“Homeschool? Yeah, that’ll never be me. No way. I don’t have the time, the patience, or the bail money for that. Aren’t homeschool kids kind of… weird and socially awkward?”

That was definitely my response if you’d asked me about my thoughts on homeschooling a year ago. Actually, no one even asked—I just felt the need to let my opinion be known.

Fast forward a year, and here I am—deep in the trenches of homeschooling. In that time, I’ve learned so much about my son, myself, and this wild, beautiful, and sometimes overwhelming journey we’re on. So I decided to share our story—honestly, imperfectly, and with a little humor—because maybe you’re on a similar path, or just curious what it’s really like.

My children’s education has always been a top priority for my husband and me. Neither of us went beyond a high school diploma, and we work fairly average jobs—so of course, we want something better, something more, for our kids.

My son started kindergarten in 2018. Even before sending him into the public school system, I knew what we were facing: our local schools were overcrowded and underperforming. So I decided to apply to every charter and magnet school within driving distance, hoping to find a better option for him.

Now, I’ve lived in this town for over 20 years. When I first moved here, there were no streetlights, hardly any neighbors, and not a single kid in sight. Fast forward to now—our area is bursting at the seams. It’s grown fast, and with that growth came crowded schools and long waitlists. So despite paying county taxes for two decades, I was either waitlisted or tossed into a lottery for every single “better” school. (I’m not bitter or anything… eye twitch.)

In the meantime, my son was placed in a local public K–8 school. Side note: I really don’t like K–8 schools. (That’s just my opinion, don’t come for me.) The idea of sending my five-year-old into a building with 12- and 13-year-olds frightened me, but I tried to give it a try anyway.

Halfway through his kindergarten year, I had seen enough. I turned to my husband and said, “Nope. He’s not coming back here next year.” So, I started looking into other options in our area.

Just to clarify—I’m in Florida. So when I decided my son needed something better than our local public school, I applied for the Step Up For Students scholarship, hoping the state would help fund his private school tuition. And by the grace of God, we were approved! I enrolled him in a well-known Christian school in our area, and I literally cried real tears. I was so, so happy—this felt like the answer we had been praying for.

But that joyful chapter came to and end sooner than I expected.

My son, now a 6th grader, started his middle school career racking up detentions, throwing paper balls in class, and getting into petty arguments with other boys. Honestly, the list of behavior issues just kept growing.

Now, I just want to say—not to toot my own horn—but despite how that sounds, my kids are actually pretty awesome. I know this story paints a different picture, but I just don’t sugarcoat anything. If my kids are acting like little a**holes, I’ll call it out (lovingly, of course).

Anyway… back to the story. (My ADD is very real, y’all.)

It actually became a running joke at work how often I was dealing with issues at his school. My coworkers would take bets on when I’d get my first email of the day with the subject line, “Confidential – Behavior Notice.” If we made it past noon, we’d celebrate, knowing we were probably in the clear for the day. But those emails kept coming. The complaints, the phone calls, the constant stress—it all started piling up, wearing me down. It wore on my husband too. Eventually, I hit my breaking point.

One day, after yet another rough day at school, my son walked into my room and asked, “Mom, can I please homeschool?”

Without skipping a beat, I snapped, “NO! No, no, no. You’re not getting off that easy. You think you’re going to act out at school and then punish me by staying home all day? Nope. Not happening.”

But the more I thought about it, the more the idea started to sink in. I let it sit with me for a while, and then I found myself thinking, “Wait a minute… maybe this isn’t such a bad idea after all.”

Next thing I know, I’m deep-diving into Google searches, ordered six different books on “how to homeschool,” and began binge-reading blogs. Somewhere in the chaos of research and worry, I I thought, “This might actually work.”

I knew a hurdle was going to me getting my husband on board. He is not very fond of the homeschool idea, but I worked my magic and convinced him that this could be a good thing. So, we made the leap. I drove to the school, signed the unenrollment papers, and cried real tears as I pulled out of the parking lot.

I couldn’t even tell you what I was crying about. Was it sadness? Because I had once been so overjoyed when he got accepted into that school? Was it fear? Worry that I might be making a mistake or setting my child up to fail? The truth is—it was all of the above.

Because that’s what moms do!

We cry when we’re overwhelmed, when we’re stretched too thin, when we’re second-guessing every decision. We cry because we care so deeply and love so fiercely.

But here I am today—living proof that yes, you can homeschool.

After lots of research, trial and error, and late-night Googling, I decided to share what I’ve learned (and what I’m still learning) with other parents who might be in the same boat.

You’re not alone!

We’re figuring this out together.

I’m starting this blog as a way to journal our day-to-day homeschool journey—and if even one post helps make someone’s life a little easier, then it’s worth it. Not everything I write will be perfect or expert-level (please don’t take it all to the bank), so always double-check things for yourself, and if I make a mistake, be kind when correcting me. 🙃

Let’s support one another on this wild new adventure.

Lord knows—I need all the help I can get.