Wednesday, December 16

Homeschooling When it Sucks

I've been doing this for eight years. In case no one ever told you, I'm going to tell you now:

There will be days...
  • when the children wiggle non-stop and you can't get their attention without use of force.
  • when the desire to organize your tax receipts, clean your tile grout, or finally get to that dentist appointment will seem far more enjoyable than schooling your kids.
  • when your children will literally scream at you, "You NEVER help me!!"
  • when your children will not stop screaming at one another.
  • when you completely agree that public school is really God's answer to ignorance.
  • when the baby/toddler just won't nap.
  • when other people's agendas will take over your day.
  • when you literally CANNOT finish a sentence without correcting someone.
  • when four math problems will take two hours.
  • when you convince yourself that they can still think clearly with a fever of 101.
  • when they just don't get it... for the fifth time.
  • when they scowl at you.
  • when they all ask for your help at once....continually.
  • when they refuse to talk to you at all.
  • when they tap the dang pencil.
  • when you discover what they've really been doing while they're supposed to be completing their computer-based curriculum.
  • when your husband surpasses your skills in housekeeping, because SOMEONE has to get it done.
  • when company asks if they can come in the middle of the school year.
  • when you get an earful of someone's narrow opinion about your choice to homeschool.
  • when you put them in the car for a field trip and they whine because they don't want to go.
  • when your expectations are way toooo high.
  • when your children cry.
  • when you cry.
  • when you say outloud, "I'm done."
It's not every day, but they do show up. When those days come, know that tomorrow is a new day and God can redeem anything.

3 comments:

  1. Yes! It's been a long time since I have burned out...probably before we moved back up here and joined this group. I tell newbies SUPPORT is the best thing they can have (and even those of us forever HS'ers need to remmeber it.) Especially since most of us don't have supportive families. As long as I have TNO (even 2 of them), bible study, park days, field trips, EK meetings, co-ops and what we do as a family, I can't burn out!

    Now we're on a 2 week break from 'school', or at least from papers and on-line stuff. I (of course) have lots of non school stuff planned for our break, woo-hoo!

    There are good days and there are bad days, but that will happen if we HS or not.

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  2. My friends and I sometimes text each other in the middle of a hard day, "Homeschooling is such a buzz kill". ;)

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  3. Just a big AMEN here. I have been going through this lately pretty badly. I would ask that you add in "when your toddler won't stop stripping down naked and dancing around the house turning everything else to chaos" and when you can't get visions of duct tape solving all the above out of your head.

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For two years I have had comments turned off as a discipline to write for myself. I'm seeing the other side. I just ask that you comment with grace.