What are the Best Parts of Homeschooling?

One of the best parts of homeschooling is when you find your people do it alongside of you. I’m thankful for my homeschool mom friends who are now some of my best friends. Their kids are friends with my kids so it makes it really fun. We do field trips together and we learn together at our homeschool co-op. But the very best part is spending time with my son, knowing that the years with him go by so quickly. I will forever cherish our time and memories spent homeschooling together.

A woman and a boy smiling for a selfie outdoors. The woman has long brown hair and is wearing a beige top. The boy, standing next to her, is wearing a red hoodie with white text and a black baseball cap with an orange and black logo. The background features a paved area, a grassy field, and some flowering plants.
Four women standing on grass in front of a beige wall, smiling and posing closely together.

My homeschool co-op moms/friends. We took our kids to see a Rend Collective concert together.

Another cool part about homeschooling is all the freedom of choice you have. I love that we can spend our days baking, making cards, learning cursive, studying the Bible, going on field trips, playing the guitar, learning how to set a table properly, using a phone book, making phone calls, volunteering and doing service learning projects, and doing art projects. Even though we spend time doing these things, I’m proud to say that my son, as well as a many of our student members of our homeschool co-op, scores well above average on his yearly standardized tests.

Young boy wearing a yellow helmet labeled "Helmet of SALVATION" and holding a cardboard shield labeled "Shield of FAITH". He is dressed in a purple tie-dye shirt and black athletic pants, standing indoors on a red carpeted floor. A woman stands nearby, partially visible.
Child wearing a red and black camouflage jacket and an orange striped beanie writes a thank you note on white paper with a blue marker. On the table, there are patriotic stickers or cards and a pen nearby.
A young boy with a red hoodie and a beige and blue baseball cap holding pruning shears near pink and purple flowers in a garden.
A boy kneeling on a carpeted floor organizes socks for a sock drive. The socks are arranged in piles and bags on the floor. There is a cardboard box in the background with a sign that reads 'Sock Drive,' inviting donations of socks for the homeless.
A boy wearing a baseball cap and blue t-shirt is sitting at a table, reading a colorful menu. There are notebooks, pens, and a laptop on the table. A girl in a green jacket and ripped jeans is sitting nearby.
A young boy in a red t-shirt and a baseball cap smiling and holding a freshly baked apple pie with an lattice crust on a kitchen countertop.
A young boy wearing a Denver Broncos cap and a blue apron holding a metal tray filled with dough in a kitchen or bakery setting. Other children and an adult are in the background, some holding cameras or smartphones.
A young boy wearing a baseball cap, a red and blue hoodie, and shorts is sitting on a red chair playing an acoustic guitar in a room with red carpet and chairs.
A young boy wearing a baseball cap with a lion logo, sitting at a table, holding a phone, with an open notebook in front of him.
Young boy with a baseball cap and green sweatshirt opening a wrapped gift at a table surrounded by holiday decorations and gifts.
A woman with long brown hair and a boy with short brown hair sitting at a table in a dining area, both smiling at the camera. The boy is wearing a blue jacket and a sports cap, with a donut and a muffin on his yellow plate.

Not quite sure why I’m dressed up like Robin Hood here?!

A young boy sitting at a wooden desk in a formal room, smiling, with a microphone and a nameplate reading 'Torrey N. Westrom' in front of him.
A boy wearing a black and gray hat and a blue hoodie holding a black and white kitten indoors.

Now if that doesn’t all sound fantastic, here’s another awesome freedom that comes along with homeschooling - the freedom to not just learn from reading things in books, but to learn from real-life experiences! Two experiences my son recently had that he’ll never forget are fishing in Canada with his dad and traveling to see the total solar eclipse! No worksheet compares to that.

A boy kneeling on snow holding a large fish with a person taking a photo of him.
A group of people outdoors on a grassy field, some sitting and some standing, with telescopes and camera equipment, watching a solar eclipse on a clear day.
Family wearing solar eclipse glasses

Last but not least, being able to take the time to travel is the ultimate freedom! We visited so many beautiful places, met amazing people, and ate great food. You really do learn a lot about the world and about yourself when you travel to a foreign country. These are photos of our trip to Greece and Turkey! Some of the places pictured are Corinth, Ephesus, Rhodes, Istanbul, Hagia Sophia Mosque, Cappadocia, and Athens. I highly recommend it - our favorite was Rhodes Island, Greece.

A woman and a young boy swimming and playing in clear ocean water near a rocky coast with boats anchored in the background under a bright blue sky.
A woman and a young boy standing in front of the Parthenon temple ruins at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, under a partly cloudy sky.
Young boy holding a water bottle and a small figurine, standing in front of a large stone and ancient ruins, with other tourists sitting on the stairs behind him.
Visiting Corinth
Three children sitting at a dining table in a restaurant, smiling and posing for the photo. One is holding a phone, another has a spoon and cup, and the third is giving a thumbs-up.
A young boy wearing a navy Nike cap and a blue Adidas t-shirt, sitting on a large, ornate wooden chair inside a church. Behind him is a framed icon of a saint holding a cross and a scroll, flanked by colorful religious artwork and icons.
A young boy and girl sitting on a wooden bench holding crepes filled with whipped cream and strawberries. The boy is wearing a baseball cap with an orange tiger logo and a gray shirt, while the girl is wearing a blue North Face t-shirt and has a braid in her hair.
A young boy riding a white electric scooter on a sidewalk in front of a restaurant called Napoli Restaurant. The boy is wearing a gray t-shirt, black shorts, sneakers, and a baseball cap. The restaurant has outdoor seating with plants in pots and a sign above the entrance.
A young boy smiling and holding an octopus at the water's edge with kayaks nearby.
Visiting Ephesus
A girl and a boy smiling inside a colorful candy store with a whimsical candy-themed decor, including hanging candies, signs for waffles and cake, and shelves of jars filled with candies.
Three children sitting in airplane seats, smiling and holding a string, with other passengers in the background.
A woman and a boy sitting on a bus, holding coffee cups. The boy is wearing a baseball cap with a tiger logo and drinking from a cup, while the woman smiles at the camera in front of her.
A smiling boy wearing a tan hoodie and a baseball cap sitting at a table with Mediterranean food, including grilled vegetables, sauces, and salad.
A smiling boy sitting on a blue kayak by the rocky shore, with colorful kayaks lying on the ground beside him, in front of a calm body of water and mountains in the background.
A young boy in a black and gray striped shirt, black Nike shorts, and a black baseball cap with an orange logo, is smiling and holding two plastic bags filled with strawberries outdoors. In the background, there is a pink house, a concrete pathway, and some trees.
Two children playing at ancient ruins, one standing on the ground and the other doing a handstand in the background, with a construction crane in the distance.
A family of eight, including children and adults, standing outdoors in a field during sunset. They are smiling and dressed casually for a hike or outdoor activity.
Two children enjoying a meal at a restaurant, with one holding a plate of watermelon and the other about to eat a skewer of meat and vegetables.
Visiting Library of Celsus
A group of five smiling people, three young women, one middle-aged woman, and a young boy, taking a selfie outdoors with trees in the background, during the daytime.
Hagia Sophia Mosque
Cappadocia hot air balloons
Cappadocia hot air balloons

I’m so thankful for all of these amazing experiences for myself, my kids, and my whole family. Where have you traveled or where do you hope to go someday? I’d love to hear from you!

A woman standing between two large rocks in a desert landscape at sunset, wearing a blue jacket, ripped jeans, and hiking boots, smiling at the camera.