From Overwhelmed to Inspired: My Homeschooling Journey

How it All Began...

I remember the moment I first considered homeschooling... It was a split second decision I made when I got a message from my kids' daycare about threatening to send my 3-year old son home because he wasn't listening to his new teachers. This was one of many similar "updates" we had been getting about our then 3-year old son in recent weeks after we had complained about an incident that we felt threatened his safety.

Let me be clear, daycare had been our preferred method of childcare since our oldest son was 18 months and we LOVED it until we didn't...

One day our son casually mentioned to dad that he had been regularly kissing another student on the mouth --which we know is age appropriate, but we thought was unusual that we hadn't heard anything about this from his teachers so we inquired. Both teachers declined having seen anything, but offered to send a note to every students parents about discouraging this behavior because it spreads germs. I made my concerns known about my son's safety and what else teachers could be missing if they hadn't noticed the recurring kissing between my son and this other student.

Soon after that, I started receiving daily messages from the daycare about my son having behavioral issues and being hard to regulate which started to feel like retaliation but I was barely out of the hospital with my third baby and just hoped things would settle. They didn't. Finally, the day I got this message threatening to send my 3-year old home, I wasn't even cleared to drive yet but I got in my car to immediately pick up my kids and never went back.

My life had changed instantly and I was frightened

I was newly postpartum with my third baby, running on little sleep, and trying to soak up every moment of my maternity leave before returning to my demanding full-time job. But homeschooling? That felt equally overwhelming, but at this point necessary to protect my child. I couldn't help but have this repetitive thought in my head about how "no one will care for your kids like you do" and got started.

I had no idea where to start and my husband suggested giving ChatGPT a try so I did.

We started small—really small. A few workbooks, some library books, and a lot of doubt. My family wasn’t sure if this was just a phase or something we could sustain long-term, so we kept things simple. I questioned myself constantly: Can I really do this? Will I be enough?

Then I met another mother who changed everything. She was homeschooling her three little ones—just as young as mine—and she made it work. She reassured me that it didn’t have to be perfect, that I didn’t need a Pinterest-worthy schoolroom or expensive curriculum to give my children an amazing education. What I needed was faith in the process, a willingness to learn alongside my kids, and the courage to take the next step—even if I was scared.

Her encouragement lit a fire in me. I kept going, even now as I returned to work. And as I found my rhythm, something incredible happened. Other moms started reaching out, looking for support, for guidance, for a place to belong in this journey. That’s when my small homeschool experiment turned into something so much bigger—a co-op right in my basement, a growing community of families learning together, and a newfound purpose in my heart.

Now, I can’t imagine my life any other way. What once felt uncertain has become a passion. I want to do more—to support other moms, to grow this community, and to show that homeschooling, even while working, is possible.

If you’re in that place of worry and doubt, just know—you don’t have to do this alone. There is support, there is community, and there is so much joy ahead. 💛🪴

With grace and grit,

Imani