Becoming Homeschoolers: Give Your Kids a Great Education, a Strong Family, and a Life They'll Thank You for Later

by Monica Swanson

Monica Swanson helps you navigate your real-world concerns about school, culture, and what it takes to create an amazing homeschool experience that you and your kids will never regret!

If you've ever wondered whether you have what it takes to homeschool your children, look no further. Parenting author, podcaster, and homeschool mom Monica Swanson is here to tell you can do it. In fact, it can be the most fun, family-unifying, character-building, life-equipping experience you and your children will ever have.

Becoming Homeschoolers tackles your legitimate doubts and fears about homeschooling, as well as the questions you want answered before you commit--questions like where to start and how to choose a curriculum, build social skills, teach what you're not good at, and prepare for college. With humor and encouragement, Monica weaves her own story of homeschooling her four boys with step-by-step, practical advice on how

Assess whether home education is right for you and your childrenEstablish a foundation of faith in your everyday homeschool routineFind socialization opportunities such as sports and extracurricular activitiesCare for yourself and your marriage even as you spend more time each day with your kidsTackle the practical side of homeschooling, including standardized tests, transcripts, college readiness, and navigating education requirements 

It's time to trade fear for empowerment and insecurity for confidence as you live out your own story of becoming homeschoolers.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Education, Christian, Audiobook, Christian Living

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2024

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet: This book is a 5⭐️ read for those getting into homeschooling and probably a 3⭐️ read for those who have already done a good amount of research and have some homeschooling under their belt already.

I would highly recommend this book for a parent that is just beginning their homeschool journey! I remember starting to research for myself and it felt so overwhelming. This would have been a perfect book for me to start with. Monica Swanson covers pretty much everything related to homeschooling - why, philosophies, ages and stages, what to teach, college, schedules, etc. BUT it’s in a simplified manner. So it’s easy to digest and process and does not leave you feeling like you just drank out of a fire hydrant. (Looking at you Educating the Wholehearted Child! Don’t start your journey there haha.) That being said… as a mom with a few years behind her, I do wish she had gone into just a little more detail. I still have middle school, high school, and beyond to get through…

As I do have the bulk of my beginning research done and I feel pretty comfortable with homeschooling at this point, I was hoping for more of a memoir when I read this book. And while she did talk about her experience and her family, it was more overview of things they did than it was reflection. I think having more of that would have made this book much more useful for the moms who are seasoned, or like me, have a lot left to go but aren’t at the beginning anymore.

I could also tell that Monica and her husband were more academically driven and focused on their boys being on a college track. Which is totally fine! Just not what I think you usually find in the homeschool books and blogs realm. So if you are more traditional when it comes to school, then this book is definitely for you! I appreciated that she talked about how college wasn’t mandatory for their kids, (even though it’s what they wanted for them), but they wanted it to be an option, and that affected how they homeschooled.

Overall a great book for getting into homeschooling and giving you things to further research as you go along in your homeschool journey.

[Caroline Hodge]

Read after listening to her on a podcast and love her thoughts on homeschooling! Very approachable for beginners with no experience.

[Elizabeth Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encouraging to have a bird’s eye view of certain aspects of homeschooling-includes helpful resources. Don’t understand her inability or lack of desire to read aloud 😂

[Elyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 109 of 2024

I am a big @MonicaSwanson fan – she is a realistic, down-to-earth, relatable boy mom voice who loves God and understands the weighty responsibility of raising kids in our current culture to serve the Lord. I have previously read her books #BoyMom and #RaisingAmazing, and was excited to see her finally tackle a book specifically about homeschooling. It was mentioned but not the focus of her previous two books, and this was her chance to go full-on the topic of homeschooling.

I have a few years of homeschooling under my belt now, and I will say that this book is probably better suited for someone who is brand new to their homeschool journey or considering making the change from a more traditional setting. But I loved reading it to find her perspective – so many parents choose to homeschool in different ways, and she is no different. Not only is she a homeschool mom to four active boys, she lives in Hawaii with her doctor-husband, which means their schedule and lifestyle are different at baseline. She is raising a (hopefully) professional golfer and has already launched a professional surfer. She gives great perspective on these choices and how their homeschool lifestyle gave them the freedom to provide these unique experiences to her boys. For me, @MonicaSwanson is comparable to @JamieErickson for me – homeschooling her sons in a Godly way – but they are doing it vastly different. I appreciate being able to see this difference and how they forge their own path that makes sense.

For anyone new or considering homeschooling, I would highly recommend this book. Other books I have read that are comparable to this include Homeschool Bravely (Jamie Erickson), Teaching from Rest (Sarah Mackenzie) and The Four-Hour School Day (Durenda Wilson). It is always good for me to pick up these books, both old and new, as a great reminder that the Lord has tasked me with something incredibly important. It is a weighty thing to do, but it is worth the effort and sacrifice it takes, and that I am able to take the freedom and flexibility of this lifestyle and make it the best it can be for us and no one else. It is this notion that has changed our lives – homeschool is not just an educational choice, but a lifestyle choice. We are a better family because of it.

Rating – four stars
Format – paperwork

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great introduction to homeschooling. Being a homeschool grad myself, I didn’t need to be convinced to give homeschooling a go… however, I loved the chapters on homeschooling the various ages/stages of children.

I also loved reading a homeschool book written by a mom of four boys! Her perspective on boys specifically was helpful.

However, I really wish the author included more written information in the resource section of the book. She mentioned the resources all the time but in the back of the book it’s just a website link that you can visit on her website. I know she wanted to keep the resources current and there is a lot there, but I would have loved to have some of that info (especially the bonus chapter) actually IN the book, not on her website.

[Kayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it claimed to offer support for all families starting their homeschool journey, regardless of faith. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth. What I found instead was a fear-driven, judgmental narrative that demonizes public education, shames two-income households, and pushes a very specific religious agenda.
Rather than offering practical advice or encouragement, the author leans heavily into fear-mongering. She warns parents that public schools are dangerous and morally corrupt, and even suggesting that sending your child to a private Christian school might expose them to pornography. Public school teachers are vilified simply for teaching science, and families where both parents work are portrayed as selfish or materialistic.
As a secular homeschool parent, I found this book completely out of touch with reality and the diverse reasons families choose homeschooling. Homeschooling should come from a place of empowerment, not fear. Unless you're extremely conservative and already steeped in this mindset, this book will likely turn you off from homeschooling altogether. Hugely disappointing and not at all what it claims to be.

[Joann Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

This has been an amazing book. If you are exploring homeschooling your children at any stage of their lives this is a great resource to have. Its full of awesome information for everyone. New homeschoolers like me who have only been on our homeschool journey for 4 years, for those who haven't started yet but are looking into it and even for those who have been homeschooling for a long time can find nuggets of information for the next season of the journey. She shares her own personal experiences with homeschooling her boys and she shares what others might do as well. She doesn't make you feel bad for choosing a different education route either. She will often say its ok if you find this isn't right for you or do what works best for you. I personally love all the information about high school as we are entering that season next year. She also helps you with alot of information regarding preparing your child for college and what tests may be needed. She really has a heart for homeschooling and it shows in her work and how she encourages everyone in this book to find what works best for them.

[Danielle Doroff · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a very friendly tone, the author lays out a strong reason for why her family decided to homeschool, why she thinks other people should too, and the common misperceptions around homeschooling. She then dives in to “how” to homeschool through the ages but leaves plenty of room to make it your own. I really appreciated the guidance on homeschooling high school and how to homeschool college prep, dual enrollment, AP classes, etc. because this is my next step on our homeschooling journey. I first borrowed this book from the library because it was immediately available, but quickly ordered my own copy because I know I will read this book again and reference it often.

[Josie Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic intro book to homeschooling! I say intro because it was my first book, but it’s comprehensive all the way to college prep. I listened to the audiobook and will definitely be buying it in physical format to have as an on-hand resource.

[Sarah Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the heart of this and the encouragement. It was like I was grabbing coffee with the author!

[Ann Dunagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monica Swanson has uniquely captured the essence and motivation of why we homeschooled: to enjoy our kids and to create a culture our family loved.

We homeschooled all seven of our children. Our kids are all grown now, and after all these years, I wondered how there could be yet another book on why to homeschool, but Becoming Homeschoolers is definitely different.

This book will keep you inspired to live life to the fullest, with adventure, flexibility, joy, and vision. If you're considering homeschooling, Becoming Homeschoolers will help you work through the mindsets and reasons to go for it. We did it, and you can do it too.

Ann Dunagan, author.
Mission-Minded Familles

[Cynthia Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book on Audible after reading raising amazing by the same author. This book provided practical advice on becoming a homeschooling family. I thoroughly enjoyed all that Monica had to share.

[Lauren Stredny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good big picture overview on the reasons to homeschool as well as an intro on the “how do we…” of it all.

[Gael Browne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars because I *think* I hear the heart of this book, and I *think* I agree with it, but unfortunately it is packaged in SO much fear and judgment that it’s hard to see.

For context, we are in the UK and at the beginning of our home education journey, so I had to skip through much of what is very clearly targeted to the US homeschooling community, as it’s just not relevant to us. But, I’ve not let that affect my rating.

Let me try and summarise why I’ve had a really hard time with this book in a couple of points.


1. Monica Swanson has a very specific approach to home schooling, and that’s fine, but it vastly narrows the intended audience of this book, which I don’t think is signposted well. She is a huge proponent of formalised education settings, and has enrolled her children into many classes and online schools over the years, and is really clearly a fan of the academic route - less so of unstructured learning and play. There are also quite, let’s say, ‘quirky’ revelations, where she says she doesn’t like to read aloud to her children… she says it sends her to sleep. We’re not even just talking bedtime - it’s literally any time of day 🤔 alongside not wanting to do anything craft based because she doesn’t like glitter etc. The vibe I get is one of control and a dislike for the mess of life. And this high view of academic rigour is pushed as the best, the only way to homeschool.

Now, I am an academic person. I’m traditionally schooled and I love learning, and as I write this I am in the process of submitting my final few essays for my university theology degree as an adult learner. I value learning and have a high view of education. It actually took me a long time to come round to the idea of home education for this very reason. Until I realised that research shows that you don’t need to replicate what we understand as traditional schooling at home to achieve ‘success’, and that ‘better’ results can be achieved for creating lifelong learners by inspiring curiosity and creativity. Being generous with play and unstructured learning is not only what creates amazing students later in life, but also promotes mental and emotional wellbeing.

Overall, I think I differ vastly in educational philosophy to Monica Swanson, which is fine, but I have a problem with the self-righteous, rather obnoxious way that her way of doing things is presented. Which brings me on to point number two.


2. THERE IS SO MUCH FEAR in this book!!! You are basically coerced into home education through being made terrified of public school! You’re made to feel shame or like you are a bad parent for having had your child in the education system, and that’s just not right! Home education should not be a choice to run away from something, but to run TO something that you’re passionate and excited about! Your why shouldn’t be brimming with negatives about school, it should be full of positives about what you are gaining. Swanson achieves this in the first of two consecutive chapters at the beginning of part one - she lists 20 great reasons to home school. Wonderful. It’s encouraging, and the reasons not to are implicit. They are the antithesis of what she has said. But she then feels the need to follow it with a whole chapter of 20 reasons to not send your child to school…….. it’s just not necessary, and actually, I disagreed with so many of them. They’re incredibly amped-up, panic-filled, and anxiety inducing. It’s unnecessary and unfair. I also specifically have a problem with her view on diversity (racial inclusion) not being taught about in schools. How is that not a good thing?? It stems from her ultra-conservative Christian worldview.

I am a Christian, and all I could hear in my head was 1 John 4:28. “Perfect love casts out fear.” There is no fear in love. Wherever our children are, whatever choices we make for them, God has got them in the palm of his hand. There are no guarantees, no matter how much we seek what we believe to be the best for them. But he is faithful and good.

We will all have different ‘whys’ when we choose to home educate our children, and they will be varied and (I hope) well thought through. But I believe firmly that they should never be born from a place of fear and anxiety. And I found far too much of it in this book.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

I am definitely the intended audience for this book as a Christian mom of four considering homeschooling my 9, 7, and two 4 year old kids. I’ve been on the fence for a long time, but this book was so encouraging and helpful for those trying to make the leap. The first four chapters were worth the whole book for me.

Chapter 1: 20 good reasons to homeschool your kids
She gives a self-evaluation at the beginning with a list of 20 statements to see if they resonate with you. If you answer yes, that is an indication homeschooling might be right for you. I said yes to 15 out of the 20 which confirmed my leaning towards homeschool. She then goes through how those values can be better served through a homeschooling lifestyle, which felt in line with what I value most.

Chapter 2: 10 things homeschoolers get to avoid
She goes through some of the negatives that come with standard public school that we all generally accept as coming with the territory. But if there is a viable alternative, many of those negatives can actually be avoided or at least decreased for our kids.

Chapter 3: reasons why families don’t try homeschooling (or stick with it)
She lists 11 reasons (or sometimes excuses) that people give for not wanting to homeschool, and then rebuts with arguments that resonate with me. Obviously the number one and two reasons are socialization and “I don’t have the patience to homeschool my kids” which are exactly my concerns. Her responses beautifully shot down any argument I personally have there.

First of all, there are weird kids in public school too, and kids with weird parents are probably going to be weird regardless of where they go to school, so my kids are already doomed 😆 And there are worse things than being weird, if that’s the worst that happens and we are getting all of the many other benefits.

Chapter 4: how to get started
This is information I have vaguely looked into elsewhere but she lays out the basics of homeschooling styles and curriculum options. She also refers to a lot of resources she has on her website for specific information.

The rest of the book goes through the different stages of homeschooling preschool, elementary, middle school, high school and college prep. I skimmed the high school and college prep since that is so far in the future for me, but lots of valuable information.

[Sabrina M Koogler · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I am a homeschool mom.
It's a job that not everyone can do (or is willing to try).
What I do impacts lives...families...generations!" (p. 194)


I was so excited to hear that Monica Swanson was coming out with a book about homeschooling. Her previous books, Boy Mom and Raising Amazing, have been chock full of patient wisdom, dutiful research, and practical information. I knew there would be much to glean from a mom like Monica who has graduated three sons from high school and two from college, but this book exceeds expectations by far! Becoming Homeschoolers is now the ultimate resource to which I can point those who are curious about bringing their kids home for education. Monica's book has it all from how to get started, what to expect at each stage, what to do when there are challenges (homeschooling while working, etc.), different options for support, etc. This is a fantastic resource for ALL families, whether just starting out or if you've been homeschooling for years. With tons of bonus content (book lists, curriculum suggestions, requirements by state, etc.) this is your one stop for getting started to homeschool or being re-energized about the "why" of homeschooling! It's going to have a permanent place on my bookshelf!

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now 1/3 of the way until year 4 of homeschooling, I wasn’t sure if this book would fit my “tenure” if you will, but I was pleasantly surprised! I picked up the book purely because I loved this authors book “Raising Amazing” and I was genuinely curious what she had to say about homeschooling. This book felt like a warm hug and just gave me so much gratitude for how our household has made choices and sacrifices to be on the path we’re on. It has motivated me, encouraged me, and just genuinely brought alive some much needed gratitude for what has been a different season of schooling with increasingly more work for my 3rd grader and with 4 kiddos now at home. Excited to dive deeper into all the resources she included in the book and see what our future holds year to year, kiddo to kiddo! Would recommend for those thinking about starting out and also those a little further along in this path!

[Elizabeth Mayberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information but underwhelming. Definitely written more for the mom who is considering homeschooling, not the mom who already is. There was a lot of information I just already knew and didn't think was lifechanging. While I learned some from how she homeschooled, I don't homeschool the same way. I think she spends a lot of money on homeschooling that may deter some families from doing so (she spends at least $1000 per kid on curriculum alone + activities and classes) and her style falls more in the idea of traditional school but just at home. It that sense it feels a bit dated because there are SO MANY great resources out there now for homeschooling that make it affordable and doable for many types of families and schedules. It may be a good book to read if you have no idea where to start, but it felt a bit obvious to me and more like 10 blog posts squished together into a book.

[Theresa Adell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encouraging, intelligent, inspiring

I had just finished Boy Mom and was blown away by what a powerful impact it had on me when Becoming Homeschoolers was released. I jumped on it immediately and was not disappointed! It shed even more light on how she was successful to raise young men on such character. I am Judi starting my homeschool journey with a 2 and 4 year old and this book really helped to give me a long view of what I need to aim for in the years to come, which gives me so much perspective with what I'm doing each day today. Thank you Monica for sharing your boys with us! I think we all love them with you because you've allowed us to. Thank you and God bless!

[Danae Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciate this book! I already loved Monica’s other books Boy Mom and Raising Amazing, and Becoming Homeschoolers is no exception! We are just starting our educational journey with our littles, and I’m so thankful I have this guide to make informed decisions! We have homeschooled through our kindergarten year, but there is so much to think about and consider for the future years! Even if we don’t choose to homeschool every year, there is so much helpful information! Truly appreciate all the work and research Monica put into this book!

[Madelaine Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who was homeschooled and plans to homeschool my own kids, I thought this was an excellent book that provides a bird’s eye view of homeschooling. The first few chapters focus on the main reasons why people don’t think they can homeschool, as well as describe the benefits of homeschooling. The rest of the book provides snapshots of what homeschooling at different ages can look like and the types of materials that should be covered. I also appreciated the chapters discussing how to prepare a homeschooler for college and life after graduating high school.

[Chaeli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monica Swanson is a writer that not only encourages homeschool moms, she gives PRACTICAL day to day advice, examples and ideas. In "Becoming Homeschoolers", Monica shares her story of becoming a homeschool family, walks you through a year by year approach for curriculum, and gives inspiration for how GOOD and fruitful your homeschool life can be. I felt inspired after reading and implemented a few things right away. Highly recommend her podcast as well!

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a blessing of a book!! As a current homeschool family, I love all that was shared about homeschooling in this book! Many of these things she shares are things I could have said true of our own experience as well. This is a really helpful book for those starting the journey, thinking of starting, or even in the midst of many years. She shares great things about each stage/age level and gives excellent resources to have on hand! I appreciate the seasoned advice and for thoughts for the years I’m not quite at yet! Definitely a must-read for anyone interested in homeschooling!

[Cat Posner · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW I had no idea how much this book would impact me and our homeschooling journey being 7 years in! Through this book Monica has completely refreshed my WHY for homeschooling, she renewed our family vision and has been such an encouragement and fellow homeschooling mama friend through these pages. What a blessing this book is for all parents who want to be intentional about their child's education, whether they choose public school, homeschool or anything in between!

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel that this book is a good quick read about why and why not to become homeschoolers, though go into the book with a grain of salt for some of it. I skipped around a bit to find the parts and information that worked for us as a family. Homeschooling is 99% happening for us next year, and this read helped me to put it in a way of why we needed to do it. I wish that there were more resources given in the book and not just at the end go to my website.

[Megan Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Random grab off my local library shelf, but this ended up being a great read. We’ve been homeschooling for 5 years now, so not exactly new to it. But I found encouragement reading through the chapters on the positives of homeschooling. The later chapters have super helpful tips as we look towards middle school/high school years and preparing for college too. Going to keep this book in mind to pick up again in a few years before getting started with high school.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of useful information and advice, it also gives you hope to homeschool your kids or keep doing it if you already are a homeschool family. It’s a most read of everyone that is on the fence about homeschooling their children or is about to begin.
I loved to read her stories about their homeschool days and experiences.

[Kerianne Caggiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Monica Swanson's work, but this was exactly what a weary homeschool mom needed. The information is practical, thorough, and Christ driven. She comes forth honestly in her own struggles and provides a wealth of knowledge for every stage of teaching your kids from home. We are the best teachers for our kids, and Becoming Homeschoolers is a great tool to have in your kit!

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and encouraging. A few of the chapters for where I’m at right now were a little light (bummer!), but I can totally see myself coming back to others later to revisit her advice in the future. The resource section was super helpful, and I foresee myself utilizing that many times and often!

[Casey Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book to read if you are considering homeschooling (or are already homeschooling). If you’ve found other books too flowery, you’ll appreciate the honest look at homeschooling here. If you need a nudge or a boost, you’ll appreciate the research and statistics along with real life experience sharing.