There are as many ways to homeschool as there are people who homeschool. Basically, most people will fall somewhere on the broad spectrum between “home school” and “let the kids play as much as they want and they’ll learn what they need to know.” You need to know your style and your children’s temperaments and learning styles so that you can devise an educational philosophy that both of you can live with.
Children can learn with workbooks and they can learn with games. Some children love working with a textbook and don’t want to be bothered by games, while other children may complete a workbook but not remember anything they did.
There are all sorts of terms that are used to describe homeschooling styles, such as eclectic, classical, unschooled, traditional, Montessori, Charlotte Mason, and unit studies.
Homeschooling strains parents, but it doesn’t have to strain them. Each parent needs to assess what kinds of learning methods he is comfortable with in teaching his children. Some people wouldn’t feel comfortable using anything more than a structured syllabus that tells them exactly what to say. While others would feel very stifled having to be tied to a curriculum that told them exactly what to do.
Homeschooling is mostly about relationships. If you have a great relationship with your child, or are working toward a relationship with your child, you may be able to resolve any curriculum difficulties by communicating.
Children need some limits in their day. They may not learn anything by playing all day, but they also can’t learn anything by completing a page of the workbook. They need some structure that they must follow and be held accountable if they stray outside of those boundaries. When you have some “goals” in your life, you build character and make unstructured times more fun.