This post is from contributor, Judy Hoch
When we first began homeschooling nine years ago, I was determined to give my children an awesome homeschool experience. I planned projects and activities, spent hours making visuals and learning aids, and stocked up on manipulatives.
Never mind that I had three young school-age children and two toddlers. I had my heart set on spending hours reading aloud and making learning fun.
And then reality set in. I still had laundry to wash, meals to make, and diapers to change. The dishes weren’t washing themselves and tidying the house was a never-ending job.
Sound familiar?
Letting Go of Homeschool Perfection
It took me a little while to let go of my perfect vision of homeschooling. Somewhere along the line, though, I realized the most important thing was that my children were learning.
When I had a hectic day and had to skip read-aloud time . . . they were still learning.
When we had dentist appointments and only managed to fit in math and reading . . . they were still learning.
When we didn’t do any art projects for weeks at a time . . . yes, they were still learning!
Learning was happening. My children were thriving. The only thing that needed to change? Me. I had to let go of my dream of perfection and learn to balance all the roles of a homeschool mom well – NOT perfectly.
Accepting Homeschool Reality
Accepting the reality of life as a homeschool mom doesn’t mean letting go of all our goals and plans. Rather, it means accepting the fact that we can’t do everything all the time.
There are seasons in life, and each season brings its own challenges and blessings. A new baby, many young children, moving, a death or loss in the family–all these can mean a season of doing less or finding ways to fit in the homeschool “extras.”
The good news? Seasons change. That newborn, those young children–they’ll become more independent in the blink of an eye. Those difficult adjustments will someday be in the past. A new season may allow you more time to pursue your homeschool dreams.
Let go of perfection and accept the reality of life as a homeschool mom. Allow yourself the freedom to change along with the seasons of your life. Let go of the guilt and realize that your best is truly enough.
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I love this. I have been asking God how in the world I’m I going to do this with a six week old baby and two young ones to school.