Today, in 5 days of homeschooling mid-year and thriving. Day 2 mission accomplished, I want to remind you about the realistic side of undertaking this mission.
Crash and burn is almost unavoidable in homeschooling. So does that make our efforts pointless when we attempt to follow a schedule? Do we give up and listen to our heart? Not entirely and here is why.
Changes made by us in the beginning to our heart are just as important if not more so than the changes our children make in adapting to learning at home. I say this often; it is easier to take the child out of school than it is to take the school out of the mom and child.
See our hearts can be deceptive. We may want to follow the public school schedule because we feel our child might get behind his peers. Never mind the fact we took him out so he can go at his own pace and not be compared to his peers.
Also another example of having a deceptive heart is that we may wondering why our child hasn’t learned the multiplication facts that we feel should have been memorized last year.
(Bad maniac momma. Pushing ahead when a preschooler wants to play instead of learn.)
Complete meltdown looms around the next corner when you discover that your friend’s 4 year old started to read and your 4 year old is not sure what a letter is from a fruit loop. I will keep secret my little dear’s name on that one. However, I assure you that today not only does he read above level but he actually is fond of it.
See, when our tricky heart speaks we can become a momma on a maniac mission.
What can happen is that we can so easily forget what brought us to homeschooling. We have lost our mission and maybe did not define it in the beginning.
Hopping on the crash and burn wagon happens to all of us, including myself. I brought tears not only to myself but to my children who wanted nothing but to please and love me.
I basically lost my homeschooling state of mind and needed to find my way again.
Homeschooling is about the heart, but mind-set matters because it brings us back to our mission.
Why did we start homeschooling in the beginning? Underneath making curriculum choices, teaching a child to read and memorizing multiplication facts, the values we hold dear are there. They hold us steady on our course when our emotions want to take over. As I got near to the end of my homeschooling mission with Mr. Senior 2013, I wanted to share a few things that helped me to keep my homeschooling state of mind.
Have a mission. Define it. Accomplish it. Visualize the kind of people you want your sons and daughters to be and make it happen.
Academics are still very important to me but looking at the greater picture I have to ask myself: What value would an excelling education be if it didn’t have future value?
Multiplications facts turn to discussions about successful marriages and curriculum choices turn to discussions about choosing companions that look out for our best interest. Well educated children don’t happen in one year or even a couple of years. They will grow and change but your basic mission should not. Write it down. Writing with pen and ink makes it indelible.
Preserve it because imagination will turn to reality. When you lose your way, your homeschooling state of mind will sustain you through all the doubts.
Feel the homeschool love. Everybody needs it though we may think we can homeschool independent of support. You want to know one of my secrets? If I didn’t head up field trips for my group, I might not ever do them.
Constant excuses like being too busy, too much planning, or driving too far may get in the way. The euphoric feeling we all get after rubbing shoulders with others that are like-minded is infectious.
Hyped up homeschooling carries me through each year. Don’t isolate yourself. It is not weak or vulnerable to need help and each other. Even seasoned veterans should make a habit of receiving continual encouragement. Don’t let mommy martyrdom creep into your journey. It’s true that homeschool joy is the secret to contentment.
Treasure your Homeschool Identity. Though I had tears, I put my oldest son back in school for part of the Kindergarten year because I had lost my homeschool identity.
Fear of failure can be crippling if you don’t realize how unique you are to your children and their journey. Treasure being a teacher in the way you teach.
Don’t give up on yourself. Change if you need to for the sake of your children and do it right away. I constantly petition for humility so I stay not only a willing teacher, but a humble learner.
Now that Mr. Senior 2013 graduated, I am reminded that I was never promised that the sweetest and best things are the easiest things to achieve. I realize that not all homeschool for faith based reasons. I really respect that. But it is at the core of my values and I want to be able to answer the Creator that I have done my utmost as He continues his lifelong training now.
Keep scheduling, keep aiming high, plan time to laugh and let go, reaffirm your homeschool identity, keep memorizing facts, select top notch curriculum that works for your family and you will be a Momma with Mission Accomplished.
Hugs and love ya,
Grab the first post in this series:
5 days of Homeschooling Mid-Year and Thriving. Day 1 Mind-set Matters
Want to read more?
5 days of a homeschooling co-op convert-day 5: cherished co-ops
Beyond Museums and Zoos Homeschool Field Trip Form
Day 23: But the Dear Doesn’t Want To Homeschool. {31 Day Boot Camp For New Homeschoolers on My Blog}
