Tips for the Struggling Homeschool Mom

At some point in almost every mother’s life, she finds herself struggling and feeling alone. The added responsibility of homeschooling can make this weight even heavier.

• I don’t like where we are in our scheduled curriculum.
• Phonics isn’t going as planned.
• The house seems to be falling apart while I  homeschool the littles.
• I can’t figure out how to keep the two year old out of the peanut butter while I’m reading to the 3rd grader. (I may have personal experience with this one!)
  

It’s easy to feel alone. When we look around, other moms seem to be doing things  perfectly while we are struggling to survive.

Dear Momma, You Are Not Alone!

Simple strategies for defeating the struggles we all face from time to time:

• Are you having personal devotion time during the day? It doesn’t have to take long, but remembering to read a chapter or a few verses each day can make a real difference in your attitude. My favorite Bible study resource for easy devotions can be found on Good Morning Girls.
• Be real. If we try to show others our very best all the time, we are deceiving them, but we are also robbing ourselves of the blessings that come when others see our very real struggles and begin to pray and reach out to help. Don’t be afraid to tell a trusted friend when you are having a hard time with your homeschooling.
• Find an older, trusted woman who will agree to pray for you. Share your struggles with her and listen when she offers you her thoughts on how she might change things or re-organize your day.
• Do you have a support network? Find other homeschooling moms who might like to meet and have discussions about their own challenges. Sometimes, it takes another perspective to find a solution. Other times, it’s nice to have a listening ear. Your group might be willing to meet once a month or perhaps organize group field trips during the week.
• Look for a local homeschool support group. If you are struggling to find other homeschoolers in your area, you might try contacting your state homeschooling organization, asking other homeschooling parents or searching the internet for local groups on websites like Facebook.
• Don’t compare yourself to other homeschoolers. We are all individuals with different strengths and weaknesses. What works for one family, may not work or your family.

The most important thing to remember is we have all been there at one time or another. A very wise person once told me, “It’s not your job to teach your child everything. It’s your job to teach your child to learn.” It painted an entirely new perspective for me as I realized homeschooling didn’t have to be perfect.

What my children really need is to love good books and appreciate the glorious world God has given.