Homeschooling on the crazy days
I suppose you think that because I write a blog about homeschool and other topics, that that means I have it all figured out.
That our family is perfect.
And everything goes as planned.
All I have to say to that is:
Let’s be honest.
Today I woke up for the second (or is it the third?) day straight with a migraine. Kind of a sore throat, and generally feeling crummy.
Not a good day for a confrontation or a bunch of distractions.
AdMy plan for today?
Put the boys on autopilot and let them catch up on their school work, since for the last week, we’ve had heavy equipment rented for excavation, so that’s been the focus. Read: not much bookwork getting done!
That got off to a good start, then my husband asked about the boys helping him on the job. So we had to figure out how/what/when/where and IF that could happen.
Once we decided that one son was enough, I launched into the “you’re teenagers and need to be stepping up and responsible” speech.
My boys did not give me votes for my motivational speech abilities.
I still can’t figure out why.
Once we made a plan of attack for school, we all jumped in.
Finally, everyone got on board!
Then came the announcement: “I left my books and computer and the teacher book in my backpack, in Dad’s car!”
“You’re kidding, RIGHT?”
The boy was NOT KIDDING!
Take. A. Deep. Breath.
And repeat.
And maybe grab a shot of chamomile tea!
Note to self: I am the adult here. I am the teacher.
Okay:
Just do your jobs and we will figure this out.
I put the whole ball in his hands and let him figure out what he was going to do about his missing books. (The boy is sixteen, not six!). Time to step up!
Remember my motivational speech? Yeah, well, refer back to that.
Let the boy grow up and solve his own problems.
So, the boy did figure it out. Made himself a list and made some provisions as to how he could handle his responsibilities in another way.
What about Mom?
Me? I made us some Chamomile vanilla honey tea to calm all of us down, and shared some love.
Let me just say, that these posts would be good ones to refer back to!
Self-Care for Homeschool Moms,
How to Reset Your Homeschool Day
Homeschool Seasons, and Courage for the Worn-out Mom
Mean Homeschool Mom takes a Nature Walk
You see? I already had this all figured out! After all, I already solved this problem in the past! Does the number of posts I wrote about hard homeschooling days tell you anything about our perfect little homeschool? It should.
Moving On…
The boys sat down to their writing video, like good little students.
Then, I hit the trail for a little outside breather.
Oops!
I mean, I really did hit the trail! Got a new perspective and a little exercise! Filled my lungs with O2, and gave my heart a good workout!
You may remember taking a hike (a brief one) is on my list of Seven Habits, Seven Days goals. Just want to make sure I’m getting out in nature and the fresh air more than I’ve been doing lately! ✅
New Perspective
Once outside, I looked around, took in the natural beauty, and God reminded me of some things. Some deeper than others.
First, beauty.
Second, accomplishment.
We got the little greenhouse all finished up yesterday, and Greg even planted a few lettuce plants inside yesterday! It looks cute sitting up on the hill! 😊
School days
The day, although starting out in a frustrating way, turned around some. It’s not over, so anything can happen. And with honest homeschooling, “anything” often does happen.
Real life gets interrupted.
We have to deal with unexpected events.
We all have to learn responsibility, and it’s often the hard way.
We are reading a book, and in it, the author learned this truth.
Where did you get your good judgment?” “From my experience.” “And where did you get your experience?” “From my bad judgment.
Sounds about right.
Take heart, homeschooling parents!
You’re not alone.
Everyone has interruptions. I think we may have more than the typical, so if it makes you feel better about your homeschool, you can compare your homeschool to ours! You’re welcome!
Take Care of Mom
Don’t forget to take a little bit of time for recharging your own batteries! Not all day, but at least a little bit!
Especially helpful is claiming Bible promises and devotional thoughts.
This one was helpful to me today.
To summarize the above quotation, it was the love of his father that convinced the prodigal son to return home. A humbling reminder of what’s important in my home! ❤️
Cloud lifted
So far today, the cloud over our home was broken. Our boys did not magically start to do everything right, but they did buckle down and dig into their writing and chemistry! And I learned a few things in the process while listening in on their videos.
This is very random, but I do want to put in a plug for the boys’ high school science curriculum! We very much love the 101 Series Video Science Series by Wes Olsen
I don’t just mean that I love it. The boys find the videos to be very interesting. Even Grandma and Grandpa enjoy the videos. They make science understandable, hands-on, and fun. You can read more about my review of the Biology program in another post: The 101 Series. Biology 101 Review
Take courage!
I hope you have taken courage in just taking an honest peek into one day of our homeschool life!
No days are the same!
Tomorrow is always another day!
You’re all on the same team!
Most importantly, God is always with you!
Please tell me that you have days like this on occasion!
Leave me a comment! I need the encouragement and someone else does too!!
And besides fooling around on Bitmoji, what are some ways you deal with the crazy homeschooling days?
Im always amazed how homeschooling works and enjoyed reading your article.
Lol, you picked a good day for seeing the real story!
Homeschooling is not always easy. It was the best thing my family ever did. I can say that now that I am looking back on it. Thanks for sharing.
No, it’s not.
But I still am glad we are doing it. Just like everything worth doing, it takes effort and determination.
And breaks.
One of the advantages of homeschooling is flexibility. When problems arise there is time to stop and decide how to move forward. There is also a chance to make it individual. With a large group of kids it is much harder to make it personal. However, with your own family you can decide what to do when the plan for the day is blown.
Yep! Glad for that.