The Best Homeschool Curriculum and Why You MUST Have It!

PS It's completely FREE!

In my early days of homeschooling, I stressed out (a lot) about what curriculum we should use. I spent a lot of money on curriculum that quickly became useless as it did not suit our family. Books that I thought would be amazing were often dismissed by my children, or myself, as being too boring, too much writing, too much talking, not interesting… and so on. Often, they required a lot of parent input, which put more stress on me. I was not a fan of having to do MORE work either.

I did a lot of research about what was THE BEST home school curriculum.

There were so many different opinions!

Also, I stressed a lot about not being able to afford the BEST curriculum that everyone raved about. I felt that I was letting my kids down without THAT curriculum that everyone said was so great.

But you know what I found WAS the best curriculum that has just worked time after time?

That’s a trick question.

There was no ONE home school curriculum that worked best.

(Sorry for the click-bait, but I had a good reason to get you here!)

However, I will tell you something that was better than any curriculum!

There was one strategy that was essential.

Call it a learning strategy if you will.

It was simply two things: loving and therefore trusting God and loving my children.

Trusting God means we will not stress out! It is completely natural to be concerned about our children’s wellbeing and to want the best for them. However, when we are anxious, it is detrimental to our children and ourselves. We will make decisions out of fear rather than trust, which may lead us in the wrong direction for our children. We may tend to have a stressful, less peaceful home, which will hinder children’s learning. It will destroy our happiness, and theirs.

I spent many years in that stressful and anxious place. I wish I had listened to God’s Word to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

It is important that we ask for what we need and even what we desire, acknowledging that our Heavenly Father knows what we need and will supply it! He knows our desires, and He knows whether those things will be beneficial or not.

At one point, after being in prayer for a particular curriculum that was very expensive, and looking online for secondhand copies, I came across someone who was selling the books at less than ten percent of the original price. It was so cheap! I was thrilled and bought the whole set for less than one book! We used that curriculum for some time, and I really did enjoy it. Some of the books I have yet to use but they remind me of God’s great goodness to provide something that I wanted. I didn’t really NEED it, I could have survived without it, but God in his goodness provided it anyway.

Many other things I hoped and prayed for but never received and that is good too, as only HE knows what is best for us. Some of the things I have prayed for I really believed would be beneficial… and still I have not received them. I don’t know why, but I must trust that it is what is best for my children, although I don’t yet understand why. Only He knows what they are going to need in their future. Only He knows the training and experiences that will equip them for all He has planned for them.

Loving my children means I will be patient, kind, gentle, considerate, slow to get angry with them, forgiving, persevering.

As 1 Corinthians 12 states:

4 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails."

Put these into action towards your children (well, everyone!) and notice the difference!

These attributes of love contribute to happy children, a peaceful home, and an environment where learning can happen naturally. Was I always patient, kind, gentle, considerate? Absolutely NOT! (Sadly.) But what contributed was often stress. Stress that I was not doing the best, or MAKING them do the best, or being fearful that this wasn’t going to work out or that I had to do certain things to make our home school ‘successful’ – whatever that meant. Stress that I couldn't provide all that I thought they needed.

Love is very hard to display when we are stressed and anxious, always fearful that we are not doing enough, not using the ‘right’ curriculum, not being the best parent, not giving them the opportunities that other people have… and so on.

So how do we do it? If love is what our children need, and if trusting God is what we really need, how do we get there?

How do we go from people who think WE have to do it all to produce the results we want, to people who simply love and trust Him and love our children?

How do we move on from grasping at ‘things’ or ‘curriculum’ to make our homeschool ‘successful’ to people who understand that God will provide for us and meet all our needs and our children’s needs?

Money can buy curriculum. Prayer, reading the word, being filled with His Spirit and time spent with God supplies what we need to bring our children up with love. He teaches us how to love as we walk with Him. He teaches us how to trust as we walk with him. He is the answer. Just get closer to Him!

They only have one childhood. Enjoy it with them! Enjoy the children He has given you! Let them see you trusting God, let them see God’s love through YOU loving them.

It took me years to learn these lessons that would have helped me so much in the early years if I could have just grasped them. I hope you can benefit from knowing the truth before you go another day with stress and anxiety about your homeschooling journey.

Now, go on, and have an amazing day with your kids! (Yes, they may stretch you to your limits but prayer and love in action will go a looong way!)

And I'm sorry that I did not tell you what the best curriculum is. How can I? The curriculum that will suit your family best will be depend upon who you are, your circumstances, who is in your family, your children's interests and abilities and so many other factors. Pray for guidance and wisdom. Ask for provision. Research, but rely on the Lord to guide you. There is no one BEST curriculum, but ask God to help you will find whatever you need for your children.

It may not even be curriculum!

May God bless your family and your homeschooling journey.

May you have much shalom!

Rachael