Homeschooling My Firstborn Into High School

It’s finally hit me—I am homeschooling a teenager.

He is 13. Which means, legally, I only have five more years to “school” him. Five more years before he is considered an adult in the eyes of the law. That realization alone is mind-blowing. You always hear time flies and enjoy it while you can, and I have truly tried to live by that—especially over these last five years of homeschooling.

Still, knowing it and feeling it are two very different things.

So aside from all the emotions that come with realizing our firstborn is closer to adulthood than to the day he was born, my mind has been running nonstop through everything that comes with homeschooling a high schooler. Transcripts. Credits. Requirements. Futures.

As of now, he’s interested in attending college or possibly culinary school. That means I’m suddenly researching transcripts, figuring out which maths are truly necessary, and wondering if I’m actually capable of teaching him these things—or at the very least, guiding him well as he learns them himself. I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel overwhelmed at times.

This stage feels big. And new. And unfamiliar.

I’ve also realized this is why I don’t talk much about the high school years. I create resources, share ideas, and speak often about the early years of homeschooling because that is my comfort zone. Those years are familiar. I’ve lived them. I know them well. This season, though—this season is new to me in every way. I am learning right alongside him.

But then I pause, take a breath, and remember something important: I can do this.

I have done hard things before. I have walked with him through learning how to walk, talk, read, and reason. I have guided him through every phase that came before this one. This is simply another phase—different, yes—but not impossible.

It’s so easy to get caught up in all the things we think we can’t do that we forget all the things we already have done.

Yah did not give us this role to watch us fail. He gave us this role because, with Him, all things are possible. He has been faithful through every other season of our lives, and this one is no different.

Entering a new phase of homeschooling—and life in general—is never easy. The unknown can feel scary. But Yahweh is with us. And when we pause and look back at all the ways He has already carried us through each stage before this one, we can find peace knowing He will do it again.

I’ve come to realize that I don’t want to spend the next five years worrying and stressing about what needs to be done. I don’t want fear to steal this season from us. I want to enjoy these years with my son. I want to make memories, to learn together, to continue his education with intention—but also with peace.

This season isn’t just about preparing him for adulthood. It’s about relationship. Growth. Trusting Yah as we step forward into unfamiliar territory together.

So here we are—entering the high school years. New, stretching, and full of unknowns. But also full of opportunity, grace, and purpose. And I’m choosing to walk into it not with fear, but with faith—excited for what he will learn, and for what I will learn too.