Admit it. When I say that I’m a homeschool mom, your mind may have had a flash of me with my kids all in matching denim jumpers holding jars of preserves from produce in our garden — and maybe a few chickens running around our farm. Well, even if that wasn’t the first picture in your head, you may have some preconceived notions about homeschool families. I know I did before I first started homeschooling. For the record, we live in San Diego, which means you are more likely to find me in flip flops than garden boots.

I’ve been homeschooling for over ten years now and for the most part I try to break the stereotype of homeschooling. For instance, I try to get myself and my kids out of our pajamas at some point in the morning versus staying in them all day. Don’t get me wrong, being able to stay in my PJs until noon is sometimes a wonderful luxury. However, I feel this pressure to make sure that I’m teaching my kids good habits for their morning routines that will serve them well in the future.  

Sometimes I think I should actually try a little harder to be a bit more stereotypical and learn how to bake bread from scratch, grow vegetables in our own garden, sew some basic things with a sewing machine (I can at least sew on a button by hand), and maybe even get some chickens.

A few of my favorites…

For any homeschooling friends…