For the Mom Who Doesn’t Fit the Homeschool Mold
Homeschool
Audio By Carbonatix
By Tricia Goyer
Some days I look around my house — books everywhere, shoes no one claims, a therapy schedule color-coded like a military operation — and I think, “Well, this definitely wasn’t in the glossy homeschool brochures.” If you’ve ever felt like the odd one out… the mom who loves her kids fiercely but doesn’t look like the peaceful-bun-and-fresh-sourdough poster mom… pull up a chair. I see you. I am you. And I want to tell you what I wish someone had told me at the beginning.
You don’t have to fit the mold to raise world-changers. You just have to be faithful in the real life God gave you. And my real life? It’s beautiful, holy, messy, loud, and sometimes looks like tears in the pantry and grace at the table.
My Real Priorities (Not the Instagram Ones)
I don’t build my week around perfection. I build it around what matters eternally:
- Church & Bible reading.
If we get nothing else right, Jesus first. Scripture at the table. Worship music in the SUV. Prayers whispered on hard days. Sometimes we read with cozy blankets. Sometimes someone cries over a worksheet, and we read anyway.
- Therapies & Support for My Kids
Physical therapy. Occupational therapy. Speech and reading help. Trauma-informed counseling. Mental health support. I do not apologize for this. I do not minimize this. This IS part of our homeschooling. What is needed in helping my children heal, grow, and become who God created them to be.
- Dinner Around the Table
Not fancy. Not Pinterest-worthy. Just present. We talk. We laugh. We learn each other.
- Time to Understand Their Hearts
More than grammar charts, I want to know what keeps my kids awake at night. What scares them. What excites them. What they dream about. If I miss a math lesson but catch a moment to speak identity into their souls? That’s success.
- Schoolwork — Faithfully, Imperfectly
We do the academics. Yes, they matter. But education is not the idol — the child is the mission.
- Family, Sports, Life Outside These Walls
Kids running… living… failing… trying again. Practice, games, church youth nights, walks on the trail. This is learning too.
And through it all, I ask myself constantly:
What will matter a year from now?
Five years from now?
Ten?
Perfect lesson plans? Perfect handwriting sheets? A spotless house? No. It will be how they felt loved, seen, and shepherded.
When You Don’t Feel Like You Fit the Homeschool Mold
You are not behind. You are with your family, and that’s what matter.
I used to fear someone discovering I was “winging it more than winning it.” But then God whispered to my anxious heart:“You are not raising children for approval — you are discipling them for eternity.” That flips everything. Love covers more gaps than perfect curriculum ever could.
Let Me Be Honest… Really Honest
There were seasons I sat on the bathroom floor crying because I thought I was failing everyone:
Parenting kids from hard places. Learning struggles. Big emotions. Appointments that filled the calendar more than field trips did.
Sometimes I envied moms whose biggest stress was which art curriculum to choose. Sometimes I envied the quiet. Sometimes I envied the normal. And God met me right there.
Not with shame — with strength.
Not with comparison — with calling.
Not with perfection — with presence.
Philippians 1:6 whispers hope: “He who began the good work within you will continue His work…”
God isn’t waiting for you to be the perfect homeschool mom. He’s walking with you in the trenches you didn’t choose.
Truths to Anchor You
1. Love your kids and help them become who God designed them to be. Not who Instagram moms are raising. Not who curriculum says they should be. Who GOD says they are.
2. Take your ego out of it. Homeschooling isn’t performance. It’s presence. Lysa TerKeurst says, “We steer where we stare.” Look at Jesus — not other moms.
3. Switch what’s not working. Curriculum is a tool, not a covenant.
4. Don’t compare your weaknesses to someone else’s strengths. C.S. Lewis reminds us, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” You are not a failure because someone else excels where you struggle.
5. God is with you.
Even when the laundry mocks you. Even when your child cries through phonics again. Even when you doubt every choice you made that day. He is in the whisper, the chaos, the car ride, the moment you hand out snacks instead of solutions.
6. When in doubt — pull out a book and read together.
Every great homeschool day I’ve ever had started with relationship, not rigor.
Dear Mom Who Feels Like the Outsider…
You don’t have to fit the mold.
You are not alone.
And you are absolutely not failing.
You are fighting for hearts.
You are laying foundations.
You are shaping eternal souls —
sometimes while wiping tears and heating chicken nuggets.
Well done.
God sees you.
Your kids see you.
Heaven celebrates you.
Now breathe.
And if today feels heavy?
Grab a blanket.
Gather those kids.
And read a good book together.
Sometimes the most sacred classroom is the couch.
And the most holy lesson is —
We’re here. We love each other. God is faithful.
That’s enough.
More than enough.
Additional Resources
🌟 Want More Encouragement for Your Parenting Journey?
If you’re raising a preteen, you know how challenging these years can be. Kids are bombarded with messages that test their faith and tug at their hearts. That’s why I co-wrote Faith That Sticks with Leslie Nunnery—to give parents a practical, hope-filled guide for discipling their kids through this season.
In Faith That Sticks, we share five discipleship building blocks—prayer, Bible reading, family relationships, conversation, and service—that can strengthen your family’s walk with God. You’ll find stories, encouragement, and simple activities you can use right away to connect with your preteen on a deeper level.
👉 Click here to get your copy today.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not about raising perfect kids—it’s about raising kids who love Jesus and carry their faith into the years ahead.
