I remember my very first year homeschooling; I ordered one of those big boxes of curriculum from one publisher. Everything came in one box, and my shopping was done in one swoop. I was thrilled!

Fast forward a few weeks and we were miserable. Why? That particular boxed curriculum wasn’t working for us anymore…

Boxed curriculums are great, and they work for many families, including ours! But, sometimes they don’t work. And as a homeschool mom, you have to make the curriculum choice for your family. There are a few situations when you probably shouldn’t use a boxed curriculum.

You fly by the seat of your pants

If you’re a homeschool mom who doesn’t do well with structure, then boxed curriculum may NOT be right for you. Boxed curriculums are structured, and organized, and that type of curriculum may not work with every personality type.

You don’t like feeling “boxed” in

If you like choice and flexibility, then a boxed curriculum may make you feel “boxed” in. A boxed curriculum lasts you a whole year. Once you have started the year, you pretty much have to continue on the schedule to finish the year on time. This means that if you want to try something else, or follow a rabbit trail that interests you, you may not have time.

You get bored easily

Some homeschool families like to change things up often. If this is your family, then a boxed curriculum may not work for you. The boxed curriculums I have used tend to use the same pattern each day or week. The basic structure of the curriculum is the same throughout the year. If you think you would get bored with this familiarity then you probably shouldn’t use a boxed curriculum.

One good thing about any curriculum is that once you try it, if you don’t like it, you can move on to something else! The same is true with a boxed curriculum.  If you still feel like you want to try a boxed curriculum then by all means go for it! Boxed curriculums work for many families, and even if you fit in one of these categories it *may* still work for you. But, you have been warned :)

Misty Bailey is a work at home homeschool mom.  She loves helping new homeschoolers and has a Homeschool 101 eBook for those getting started. She shares her struggles with time management, becoming unglued and finding joy in the everyday moments on her blog Joy in the Journey.