From Son to Father: How Being Homeschooled Shaped Me
By: Brandon Judy
I was homeschooled; back when that still turned heads. Now, I’m a second-generation homeschool dad, helping to teach our own children. I’ve heard all the classic criticisms about homeschooling:
“Who are your friends? Your brothers and sisters?”
“How can your mom teach you every subject?”
“How will you know how to function in college? Or in life?”
“What about all the other things school offers—sports, prom, extracurriculars?”
“What about other perspectives besides your mom and dad’s?”
Growing up homeschooled in the 80s and 90s, I think I put a lot of pressure on myself. My parents made sacrifices to do what they believed was best for us. Homeschooling wasn’t mainstream and not everyone supported their decision. Maybe it was just me, but I wanted to validate what we were doing. The thing is... I loved being homeschooled.
I loved that I didn’t have to be gone all day. I could finish my work in just a few hours and then spend time doing things I cared about. I was outside all the time. My brother and I loved backyard sports: baseball, basketball, football, soccer. I loved to read. We rode bikes everywhere, played in the woods, and spent time with other homeschool friends.
My parents also exposed us to a lot of service ministry. We volunteered at nursing homes and food pantries, helped friends going through hard situations, served elderly neighbors with yard work, and worked on construction projects at church. We even went on mission trips.
My mom tailored our education to our individual needs. She’d say things like, “You’re the reason I chose a math curriculum with manipulatives.” (She used Math-U-See.) She read us some of the best books I still remember today. I loved history, and she found incredible resources like Little Bear Wheeler and Diana Waring. I got tired of dry, textbook-style English with endless sentence diagramming, so I asked her if we could try Total Language Plus—just look at all these great books I could read instead!
Looking back, there were so many positives. We spent quality time together as a family. My parents taught me to be a lifelong learner. I didn’t need a classroom to learn. I could read, research, and dig in on my own. But I have also sought out structured growth, such as joining leadership organizations and professional mentoring opportunities later in life.
Because I was homeschooled, I got to work in our family business, gaining real-world skills and a strong work ethic. I learned the value of serving others and even spent a year in missions. My parents worked hard to identify and encourage my strengths and gave me the space to develop them.
Now, as my wife and I raise our children, we want the same for them.
Our daughter has a gift for art and creativity. We get to encourage her to use that gift to reflect God’s beauty. Our younger daughter constantly tells us, “I’m going to be a scientist”—so we support her with science books she devours, a telescope, and stargazing nights. My youngest is just starting to read, and for a while, the only way he’d engage in math or phonics was if Dad sat with him. Our oldest is still figuring out his direction, but because we’ve spent so much time together, we can speak truth into his strengths as he discovers what God is calling him to.
My advice to other homeschool parents is this: don’t just replicate classroom learning at home. You have the freedom—use it! Make it personal and engaging for your child.
That’s exactly what we encourage here at Total Language Plus. Your child will get a quality education. They will be prepared for life. And you have the flexibility to do it in a way that brings joy, connection, and purpose.
So yes, get a little messy. Get out of your seat. Move around while you're learning. Curl up on the couch and read a great book together.
You're not just homeschooling. You're discipling, equipping, and building something that lasts.
