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 all 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 kids love working with a textbook and don’t want to be disturbed by games, while other kids can complete a workbook but not remember anything they did.
There are all sorts of terms used to describe homeschooling styles, such as eclectic, classical, non-school, traditional, Montessori, Charlotte Mason, and unit studies.
Homeschooling makes demands on parents, but it doesn’t have to warp them. Each parent needs to assess what kind of learning methods he is comfortable 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 by having to be tied to a curriculum that told them exactly what they had to do.
Homeschooling is mostly about relationships. If you have a great relationship with your child or are working to relate to your child, you will be able to resolve any syllabus issues 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 in the workbook. They need some structure that they must follow and be held accountable if they step outside of those boundaries. When you have some “goals” in your life, it builds character and makes unstructured times more fun.