HOMEschooling?
I used to have a bumper sticker that I loved: "We are always in the car & we are never at home, so why do they call it homeschooling?" I'll be the first to admit that the amount of time spent traveling from A to B can get out of hand while "homeschooling" -- especially for families with more than one child. However, saving my kids from spending all day in a building was one of the primary reasons I wanted to homeschool! Families must find the balance that works best for them. (Spoiler alert: Collaborating with other families can help a lot.)
Then, What is It?
I've been unsuccessfully searching for another term, because "homeschooling" is a term that describes such a wide variety of experiences. It's like the term "gardening." If you say someone is a gardener, what does that mean? They have some pots on the porch? With petunias in them? With tomatoes in them? They grow a lot of their food in the backyard? They plant only native plants? The have dozens of rose varieties in their tiny yard? For now, I'll just continue to call it homeschooling...
Just like gardening, homeschooling can look very differently, depending on the family. Some families follow curricula very closely, some don't. Some families believe in a lot of worksheets & textbook-based work, some don't. Some parents guide their children's learning very strictly, some don't. Some families spend most of their time out of the house, some don't. Some families participate in their local school system in some way, some don't. Some families travel the world, most do not. Homeschoolers are anything but a homogeneous monolith. And the reasons for homeschooling vary just as much as the styles.
So, back to the question at the top. What is it? It depends on your family & your child/ren. It depends on your vision for you & your children's lifestyle, what you & they believe is important to learn, what you & they are passionate about, what your budget is, what your community is like, where you live, and more. It is what you make it.
Wow, I Could Never Do That!
I cannot remember how many times I heard that statement over our 15 years of homeschooling. The awe & complete certainty in the voices always bothered me, but it was often too long of a conversation to jump into at the grocery store, the playground or wherever. Yes, homeschooling took a lot of work, but I was no genius & my kids were not rocket scientists -- we were fairly normal people who decided to do something different than the norm & chart our own path. (We were even different than the homeschooling "norm" of the 90's.) If that deserved "awe," then, OK, I'll take it. But I firmly believe that anyone can do it -- especially now.
The truth is, when a parent says to me, "I could never homeschool my kids," I have no idea what they believe they can't do. What is their preconceived notion of homeschooling? What about that vision do they think is beyond their grasp? Let's consider a couple of the common misconceptions.
I couldn't be around my kids 24/7.
Many times, parents will confess to me that they don't think they could be around their kids 24/7. Where does this sentiment come from? I believe it comes from parents thinking that more time with their kids means more time in conflict. Let's break this down. It is a bit counter-intuitive, but I also believe that more time with your kids means the time you are with them is better.
Many parents with kids in traditional school settings spend a lot of their time rushing & harping. Even on the weekends! The time on the weekends is crammed with all the stuff that families couldn't get to during the week -- haircuts, sports, playdates, shopping, doing homework, etc. So, the little time families have together each weekday is not very pleasant and the time on the weekend is often filled with errands and to-do lists.
The great thing about homeschooling is that you get to decide when & how much time you are with your kids. Think of your most fun days with your kids. What did you do? How did you stand each other for 24 hours? ;) Did you spend some time together and some time apart? Did you have time to just co-exist without any specific plans? Did you hang out with friends? Did you watch a great movie together?
Everyone needs a break from being with each other now and then. Introverts need more time alone than extroverts. Homeschooling is not great every day. OK. Is every day a great day, right now? We are looking for the best possible solution, not the perfect solution -- nothing is perfect! The beauty of homeschooling is that you get to plan your days in ways that make the most of your time together and apart -- find ways that your introverts have enough time alone & your extroverts have enough time with others. Most homeschoolers rely heavily on a community to swap childcare, share teaching, find mentors and provide emotional support to each other.
I can't teach my kids all they need to know.
No one can! Even if you could, you shouldn't! How often do you turn to the internet to learn something? Now more than ever, there are resources available to families (children & adults) for learning just about anything they want to know via the internet. Now, that does not mean the internet is always the best way to learn, but there are myriad resources in the community (including school) for in-person learning, as well. There are also great tools for helping families find resources that meet their needs. Check out modulo.app.
Other Real Considerations
Families must address childcare & work requirements. However, there are usually many more solutions than parents & caregivers initially consider. Childcare swapping, shifting work hours, taking kids to work, building learning into your family business -- these are just a few examples. In some cases, eliminating the school schedule from life is incredibly helpful rather than more difficult -- for example, parents who have a varying work schedule & must figure out & shift childcare each week, or parents who work a late shift & have to get up early to get their kids to school & miss seeing their kids for days at a time other than the time shuttling them to school in the morning (not to mention being sleep-deprived most of the time).
In making the choice to homeschool, some families make huge lifestyle shifts, like selling the house and traveling for a year (like my cousin). Most do not (like us). But once you start to consider all your options -- once school is out of the picture -- it can be pretty awesome (and a bit daunting). Often, families examine the trade-offs and see that they can make life changes that either have a net-zero financial impact (move to a cheaper living situation & change to job that pays less) or the lifestyle benefits are worth the changes (decreased income & much less stress). Others realize they don't need to make any financial sacrifices -- they just schedule things differently (change to a different work shift or negotiate a hybrid work schedule, etc.).
So...
Before you decide you can "never do it," thoroughly explore your WHY, create a large list of "homeschooling" scenarios (full-time, part-time, structured, not-so-structured, etc.), list all your resources & assets (family members, friends, community, etc.), and build that "pros & cons" list. Subscribe to gain access to Reclaiming Education resources. More & more tools will be added over time.