by Renée Gotcher

When my husband and I decided to start homeschooling our three daughters 16 years ago, I was excited but also surprised to feel anxious and insecure. We had both been homeschooled ourselves, so I expected to feel more confident. But the responsibility of making the “right” decisions as we moved forward weighed heavily on me. 

I quickly found myself overwhelmed by the growth and diversity of curriculum choices, teaching methods, and enrichment activities to consider — so many more options than when our parents homeschooled us! It was difficult not to compare myself to the newer generation of homeschooling mothers and the latest educational philosophies and methods.

Are you struggling with insecurity about your homeschooling direction? It’s easy to fall into the comparison trap and second-guess your choices, especially as new options emerge that promise better outcomes.

By the end of our first overwhelming year, we realized we needed to reassess our motivations—our “why”—if we wanted to move forward with purpose and clarity in our homeschooling journey. For us, homeschooling was never about “doing school” at home, but discipling our daughters as we educated them.  

If you feel the Lord is calling you to homeschool, He will help you navigate these decisions when you turn to Him for guidance and His Word as your foundation. To support you in this process, the team at Homeschool Summits has put together the upcoming free Homeschool Teaching Online Summit — five days of practical, God-centered teaching help — on October 19-23, 2026.

As you watch the free sessions that make up this year’s Homeschool Teaching Online Summit, you will learn about:

• Teaching Foundations: How to begin with a God-centered vision for your home education journey.
• Teaching Mechanics: Dig into practical how-to’s and strategies for homeschool teaching.
• Teaching “That” Kid: You know the one! Learn to parent and teach with a grace-filled spirit.
• Teaching with Sanity: Increase your peace with proven, simple plans and schedules.

Access to the online summit is free, but you’ll want to reserve your spot before it starts so you don’t miss a thing! Registration is now open: Sign up and add it to your calendar today. Get the support, encouragement, and tools you’re looking for so you can stop striving, gain clarity, and reclaim the joy of homeschooling!

Dive Deeper with These Additional CHEC Resources

In the meantime, these CHEC resources will encourage and equip you to keep your mission and vision at the forefront as you evaluate teaching methods and educational options for your children:

On the CHEC Blog

• Homeschooling With the End in Mind
• Ditch the Performance Trap: Overcoming Comparison in Your Homeschool Journey
• Your Homeschool Vision: It’s About the Heart

On the Colorado Homeschool Podcast

• Homeschooling: The Second Best Thing After Jesus
• Family Culture Starts With You
• You Don’t Have to Be Famous to Change the World: Stop Dismissing Your Ordinary

About the Author: Renée Gotcher

Renée Gotcher is the Communications Coordinator at CHEC, as well as a freelance writer, editor, and recently “retired” homeschooling mother of three daughters (two are also college graduates and the youngest attends BJU). Renée and her husband of 31 years, Kenny, are next-generation homeschoolers who were homeschooled in the late 1980s and began homeschooling in 2010. Soon after, Renée launched a homeschooling blog, NextGenHomeschool.com, and actively supported the local homeschool community through various leadership roles for 14 years. She recently contributed to Proverbs 31 Ministries’ Encouragement for Today devotional series and writes monthly devotionals for the Daybreak Devotions series on Crossmap.com and her personal blog, The Pace of Grace.