Seasons of Homeschooling: A Mother’s Journey

Seasons of Homeschooling: A Mother’s Journey ~ 
Written by Amber O’Neal Johnston from Heritage Mom

Homeschooling is a unique and transformative journey, filled with distinct seasons that each bring their own challenges and rewards. As mothers, we often experience these seasons in waves—moving from survival to maintenance to growth—each demanding different aspects of our energy, creativity, and patience.

Embracing these seasons of homeschooling fully can transform our homeschooling experience from one of mere endurance to one of fulfillment and joy:

Seasons of Survival

Every homeschooling mother knows the season of survival. This is when simply getting through the day feels like an achievement. With toddlers underfoot and babies in tow, the goal is to keep everyone fed, dry, and safe.

Structured lessons might take a backseat to impromptu learning moments, and that’s perfectly okay. Survival mode is marked by flexibility and resilience.

It’s about recognizing that homeschooling, especially with very young children, isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence.

When I was in this season, I always felt like I wasn’t doing enough. If the dishes were clean and the laundry folded, I wasn’t reading aloud enough. If I was killing it with the school lessons and the field trips were stellar, the house was a wreck.

When the kids had abundant energy, I was exhausted. When I was itching to get out and explore, the kids were napping. But when I look back at that time, I see now just how precious and foundational it was.

The point of that season wasn’t to have it all together; it was a time for me to fall in love with my children and the life we were building, and it was so good.

Seasons of Maintenance

As children grow and routines become more established, homeschooling can enter a season of maintenance. This is a time when we begin to execute well-laid plans more carefully. We start to understand our children’s unique learning styles and our own capacities for teaching and homemaking.

The balance between being a mom and a teacher starts to feel more attainable.

This season is also about fine-tuning our approach. It’s a period of gradual improvement and increased confidence. Here, the focus is on sustainability—creating a homeschooling environment that is both nurturing and effective without exhausting our resources or energy.

Most of my homeschooling journey has been spent in this season. A sense of calm alternated with a frenetic scramble as my learning curve perpetually shifted. It was spent finding my groove just in time to lose it again as my kids got older, we moved homes, or the families in our homeschool group changed.

There were hard moments, but they were part of a fascinating and glorious ride.

Seasons of Growth

Eventually, many homeschooling mothers find themselves in a season of growth. This is a time of profound personal development and reflection. As our children grow more independent in their studies, we might discover that we have more time to pursue our own interests and passions.

This realization can be both liberating and exhilarating. In this season of growth, we can adopt habits that enrich our lives and, by extension, our family’s homeschooling experience. Reading widely, engaging in creative hobbies, and pursuing personal goals are all part of this growth.

Embracing rest also becomes crucial during this season. Understanding that a well-rested mother can provide a better educational environment for her children is key. Shedding the guilt associated with taking time for ourselves allows us to return to our families with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

This period is about realizing that we don’t have to be martyrs to be effective and loving homeschool parents.

I find myself in this season today, and daily, I’m learning how to embrace moments of personal reflection. I’m noticing the expansion in my thoughts and ideas, and I crave the stimulation found in conversations with my children and husband, the books I read, and my circle of mama friends. This is an unexpected season, one I didn’t know was coming, and its arrival has felt like a found treasure.

Embracing the Seasons of Homeschooling

Each season of homeschooling has its unique challenges and beauty. The key is to fully engage with the season you’re in, knowing that it will soon morph into something different.

Cherish the simplicity and closeness that come with survival mode. Strive for balance and effectiveness in times of maintenance. In growth, celebrate the new interests and rest that allow you to be the best version of yourself for your family.

Homeschooling without being a martyr means embracing each season with an open heart, recognizing that each phase contributes to the richness of the journey.

By doing so, we not only nurture our children’s education but also our own personal development and well-being. The journey of homeschooling is a dynamic, evolving experience that shapes both parent and child in beautiful and unexpected ways.

* Find more of Amber’s writing on Simple Homeschool here!

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