Discovering the Purpose of your Homeschool

Welcome to the Super Simple Homeschool podcast, where we help you find purpose in your homeschool, while keeping it super simple.

I’m your host, Jenny Hedrick. When I first started homeschooling, I thought that homeschooling was about curriculum and doing all the things. I spent too much time and money trying to recreate my own classroom education. After some serious burn-out, I realized that I need to simplify. But in order to do that effectively, I had to discover one very important thing: the PURPOSE of my homeschool.

That’s exactly what we are talking about today: discovering your home school's purpose. I’m so glad you’re here because this topic is one of the most foundational yet often overlooked aspects of homeschooling.

You CAN Homeschool

If you are a new homeschooler, if you are just starting out, I would love for you to check out my new course, You CAN Homeschool. This course includes 13 videos that cover so many things I wish I had known as a beginning homeschooler. In it, I will teach you everything you need to know to get started, AND how to keep things simple. You can purchase this course HERE.

When I first decided to homeschool, I knew that I wanted more time with my kids and that I wanted to teach them about Jesus, but outside of that, I had no clue. I figured if I found the perfect curriculum, the perfect homeschool would follow.

But, I couldn’t find the perfect curriculum. And believe me, I tried.

My Own Search for Purpose

In that first year of homeschooling, I tried three different curricula in the first 3 months of school, only to abandon the curriculum altogether after my daughter was born halfway through the school year. Trouble is, I felt so guilty, figuring that I wasn’t truly “doing school” because I wasn’t using a curriculum. What I was doing was a spin-off of my kid’s favorite TV show at the time: Wild Kratts. We would pick an animal, learn about it on YouTube, draw a picture of it and then copy down one fact about that animal. I was actually notebooking before I knew that notebooking was! And the truth is, for kindergarten, that was the perfect amount of schoolwork!

But what I didn’t realize at the time, was that if I truly understood the purpose of my homeschool, that would guide all of my decisions about curriculum and activities in a way that would eliminate the doubt and fear that I wasn’t doing enough. So today, we’re going to dig into how you can discover the purpose of your homeschool.

Why Purpose Matters

Let’s start with a question: Why does purpose matter in your homeschool? Well, our purpose acts as a guiding light. It will help you make decisions about what to teach, how to structure your days, and even how to measure success.

Without a clear purpose, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day chaos—jumping from one curriculum to another, worrying about whether you're keeping up with traditional school schedules, and constantly questioning if you’re doing enough. But with purpose, you are anchored, no longer tossed around by every new method or resource that comes your way.

Our purpose keeps us focused on what truly matters, and it helps us say "no" to things that don’t align with our mission. It’s like having a compass that always points us in the right direction, even on the hard days.

I’m going to lay out a process for discovering your purpose, and I’ve also put this into a worksheet to help you do it for your homeschool. If you’d like access to that free worksheet, click here.

Reflecting on your Values

The first step in discovering your homeschool’s purpose is reflecting on your values. This is where you get to dream big. Ask yourself questions like:

• What do I want my kids to remember about their homeschool years?

• What kind of people do I want my children to become?

• How do I want our family to spend our days?

For some, the purpose of homeschooling might be to provide a rigorous academic education. For others, it might be about fostering a love of learning, nurturing creativity, or building strong family relationships. And for many of you, it’s about creating an environment where your children can grow in their faith and learn to love and follow Jesus.

Take some time to pray and reflect on these questions. Write down your thoughts. This isn’t about getting the right answer; it’s about understanding what truly matters to you and your family.

Homeschooling Goals

Once you’ve reflected on your values, the next step is to identify your homeschooling goals. These goals will flow naturally from your values and help you put your purpose into action. You may want to include your spouse or even your children in discussions about the goals for your homeschool.

Some examples of homeschooling goals might be:

• Academic Goals: Preparing your child for college, trade school, or a particular career path.

• Character Goals: Developing traits like kindness, perseverance, and integrity.

• Faith Goals: Teaching your children to know and love God, to understand His Word, and to live out their faith.

• Life Skills Goals: Equipping your kids with practical skills like cooking, managing money, or even just learning how to learn.

Your goals don’t have to be grand or set in stone. They’re simply a way to bring your values to life in your homeschool. And remember, it’s okay if your goals change as your family grows and as God leads you in new directions.

Now that you’ve established your values and goals, you can form a purpose or mission statement. Again, this isn’t set in stone and you can always go back and add to it or change it as need be.

Evaluate Your Homeschool

Now that you know your purpose, you can evaluate your current homeschooling activities. Think of it like an audit of your homeschool. With every curriculum, activity, program, etc. ask:

• “Does this align with our homeschool’s purpose?”

• “Will this resource help us meet our goals?”

• “Does this fit our family’s values and the way we want to live?”

When I finally started asking these kinds of questions, everything changed. I stopped trying to fit my kids into a curriculum that wasn’t designed for them. Instead, I started looking for resources and experiences that aligned with our purpose. And let me tell you, it has been incredibly freeing! It has also helped us to simplify, as we have been able to let go of things that don’t align with our purpose.

Make Purposeful Decisions

Once you know your purpose, you’re free to make decisions that serve that purpose. This might mean choosing a curriculum that’s outside the box, focusing more on life skills than academic skills at certain seasons, or even ditching the schedule on a beautiful day to explore nature.

Remember, your homeschool doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. You’re the boss! You get to decide what works for your family. And when you know your purpose, those decisions become so much easier. You’ll find yourself more confident, less stressed, and more focused on the big picture.

Stay Flexible and Faithful

Lastly, remember to stay flexible and faithful. Your purpose isn’t a rigid set of rules; it’s a guide that can adapt as your family changes. There will be seasons when things don’t go as planned, and that’s okay. Trust that God has called you to this path and that He is faithful to equip you for the journey.

Whenever you feel lost or overwhelmed, come back to your purpose. Pray over it, give it to God and let Him guide you. And always remember, you’re not in this alone. God didn’t call you to homeschool without also giving you access to the grace and wisdom to carry it out.

Discovering your homeschool’s purpose is one of the most powerful things you can do. It brings clarity, direction, and peace to your homeschooling journey. It helps you make decisions confidently and lets you focus on what truly matters.

Thanks for listening to the Super Simple Homeschool podcast. I hope this episode has inspired you to dig deep and discover the unique purpose of your homeschool. Don't forget to follow or subscribe so you never miss a future episode.