4 Homeschool Regrets | What I've Learned As a Teacher Turned Homeschool Mom

We all make mistakes. Today, I'll be talking about 4 things I regret doing (or feeling) as a homeschool mom over the last 5 years. As a former teacher, I looked at homeschooling a little different than most. Listen as I break down my 4 regrets and how I handled them. Happy homeschooling! ❤️
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[@whitney5581]

My biggest regret is feeling I needed to check ALL the boxes, being a slave to the curriculum, and not giving ourselves room to breath. Also, trying to jump ahead too quickly in terms of challenging them with more comprehensive work. You learn as you go, and sometimes less is so much more! ♥️

[@bu2ful119]

I have a bachelor's in Elementary Ed. I have a master's in teaching English. My kids didn't care about my credentials. Homeschooling was a rough ride for the first couple years. I saw how little my education taught me. I had to unlearn teaching as a public educator and learn teaching from love as a mom. I grew up in a house that was seriously lacking in boundaries and respect. I never knew that until I had kids. I have to work hard everyday to remember that I get to make my own rules now. I have a RESPONSIBILITY to make school that works for them and not the other way around. I'm glad I didn't give up. I'm on the others side of the homeschool adjustment period and I can say it's worth it! Just keep swimming!

[@jolenethornton3787]

My biggest regret is that I’ve been buying way too much too. But I have a hard time stopping. I think it is out of fear of not providing a comparable education to public school, even though I know that is not the case. My home is so cluttered with books and educational activities- that it overwhelms me at times☹️

[@TeachingKidswithLiz]

Great tips mama! Keep up the great work! I’ve been homeschooling for 7 years and it is a constant learning experience. Each year I find I learn something new and Instead of a regret I just learn new ways of being more effective and productive.

[@emmahammond741]

Our family does best on a more 'school' structure/style. Not overboard but we're definitely not the unschool environment. We need the schedule and structure with a school room. Seems like homeschoolers like to make that method and way inferior and it bothers me!

[@stacycole1935]

Giiirrrrrlllll.. I don't EVEN want to tell you how many curriculums I've tried in three months. I've FINALLY got to a point I'm happy!

[@leannerussell4637]

How did you get there?? I'm lost!! 1st time homeschool mom for my 7th grade son. Any help is SO Appreciated!!🤗

[@truekimchi]

Hi there, I like how honest and real you are in sharing your homeschool experience. Thankful for your channel!

[@FLMegan]

Yesterday my Facebook mom group asked for your regrets: here is my answer copy and pasted: #1 Don't assume bc you have all the education n more and teaching experience you can teach any better at home than your neighbor. I had my arse handed to me for 3 years by my twins until I grew you know what to go looking for a alternative... It was not a behavior issue either. Thank the Lord for you tube homeschooling mama's! And thank you to the other public school teachers who admit this is like alien territory and you literally have to detox your teacher brain to do the best for your own. #2 Emphasize #1!

[@SimplyLivingIt]

I love your cardigan! 😍 No Mardel around here! I've never even heard of it before! It sounds like it might be a good thing, though! Lol! 😉😂

[@susiesjourneytofreedom6058]

Thank you for this video. I really needed to hear this today. This is our first year homeschooling and we have started getting a lot of push back and I just needed to hear these things to remind myself to look at my “why” again.

[@mandy-maltz]

You're welcome! I'm so glad it was helpful for you.

[@lisacassidy-y6o]

Thank you so much, really needed to hear this today xx we are homeschooling because our boys school wont help with an ongoing bullying issue that's just getting worse. Have noticed so much support from empathic, educated people but yes also lots of push back from ignorant closed minded judgmental folk, mainly the mothers who see school as a respite from their children. But we persevere and carry on. Truly appreciate you sharing your expertise and wisdom god bless xx

[@AmandaHomesteadLife]

This hits home! I let comments from others get to me. I know what is right for our family and should shrug it off. Thanks for this! It’s a good reminder! Just subscribed!

[@HomechoolbythePond]

I love that you shared your regrets! I'm just starting homeschooling my preschooler and I'm fighting the urge to set up a "classroom" like setting since I don't know how she'll learn best yet or where we'll live when she's old enough to actually need a desk since we're a military family too.

[@victoriarandall3072]

Yes! This is so good....there is no cookie cutter of what your school needs to look like!

[@rubyhaskell1325]

I have a really hard time not letting others opinions get to me. I need to work on it. It makes me second guess my choice and I hate that feeling.

[@markusmelinda6104]

I’ve done the same mistake to buy too many books and resources then it felt pressured to use everything I bought. It was too much to do and overwhelming both for my and my daughter.

[@jessicajones611]

That’s just like my boys, they do well with a more structured learning style x

[@alifemoreorganized.]

This was such a helpful video, thank you!

[@jenniferharley8987]

Thank you so much for the encouragement We are doing 4K all over the house😊

[@Pixibliss]

I think it’s been easier for new homeschooling mom’s to start with COVID going on. No one I have talked to about it has had a negative reaction to it. It’s more of like yes, great job! 😂

[@mandy-maltz]

So true 😂 It's not weird in the era of COVID.

[@Mishwelly]

Kirk Cameron is coming out with a video about how more people are homeschooling. 👍

[@simply.mama05]

This is so I so needed to hear this because my husband gets so mad at me for over buying Lol

[@HeatherSue24]

Hey! I live in Springfield!! That is so awesome you lived here :)

[@mandy-maltz]

I miss it! It was my favorite place to shop. And the MARDEL store! I wish I still lived in the area.

[@kimberlypope7837]

I customize my curriculum. This has made it simpler for our homeschool by building our curriculum to my son's educational needs. The cost is cheaper doing it this way too. My biggest regret was not homeschooling my son from the start. We tried public school with him and it didn't work out well. I homeschooled our oldest daughter from 9th-12th grade, and our youngest daughter 6th-12th grade. I started with my son in 5th grade. He is a sixth grader now.

[@Arkiegirl26]

My daughter cant focus anywhere but her desk. So its school like for us too. Sometimes she'll take off to the couch or her room to read, but other than that we have a school like setting as well

[@leannerussell4637]

Do you sell your curriculum after you're finished? I'm a 1st time homeschool mom. Ugh! I'm completely lost!! I've looked at SO Many You Tube shows, especially yours. I Love how informative your video's are!! Thank You for That!! My son is starting 7th grade, and I have no idea which curriculum to go for. I LOVE the way you switch it up!! So, I figured I'd ask if you sell.... Or if you have any ideas on how to save money. I'm not working now so we'll be able to give this to our son, so ANY help is SUPER APPRECIATED!! Thanks for your time and your informative video's!!❤️💜❤️

[@andrea242]

If you figure something out, I'd love to know which curriculum you go with. I have a 7th grader as well. Getting ready to start!🙂👍

[@karissahickman6024]

How did I not know there was a Mardel store so close to me thank you !

[@jessicawright3717]

I have two girls and they decided that they wanted the more structured approach as well, routine, routine.

[@jerilyn-ourhomeschooltable]

Former kindergarten teacher here...I totally know what you mean. We started last school year in 2019 and immediately thought I needed to get her a desk. She does use it most days, but she would’ve been fine without it. 😂 We might be losing our school room in the next year because we’re having a new baby and may need to turn it in to a bedroom. So the dining room will undergo a small transformation, but I want it to look like a dining room still. 👍🏻

[@steffa648]

I should expound lol. You sound like me! I have a B.S. in Elementary Education and taught in a Christian school/ private school for 10 years before I homeschooled my son. And the schools were very traditional so I am realizing now that homeschooling does not need to mimic or look like traditional school so I am slowly learning how to do that.

[@tumaestra8458]

I wasn’t not a teacher but that was all I knew so I too created a school setting. At home. It’s just what we all know.

[@audreymcnair350]

I live in Ozark, right outside of Springfield :) I frequent Mardel a lot. We also have 2 amazing used homeschool curriculum stores in Springfield. I feel very blessed to have all these options to see things in person!

[@mandy-maltz]

I miss the Ozarks. It's absolutely beautiful there this time of year. We loved traveling on the highway to Springfield looking at the beautiful scenery on our way to Mardel!

[@Arkiegirl26]

I live in northwest Arkansas, can you tell me the names of the used stores? I may try to come that way to hit the 3 stores....and the DAV thrift stores...love those too!!

[@audreymcnair350]

Sure! I lived in NWA for 7 years before moving here 💓💓 The stores are Redeemed and Pilgrim's Way.

[@chandrahelms]

Oh my gosh crazy when you said Springfield I was like , wow that’s where live lol. Actually in Willard, but close enough ☺️. I love Mardels.

[@Dreblueskies]

Great video! Thank goodness I don’t care what others think. 😁

[@smile4cla]

Unschooling makes me anxious. I feel like I need structure. Our school time only takes about an 1.5 hours so far. We are currently also doing Cassical Conversations but we wont be doing it in the fall sinve it just isnt right for our family. We have 3 more weeks of it and once that ends I'm going to start including science and history to our curriculum so we should start going up to 2-3 hours a day of school time

[@mandy-maltz]

I'm a "I need structure" kind of person too!

[@HomeSweetHomeschoolLife]

I have always wanted to go to Mardel’s.

[@BlissfullLivingArt]

I totally hear you! I just wanted to buy all the things too! Lol

[@mandy-maltz]

It's SO hard not to! 😂

[@bu2ful119]

Another reason we don't like to switch curriculum is because many of us are from one income families. We pinch every penny in order to afford for one parent to stay home to homeschool. We don't want to admit failure with a curriculum and we don't want to waste money.

[@katieculp778]

This is 100% true! No one seems to talk much about it though.

[@tonilittle5480]

My only real regret I have is using American School Correspondence courses for my oldest daughter. I did it because I thought it would be the best because she would get an official diploma. But it was extremely dull and monotonous. Homeschooling definitely seems more normal this year.

[@lisamariehorn]

Biggest regret, so far, is not having stuck to a curriculum through at least part of kindergarten. I think my kids would have benefited from more concrete handwriting instruction, whereas now I'm trying to fix bad habits. Also, I think they would have been further along in reading now if we had done more phonics.

[@donnacorder3911]

Do you have a link to an Amazon store or anything like that? I am interested in finding that world poster behind you. 😄

[@mandy-maltz]

I do! However that poster came from our curriculum. Amazon store: kit.co/MandyMaltz

[@Mishwelly]

❤️

[@tiny.terrorist.negotiator]

This is my first year homeschooling and the "I bought ALL the books" hit me hard 😂

[@Fentylity]

Hi

[@bpinto01]

First time homeschooler here! How did switching curriculum in the middle of the year go for your family? I am thinking that our math curriculum isn’t the best fit for my son but I’m afraid to switch and start over int he middle of the term. Did you start over with the new curriculum? Did you skip lessons? Did they get behind? My son is a kindergartener this year and think we’ll be sticking to it!

[@rubyhaskell1325]

My daughter is also a kindergartener and our math curriculum isn’t really working for my daughter either. She’s using TGTB. We’ve been skipping lessons and sections, I think we will finish the course then switch to something else . She does like it but gets bored easily with it.

[@bpinto01]

@@rubyhaskell1325 okay that’s good to know. We are using a curriculum that is also used by public schools and are only using it because it was free. I was thinking about switching to TGATB but the price has been holding me back. But our problem is the lessons are structured to be an hour long and so it takes us 2 hours for a couple of days for one lesson. He also seems to get bored with what we’re using. But it makes since because of their short attention span.

[@ninakoshman5571]

I’ve been using Horizon math for my children and they love it. Try looking into it, it’s colorful and has short lessons. Also because your child is only in kindergarten it won’t be that scary switching curriculums mid year. They have sample pages for the math books if you are curious as to what level to start at!

[@steffa648]

You sound like me lol!