6 Lies You’ve Been Told About Homeschooling
6 Lies You've Been Told About Homeschooling
Everything you think you know about homeschooling is probably wrong—and it’s time to set the record straight.
Lies about homeschooling?
If you’ve ever mentioned homeschooling in casual conversation, chances are you’ve been met with one of those looks—you know which look I'm talking about, that look that means you've lost your marbles! 
For some reason, people think homeschoolers are awkward hermits who never see the sun, while homeschooling parents must have the patience of a monk and a Ph.D. in every subject. Guess what: none of that is true! I know - shocking right?
Homeschooling comes with its own quirks of coursse, but it’s far from this ultra weird hippie thing some people imagine it to be.
I'm hoping to bust some of the biggest homeschooling myths once and for all—because trust me, we’re tired of hearing them. 🤪
Homeschooling has been around forever (um hello, how do you think people learned before schools existed?), yet somehow, the myths about it just won’t go away. If you’re considering homeschooling—or just want to confirm that homeschoolers aren’t living in underground bunkers—then keep reading!
I saw a post on twitter ( or X) by Geoff Graham which really sums up my thoughts around homeschooling.
"If children started school at six months old and their teachers gave them walking lessons, within a single generation people would come to believe that humans couldn't learn to walk without going to school."
This is just SO spot on!👏
Let's get into the Lies
📌Lies about homeschooling #1:
Homeschooled Kids Are Awkward and Unsocialised
Ooh of course, school is the only place to learn how to interact with other humans right? Especially when all you hear is the teachers yelling "You came here to study, not to socialise!"🫠
The truth? Homeschoolers are out in the world— no seriously, we don't just stay home all day baking bread and tending to our chickens. (Although one can dream).
Firstly we actually join tuition centres - the shock! We join co-ops, sports clubs, workshops, volunteer and so much more.
I'd take that over having to ask my teacher to use the bathroom any day!
📚Lies about homeschooling #2:
Homeschooling is Super Expensive
I know a lot of people seem to think homeschooling means you need a Pinterest-worthy classroom, a £500 curriculum, and at least a couple of trips a year to museums etc. In reality, it is possible to homeschool on a smaller budget. You can make the most of free/low cost resources like:
📚 Library books (FREE)
🖥️ YouTube tutorials (FREE)
📄 Printable worksheets (also FREE)
🍏 Science experiments using items from your kitchen.
Also some families decide to create their own co-ops by joining forces to offer their services to others while also enjoying the benefits of shared services at no cost.
So yes, you can absolutely homeschool without selling a kidney. 🥳
Homeschool reality
🎓Lies about homeschooling
#3: Parents Need a Teaching Degree to Homeschool
Ok, but seriously, if this was true, would civilisation not have ended a long time ago?
Although homeschooling requires a lot of effort, you definitely don't need a PhD in every subject in order to teach your 5 year old to count.
There are blogs, online courses, and entire communities of homeschoolers ready to help. Also, let’s be real—half of us forgot long division the second we finished high school, yet here we are, functioning adults. 😱
I remember being questioned about whether or not I'm educated enough when I first told a friend I decided to homeschool. I asked "what defines being "educated?"
If nothing else I know for a fact I care about my child and her education more than any teacher will ever. It's that care that will push me to strive to do what is necessary to make sure she not only is "educated" but also has good character and grows to be a well rounded person.
Deciding factors
🙏 Lies about homeschooling #4:
Homeschooling is Only for Religious Families
Ok, yes some families decide to homeschool based on religious reasons. However there are so many that have other reasons. Like:
✅ They want their family to have a more flexible schedule.
✅ Their child best in a non-traditional setting and they can provide an environment that they can thrive in.
✅ The 6 a.m. alarms, rushed breakfasts, and the chaos that is the school run are just not it for them. My heart goes out to the literal soldiers who have to deal with the school run everyday!
✅ They don't trust schools to keep their child safe. Whether that's from bullying or allergies etc
There are SO many more reasons. (I could go on about them all day but I'm not trying to turn this into a novel.)
The homeschool community is huge and really diverse.
It ranges from faith-based families to secular parents, to people who just love having year-round pyjama day. 💪
🥇Lies about homeschooling #5:
Homeschooled Kids Fall Behind Academically
I think a lot of parents have this fear. But the great thing about homeschooling is that if your child is struggling, you can slow down and cater to their needs.
In schools this isn't really an option since those poor teacher have 30 kids to deal with and deadlines to meet!
There have been studies showing home educated children actually perform at their level or even better than those at schools. This could be because they can work at their own pace and thoroughly understand a topic before moving on.
Final thoughts - Homeschooling is what YOU make it!
Some homeschool days are amazing. Full of fun creativity, laughter, lots of research and deep discussions.
Other days, erm well let's just say even a double shot of espresso can't help! 🫠
But is that not the case for any type of education? Whether school or homeschool?
These "lies about homeschooling" are just to highlight a few misconceptions that may be preventing you from taking the plunge.
THE most important thing is to find what works for your child and your family. Because that's when you will all truly thrive!
👉 Which of these myths have you heard before? Drop a comment and let’s laugh about it together! 😆
