Confessions of a Homeschool Mom: Real Life Homeschooling
I have a few confessions to make as a homeschool mom.
Our days don’t always go as I plan them or as I’d envisioned them to be before I actually started homeschooling for real. Having worked in a Montessori school B.C. (before children), I imagined a nice, neat little classroom full of brightly colored manipulatives, cute little tables and chairs, and everything in its place in orderly bins in little cubbies. *deep breath* I will not covet my neighbor’s organizational skills. Or her budget to buy all that cool stuff we can’t afford.
Reality check: when school is home and home is school, there’s bound to be a little chaos.
At least in my experience there is. Can you relate to any of the following?
Sometimes math is delayed because we can’t find the math manipulatives. Usually because the preschooler has run off with them to see how many she can stuff in her purse. Does that count as math time?
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| Aha, there they are! |
Sometimes we don’t finish one lapbook before starting another just because we’ve lost interest in the first one.
Sometimes that book or curriculum we just had to have right now sits on the shelf for a few months before we actually get around to starting it.
Sometimes the only shoes I wear for days are my favorite comfy slippers. No, I don’t stay in my jammies all day. What do you think yoga pants are for? Yoga? You’ve got to be kidding me!
Sometimes I read other homeschool blogs and marvel, “How does she do it all? Why can’t I?”
That’s when it gets serious, folks. We are each uniquely called to homeschooling for many different reasons. God put us each in our special place and time, with our individual children, for a specific purpose. Your kids aren’t mine and mine aren’t yours for a very important reason. God has a plan. Who are we to second guess it?
I thank God His mercies are new every day because I sure need Him. I also thank Him for the precious gifts of my children and the privilege I have in educating them at home, even when real life homeschooling isn’t easy.
Is homeschooling in real life going smoothly or have you learned to be flexible?
***I’m blessed to be a contributing author with two chapters in this book, created to help homeschool moms through the tough times. I hope it will encourage you!
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Balm for my heart today. We are going through such a rough patch. Some days we are lucky to get through one subject. Sigh. But we journey on knowing that God has called us to home school. Thank you for the encouragement.
I’m so glad you were encouraged by this. I’m sorry to hear you’re having a rough time and I pray that things start looking up and smoothing over. Sometimes it helps to know you’re not alone. Believe me, we all have days (or weeks or even months during hard times) like that!
Thanks for stopping by and encouraging *me* with your comment!
Second generation homeschooler here, and believe 100% it’s God’s will for our family, but wow, somedays… thanks for honest encouragement!
I always love to hear from second generation homeschoolers! That’s great. Yes, some of those “somedays” are harder than others, right? 😉
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Started homeschooling our first this year! Days are up and down. Somedays I can get him through the day’s curriculum/activities in just a couple hours in the morning. Other days we’re still at it when daddy gets home from work at 7:30 p.m.! I can certainly relate to the yoga pants. 😉 I also understand repeating the I will not covet….I would love to have a separate school room with all the things I need nicely put away and within reach. In our house though, we don’t have room for that. A two bedroom house to 5 people just doesn’t allow it. So I share my desk with my son and all of his schooling materials are in a small box sitting atop my printer. Right there with ya, momma!
Congrats on homeschooling! There are definitely ups and downs, but it’s so worth it. 🙂 It sounds like you’ve learned how to use your space wisely, even if it’s limited. Finding what works for you and your family is really the secret to long-term success! I appreciate your comment. It’s nice to be able to encourage each other! Thanks so much for stopping by!
As a first time homeschooling momma myself I can relate to many aspects of the post and the comments I read. I just started homeschooling my son who is in kindergarten and I am about to start my daughter off with preschool in a few weeks when she turns four. I as others have said have more times than not made it through the days activities within the time frame we planned. Occasionally we get done well before lunch and make the rest of the day about characters building games and activities or learning life skills in one form or fashion. It is comforting to know that I am not the only momma that feels called by God to homeschool for many reasons.
Any tips for a first time Mom?
Tina, thanks so much for stopping by. Congratulations on your decision to homeschool! It can definitely seem overwhelming at times, but honestly, it’s part of the process. Since you feel called to homeschool, I guarantee you’ll have what you need when you need it — even if that doesn’t look exactly like what you might have planned. Ask me how I know. 😉
My best advice to someone with children in the preschool/kindergarten years is to stay as relaxed as possible. Formal academics aren’t really necessary at that age. Children learn so much through play and just by following Mommy through daily activities. I recommend reading — books, books, books. If you can get out to the library once a week, do it. I know sometimes that isn’t possible, but there are sources for free audio books and free printable activities online, too. If you really feel like you want more structure, you can follow something like Five in a Row curriculum, which uses good books as the basis for learning in all subjects. Use this time when they’re little to just “be” and find your homeschool groove. The time you spend with them now, making learning natural and fun, will pay off in later years. It sounds like you’re doing that with games and life skills activities so that is great!
If all of that seems like too much, just remember to trust that you know your children best and respond to that. Don’t worry about getting behind because at that age, there really is no such thing. I had to learn that the hard way! Even moms need to be “de-schooled” sometimes. 🙂
Thanks again for your comment. Don’t hesitate to email me if you have questions or just need encouragement!
Your post speaks so much truth. As I grow as a homeschool mom I am learning to be more flexible, more gentle and allow for learning to be a more natural rhythm of our lives. Ah, so much freedom comes when we let go and allow the Holy Spirit to truly direct our paths – even if that means teaching US something in the midst of this journey.
Thank you! You are so right — the natural rhythm of learning day to day and allowing the Holy Spirit to direct us makes all the difference. So much of homeschooling is a mindset and a way of life. Glad you stopped by!
Thank you for this post. As I type, I’m sitting in my bedroom floor sobbing while my 9 year old daughter sits and waits for me in the living room. I don’t know what I’m doing. This is our second year homeschooling, and it’s been worse than the first. Claire is so, so smart. She was tested as being highly gifted while in public school, but now because of me she hates school. She can’t stay focused anymore, and it takes her over an hour or more just to complete one lesson. That’s not my Claire, and I know it’s my fault. I’m as disorganized as they come, and she and I both need structure that I just cannot provide. I just don’t know what to do at this point. We are literally weeks behind in her lessons because some days have been so bad, we just had to stop. I feel like I’m digging her into a pit that she’ll have to recover from for the rest of her life. I feel horrible, and I’m failing miserably.
I’m so sorry to hear that you’re feeling discouraged right now. Sometimes it’s a matter of finding your routine together and that takes time. I’ve heard many other homeschoolers talk about this, especially transitioning from public school to homeschooling. Maybe you need to try different resources than what you’re currently using. Does your daughter like to do studies online? That could help supplement what you’re doing and maybe help with your confidence level, while still benefitting from homeschooling. Blaming yourself won’t help and will keep you focused on the negatives, rather than the positives. Maybe if you think about the reasons you’re homeschooling, it can help you to focus on the advantages. Quality time together is important, so don’t overlook that. Don’t feel that you’re “behind” in lessons, but just taking a different pace than you expected. Since your daughter is gifted, she is probably learning more than you give yourself credit for! Maybe you could try some delight-directed learning with her so she can get back some of that joy of learning. Sometimes you can just take a break and allow some unschooling time to take the pressure off. Take a trip to the library together and let her choose some books to read. Take a field trip if you can. Homeschooling is more than just sitting still and going through textbooks. Use the freedom to your advantage and focus on your relationship with her for the time-being, rather than worrying about checking things off a list. I hope these ideas help you! I will definitely be praying for you. Feel free to ask any more questions and I’ll try to help.
The fact that you’re homeschooling in the first place and concerned with getting the best education for your daughter you can is a sign that you’re doing your best as a mom. God bless you!
You might also find some encouragement in these posts:
https://heartandsoulhomeschooling.com/2015/09/why-we-love-delight-directed-learning-and-5-ways-to-make-it-work-for-you.html
https://heartandsoulhomeschooling.com/2016/03/homeschooling-on-the-tough-days.html
https://heartandsoulhomeschooling.com/2016/03/encouragement-for-homeschool-moms.html
https://heartandsoulhomeschooling.com/2015/08/advice-for-new-homeschoolers.html
https://heartandsoulhomeschooling.com/2015/05/encouraging-words-for-weary-homeschool-moms.html
You’re not alone! Remember to call on Jesus and He’ll provide the answers you need.
Just came across this article. This❤️ with 7 children it can be chaotic! Although my youngest twins are 7, it can still be crazy. My struggle right now is keeping my oldest ones(high school) committed to their studies, they’d rather do something else. Sigh. Thank you for this. Much love.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post. It always seems like just as we get a handle on one thing, there’s a new stage to go through and a new season in life. Keeps us on our toes, right? 😉
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. Blessings to you and your family!