✨What I Learned From 15 Veteran Homeschoolers This Year

8 Powerful Lessons Every Parent Needs to Hear

A year ago, I knew exactly one veteran homeschool family—and they lived thousands of miles away. But I had questions:

How do homeschool kids turn out? What are the best ways to educate children? How can I prepare them for life beyond academics?

I’m an avid podcast listener, but I couldn’t find anyone interviewing veteran homeschool parents. Most focused on a specific approach—Unschooling, Waldorf, Classical, Montessori. But, I wasn’t looking for a curriculum or a lifestyle.

✨I wanted to know: what core habits lead to a successful homeschool.

So I started the Tried & True Homeschooling podcast. To date, I’ve interviewed 15 families: urban, rural, single-parent, large, small, special-needs, missionary, forest-school, and even former homeschoolers raising their own kids.

I got answers—but I got much more than that.

My girls (ages 10 & 7)

What these parents shared was not what I expected. It was deeper, wiser, and surprisingly universal. Across geography, philosophy, income, and family structure, the same handful of truths kept repeating.

I wanted to write them down so I wouldn’t lose sight of them, and to explore how they might live at the center of our home life next year.

Today, I share what I’ve learned.

May it bring your family comfort, clarity, and a sweeter, calmer life.

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1. Be Present. Time Is the Point.

(The theme nearly everyone mentions.)

Homeschooling isn’t ultimately about curriculum. It’s about presence. It’s about being in the room—actually in the room—with your kids as they grow.

Again and again, parents told me some version of:
“It goes so fast—don’t miss it.”
“We get 16,000 more hours with our kids—use them well.”
“Love is spelled T-I-M-E.”

Homeschooling gives you more parenting moments than any other path. Use them. I heard over and over that it was the conversations that parents had with their kids that helped bring everything together — building their kids character and values. Lean into these moments — they are precious and fleeting.

✨This year, I will begin each day grateful for this time with my children—even the hard moments—because one day, all that will remain are the memories.

2. Let Go of the Myth of the Perfect Day.

(This one is particularly hard for me.)

Every veteran parent said some variation of:

“No one finishes all the curriculum.”
“You will have bad days.”
“Every spring, you’ll want to quit—keep going.”

Plans are good. Flexibility is better.

Adjust for the child in front of you, not the schedule on the page. If something starts to become a battle, pivot. If a unique opportunity arises—take it. If burnout hits, pause. Sometimes the bravest move is saying, “We’ll try again tomorrow.”

The wisdom here is quiet but powerful: Give yourself grace. Give your kids grace. Progress is uneven and that’s okay.

✨This year, I will give myself more grace. I will let go of searching for the “perfect day.” I will lean into each moment knowing that time is the real teacher.

3. Protect Their Love of Learning.

(And model your own.)

The #1 educational theme across all interviews was this: A child who loves learning can learn anything.

And the simplest way to teach that? Model it. Let them see you love learning too. Parents who pulled their kids out of public school gave this advice the strongest. They said, “You must focus on reigniting curiosity first. The rest will follow.”

I also heard, tailor education to the child you have. Lean into your child’s unique talents and passions. This doesn’t mean ditching everything else, but it does mean letting them deeply explore things off the beaten path and using it to inspire their love of learning.

Homeschooling is individualized education in its purest form.

✨This year, I will find ways to let my children’s passions bloom. I will find ways to encourage them to deepen their abilities in directions that serve their unique spirit.

4. Give Them Real Work.

(Chores, life skills, responsibility—mentioned by almost everyone.)

A surprising number of parents brought up chores.

Why? Because responsibility builds competence, and competence builds confidence.

Kids can—and should—do real work: making beds, cleaning, cooking meals, balancing a checkbook, fixing things, teaching younger siblings, running parts of the household. Many veterans had their children helping with their businesses.

One mom put it simply:
“Get out of the kitchen or they won’t learn how to cook.”

Another said:
“Work yourself out of a job.”

Homeschooling lets kids grow into self-sufficiency earlier than most. It also trains them to advocate for themselves—in college, in work, and in life. First you advocate for them, then they learn to advocate for themselves.

Freedom with responsibility is a great gift.

✨This year, I will give my children more responsibility. I will help them grow into themselves.

5. Don’t Let Fear Run the House.

(I needed to hear this one more than once.)

So many parents confessed:
“I kept thinking I wasn’t enough.”

But they also said:
“I wish I’d worried less.”

Fear is loud—fear of gaps, of judgment—and for me most of that judgement doesn’t come from others, it comes from within. I spend too much time worrying and not enough time taking an honest look at the growth of my children’s minds and abilities. Progress is slow. It’s easy to think, “We’ve had a bad math day” instead of looking at the progress over the past 6 months. Everyone had bad days, but progress accumulates slowly over time.

✨This year, I will remember to trust the process — to spend more time learning with my kids and less time worrying.

6. You’re Not Meant to Do This Alone.

(Community and outsourcing are tools — not failures.)

Every single parent said they leaned on community:
Co-ops, libraries, mentors, nature groups, dual enrollment, tutors, grandparents, online classes, workshops, hybrid schools, apprenticeships.

Community is about having a group of people who understand you and you can support each other through the hard days. Everyone needs helps sometimes.

Past emotional support, sometimes we need help with subjects that aren’t our forte or expertise. Your job isn’t to teach your kids everything. Your job is to be the architect of a rich world for your children to grow into.

Be a broker for your kids’ education. If something is a weakness or you just need another set of eyes, seek them out! It’s not a failure to seek out support in areas you are weak in — it’s a strength.

✨This year, I will work to deepen my community and not be scared to outsource activities that are hard for me to teach.

7. Talk About Careers Early

(Financial literacy, work, and real-world preparation.)

College is less mysterious than people think. Dual enrollment is almost universally praised by veteran homeschoolers. Strong standardized test scores can open doors to early admission and scholarships. And unless you’re aiming for elite admissions, getting in is often more straightforward than parents expect.

So where should we focus our time?

On helping kids build a career. Many veteran parents—and adult homeschoolers looking back—said they wished there had been more conversation about careers, money, and life beyond academics.

Talk about careers early. Talk about money often. When possible, give teens real responsibility—in your business, your home, or your community.

Let them taste the real world before you send them into it.

✨This year, I will prioritize age-appropriate financial literacy, talk openly about careers with my children, and begin exploring real paths through informational interviews.

8. Give Them Greatness to Imitate.

(Service, nature, family culture.)

The environment your kids grow up in makes all the difference in who they become—from their physical surroundings to the peers they keep.

Get outside—sunlight and movement improve mood, resilience, and learning.

Serve together—at home and in the community.

Show your kids greatness. Children need to see excellence to believe it’s possible. Sometimes you have to encounter extraordinary talent to imagine extraordinary potential.

Read great books, listen to great music, observe virtuous people. Give them greatness to imitate.

✨This year, I will introduce my children to greatness — in music, art, science, in compassionate and virtuous people. I will build a family culture my kids want to carry into their own homes someday.

✨The Quiet Conclusion: You’re Doing Better Than You Think

Across fifteen interviews, one truth kept rising to the surface:

Homeschooling works because families work.

You’re building something beautiful—slowly, faithfully—through ordinary days that don’t feel extraordinary until you look back.

Every parent I spoke with carried their own doubts. Every parent worried they were missing something.

So if you need the reminder (I know I did): You’re doing enough. You’re doing better than you think.

You’re building something beautiful, one ordinary day at a time.

These veterans had so much more to share than I could include in this post, you can find all episodes on your favorite podcast provider or HERE.

Thank you for letting me be a part of your life this year. I’ve received several notes this week about what this newsletter means to you that have brought me to tears. I’m humbled and honored to do this work. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you!♥️

I’ll be taking next week off to be with my family (see #1), so Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I’ll return on January 2nd to discuss where I hope to take ClarifiEd in 2026 to serve your family better. If you’re not already, subscribe, so you don’t miss it.

P.S. Paid memberships are discounted 30% until Jan. 1.

It has been an incredible year of growth and discovery. I’ve learned so much, and I’m honored to be able to share it with you.

Until 2026 friends, hug your kids♥️

~Claire