This article was adapted from a parent information session for OpenEd families. Learn more about the open education movement and resources for new and aspiring homeschoolers here. Meg Thomas is a homeschool coach and mom of 7 who has been homeschooling for 18 years. She helps parents build confidence and create joyful learning environments. Dive deeper with her workbook 30 Days to Ease Into Homeschooling for daily encouragement and simple steps to start strong. Follow her on Instagram.

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Confidence feels amazing, doesn't it?

When you're confident, your shoulders are back. You feel alive, intelligent, and in your zone. You know what you're doing.

But if you’re new to homeschooling (or even just thinking about it), chances are you feel anything but confident.

You’re anxious. Overwhelmed. Scared you’ll fail your kids.

I get it. I've been there. When I started homeschooling 18 years ago, I had five kids under six and zero confidence. Now I have seven kids, five homeschool graduates, and I coach other parents through this exact journey.

The good news? Confidence isn't something you're born with—it's something you create.

In my experience, confidence gets blocked by two main things: anxiety and fear.

Anxiety is just generalized fear. It's that feeling of "so many things could go wrong" without being able to pinpoint exactly what you're afraid of.

Here's what I've learned: When you can name your fears, you can beat them.

Think of your fears like dragons on your pathway to creating the most amazing homeschool ever. You want to take them off one by one, just like a to-do list.

But when you stay in anxiety, you can’t make a plan. You stay stuck because it feels like too much.

The first step I always recommend for parents experiencing a vague, generalized anxiety about homeschooling is to start naming what you're actually afraid of.

The 5 Biggest Homeschooling Fears (And How to Beat Them)

Fear #1: "What if I'm not good at it?"

The truth: You're supposed to be bad at first.

I like to talk about what Brené Brown calls "your freaking first time." When little kids try something new, we expect them to be bad at it and find it adorable. But as adults, we think we should be good immediately.

My reframe: Plan on being bad at it.

If you go back to my old podcast episodes, they're really bad. My old Instagram posts? Cringeworthy. My homeschool 18 years ago? A hot mess.

That's how you get good—through practice and repetition.

The fix: Give yourself permission to be a beginner.

Fear #2: "What if I fail my kids?"

The truth: You're probably already doing better than you think.

When you enroll your kids in a traditional school, you can wash your hands of it if a teacher fails them. But now you're taking on this responsibility directly.

My reframe: What does "failing your kids" actually look like to you?

Unless you're locking them in a basement and beating them (which you're not), you're probably not failing them.

I once built an entire city of London with my kids, spent all morning on it, then lit it on fire to show them the Great Fire of London. They were bawling. "Why would you do this? We worked so hard!"

I thought it was a great demonstration. They thought I was terrible.

The fix: Give yourself grace and focus on the journey, not just the outcomes. Remember that mistakes create memorable learning moments. You'll have lesson plans that go bad. You'll homeschool from your bed some days. But you keep trying.

Fear #3: "What if my kids fight all the time?"

The truth: Fighting is a skill they're still learning.

When a little kid is learning to walk, we cheer them on even when they fall. When your kids are fighting, it's the same thing—they just don't know those skills yet.

My reframe: Just because they're fighting doesn’t mean you’re failing. You're going to keep figuring this out so you can have a harmonious home.

The fix: Get help. Read parenting books. Study different approaches. Work on connection first. You can also check out my free Happy Habits Chart to get to the root cause and transform your family culture in just 2 weeks.

Fear #4: "I don't think I'm smart enough"

The truth: You don't have to be smart enough anymore. (Confession: I recently forgot what an adverb is. I had to Google it.)

Thankfully, we have the internet. Smartphones. Alexa. Google. And now ChatGPT.

With one of my big kids and math, if he says "But why is this?" I can grab my phone, take a picture of the problem, and say "Explain this like I'm stupid" to AI.

I don't have some big fancy degree. I got married young and started having babies quick. I just learned right there with them.

The beauty: There was actually something fun about learning these things for the first time alongside my kids.

Fear #5: "How do I know what curriculum to use?"

The truth: The curriculum overwhelm is real, but it's not about finding the "perfect" one—it's about finding what aligns with your values.

When you're scrolling through hundreds of curriculum options at 2 AM, feeling paralyzed by choice, you're asking the wrong question.

My reframe: Start with your family values. Instead of "What's the best curriculum?" ask "What do we value as a family?" and let everything else flow from there

I value adventure. So our curriculum choices reflect that—we do nature studies, field trips, hands-on experiments. Another family might value structure and classical learning. Their curriculum will look totally different, and that's perfect.

The fix: Get clear on your core values first. Ask yourself:

• What do you want your children to remember most about their childhood?
• Which skills or character traits matter more to you than grades?
• What activities bring your family the most joy?
• When do you feel most peaceful and connected as a family?

Once you're clear on your values, the curriculum choices become much simpler. You'll naturally gravitate toward resources that support what matters most to your family.

Pro tip: There are even programs like OpenEd that offer additional assistance—a community of thousands of parents who've been through this, plus a support team and financial help for curriculum. We've used it for our kids and it's been great. Sometimes having that extra layer of support makes all the difference.

Your Next Steps

Start here:

1. Plan on being bad at it. Give yourself permission to be a beginner.
2. Name your fears. Write down exactly what you're afraid of. Then make a plan to tackle them one by one.
3. Use the tools available. The internet, AI, your phone—they're all there to help you learn alongside your kids.
4. Identify your values. Before you choose any curriculum, get crystal clear on what matters most to your family.
5. Change your story. Instead of "I don't know what I'm doing," try "I don't know what I'm doing yet, and that's okay."

Remember: You don't have to be perfect. You just have to keep trying.

Homeschooling should be fun. We laugh a lot. We do a lot of silly stuff. And when you approach it with confidence (even fake confidence at first), you'll find that joy too.

Once you start, you'll realize that the fears that felt so big were actually much smaller than you thought. And you're much more capable than you ever imagined.

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