The “yes mom.” I’m afraid I may have morphed into her at some point. I’m not entirely sure how or when it happened but it left me a little unrecognizable. Yes, yes, yes…..I can do that! I can get you there and give you that and accommodate that.
There’s a lot of good stuff about this homeschool lifestyle we have chosen. Here are a few of my favorites. And you know that little voice of doubt, that little devil that sits on your shoulder and whispers doubts in your ear. As a homeschool mom I have one of those too. If I’m being honest all of the best things about homeschool have a flip side to them; some real and some imagined. I’m gonna share those too. Because, really, doesn’t it feel good to know we all have the same worries? This is the best and worst of homeschool at our house!
Of my four kids three have had a public school experience. They were generally successful. Academic pursuits come fairly easily to all four of my kids. We did not leave the public school system with an ax to grind.
Being out and about with four kids can be a spectacle. Three of my four are boys so there is usually some type of loud, mildly inappropriate noise and distracting, repetitive movement happening somewhere in my group. My kids are all tall and big for their age so people assume they are all several years older than they truly are. People stare. The introvert in me wants to crawl under a rock and wait for them to grow up a bit before we venture out again.
“Love is patient. Love is kind.” Except sometimes love makes you want to hide in the pantry and binge eat mediocre gluten free Oreo substitutes.
Any homeschooler that is honest would tell you that some homeschool days stink. No matter how early you wake up, or what awesome experience you are prepped for; it just doesn’t work. Maybe someone doesn’t feel well or a too late practice the night before. Most often there is no discernible cause. It just is. Sigh.
I love, love, love to sing the praises of homeschooling. We just sit around our kitchen table all day getting smart, basking in sibling on sibling kindness, and endless parental patience. Ummmm, no.
My kids have spent the last two weeks like sloths, hanging off the edge of the couch, barely able to support their own body weight. There has been complaints of boredom, tiredness, and and a lack of purpose that could drive an adult with a mile long to do list batty.
As a homeschool mom I’m sure you have heard every variety of the statements below. I know I have. Sometimes it leaves me feeling a little deflated. Does our version of school look that unappealing from the outside?