Let’s be real. Homeschooling is hard. Beautiful? Yes. Worth it? Definitely. But still hard. And if you’re doing it as a Hispanic family? It comes with a whole other set of struggles most people don’t talk about. So today, I’m sharing a little bit of our story and the real-life challenges we face (as a family of Puerto Rican, Salvadoran and Honduran decent) trying to homeschool in a culture where this path is still pretty unfamiliar.
“You’re doing what now?”
Let’s start with the looks. You know… the ones when you tell your tias or abuelos that your kids don’t go to “real school”. The shock. The confusion. The judgement. The reality is that homeschooling isn’t super common in our community and a lot of our older relatives don’t get it. We’ve heard it all!
Y los amigos? What about friends?
Eso es legal? Is that even legal?
Pero tu estudiaste para ser maestra? But did you go to school to be a teacher?
Y hasta cuando vas hacer eso? Until when are you going to keep doing that?
I absolutely understand that they mean well. But it can be so discouraging when your own family doesn’t support or understand your choice. It feels like you’re constantly having to explain and defend something you already put so much heart into.
Where are the families like us?
When we first started homeschooling, I did a lot of searching online to find help. But if I’m honest, the majority of homeschool “influencers” and resources didn’t reflect our culture at all. Most of the books, unit studies, and activities just weren’t made with our families in mind.
We want our kids to see themselves in what they’re learning. We want them to read about people who look like them, eat what we eat, and speak like we do. It is a bit overwhelming sometimes, having to piece together certain curriculums and unit studies that actually reflect our heritage and values. But we do it anyway, because we want our kids to know their roots. Thankfully, six years in, things have somewhat changed and we’ve now been able to connect with people and resources that share more about our culture.
Our language matters too
Sometimes I wish I could go all in with Spanish in our homeschool like reading Spanish books, doing lessons in our native language, and really immersing my kids in our culture through language. But the reality is, homeschool laws in Indiana require English to be the primary language of instruction.
It can be frustrating because I want my kids to be fluent and confident in both, but I constantly feel like I have to prioritize English just to stay compliant. Finding that balance between following the law and honoring our heritage isn’t always easy, but we do what we can to keep Spanish alive at home through conversation, music, food, and the stories we share.
We’re constantly balancing two worlds
We’re raising kids in two cultures. On one hand, we want them to grow up proud of who they are, to speak Spanish with their abuelos, to understand our traditions, and to stay deeply rooted in our heritage. On the other hand, we also want them to thrive in a world that often expects them to leave those parts of themselves at the door.
We’re constantly switching between cultures. We teach them to love arroz con gandules and peanut butter and jelly. We celebrate Día de Reyes and the Fourth of July. It’s exhausting sometimes because we’re not just teaching academics, we’re passing down a culture, a language, a legacy.
Some days I wonder if I’m doing enough. Am I keeping our culture alive? Am I teaching them everything they need to know to succeed outside of our home? But I remind myself that this is the gift of homeschooling. We get to teach them both. We get to hold space for our heritage and prepare them for the future. And even when it’s messy or imperfect, I know it matters.
To fellow Hispanic homeschooling families
I just want to say: you’re not alone. If you’re a Hispanic homeschool mom feeling all these things, I see you. This path might not be traditional, but it’s powerful. We’re creating something beautiful for our kids, something rooted in both faith and culture. It might not look like anyone else’s journey, but that’s what makes it special.
So let’s keep going. Let’s share our stories. Let’s show our kids that it’s okay to walk a different path, even if it’s harder sometimes.
Come hang out over at @themissionfieldmama if you ever need encouragement or just someone who gets it 💛
Let’s chat!