Listen to “CHM181:Homeschooling Through High School: Real Talk with CJ” on Spreaker.
You Can Also Watch the Podcast on YouTube Here
There’s something about the phrase “homeschooling through high school” that can rattle even the most confident homeschool parent. It feels like the stakes get higher, the expectations get heavier, and suddenly everyone thinks they need to become a guidance counselor, math tutor, and life coach all rolled into one. But here’s the truth: homeschooling high school isn’t the monster it’s made out to be, and in my conversation with CJ, that became clearer than ever. What we shared wasn’t expert theory or a list of curriculum hacks — it was real, lived experience from two moms who are doing this right now, with real teens in their homes, learning and growing day by day.
Meet CJ
CJ is a wife & homeschool mom to three kids. She enjoys sharing encouragement about the tween & teen years of homeschooling, educational reviews & a li’l fun day-to-day activities, all with Christ at the center. Oh! And coffee is a must. 🙂
What surprised me most in our conversation was how little of high school homeschooling is about curriculum. Not because academics don’t matter, but because they aren’t the heart of this season. What matters most is the relationship you’re building with your teenager and the new role you step into as they gain independence. Instead of focusing on what program to use for chemistry or how to build the “perfect” transcript, we talked about helping teens become responsible, self-motived, and capable — the kinds of young adults who understand how to manage their time, communicate well, and navigate real life with confidence. Those are skills that can’t be bought in a boxed curriculum, and they matter long after high school is over.
A big theme in our conversation was independence — not as something to fear, but as an essential part of the process. High school is the season where your teen starts becoming their own person. They think differently. They process differently. They approach work differently. As homeschool moms, our job is to support that shift instead of fighting it. CJ talked about giving her teens more responsibility over their own schedules and assignments, letting them feel the weight of planning and managing their own work, and giving them space to struggle and figure things out. That kind of independence doesn’t happen by accident; it’s intentionally cultivated. And the beauty of homeschooling is that your teen gets to practice independence in a safe environment where they’re still supported, encouraged, and guided.
Something we also emphasized — and something many moms forget — is that you don’t need to know everything to homeschool high school. You don’t have to be a math expert or remember every detail from grammar school. Homeschooling high school is less about what you personally know and more about modeling how to learn. If you don’t remember algebra, you don’t pretend — you look it up, you outsource help, or you learn alongside your child. And believe it or not, teens respect that far more than the illusion of perfection. When you show your teen that learning is lifelong and that adults don’t have all the answers either, you’re teaching them something far more valuable than an equation: you’re teaching them how to think, how to ask questions, and how to problem-solve.
We also talked about preparing teens for real life — not just college, but adulthood. Homeschooling naturally creates space to teach everyday skills that matter just as much as academics. Whether it’s managing chores, learning to budget, cooking meals, communicating respectfully, or handling commitments, your home already offers countless opportunities to prepare your teen for the real world. And because you’re living life together, you’re shaping character and work ethic in ways that traditional schooling simply can’t replicate. High school at home isn’t about creating mini scholars who can recite facts on command. It’s about raising capable, grounded young adults who understand responsibility, initiative, and integrity.
One thing CJ reminded me of is that homeschooling high school isn’t a brand-new mountain to climb; it’s a continuation of what you’ve already built. If you’ve homeschooled through middle school, you’re already equipped for high school. You know your child’s strengths and weaknesses. You understand how they learn and what motivates them. You’ve built rhythms, values, and habits over years. High school simply builds on that foundation. And the good news? You don’t have to have the next four years mapped out with perfect clarity. CJ is homeschooling three high schoolers right now, and she’s still figuring it out as she goes — and doing it beautifully.
If you’re worried that you need to be exceptional to homeschool high school, let me ease that pressure: you don’t. You don’t need a flawless schedule, a fancy homeschool room, or a transcript that reads like a college admissions brochure. What you need is consistency. Show up. Guide your teen. Talk with them. Listen to them. Support them. That’s the work that truly matters. Homeschooling high school is far less about academic perfection and far more about intentional parenting and mentorship.
So if you’re feeling intimidated or unsure whether you’re capable of homeschooling through high school, hear this clearly: you are absolutely capable. You don’t need to know everything. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be present. The high school years are rich, meaningful, and full of opportunities to grow closer to your teen, prepare them for adulthood, and watch them step into who they’re becoming. And if moms like CJ — with three teens at home — can do it while still learning every day, you can too.
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