Did you know that every homeschooling mom has an enemy? As homeschool moms, we start our school year with grandiose plans for amazing teaching methods, wonderful field trips, new curricula, a fresh perspective and then… then a few months go by. We start to feel a bit defeated, broken and dare I say sometimes envious of other moms who send their children away to school for 6 or more hours a day. This is just pure honesty here. Homeschooling is hard work. There are days that all of us homeschooling moms wish we could throw in the towel. Worse yet, there are days we feel we are failing our children.
The enemy of homeschooling moms is comparisons. When we compare ourselves to others, we will always find someone who seems to “have it all together” whose children seem “brighter” than ours. We can always find someone who seems to have a cleaner house than us, a better marriage than us, even better teaching methods. This is the enemy and you need to identify it and stay away to avoid that mommy guilt that can overwhelm you.
How do you avoid the enemy and have peace with yourself you ask? You start by taking stock of what you have been given. You have been given a calling, your children, your home, your calling. No one knows your children quite like you do. No one in this world has their best interests at the forefront of their minds like you do. Even on the bad days reassure yourself that your children can at least see that your love for them is paramount. May I say this, you aren’t failing. We all have seasons of difficulties; just ask any veteran homeschool mom, if she is honest, she might even tell you some stories. Don’t find other moms to compare yourself to. Instead, look at what you are doing right. At the end of a hard day, reward the small things, if you look hard enough you will see them. Maybe it is as simple as the 15 minutes you were able to spend reading to a toddler before nap time. It might be that you were able to cook dinner before hubby got home, it may be that no one ran away screaming, look and you will find some positive.
So make it a point in your day to acknowledge what is going right in your homeschool. Don’t compare yourself to other moms and the way they do things. Your children are unique individuals, and they are so lucky to have you. Write yourself a note and keep these memories close, you will be amazed at just how fast this time passes by.
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Mae Van Vooren is the Director of Strategic Initiatives for Compass Charter Schools (CCS), and oversees the Options (home study) program. Mae has many years of experience as a homeschool mom. As a veteran homeschool mom, she is personally familiar with the challenges homeschool moms face and the solutions that can help them overcome their challenges. Have a question about homeschooling through Compass Charter Schools? Explore our website, or contact our enrollment team at enrollment@compasscharters.org or (877) 506-8631.