As the school year begins, many families taking their first steps into homeschooling are filled with uncertainty. Questions abound: Am I capable of teaching my children? What if they fall behind? How will I know if I’m doing this right?
These worries can be overwhelming, especially for parents who never imagined themselves as educators. In a new book, Homeschooling: You’re Doing It Right Just by Doing It, author Ginny Yurich offers a timely antidote to that anxiety, a reassuring, encouraging reminder that choosing to homeschool is itself an act of success.
Yurich is not just any advocate for parents; she is a homeschooling mother of five, a speaker, podcaster, and the founder of the global “1,000 Hours Outside” movement, which encourages families to reclaim childhood through time spent outdoors. Along with her husband, Josh, she has built a lifestyle brand, app, podcast, and online community that inspires parents to prioritize connection and play in their children’s lives. Living in Michigan, Yurich has become one of the most influential voices in family education, urging parents to slow down and rediscover the natural rhythms of learning. Her new book reflects the same philosophy, which, this time, applies specifically to the homeschooling journey.
What sets this book apart is its tone. Yurich does not lecture, intimidate, or drown parents in curriculum charts. Instead, she writes like a friend across the kitchen table, offering encouragement to breathe deeply and trust yourself. Homeschooling, she insists, does not require perfection or a teaching degree. It requires presence, intentionality, and the courage to believe that the simple act of showing up for your children is enough. Her voice is casual and accessible, yet grounded in wisdom gained from years of homeschooling her own children.
The book’s central theme is that homeschooling is not about replicating school at home, which is sound advice that most seasoned homeschooling parents will often share. New homeschooling parents often fall into the trap of thinking they must match traditional classrooms’ pace, structure, and benchmarks. Yurich invites readers to let go of that burden and view learning as something that unfolds naturally throughout life. Family meals, nature walks, chores, and unstructured play are not interruptions to education; they are in themselves an education. By framing everyday living as an opportunity for growth, she releases parents from the pressure of performing as “real” teachers.
Another recurring message is the importance of honoring children’s unique timelines. In a world where schools march every child through the same material at the same pace, homeschooling offers the freedom to respect individuality. Some children read early, others later. Some take quickly to math, while others excel in storytelling or art. Yurich reminds parents that allowing for these differences is not only acceptable but beneficial. Instead of measuring children against standardized charts, parents can nurture the strengths and interests of each child.
Equally powerful is Yurich’s discussion of time. She challenges the cultural rush of overscheduling and constant activity by encouraging families to slow down. This isn’t just about resisting burnout. It’s about creating space for wonder, creativity, and boredom, the very states of mind that foster imagination and problem-solving. In Yurich’s view, boredom is not a parenting failure but an essential ingredient for childhood. By leaving space in the day, parents allow their children to develop independence, resilience, and creativity that will serve them throughout their lives.
The book also explores the ways homeschooling enables parents to safeguard their children — not in the sense of shielding them from the world, but in providing an environment where learning can unfold without the distortions of ideology or unnecessary pressures. In a time when many families feel uneasy about what is taught in classrooms or the culture of schooling, Yurich offers homeschooling as a way to preserve a child’s innocence and introduce ideas when they are ready for them. This protective role is not about fear but about intentionality.
Above all, Yurich affirms that parents are the best teachers for their children. Nobody knows or loves a child more than their parents. That love, she argues, is the most powerful credential any educator could have. Even if parents worry they are underqualified, their deep investment in their child’s well-being makes them uniquely suited to guide their learning. Her message is empowering and liberating: By choosing to homeschool, you are already doing it right.
The strength of Yurich’s book lies not in detailed how-to guides but in the confidence it instills. This is a pep talk, not a manual, which is exactly what new homeschoolers need. It strips away the fear and replaces it with trust: trust in yourself, your children, and the natural learning process. For overwhelmed parents, the effect is calming.
STUDENTS WITHOUT PHONES MAKE BETTER LEARNERS
At a moment when homeschooling is one of the fastest-growing educational movements in America, Homeschooling: You’re Doing It Right Just by Doing It arrives as both timely and necessary. Families are reimagining education, seeking more flexibility, closer relationships, and deeper meaning. Yurich encourages them that they are not only capable of this task but are already succeeding simply by choosing it.
As millions of children return to school this fall, parents stepping into homeschooling can turn to Yurich’s book as both inspiration and reassurance. It doesn’t promise perfection; it promises perspective. And for families worried about whether they’re up to the task, that perspective is invaluable.
Bethany Mandel (@bethanyshondark) is a homeschooling mother of six and a writer. She is the bestselling coauthor of Stolen Youth: How Radicals Are Erasing Innocence and Indoctrinating a Generation.
