Welcome to The Curriculum Mom — A Former Teacher's Honest Guide to Homeschooling
By Kelsey Peterson May 2026
If you had told me five years ago that I would one day pull my own children out of school and teach them at home, I would have laughed. I spent 11 years in a classroom. I wrote lesson plans for a living. I was deep into the school system — because I was part of it.
And then everything changed.
From the Classroom to the Kitchen Table
I taught special education/DHH for 11 years at public schools in Indianapolis, Indiana. I loved it. I loved the kids, the curriculum design, the challenge of reaching a student who had been written off by everyone else. Teaching wasn't just a job for me — it was a calling.
But when my own children reached school age, I started seeing things differently.
My oldest daughter did well in school. She made straight A's, loved her teachers, ect. There were no real concerns as far as her excelling academically. My second daughter - same. She wasn't as enthusiastic about school. However, she did well. She had a ton of good friends. No big concerns.
I had always had a pull and desire to homeschool my children, before I even gave birth to them. But, I loved my job and the feeling of a purpose it gave me in other children's lives. Quite honestly, I also needed that income at the time.
Here's where things had to change though. I watched my youngest son — a curious, creative, ball of energy— slowly lose enthusiasm for curiosity and learning inside a system I knew intimately. I recognized the constraints his teachers were working under. I know why the one-size-fits-all approach existed. I also knew, as an educator myself, that it wasn't working for my son; and it never would.
So I made the hardest professional decision of my life: I brought them home.
What I Discovered on the Other Side
Here is what nobody tells you about transitioning from teacher to homeschool parent: the hardest part is not the academics. It is unlearning everything you thought you knew about how children have to learn.
In a classroom of 25, you optimize for the middle. At home, you optimize for your child. That shift — simple as it sounds — changes everything.
My teaching background turned out to be both my greatest asset and my biggest obstacle. I knew curriculum deeply. I could evaluate a program's scope and sequence in minutes. I understood phonics frameworks, math progressions, and writing development. That expertise helped enormously.
But I also had to let go of the rigid structures I had depended on in a classroom. Homeschooling is not school at home — it is something different entirely, and the sooner I accepted that, the better our days became.
Why I Started This Blog
After testing, reviewing, and sometimes abandoning curricula, talking with other homeschool families — I realized I had something valuable to offer other families: an educator's eye without an educator's bias toward institutional schooling.
Most homeschool curriculum reviews are written by parents doing their best to evaluate programs without a pedagogical background. That is completely valid — parent experience matters enormously. But I can offer something additional: I can tell you why a curriculum is structured the way it is, what learning theory it draws from, where its gaps are, and which type of learner it is actually designed to serve.
That is what this blog is for.
What You Will Find Here
At The Curriculum Mom, I publish:
Curriculum Reviews & Comparisons — In-depth, honest evaluations of the most popular homeschool programs across every subject. I do not recommend anything I would not use with my own children.
Subject-by-Subject Buying Guides — Overwhelmed by the options for math? Reading? Science? I break them down by learning style, budget, and grade level so you can make a confident decision without spending hours in Facebook groups.
Homeschool Resources — Scheduling, record-keeping, and structuring your homeschool day in a way that actually works for real families with real lives. As well as additional resources we find helpful!
Honest Takes — I will tell you when a highly rated curriculum is overpriced, when a lesser-known program outperforms its famous competitors, and when the "best" option might not be the best option for your specific child.
A Note on Affiliate Links
Some of the links on this site are affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no additional cost to you. I want to be completely transparent about this. I only link to programs and products I have genuinely evaluated and would recommend regardless of any commission. My goal is to save you time and money, not to steer you toward whatever pays the most.
Let's Figure This Out Together
Whether you are brand new to homeschooling and completely overwhelmed, a seasoned homeschool parent looking for a fresh perspective, or somewhere in between — you are in the right place.
I spent years helping other people's children learn. Now I spend my days helping my own — and helping families like yours find the tools to do the same.
Welcome. I am glad you are here.
— Kelsey Peterson
Have a curriculum you want me to review? A question about getting started? Drop it in the comments or reach out at The Curriculum Mom Facebook page. I read everything.
No comments:
Post a Comment