The Summer Homeschool Audit

Have you ever done a wardrobe audit or created a capsule wardrobe? It's an intentional process of frontloading decisions so that getting dressed every day becomes simple. You know everything in your closet represents you, and it really helps cut the mental load you carry in the morning by a lot.

So let's think about our closets for a second.

Most of us have a few items in there that we never wear. Maybe they were expensive. Maybe they looked great on a friend. Maybe you keep telling yourself that someday you’ll be the kind of person who wears them. But right now? They just take up space and make you feel guilty every time you look at them.

Homeschooling is often exactly the same.

We hold onto routines, schedules, and expensive curriculums that do not actually fit our families. We keep them because they came highly recommended, or they seemed like they were just the thing to help keep our kids on track.

But if a piece of your homeschool doesn't actually fit your family, it's just taking up space, mentally and physically. I'm glancing over at my homeschool corner as I type this, and it's absolutely true for me. We've got so many remnants of things that we thought would work but didn't, it's making me feel scattered and disorganized (even though I'm not), and I know it's making it harder for my child to access what she needs and just flow through her day. I'm definitely due for a clean out.

And that's yet another reason I'm grateful for summer. Summer is the perfect time to clear out the closet, to release last year's work and make space for what's coming next.

Whether you are brand new to homeschooling or you've been doing this for years, here is a simple, three-part audit to run on your homeschool setup right now.

1. The Curriculum Audit

Go look at your primary curriculum or the workbooks you are planning to use this fall. Pick them up. How does your body feel when you flip through them? Do you feel expansive, excited, and curious? Or do you feel tight, anxious, and overwhelmed?

If a curriculum makes you feel anxious before you even teach it, it is not the right fit for your family.

I once abandoned a highly recommended, very intentional math curriculum because it made us both miserable, and switched to a $10 app. We were both happier, and my daughter actually learned the math.

Give yourself permission to pivot and clear out anything that no longer fits. Be as ruthless as you can.

2. The Schedule Audit

Next up, we've got to tackle the schedule. If you've found yourself engaged in a few too many power struggles this spring just trying to get out of the house, that's a solid sign that you need to reevaluate.

Start by taking an honest look at a typical weekday in your house. How much of the day is spent on things your family actually loves? Are spending enough time in nature or doing enough art to satisfy their cravings? How much of the day is spent battling over tasks you only do because you feel "obligated" to check a box? Take note of what's working and what isn't. If your daily schedule doesn't reflect your actual priorities, it’s time to rebuild it, and this will give you a good starting point.

3. The Energy Audit

If I have only one purpose in working with homeschool families, it's helping them avoid burning out and giving up. This has everything to do with the energetic toll homeschool is taking on you, so don't skip this part!

Take a moment to think back to the hardest moments of the last (home)school year. Get curious about what was actually happening in those moments.

When did the tears, the yelling, or the shutdowns usually happen? What was the root cause of those struggles?

Maybe looking at a page full of math problems causes your child to shut down. Maybe your child struggles with transitions and needs more time or more support to move smoothly through the day. The key here is to look past the surface and figure out the heart of what's draining your energy throughout the week. That's something that you really want to solve.

How to Rebuild

It is easy enough to look at your schedule and see what isn’t working. It's much harder to build the confidence to replace it with what will. You have to know what you and your family values, both in life and education. You have to move past what feels "required" and start to lean hard on the values that you actually want to shape your life.

In Week 3 of the From Summer to September audio course, I am walking you through the exact exercise I use to define my family's core values, and how to use those values as a compass for every single homeschool decision you make.

If you are ready to stop wearing clothes that don't fit, come join us inside the Road Less Traveled Skool community. The full 9-week course is waiting for you.

Julia McGarey is a parent coach and homeschool educator specializing in neurodiverse learners, including those who are highly sensitive or gifted.