“I’m not doing enough.”
This is the main worry I hear from other home educators.
It takes time to adjust your expectations of home education and realise you don’t need to fit in with any school curriculum any more.
There’s no need to compare what you’re doing to what anyone else is doing, whether they are home educating or in mainstream school.
It has taken my son about a year to “deschool” and leave behind some of the anxieties he had around school and learning. In that year, we’ve gone from weekly GP appointments to none. Zero. Not a single one. That is how much of an impact it’s had on his health.
It’s taken me about a year too.
🚫 No, we don’t have to be working from 9.00am-3.15pm Monday to Friday.
🚫 No, you don’t need to do GCSEs if that’s not right for you, those certificates count for a whole lot less than you’re led to believe at school.
🚫 No, you don’t have to create work that can be displayed on the walls as proof of your work, OFSTED isn’t coming to check on you.
🚫 No, you don’t have to be able to write things down in a nice neat paragraph to show your learning, we can just talk about it instead.
✅ Yes, we can work to our own schedule, and if that means having a lie in every day, that’s ok.
✅ Yes, we can just study the subjects that excite and motivate you, in a way that interests you and at the pace that’s right for you.
✅ Yes, if we need a lazy day, we can have one, your wellbeing comes first.
✅ Yes, we can prioritise learning techniques like choosing reliable sources and fact checking, instead of memorising facts you’ll never need again for an exam.
If you’re doing what’s right for your child(ren) and they are happy, you are doing enough. If you’re worried that you’re not doing enough, you’re probably doing more than enough. Go easy on yourself.