Fake Rules: Homeschooling Myths and How to Break Them

By Jessica Locke

Considering homeschooling? Worried that you don't have enough time? Concerned that you don't have a teaching degree? What about socialization?

Chances are that you have a set of fake rules or beliefs about education that you don’t even realize you hold. Most of us hold very similar beliefs about homeschooling, leading to questions and objections that only perpetuate these fake rules further. Fake Rules takes a dive into five of the most common Fake Rules that we all seem to believe, why they’re dangerous, and how we can begin to reframe and break the cycle of thought.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jessica Locke
• Release date: Jul 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005478469

Jessica Locke

Jessica Locke is a wife and homeschooling mom of 4 kids She loves MMA, Jiu Jitsu, and mountain biking. As a homeschooling mom of 10+ years, she loves sharing her knowledge with others who are considering jumping into the world of homeschooling too. You can find her on several websites where she shares her various loves: thehomeschoolninja.com (homeschooling and online classes), motheringwithcreativity.com (homeschool, parenting, preschool/kinder crafting ideas), and on instagram: @jess.locke86

Book preview

CHAPTERS/SECTIONS

Introduction

Fake Rule #1: School Takes All Day

Fake Rule #1.5: I Don’t Have Enough Time

Fake Rule #2: School is Where Socialization Happens

Fake Rule #3: You Can’t Teach Them Everything, So Don’t Try

Fake Rule #4: Education is Expensive

Fake Rule #5: You Can’t Educate Others Unless You Have a Degree

Take Action

Conclusion

Introduction

I was in first grade when Ronnie cut in front of me while waiting in line outside after recess for our teacher. As a good rule follower, I politely reminded him, no cuts, no buts, no coconuts, which promptly resulted in me getting punched straight in my face. Once I got over the pain and embarrassment of being struck, I smugly rejoiced when he received a U for unsatisfactory in his take home folder for behavior.

In fifth grade other kids received the perfect attendance award. I hadn’t ever missed out on an award like that before, which led me to wonder, was it wrong to stay home when I was sick? After all, if I hadn’t, I too, would have received that award. I liked awards and wanted to win them all, regardless of what they were for, but especially if all I had to do was follow some sort of rule.

When the end of sixth grade rolled around, I decided to start testing out the boundaries of rules. I made sure to kiss Julio at the soccer field within eye sight of my mom, hoping she’d make a big deal out of it. She didn’t, which was utterly disappointing, and I quickly went back to following the rules. I didn’t even really want to kiss him…I just wanted to see what would happen. I needed to know if the rules were really worth following.

In eleventh grade, I moved a set of traffic cones with some of my friends late at night on a busy, winding hill. In the utter panic I had in the following minutes, I decided it was time for me to go home. It’s my one claim to high school rebelliousness, and I never revisited anything even remotely considered rebellious again.

As I transitioned into motherhood, and eventually into the school aged period with my children, we decided to jump into the world of homeschooling. It’ll be no surprise to anyone that the rules I believed about education and how it works and how it needs to be done were of utmost importance to me. I didn’t even know that the rules I believed