When I first started homeschooling, I expected negative reactions from people. I geared myself up for defending my position, but nobody asked me why I had chosen to homeschool. This was surprising to me because I was homeschooled in the 1990s and early 2000s. Back then, it was considered a questionable form of education. My parents pulled me and all my siblings out of school in the mid 1990s when the concept of homeschooling was still very new. I don’t think they knew how it was all going to turn out, but they were what is now called “homeschool pioneers.” Homeschooling in the 1990s versus today in 2025 is very different. The biggest notable change is that homeschooling is becoming more acceptable.
People’s Opinion in the 1990s
Back in the 1990s, homeschoolers were in the minority. By the time I was homeschooled, there were about 700,000 other homeschoolers nationwide. During the 1980s, states like Rhode Island, where I lived, legalized homeschooling, but the regulations were not formalized until the 1990s. We were part of a co-op, but I think there was only one in our area.
I liked being homeschooled, but at the same time being homeschooled carried a stigma. At times, I didn’t fit in the kids at church because they all went to school together. I remember sometimes feeling awkward being out in public during school hours because I knew someone would ask the ever-so-annoying question, “Why aren’t you in school?” A friend quizzed me on math to see if I knew my math facts. My pediatrician asked me if I had friends. Homeschooling was questionable. Just in case you were wondering, I did have friends.
Homeschooling Resources in the 1990s
When my parents pulled me out of school, my mom had to go to a homeschool curriculum fair and buy all our books. That’s right – no internet. I am not sure when she started buying textbooks online, but I do remember her leaving the house and coming home with all our books. There were not as many options for textbooks nor variety in resources. We used Abeka and Saxon primarily. Many textbooks were made by Christian textbook companies that designed their curricula for classrooms.
As for technology, I used a video series from Abeka for Spanish. The teacher was boring. Despite that, I found myself majoring in Spanish a few years later. Even though the curriculum was not the most interesting, I still found my interests easily enough. I tend to overthink curriculum because I want to purchase the best curriculum for my kids. I didn’t have the best curriculum ever, but I had a good one that taught me the basics.
Homeschooling Parents in the 1990s
Homeschool parents in the 1990s had to have tough skin if they chose to homeschool. It was not uncommon for people to tell homeschool families that they should stop homeschooling. Homeschool parents had to ignore the negative comments. Would I have had the tough skin parents did back then? I don’t know, but they were brave to try a new method of education that was laughed at.
Homeschool families were initially seen as strange. Why teach your kids yourself when the public school can do it just fine? My mom knew that she was suppose to homeschool, so she ignored what other people said and continued homeschooling. I was a shy kid. If anything, I was probably the one everyone thought should be in school. I admire homeschoolers today, but I think the families that first took the plunge are to be truly admired. Did they ever think their efforts would amount to almost four million children being homeschooled in the US today?
Now I will switch to homeschooling in 2025
People’s Opinion in 2025
I have only met one person who disliked homeschoolers. He claimed that children needed to be in school so they can be bullied and become tough. I ignored him. There are better ways to build confidence in children than to tear them down. So far, that has literally been the only negative comment I have received. Instead, I often hear people talking favorably about homeschooling. Things I have heard are from other doctors, neighbors, friends, and family are:
- That’s great you homeschool. You can go at your own pace.
- You have so much flexibility
- There are so many great resources!
- You’re super mom!
When we sign up for the summer reading library program at our local library, there’s a box to choose your school, and homeschool is an option. That wasn’t there when I was a kid. Also, no one has ever asked me why my kids aren’t in school. In fact, I see homeschoolers out in stores and in libraries in the morning. No one bats an eye.
Homeschooling Resources in 2025
The amount of resources for homeschoolers today is overwhelming. Since graduating college, teaching elementary school, getting married, and having children, I had no idea how much the homeschool textbook industry had changed. First of all, the old school textbooks, like Abeka, are still around, and are still great choices for homeschoolers, but now there are companies that make curricula that is designed specifically for homeschoolers, such as Good and Beautiful. The coolest part of the newer curricula is that a lot of them are created by homeschool moms. Good and Beautiful, Homeschool Glue, Treehouse Schoolhouse, and Five in a Row are a few examples.
Outsourcing is widely available through online classes and co-op classes. There are individuals who conduct classes just for homeschoolers, such as art classes and nature classes. There are homeschool sports groups. Homeschoolers can get discounted prices at science centers and museums. Lastly, some museums offer homeschool days where admission is free.
Homeschooling Parents in 2025
One of the biggest differences with homeschool parents in 2025 is that sometimes both the mom and dad work, usually the dad working full-time, and the mom working part-time. This is possible with parents being able to work from home, and with dads feeling more comfortable to help out with schooling.
I find that I do not need to have tough skin for homeschooling. No one really pesters me about it and asks me why I wanted to homeschool my kids. There’s no stigma attached to it. In many ways, the hard road of normalizing homeschooling was paved by people like my parents. I am thankful for them. I know those early years of homeschooling were not easy as families fought for their right to school their own children.
Another difference is that since homeschooling is becoming more acceptable, it’s less intimidating. There’s a lot more support and encouragement for families who choose to homeschool – friendships, podcasts, books, co-ops. Mothers who homeschooled their now adult children, like Durenda Wilson and Sally Clarkson, have written books that help mothers now see the big picture. One of my favorites is The Unhurried Homeschooler. Teaching from Rest and The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie have been encouraging as well.
Why is Homeschooling Becoming More Acceptable?
So why is homeschooling becoming more acceptable? I think for some obvious reasons, such a dislike for certain content being taught in public schools, but also because people see the value in educating their own children. After covid, lots of families realized that they are capable of homeschooling. Another aspect is that since not all jobs have to be done in an office, parents can find ways to work and homeschool. It has become available to not just the families who can make it with one salary, but to families who are have job flexibility and can be creative with their schedules.
I am thankful I was homeschooled. My mom was one of the many homeschoolers who made homeschooling more acceptable by simply doing the unseen task of schooling her kids at home. No one saw all the work she did, and to many, it might not seem like much. However, I don’t feel awkward or ashamed about homeschooling my kids. That’s because other families did all the hard work while I was a kid. `One generation sacrificed so another generation to enjoy the blessings
Carly from DesertHomeschoolDays.com
