For the Homeschool Mom Who Doesn’t Want To Face Another School Year

Have you ever approached a new homeschool year and looked forward to it with more apprehension than with joyful anticipation?

I have.

In fact, it was this school year. And I’m still not going to pretend that I’m totally over it.

You see, I’m going into this school year with realistic expectations this time. I’m not pretending, or trying to sugar coat what it really is like. My Jane Austen, princess fairy tale type dreams are not going to get me through this school year.

As a mom of six children, I know the struggles that come with an average school day.

Lost books and pencils.

Schedules totally off, which puts everyone in a bad mood as we start our school day – late again.

A whining voice and then tears over an assignment that a child just don’t want to do.

Foolishness between siblings, that just won’t stop. (Please tell me I’m not the only one that has had children laughing during devotion time?)

The feeling of utter hopelessness. What am I doing? Why am I doing this again? Is this worth it all? Are they learning enough? Am I reaching their hearts for the Lord?

Finally, the desperate need to grab some chocolate and go lock myself in my bedroom, and ignore the bajillion things that are required of me as a homeschooling mom.

That’s the honest truth. It’s really not easy being a homeschool mom. I used to think it would get easier as the children get older, now I realize the challenges just change.

So…why am I still homeschooling? If it is so difficult, what makes me stick with it?

While my childhood dreams of snuggling all day on the couch with read aloud books has faced reality, my vision of being the one to give my children a love of learning, and to help my children grow in their walk in the Lord has not changed.

I want my children to have the freedom to excel in their strengths, and struggle and persevere through their weaknesses.

I want them to spend hours in books, being taken to worlds far away, and travel back in time as they explore the wonderful history of our world.

I want to experience watching my boys dive into a science encyclopedia the day after a school year ends, and spend hours reading it just for fun (true story!).

I want to let them have hours outside, not just 30 minutes in the evening, and let them have time to truly be children.

I want us to be a family. One who works together, plays together, learns together, and tries to follow the Lord together.

Does that bring challenges? Yes! But raising children that go to public or private school brings challenges as well. So for me, my vision of our family includes the challenges that homeschooling brings.

This year I decided to face my struggles head on. I openly acknowledged how I was feeling, and talked to Sean about it. Instead of trying to ignore the frustrations, I worked hard on bringing about any sort of resolution to the frustrations that I could.

A lot of things have not changed. But one thing remains constant. I’m keeping my vision close to my heart, ready to remind myself why I’m doing this on the bad days that will come.

I’m giving myself grace in this new school year. Grace to not push every single subject, every single day. Grace to take time when I truly need it and to recharge. And I’m reminding myself that I need to stay encouraged throughout the school year. Reading books that encourage me (I love books written by Sally Clarkson!), visiting with homeschooling friends, these are all ways that help me stay focused.

When I started thinking about it, I knew I wasn’t alone. There are a lot of homeschooling moms out there who need encouragement, just like I do. So…I’m super excited to tell you about a project that we have been working on for months now!

I’m pleased to introduce to you, the 2016 Encouragement For The Homeschool Mom Online Conference!

Sean and I, along with another blogger and her husband, organized and put this together for you all! We know not everyone is able to attend conventions, so this is a perfect way to hear from some homeschool speakers, interact with them in the private Facebook group, and receive some awesome bonuses as well!

I will be speaking on instilling a love for reading in your child, and Sean is giving a talk called Consistency: A key to Happy Homeschooling. We are really looking forward to sharing these talks with you!

You are going to love the homeschool planner that comes with this conference! It was designed to be as useful as you need it to be, without overwhelming you with all the extras.

Some of the other speakers will be Hal and Melanie Young, Amy Roberts, Jennifer Ross, Jami Balmet, Mackenzie Monroe, and more!