Besides working hard at marriage, birthing children into the world, raising those children to live Christ-like, with morals and standards………….
The next challenging *self-inflicting* thing there is in this life as it relates to our children is *HOME SCHOOLING* them.
Ha!
If anyone has ever said that homeschooling is easy………well the Lord bless them. Because truthfully it. just. isn’t.
Some days are easy days.
Full of laughs. Great memories. Knowledge gained.
But other days are……just hard as dirt.
Some years are a piece of cake.
Other years of homeschooling may come with life challenges in the mix of it.
Although the later is true……most who decide to home school their children still press on with determination to take the reigns of their children’s education into their own hands.
Providing them with life long tools, knowledge, skill sets, moral values, a love of learning and successful graduation that their children could possibly miss otherwise.
AND to live life along with their children while doing these things is of greater value than the tough days faced.
Here are some real stories of the challenges being faced at the beginning of this home schooling year. BUT ALSO NOTE, the attitude of perseverance there within also. 🙂
“I’d love to say that our first week of school was a complete success filled with crafts, science experiments, hours of reading and deep conversations. I suppose if I left out half our days I could make those claims.
Since God called me to this grand adventure of homeschooling (kicking and screaming I might add) there have been wonderful peace filled days of perfection and utterly horrid days of chaos. There are days when everything goes precisely according to my neatly written planner, and days when I look at the clock, notice it’s 5 pm and realize we’re still in our PJs, there’s nothing laid out for dinner and the kids haven’t so much as glanced at a book. It’s in those moments that I’m ever so thankful for a merciful God who pours out His grace on my imperfect days.
Praise God for imperfect days! Otherwise I might think that I don’t need Him.
My desire is to have a peaceful homeschool full of laughter and learning all the time. A place where I have it all together! More often than not, however, our days fall far short of those expectations.
I spent three days this week correcting the bickering and arguing between our two youngest children (who, by the way, have always gotten along wonderfully…..until this week).
Several frustrating hours were spent redoing my carefully planned schedule – Did I really think that my daughter could be finished with math in 20 minutes, who am I kidding?
Two of the five days we didn’t get to half of what I had planned.
Oh, and did I mention this is the second time we’ve started this school year? The first time we got through 9 days of tears before I reluctantly admitted half of the curriculum I had chosen just was not a good fit for us, so I threw it out and started over.
I’ve struggled this week with moments of doubt when I questioned myself and my purpose. I wonder sometimes if I’m doing enough or if I’m messing up my kids.
Satan would love to keep me in a place of hopelessness where I am discouraged and say things to myself like…
“She has it all together, and I am so…..not! Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Look at that awesome school room. We just have a messy table.”
“Her kids tell her how much they love their school!?! Mine would rather eat dirt than start a lesson.”
This week, my perspective needed a reboot. It was a rough week!
If I’ve learned anything during the past 6 years of homeschooling it’s that success isn’t just found in a perfect, stress free, everything goes according to plan day or week. While we will have GREAT days, we will also have trials and tests of patience, faith and endurance when we fall on our faces and say “I can’t God, I just can’t”…and there is success to be found in those days too.
I offer this encouragement from Lysa Terkeurst in her book What Happens When Woman Say Yes to God.
“I can assure you on the other side of every “I can’t” excuse is a glorious adventure with God just waiting to happen. And rest assured, the victory is not found in your performance. Rather, it’s in your pursuit of taking that first step with God. A joy will be there like you’ve never known. As we choose to say, “With God, I can,” we can expect Him to show up and be our daily portion of everything we need.”
So if you’re first week of school didn’t go quite according to plan, that’s ok…mine didn’t either…but I’ll get up tomorrow and start anew because that’s what I’m called to do.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
Just keepin’ it real.
Blessings sweet mamas! We can do this!
Michelle
“I have been praying & hoping we’d have a good year this year & telling the Lord “Lord, we really NEED to have a good year. Last year was so not, we really NEED a good year.” Well, this first week hasn’t been a pretty picture. We’re managing, but the kids still want to go to public school. And my two younger ones are fighting and arguing like cats & dogs about anything & everything. And my granddaughter is crying & fussing in the background. And the house is a mess. And I’m wondering if I should up my Prozac dosage! I am so far from being one of “those” homeschooling moms. I wanna be. Kinda…I actually bought planners this year & had all my curriculum on time & have written out stuff. But I’m sorta lacking in that category. Kinda…so you and I can commiserate together. Cause I am not loving it yet & neither are my kids. And we might not ever! But it is what it is & I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to, so I’ll do the best I can and ask for wisdom & grace every fifteen minutes or so!”
Tami
“Thanks for posting about your imperfect first week bc I also had one:/ I homeschooled my oldest for kindergarten but she went to public school for 1st and 2nd and my 2nd child went for 5k. My girls want to be homeschooled. My 8 yr old so much that she has offered to help clean the house and do dishes to take off some of the load. She also said she will do her work by herself and entertain her nearly 3 yr old brother at the same time so I can focus on my 6 yr old bc she doesn’t want to do any work.