I love homeschooling, no doubt about it. We're closing in on two decades of doing this now, and by God's grace, here we stand. Three graduates, two high schoolers, a junior higher, and two elementary students. (Plus sweet Verity, of course.)
BUT. (That's a big but, lol.)
I'm not gonna lie. I never want to paint an unrealistic picture of homeschooling.
It's hard. Seriously hard.
We've been through the good, the bad, and the ugly of homeschooling. Over the years, I've walked with many friends and moms I've mentored who have also experienced the ups and downs of homeschooling. And there seems to be a common thread, some common...
Homeschooling Roadblocks
In my early years as a homeschool mom, when I would crash, I'd crash hard. I fell for many of Satan's lies. And I'd wallow in them, stirring up all the mud until I couldn't move forward because I was stuck in the muck.
I can't do this.
I'm messing up my kids.
They'd do so much better with someone else teaching them.
The lies might have different wording, but the basic meaning is the same: You're not good enough, smart enough, or strong enough to homeschool your kids without messing everything up.
I've talked to enough homeschool moms over the years to understand that I'm not alone when it comes to struggling with feelings of inadequacy, discouragement, and even burnout on this journey. Being a mom is hard enough--just feeding, clothing, and keeping everyone clean, safe, and reasonably sane is a big enough job! Add your children's academic, social, and intellectual development as your sole responsibility, and you can see how the pressure can quickly mount.
Hope for Homeschoolers
Thank God He doesn't call us to homeschool and then leave us in the trenches! His divine power, remember, has given us everything we need for life and godliness. He is so faithful to equip us. He doesn't call us to homeschool because we are amazing teachers and perfect homemakers (whew)! He calls us to homeschool because He wants us to shape our children's hearts and minds to follow after Him, even as He seeks to shape our own hearts and minds to be more like Christ.
Speaking truth to and over ourselves and our children is a key component to getting past these homeschool roadblocks. But we have to realize that this is best done when we can connect with others! Sometimes it's hard to see past our own roadblock; we need someone outside ourselves to speak truth lovingly to us.
This could be our spouse. A godly friend. A trusted mentor. Or even a group of like-minded mamas.
Do you have such a community? I hope so! If not, or if you're looking to expand your circle, you're more than welcome to join our private support group.
And if you're ready to dive deeper and really get a handle on overcoming these roadblocks (in community of course!), check out this upcoming workshop. I'd love to lock arms and do this together with you!
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The last month has been full: I had the privilege of being one of the workshop speakers at the Teach Them Diligently homeschool convention in Round Rock, Texas, where I presented a session with the following title:
Be Rooted in Your Homeschool:
Survive, Sustain, & Succeed for the Long Haul!
What a joy to meet and fellowship with like-minded homeschool moms and dads, who are educating their children not simply for all of the wonderful FRUITS homeschooling can provide, but also because they desire to help ROOT their children in the love and truth of God.
My convention session provided an opportunity to share our testimony. And God used it to confirm a calling that He put on my heart to speak to and mentor Christian homeschool mamas. Two weeks after the conference I offered a free virtual webinar (still available to view) to dive a little deeper into the 3Ps of the homeschool seed:
Purpose
Possibilities
Passions
I'm so excited to launch the BE ROOTED program, a 6-week discipleship and coaching program specifically for Christian homeschool mamas who desire to raise kingdom-minded disciples of Jesus. You can learn more about the program here!
I know there may be questions...feel free to contact me and we can set up a time for a quick chat to see if this is the next right step for YOU in your homeschool journey.
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