’t even need a report card (well, one year I did, because the kids asked me for one!)
I’ve had to address boredom, motivation, schedules, and curriculum choices, and begin to understand the unhelpful, oxymoronic word, homeschool differently.
Let me share what I’ve learned so you can be at ease in your homeschool with confidence and clarity too.
These are 7 Common Signs You Need To Deschool…
1. Struggles with Expectations
You feel pressure to conform, even though you know other people’s choices and activities don’t align with your values.
Is this your experience too? The pressure to conform to traditional school methods, even though your kids aren’t in a traditional school. Or the pressure to conform to how your local homeschool community is doing homeschool, even though their approach doesn’t feel right for your family.
2. Inner Conflict
You’re battling your internal school taskmaster. You’re feeling bound by your internal school taskmaster. You want to let go of your plans and expectations but you just don’t know how. This is a big sign that deschooling might be what you need.
As you reflect on these signs, you might be wondering how to take the first step towards deschooling. My Reimagine Your Homeschool Mini-Course is designed to guide you through this process. You’ll gain clarity, connection, and a renewed sense of purpose for your homeschool. Ready to reimagine your journey? Click here to join for free!
3. Resistance and Frustration
You’re comparing your homeschool or kids to others. Knowing you are consistently comparing your homeschool—or your kids—with others is draining. Maybe you’ve found yourself wondering why one of your kids just won’t do things the way you’ve planned them. Or wishing that one kiddo would do it like their sister (or brother) because your life would be a whole lot easier if they did.
4. Strained Purchases and/or Decisions
You’re questioning your homeschool choice in front of others—or even yourself. Spending money on curriculum, resources, or extracurriculars that you later realize weren’t the right choice? Feeling frustrated with your kids because they won’t go along with your homeschool plans without bickering, complaining, or fidgeting? Stressed that you can’t get it all done? You’re not alone in these struggles, and they might be signs it’s time to rethink how you’re approaching homeschooling.
5. Misalignment with Vision
You’re frustrated with the disconnect between your plans and your reality. Maybe you’re confident in front of others but occasionally have existential crises in the middle of the night: Am I really doing this homeschool thing good enough? Or maybe you feel intimidated (or avoidant) when discussing your homeschool choice with others because their judgment lingers in your mind.
6. Burnout and Exhaustion
You’re afraid for a child’s future because they’re not meeting your expectations. Are you afraid for a child’s future because they just won’t…(you fill in the blank). This fear can be paralyzing, but it’s also a signal that something needs to shift—not in them, but in how you’re approaching your homeschool mindset. Trying to do “all the things” and struggling to “get it all done?” Are you feeling the weight of a busy, overly structured homeschool schedule that doesn’t bring joy or fulfillment.
7. Desire for Alignment and Joy
You crave a homeschool experience driven by curiosity, play, and fun—but you don’t know how to create it. You know that you want a homeschool driven by curiosity, play, and maybe even fun (dare you even declare THAT), but you honestly don’t know how to DO that! Perhaps you initially intended to provide a personalized, enriching, and fulfilling educational experience for your kids: that was the goal. But now, you can see that it was a lofty goal, and to try to accomplish it has just reaped frustration, doubt, and possibly even burnout.
Ready to make homeschooling feel lighter, more joyful, and actually work for your unique family?
Join me for the upcoming Deschool Your Homeschool Workshop—a cozy, no-pressure space to rethink what learning at home can look like.
Deschooling is a powerful step towards creating a homeschool experience that aligns with your values and brings joy to your family.
If you’re ready to go deeper, consider joining me for a no-obligation conversation to learn more about coaching—a supportive space where we’ll tackle these challenges together.
I get it. I’ve been there. That’s why I’ve created resources to help homeschool moms like you reimagine their homeschooling journey.
If any of this resonates with you, it might be time to consider a more personalized approach to your homeschool journey. As a homeschool mom, you deserve the space to process your thoughts, clarify your values, and build the confidence to trust your decisions.
If you recognize signs you need to deschool, consider one-on-one coaching with Teresa.
Through one-on-one coaching, we can work together to dig deeper into your specific challenges, create a customized plan, and address the unique struggles you’re facing in your homeschooling life. Whether you’re dealing with overwhelm, frustration, or simply seeking more clarity, I’ll support you every step of the way as you build a homeschool environment that works for your family.
Ready to take the next step? Let’s explore how one-on-one coaching can help you gain confidence and peace of mind in your homeschool journey. Deschooling is about letting go of the old to make room for something new and better.
Begin to Shift your Homeschool Story with the ‘Reimagine Your Homeschool’ Journaling Workbook
Ready to explore the signs you need to deschool and make space for a new, more fulfilling homeschool experience? Start with my journaling workbook to guide you through the process.
Reimagine your Homeschool Workbook
Introducing the Reimagine Your Homeschool Workbook! Reflect on the past year, assess what worked and what didn’t, and build the homeschool you truly want. Evaluate curriculum, routine, philosophy, and plan for the future. Get renewed inspiration and fresh ideas.
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Teresa Wiedrick
I help overwhelmed homeschool mamas shed what’s not working in their homeschool & life, so they can show up authentically, purposefully, and confidently in their homeschool & life.
