Ah, summer—the glorious season when homeschool moms everywhere vow to rest, recharge, and not think about school until August. Which lasts exactly 4.5 days until someone casually mentions a back-to-school sale and suddenly you’re knee-deep in homeschool curriculum planning, YouTube reviews, and a group text titled “Help, What Even Is Phonics Anymore??”
Meanwhile, your husband—God bless him—is living his best summer life. He’s out there grilling burgers, fixing fences, and blissfully unaware that you’re in the throes of a full-blown spiritual and academic crisis.
He walks in one day, sees the dining room table covered in books, binders, sticky notes, and highlighters, and asks a perfectly innocent question:
“Didn’t you already buy curriculum last year?”
Friends, I don’t remember what I said in response. I blacked out somewhere between “scope and sequence” and “developmentally appropriate.” I think I quoted Lamentations.
The Curriculum Rabbit Hole
What starts as a quick “peek” at new math options turns into a 3-hour deep dive comparing Singapore, Saxon, and “some lady on Instagram who teaches it with puppets and a tambourine.” You emerge, dazed, wondering what day it is and whether cursive is still a thing.
Then there’s the planner. Oh, the planner. You swore you wouldn’t get another one this year—until you saw the one with watercolor florals and Jeremiah 29:11 on the cover. And matching stickers. And tabs. You click “add to cart” faster than a toddler finds an unattended Sharpie.
Somewhere in the background, your husband is wondering why the budget suddenly exploded and why the UPS guy is now calling you by name.
Marriage and Homeschool Curriculum Planning
No one warns you that homeschool planning can strain a marriage more than assembling IKEA furniture or parking a camper. You try explaining to your husband why the kids need yet another language arts program:
“This one is gentle and Charlotte Mason-inspired. It’s practically discipleship!”
He nods slowly, trying to keep up, my well-meaning man. Eventually, he just hands you the credit card and goes outside to mow the lawn while praying for your sanity and the bank account.
And you know what? That’s love. Not flashy, not Instagrammable—but real. Marriage, in this season, looks like support. It looks like letting you talk through curriculum pros and cons while he flips the burgers. It’s grace in the chaos, patience in the spreadsheets, and the holy act of not mocking you when you say, “This is the year we stay fully on schedule.”
When God Redirects The Plan
Somewhere between comparing spelling curriculums and wondering if your kids should know Latin by age twelve (spoiler: probably not), the Holy Spirit taps you on the shoulder and reminds you: “My plans are better.”
Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
We can schedule, organize, and plan our little hearts out—but ultimately, it’s God who leads our homeschool. And thank goodness. Because sometimes, His curriculum includes:
- Patience developed during math meltdowns (yours and the kids’)
- Growth in grace through interrupted lessons and unexpected sickness
- Learning to listen more than lecture
- Finding beauty in slow mornings, messy projects, and the sanctifying rhythm of doing life together
Encouragement For Overwhelmed Homeschool Moms
If you’re mid-summer and already overwhelmed, just know: you are not alone. This isn’t just schooling—it’s soul work. It’s building a life together, one lesson (and latte) at a time.
And hey, if you’re still figuring out what curriculum to use next year, take heart. The Lord is not surprised by your indecision, your budget, or your giant stack of unused workbooks from last year. He sees you. He’s with you. And yes, He cares—even about phonics.
Let’s Chat Curriculum! Your Turn:
What are you planning for next year? Are you trying something new? Sticking with the tried-and-true? Drop your favorite (or most regretted) homeschool curriculum planning choices in the comments—and if your husband survived the Great Planner Debate of 2025, give him a hug from me.