When Homeschool Advice Misses the Bigger Picture

If you’re homeschooling, chances are you’ve heard it all:

• “You don’t need a curriculum.”

• “Just follow their interests.”

• “Deschooling takes at least a year.”

• “Worksheets are the enemy.”

At some point, this kind of advice becomes noise. And yet… it’s hard to ignore when it comes from confident voices online, especially if they seem like they’ve figured it out.

I get it. I’ve been there.

There was a time when I internalised advice from other homeschoolers on the internet as the way. If they said something with enough conviction, I assumed they knew better. But over time, I realised something that changed everything:

Context is everything.

What Works for Them Might Not Work for You

Homeschooling is not one-size-fits-all.

That phrase gets thrown around a lot, but people often miss what it really means.

It means:

• A parent homeschooling a single 6-year-old with no additional needs is navigating a very different reality than a parent juggling four kids with learning differences.

• A family with financial flexibility and support systems may have more bandwidth to implement child-led, screen-free, curriculum-light philosophies.

• Someone in their third year of homeschooling is likely sharing advice from a totally different place than someone in their first month.

But you know what the internet doesn’t always show? Those behind-the-scenes differences. You’re often hearing one story through a very narrow lens and that lens leaves out the nuance.

Yes, I’ve Been Misled Too

I don’t say this from a pedestal. I’ve followed advice that left me more confused, more burnt out, and more unsure of myself. And when things didn’t work, I assumed the problem was me.

“Maybe I just need to try harder.”

“Maybe I’m not being consistent enough.”

“Maybe I’m doing it wrong.”

But often, the problem wasn’t me, it was that I was applying someone else’s solution to a situation that didn’t match mine.

Let’s Talk About the “No Worksheets” Rule

One of the loudest homeschool opinions I used to hear online was:

“You don’t need worksheets. Just make learning fun and natural!”

On the surface, it sounds great, especially if you’re imagining a relaxed, creative, child-led environment. But let’s get honest for a moment: sometimes, worksheets are exactly what we need.

Recently, I received messages from a few sisters telling me that the worksheets I shared came at just the right time. Another shared that her child really enjoys worksheets, it gives them a sense of structure and progress.

And to be clear, we're not talking about the boring fill in the blank snooze fests here. I try to make mine creative, engaging and actually enjoyable as possible (no guarantees, but I've had zero worksheet protests so far!)

Because here’s the thing: it’s not about choosing between creativity and structure.

It’s about balance.

Of course, no child should be expected to sit and fill out worksheets all day. That’s not developmentally appropriate, and it’s not what home education is about. But equally, completely rejecting them ignores the fact that they do serve a purpose, especially if your child is heading toward exams like GCSEs, where workbooks and written practice are essential.

Homeschooling isn’t about avoiding all structure. It’s about equipping your children with the tools they’ll need for the path they’re on.

Sometimes that means messy projects and rabbit trails of curiosity. Sometimes that means a well-timed worksheet while you make a phone call or take a breather. Sometimes that means training them to work through something independently because that’s a skill in itself.

Let’s stop pretending that one method defines a “better” education. What matters is whether it works for your child, in your season, with your values in mind.

Social Media is a Filtered Reality

We all know it and yet we forget.

We see calm, curated snapshots of homeschool days: kids painting quietly, reading under fairy lights, learning math while baking muffins.

What we don’t see is the child who cried for an hour because they didn’t want to do anything, the parent who’s drowning in self-doubt, or the days where nothing worked. And more importantly:

We don’t always know if what they’re doing is actually working long-term. We just see the highlight reel and it’s easy to confuse that with proof.

You Don’t Need to Copy, You Need to Curate

There’s a big difference between learning from others and trying to become them.

Follow educators, parents, and creators who share ideas but always run it through the filter of your life:

• Does this fit my child’s learning needs?

• Does this align with our family values?

• Do I have the capacity to do this right now, in this season?

If the answer is no, you’re allowed to let it go. You don’t need to explain. You don’t need to justify.

You’re not failing if you choose something different. You’re adapting.

Final Thoughts: You Get to Lead

Homeschooling isn’t about impressing strangers on Instagram. It’s about building a life of learning that works for your family, not someone else’s. It’s okay to make different choices.

It’s okay to change your mind. And it’s more than okay to ignore loud opinions that don’t take your reality into account.

You know your home. You know your kids. You know your limits.

So trust yourself because no stranger on the internet will ever be the expert on your family.