There are many myths about what a family needs to homeschool. Unfortunately, these false assumptions often cause parents to believe they cannot homeschool. Sometimes, even experienced homeschoolers have guilt over these things. Whether you are just getting started or have been homeschooling for years, you don’t need the following things to homeschool.

1. Lots of Money

Your family does not need lots of money to homeschool. The idea that only wealthy people can homeschool is one of the most widely believed misconceptions about homeschoolers. Homeschooling doesn’t have to be expensive. Many families use free curriculum or purchase used materials to save money. In How to Save Money on Homeschooling, I share several other tips for homeschooling on a budget.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent Household Plus Survey (March 2023), approximately 29.8% of families with a homeschooled child have a total household income of less than $50,000. This is significantly lower than the U.S. median household income of $91,162 for a family. Additionally, the percentage of homeschool families earning less than $50,000 annually is almost identical to that of public school families earning less than $50,000.

The chart below summarizes income data from the Household Plus Survey. You’ll notice that homeschool family income levels are very similar to that of public school families and significantly lower than those reported for private school families, even though, on average, homeschool families have larger household sizes. In fact, 40% of the homeschool families in the Household Plus Survey have six or more people in their household. So, as you can see, homeschool families are not wealthier than those who chose other education methods.

2. A Stay-at-Home Parent

People tend to think that all homeschool families are married couples where one parent works full-time outside the home, while the other, usually the mother, is a full-time stay-at-home parent who earns no income. This isn’t the case for most homeschool families in my community. The parent who homeschools often works for an income, too, either full or part-time.

Those who have younger children who cannot stay home alone may work shifts when their spouse is off work. Others run home-based businesses doing anything from childcare to accounting. Single parents who share custody of their children may work on days the other parent has the kids. Some share childcare duties with a family member or friend.

Your family does not need a full-time stay-at-home parent to homeschool. With hard work and creativity, it is usually possible to find a way for both parents to continue to make an income. Many single parents can also find a way to work while homeschooling. In Single Parent Homeschooling Tips From Someone Who Has Been There, homeschool mom Nicki Truesdell shares her experiences.

3. A School Room

Although all the beautiful pictures of homeschool classrooms on Instagram may make you feel otherwise, you do not need a school room to homeschool. Your kids can learn just as well without one. Your family can homeschool at the kitchen table, living room couch, or even outside when the weather is nice. Older kids who learn independently may prefer to do their work in their bedrooms to reduce interruptions. In How We Homeschool Without a School Room, I share how my family homeschools without a dedicated school space and why I prefer it this way.

4. Anyone’s Approval

You do not need approval from your family, friends, or anyone else to homeschool. There will be people in your life who oppose your choice to homeschool. Some may come around eventually when they see how well-educated, happy, and successful your children are. However, others may never change their mind. Anytime you choose a path different from the norm, there will be people who don’t like it.

Continuing to argue with unsupportive family and friends and constantly justifying your family’s home education can give them the impression that this topic is up for debate. Instead, be confident that homeschooling is the best choice for your family, and accept that some people will disagree. Sometimes, as Kris Bales of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers explains, it’s best to say, “Could you pass the bean dip?” and move on.

5. Extreme Patience

Homeschooling does not require an unattainable level of superhuman patience. It doesn’t require any more patience than parenting in general or any other aspect of life. Our society expects us to have the patience to deal with difficult coworkers, long waits at the doctor’s office, endless traffic jams, and countless other trying situations. Yet, it tells us we can’t possibly have enough patience for our own kids.

I can’t count the number of times that I’ve been told that I “must have the patience of a saint” because I homeschool. This isn’t true at all for me, but fortunately, saint-like patience isn’t needed to homeschool. If you have the patience to function in day-to-day life and parent your children, you do have enough patience to homeschool.

6. A Teaching Certificate or College Degree

A teaching certificate or college degree is not needed to homeschool. Regardless of your level of formal education, you are smart enough to homeschool. All you need is the desire to learn along with your child and the willingness to find outside resources if needed. No one is an expert in everything. If you have trouble teaching a specific subject, there’s no shame in using an online course, getting a tutor, or signing your child up for a co-op class.

According to the National Home Education Research Institute, 78% of peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement show that homeschooled students perform significantly better than those in institutional schools. They also found that home educated students typically score 15 to 25 percentile points above public school students on standardized academic achievement tests regardless of their parent’s level of formal education. Whether the parents were ever certified teachers was also not found to be related to the children’s level of academic achievement.

7. A Lot of Time

You do not need a lot of time to homeschool. Public school students are usually at school for seven hours a day and often have a couple of hours of homework at night on top of that. This gives people the impression that educating a child takes eight or nine plus hours per day. Fortunately, it takes much less time to teach a child at home.

If you research how long it takes to homeschool, you will find many different answers. That’s because it varies widely based on the family’s homeschooling method or curriculum, the child’s age, the number of children in the family, and many other factors. However, you will rarely find a homeschool family that spends all day on schoolwork. Even in middle school and high school, our homeschool day rarely takes much longer than four hours. We were often done within three hours when the kids were both elementary school-age.

A shorter school day does not imply that homeschooled students learn less than public school students. It is simply a more efficient way to learn. In a classroom of 20+ students, constant disruptions and disciplinary issues must be addressed. Time is also lost to administrative tasks like rollcall, collecting forms, handing back assignments, etc. Homeschooled students don’t need to spend time reviewing material they already grasp or waiting for classmates to finish an assignment before they can move on to the next task. They can progress at their own pace. Homeschool parents provide one-on-one instruction that is impossible in a large classroom and can personalize their child’s education to their learning style. When children get help when needed and learn in a way that works for them, they can usually grasp the material more quickly.

8. The Public School’s Calendar or Schedule

You do not need to follow your school district’s calendar or schedule as a homeschool family. Instead, set a schedule that works for your family. Some homeschool families choose to homeschool year-round, with shorter breaks throughout the year instead of a long summer break. Some families may dedicate three or four days a week to homeschooling, while others may homeschool six days a week. Homeschooling can even occur on nights and weekends, around a parent’s work schedule.

Not being tied to the school district calendar allows families to take vacations during off-peak seasons rather than only during school breaks. It also allows kids with a parent who works away from home for long periods (long-haul truck driver, military, etc.) to take time off school when the parent is home. Learning can occur anytime, not just on weekdays between August and May, from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. So, choose whatever schedule works for your family.

9. Rigid Grade Levels

Homeschool families don’t need to stick to rigid grade levels like schools do. Suppose you have a third-grade child who struggles in reading but excels in math. In most public schools, he’d be in the same 3rd grade classroom all day. At home, there’s no reason he can’t use a 2nd grade reading curriculum and a 4th grade math curriculum. What matters is that your child’s learning is continually progressing, not the number on the front of a textbook.

Additionally, many homeschoolers take a family-style approach to learning. Rather than each child having their own grade-level curriculum for every subject, they study some subjects together as a family. This is especially popular with subjects like history, science, and Bible. Families may use a curriculum designed for a wide age range, unit studies, read alouds, or other methods. For more ideas, see How to Homeschool Multiple Ages at Once.

10. A Homeschool Co-op

A homeschool co-op is not necessary to homeschool successfully. Many homeschool families cannot participate in a co-op because there isn’t one in their area, financial constraints, or schedule conflicts. Still, others choose not to participate in a co-op because they prefer to homeschool independently, or a co-op would be too much of an obligation, especially since many require each parent to teach a class.

For homeschoolers who aren’t in a co-op, there are many other ways to socialize and meet friends, including playdates, park meetups, sports, clubs, other extracurricular activities, and church youth groups. There are also many different ways to take classes from outside sources, including online courses, dual enrollment classes at a college, and extracurricular classes such as art or music lessons.

The Takeaway

There are many misconceptions about what is required to homeschool successfully. The idea that homeschooling requires lots of money, a stay-at-home parent, a school room, or a teaching certificate are just a few of the many myths that people may believe. Unfortunately, these misconceptions can cause parents to believe they cannot homeschool, which is not true. Homeschooling can be done on a budget, with both parents working, without a dedicated school space, and without a teaching certificate. Ultimately, what is most important is a parent’s commitment to do what’s best for their children. With hard work, creativity, and confidence, any family can successfully homeschool their children.