As the end of a season or a school year approaches, it’s natural to reflect. But too often, that reflection zeroes in on the things that didn’t go as planned. The math book you never finished. All the science experiments that flopped. The projects you never followed through on. The moments of frustration. All the times you felt like you were barely keeping your head above water. It’s easy to focus on what didn’t get done and the deficiencies we define as failures.
But what if we’re measuring progress with the wrong yardstick? What if we looked at things a little differently?
Homeschooling isn’t about perfection. Even if we could check every box on our beginning-of-the-year ambitious plans, or maintain a picture-perfect routine, the essence of the homeschooling experience is about so much more. It’s about connection, growth, and the slow, steady unfolding of curiosity and confidence.
All the learning that we get to witness comes in many forms. It doesn’t always look neat and structured. In fact, some of the most meaningful growth happens in the middle of what feels like chaos.
Even if your days have felt messy or inconsistent, there’s a good chance your homeschool is doing far better than you think. Let’s think about eight quiet indicators that your homeschool is flourishing, even if it doesn’t always feel that way.
1. Your children are asking questions and exploring ideas on their own.
Whether it’s sparked by a nature walk, a video, or a dinner table conversation, self-initiated curiosity is one of the clearest signs of engaged learning. Maybe it’s a question about clouds that leads to a spontaneous weather project, or a curiosity about cultural myths that sparks a week of storytelling and research. If your child is pursuing answers, making connections, or diving into interests—even ones outside of traditional school subjects—you’re on the right track. It doesn’t have to look formal either. The beauty of interest-driven learning is that it often happens in unexpected moments. If your child is wondering about, noticing, and exploring anything at all, you’re witnessing a thriving mind at work.
2. You’ve read books that left an impact and shared meaningful conversations about them.
Books have a way of opening doors to big ideas. If you’ve read stories aloud, swapped thoughts about a character’s choices, or paused mid-chapter to talk about something unexpected, you’ve planted seeds that will keep growing.
Don’t underestimate the power of literature-based connections. Whether it was a novel you loved, a funny picture book, or a nonfiction topic that sparked awe, those shared experiences shape the heart of your homeschool in lasting ways.
When a book opens up deep discussion, empathy, or wonder, I have had this sense that our conversations are igniting transformation in important ways. It’s not just the characters in the story who are changing; it’s us, too. This happened to us with a novel we read this past year called A Duet for Home. I was inspired to create a free book club guide for it that you can find here.
3. You’ve explored a variety of topics and ideas.
From ancient civilizations to bird calls, from poetry to practical life skills, chances are, your family has touched on a range of ideas. Homeschooling gives us the freedom to wander through learning in an expansive, interdisciplinary way. Make a list if you have to! Prove to yourself that it’s true. Did you touch on a little geology? A dash of cooking or car repair somewhere in the mix? This breadth builds connections, fosters curiosity, and lays a rich foundation for lifelong learning. The diversity in the things you explore is valuable for developing a broader understanding of the world.
4. Curiosity has led to new experiences, people, or places.
Sometimes a passing comment becomes a project. Maybe a question turns into a rabbit trail that leads to a hands-on experiment. Other times, a moment of interest takes your family out into the community where you find yourselves visiting a museum, trying a new skill, or talking to someone with a unique perspective.
When interest drives the exploration or when learning leads to action, it can leave a lasting impression. That’s because it can prompt new experiences, new relationships, or a shift in how we see the world. At that point, that’s not just “school.” That’s learning beyond the curriculum.
5. Your children have encountered a challenge, and it has made them grow.
Challenges come in many forms: academic struggles, interpersonal conflict, personal setbacks, etc. Maybe your child wrestled with a difficult math concept or worked through a disagreement with a sibling. Maybe they struggled with confidence and found their footing again.
Growth doesn’t always feel good in the moment. However, facing difficulty with support and gaining something from the experience is a sign of real, meaningful development. These are the things that build resilience, self-awareness, and perseverance over time. That sounds like a thriving environment to work and learn in to me!
If your children have faced difficulty and emerged better for it, that’s a kind of growth no curriculum can manufacture.
6. Your days have included space for creativity, rest, and play.
A well-rounded education isn’t just academic, it’s human. If you and your children have had time to do things like draw, daydream, build forts, bake muffins, cuddle on the couch and watch movies, or lie in the grass watching the clouds, you’re nurturing something vital.
Rest and creativity aren’t luxuries. They’re essential ingredients in a rich learning life. If your home has held moments of ease and joy, with time to simply be, you’ve made room for imagination and restoration to do their quiet, important work. Moments of togetherness like these are a powerful sign of health and balance.
7. There’s something about your homeschool life that everyone enjoys.
You don’t need a perfect routine to find your groove. But even on the toughest days, is there one ritual, routine, or rhythm you all look forward to? A part of your day or week that feels special? Maybe it’s morning time, read-alouds, art projects, math games, or science journaling. Or maybe it’s the way you light a candle before opening the history book, or the way you sit side by side with your child during those challenging math problems.
I have one son who looks forward to poetry teatimes not because he loves poetry, but because he loves the treats that get served along with it. I’m okay with that! These pockets of joy matter. They build connection and create memories.
Our traditions, no matter how small, become anchors in our homeschool. They create rhythm and continuity, and they remind everyone (including you) that learning can feel like home.
8. You’re learning and growing alongside your children.
More than simply a teaching role you’ve taken on, homeschooling your children is a shared journey. If you’ve discovered new interests or strengths, re-learned things you’d forgotten, or found yourself thinking more deeply about how children learn and grow, that’s part of the magic. That means this journey is shaping you in beautiful ways.
Your curiosity, your willingness to evolve, your openness to reflection—all of it models a lifelong learning mindset. How wonderful that you can model the very same things you are trying to teach! You’re not just guiding an education; you’re participating in it. Never forget that your growth is just as important as theirs.
If It Feels Messy, You’re Not Doing It Wrong
It’s easy to romanticize what homeschooling should look like—peaceful mornings, engaged learners, a smooth flow from one subject to the next. But real homeschooling often looks more like a glistening, intricate tangle: spilled glue, lively debates (or arguments), unfinished books, breakthroughs at unexpected times.
Progress isn’t always visible in the day-to-day. But when you step back, you’ll see the pattern of a home that values learning, fosters curiosity, and allows space for growth.
So if this year has felt a little unruly or uncertain, some days wild and others wobbly, take heart. You’re showing up. You’re adapting. You’re loving your children through it all.
And chances are, your homeschool is thriving in more ways than you realize.
