You Know You’re a Homeschooler When...

You Know You’re a Homeschooler When...

What are the defining characteristics of homeschoolers? Read the real and often hilarious accounts of what makes homeschooling so unique from a poll we posted on our homeschool Facebook page earlier this month.

You Know You're a Homeschooler When...


"You realize you've been wearing your jammies all day and you're okay with it." - Rebecca Emter

"When a complete stranger walks up to and asks you if you homeschool. Then informs you that they just knew it ‘cause all homeschool families have the homeschool walk. Has anyone else heard this? It made my husband and me smile." - Rachel Sowell


"Someone asks your child, ‘What grade are you in?' and your child stares at them with a blank look." - Jennifer Gallegos

"You can take family vacations in the off-season while all the other kids are in school, getting the rock bottom rates and avoiding all the crowds." - Lisa Dawn Chandler

"When it takes you a minute to remember what grade is your child." - Maria C. Arias

"When your kid looks forward to math for the first time because he finally understands it after years of public school." - Melissa Marchman

"You cancel school work because the day is so beautiful, and there is always the weekend to make up for it!" - Debbie Adey

"When you, as the teacher, can declare an ‘I don't feel like teaching school today' day and go swimming with the kids." - Roxanne Loper

"When you hear ‘Why aren't you in school?' every other day." - Amy Harper

"The doctor asks them if they like their teacher this year, and they get that sheepish grin on their face, knowing that's a loaded question with Mom in the room." - Nicki Hunnicutt Jeske

"You sleep in with your kiddo because you don't have to get stuff done at exactly 7:30." - Tammy Taylor

"You look to find a space in your house for another bookshelf." - Dawn Griffith

"You consider your 13-year-old cleaning out the chicken coop part of his life/job skills class. You use time grocery shopping at 9 p.m. to discuss cost per unit and how to find the better deal." - Carrie Bochman Anderson

"You go to a museum and say, ‘I'm counting this as a school day!'" - Gretchen Goodale Bender

"Your house looks like it's been robbed because you have no time for OCD because you are investing your time in your children!" - Kath Willson

"Someone asks what you are doing this weekend, and you say, ‘Wow, it's already the weekend? But it doesn't even matter." - Anna Bagley

"It's almost 8 a.m., and you (the mom) are still sitting around in your PJ's, playing on f/b ... answering questions, and ALL five of your kids are still asleep in their beds, and you have no panicked need to run and wake them :-D" - Paula Greenwood

"When the grocery store becomes a mathematical learning haven!" - Gin Swan

"You don't have to wake up and get ready for everything. You can go to school in your PJ's! (I do!) :)" - Taylor Parker

"Your high-schoolers are job shadowing, and you take the whole day off:)." - Anna Marie Dickerson Disinger

"My 9-year-old son says it's when you wake up in the morning and play with your baby brother for an hour before starting school work. He adds that it's when you stop your schoolwork for the day just because your Gram and Pap came over. I would add it's when your 9-year-old son thinks of learning as a way of life so much that he has taught his public schooled neighbor friend how to incorporate the study of all things into their play!:)" - Kimberly Plotner Wendland

"When God is in every lesson. Oh, and one trip to the grocery store covers health, science, social studies, English, and etiquette." - Juliea Bockenstedt Montague

"When, while at Walmart, my 14-year-old boys are stared at and then asked, ‘Oh, is school out today?' Then they politely say that they are homeschooled." - Becky Ussery

"Your 12-year-old thinks it's cool to almost be done with all his subjects and it's not even 11:30 yet. And we didn't even get started till 8:30." - Michelle May Brundage

"Your housework suffers!" - Kimberly Bayly

"You have your first baby!" - Amy Reinking

"When your kids don't feel pressured to mimic the world, and cool has a way different meaning. It means being yourself, without excuse." - Brandi Rivera Austin

"You decide last moment that class will start three hours late on any given day." - Nicole McCall

"When you are able to watch your children interact with others, and they have a look of shock over the amount of homework and bad manners their fellow peers have. When you are able to go off on tangents that your children have during a lesson and end up with a memorable and more rewarding day. When reading, you and your little ones cuddle together with a blanket and share sweet moments." - Amanda L Jenkins

"Your kids invent fun games using the dictionary. Last night we had company over, and they had a blast blindly finding words that were their temporary new names out of the dictionary! My kids are junior high, and our company was a young couple that said they plan to continue the game at home!" - Angie McLaughlin

"When your kids tell you how many species of lizards are in your back yard and use the term ‘species'!" - Jeannette Le Blanc Hernandez

"When your child exclaims proudly, ‘My mommy is my teacher!' when asked who their teacher is. :-)" - Kristine Cannell Dubielak

"You get to eat lunch w/ your children every day!" - Keisha Matthews

"You see the dotted lines on graham crackers and think ‘fraction manipulatives!'" - Cathy Blake

"People ask, ‘Are you crazy ... use those public school hours for working ..." As if homeschool and taking care of our-home is not a full-time job? I believe God gave me the BEST job in the world! Money is not everything." - Judith LeMaster Blake

"You get to do lessons with your child while curled up under a blanket on the couch :)" - Jamie Stephens

"You're homeschooling during a blizzard!" - Linda Pritchard

"When you don't worry so much about some holidays, and you finish your days (180 in DE) in April, two months before public schools." - Paige Pitcher

"When my child is so observant of the world around her that no matter what each day holds, she learns something important all on her own and then comes and shares it with me! There are days I am truly amazed by her." - Jessica Wright

"When my son asks if we can do a little school, not a whole lot of school. And after lunch it's quick clean-up time, and we get out done in less than 10 minutes." - Sy Hugo Contreras

"When you get up when your kids do." - Elaine Michelle Alba

"When your active boys have recess before schoolwork :-)" - RickyandApril Espana

"We can stay in our pjs and have school." - Carrie Coats-Dierschke

"Take twice as long because you are teaching your children at the same time." - Cari Ipolani Adams Errands

"You arrange your day around teaching obedience and work ethic instead of morally empty skills." - Sarah Hamlin Kimbrough

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