Banishing “Should” from Your Homeschool

Should. It’s funny that a six-letter word can hold so much weight. I’m going to make the argument today for banishing “should” from your homeschool.

Don’t “Should” on Me!

Recently, I read a newsletter and the author of the newsletter was annoyed with everyone and their “should” lists. “You should do this…. you should do that….” The author wrote that she wanted to yell, “Don’t SHOULD on me!” She wondered why people couldn’t just mind their own business.

It struck me that this is a very apt description of what we see today among homeschooling families. Well-meaning homeschoolers will say to other homeschoolers, “you should…” Outsiders will observe your children and say “you should…” People will compare your homeschool to other homeschools or to traditional schools and say, “you should…” There will be times that you look around at other homeschools and cue up your inner voice, wondering if “We should….”

Three things you must do for your homeschool

1. Follow the state’s homeschool laws
2. Do what’s best for you and your children
3. Choose to ignore any and all advice not related to one and two.

See what we did there? We took the first step toward banishing should. We said must, not should.

But banishing “should” throws everything out the window!

No, it doesn’t. By banishing “should”, and shedding the expectations of others, you actually free yourself to follow step two closely.

Often, when people tell you what you “should” be doing, they are telling you, you have strayed too far from an intangible and fictional “traditional path”. Checking the box of conventional learning doesn’t mean you are doing what’s best for your child’s education. Doing what is best for your child’s learning is meeting them where they are and building from there.

Ignoring the “Shoulds”

When someone tells you what your child should be doing, remind yourself of what you are doing.

“Your child should be reading by the end of kindergarten” – My child is working on letter recognition and letter sounds. We’re reading together and building a love of words. We’re building a foundation.

Banishing “should” allows you to build your child’s education, not attempt to meet other people’s expectations.