The digital world we live in can make homeschooling seem glamorous and wonderful, almost too good to be true. Sometimes people are afraid to talk about what no one sees on camera, the “ugly” side of homeschooling. Let’s talk about some of those things and clear the air of any misconceptions that social media creates.
1. All of Your Days Are Not Going to Be Beautiful
Your days won’t always go as planned. Attitudes are going to rear their ugly heads, including yours some days. It’s okay that everyday is not perfect and beautiful, because you are homeschooling in a real world, in YOUR real life, that isn’t perfect. Don’t let these days get you down. They are a normal thing that happens to any homeschool family no matter how perfect their pictures or life may seem.
Here are some tips to help you get through those not-so-beautiful days:
- Take breaks when attitudes are battling against learning.
- Homeschooling is messy work, so take the pressure of perfectionism and throw it out the window.
- Rethink your schedule and adjust accordingly.
- Use a block schedule when your days feel out of control by grouping like items/things together and setting a time limit. Stop and move on after the time is up.
- Get outside if you can, vitamin D always helps a not-so-beautiful day turn around quickly.
2. You will Have to Teach Subjects That You Don’t Enjoy Teaching
This is a reality for every homeschool parent as some point. And guess what? It’s okay! There are so many options out there that can help us overcome this hurdle.
Here are a few ideas:
- Use a video to teach a subject or a single lesson.
- Find a co-op in your area that includes those subjects.
- Utilize an online course.
- Partner with another homeschool mom who enjoys teaching that subject and trade off teaching.
- Some colleges offer classes for homeschool students. Check out that option at your local college or university.
- Dual enroll your child at a public or private school in your area if your state allows that type of learning.
3. There Will Be Days That You Want to Quit
When we set out to tackle hard things, it is a given that we will want to quit at some point along that challenging journey. If you are training for a marathon or trying to learn a foreign language there will be moments where you feel defeated and just want to throw in the towel. The same is true for homeschooling. It is a task that is not easy, but the reward is so great.
Here are some words of encouragement for those days when you want to quit:
- Just keep moving. We have to experience growing pains to get better at anything we do.
- We must keep moving or we will never get anywhere.
- Find a friend or group of friends that you trust and can depend on to encourage you on those days when you want to throw in the towel.
4. You Will Not Have Enough Time In The Day
The days never seem long enough to accomplish all the things that need to be done. Between homeschool, home management, cooking, shuttling children, extracurricular activities, and church you will find things left undone at the end of the day. But when it is all said and done, it is okay. The tasks will always be there tomorrow.
If you feel like you are pressed to get all of your family’s homeschool work done, I want to challenge you to evaluate your priorities. Think about what is most important for your family to accomplish and set goals to get those things done.
If your main goal is to train your children in righteousness through teaching them how to live according to God’s Word, make that your number one goal and priority first thing every morning. God will help your children learn what they need to accomplish His will.
You will also find you won’t have a lot of time to yourself. This MUST be a priority for you. You must find time to sit quietly away from your kids so that you can refuel and spend time with God. You must also make fostering your marriage relationship a high priority too. Make time for these two things.
5. You Will Never Imagine The Great Impact You Will Have On Your Children
This impact will be an everlasting impact. You have the opportunity to make memories that they will never forget. You will be the one who is there to answer all of their questions. You are the one that will be their to help them discover God’s creation and to discover the plan God has for their lives.
You will be there to shape them and teach them the things they need to know in order to be successful, responsible, godly adults who go out into the world to make an impact for the kingdom of God. What a beautiful opportunity, in the messy day-in and day-out, to impact our children for God’s glory. If we set our sight on this those hard days will not be as laborious.
Just remember, keep doing the hard things because it is 100% worth it.
