7 Homeschool Stereotypes
Which Homeschool Stereotype Are YOU? A Lighthearted Look at Catholic Homeschool Subcultures
The Unexpected World of Homeschool Subcultures
When you first decide to take up the task of homeschooling, your aims are likely rather simple: you wish to craft a personalized education for your children that aligns with your values. Easy peasy.
But as you go, you get mixed up with other homeschooling families, many of whom have been at it a lot longer than you. And you start to notice that there are distinct subcultures within the homeschooling world.
The Crunchy Homeschool Family
Some families are crunchy. They have a full-time hobby farm, are into canning, drink raw milk, and use weird-looking toothpaste they make from scratch. Mom likes to talk to you about the latest reading she’s done on microplastics in foods, while hanging out with Dad means helping him and the kids corral the llama into its winter pen.
The Trad Homeschool Family
Some families are trad. Their spiritual devotions are all very traditional. Prayers are in Latin. The women in the family wear denim skirts and have long hair. They keep holy water by the jug and have lots of blessed candles made of pure beeswax on hand.
The Hipster Homeschool Family
Some are what I’d call hipster families. Dad and his friends (all sporting beards and tweed vests) have their own brewing club where they like to discuss the merits of various craft brews while smoking cigars. Mom is artsy, and the kids all play some variation of fiddle, bodhran, or banjo and probably have their own folk band. They organize dances and are at the heart of all kinds of social events.
The Luddite Family
There are some families that are technologically minimalist. The kids have very minimal exposure to technology, and the parents eschew social media. Modern digital content is avoided. There may not even be a television in the house anywhere. Mom and Dad deliberately use flip phones.
The Tech-Nerd Family
On the other hand, you’ll also run across families that are super tech nerds. Dad works in IT, and Mom is an online gamer—both have sprawling desktop setups with multiple monitors. Every kid has their own laptop. They play Minecraft, experiment with coding, and the family’s 14-year-old daughter dabbles in engineering with her 3D printer.
The Bookish Family
Some are literary families. Every spare inch of room in the house is filled with cluttered bookshelves. Dad wears a cabby hat and wants to talk about Chesterton. Mom was a literature major in college who wrote her thesis on T.S. Eliot. The kids always have their noses in a book; the eldest girl has already authored two young adult fantasy novels.
The Extracurricular Family
Then there are the extracurricular families. Every day is a race from one enrichment activity to another. Bernadette has morning dance, and then Dominic has to get to jiu-jitsu. There are afternoon music lessons for John Paul, then time for a quick dinner before Mom has to shuttle everyone over to the church for the co-op’s weekly drama rehearsal.
When You Start Wondering Where You Fit In
As you encounter these different subcultures, you might start to get a little insecure, wondering where you fit in. You might get a little self-conscious if your homeschooling doesn’t look like any of the other families you encounter. You may even feel a little peer pressured and start to think, “Should I be canning or raising chickens? Should I grow my hair long and wear skirts? Do I need to be signing the kids up for more extracurricular activities or taking them to country dancing? Do I need to get into Chesterton? Should my husband start using beard oil and make beer in our bathtub?”
I’ve been in the homeschooling world for a long time, and I can tell you one of the beautiful things about homeschooling is the great variety of approaches you will find across different families, each with its own value and eccentricities. You will encounter all of the archetypes described above, as well as others not mentioned, and some in between.
Final Advice: The Only Homeschool Tribe You Need
My advice to you is, don’t worry about where you fit in. The last thing homeschooling is about is conformity! Just focus on what’s important to you, and you will find your way. You may or may not settle into one of these homeschooling subcultures. It doesn’t really matter. There is no one way that homeschooling has to look. As long as you love your children and do what you sincerely think is in the best interest of their formation, there’s really no “wrong” way to do it. Homeschooling isn’t like being back in public high school, where you need to find your clique; the only tribe you are required to join is the one already living under your roof.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Join other homeschooling parents and me in the Homeschool Connections Facebook Group or in the HSC Community to continue the conversation.
