Handling The Hard Days
Together In Unison:
Homeschool Is A Blessing
We all believe it to be true that homeschool is a privilege and a blessing. We have all experienced the remarkable rewards that come from teaching and inspiring our children.
With that truth, we must also acknowledge that not every moment of our homeschool journey would we want to be placed in a frame.
Every day isn't spent at the beach, wrapping up a worksheet, and laughing up a storm.
Most days are spent in the home, working together, and investing in the process of learning.
While each day is a gift in however it looks,
There have been more than a handful of days that were just...
hard.
Hard days come in many packages:
Insecurities in your own abilities
A cloud of doubt that you aren't doing things right
A task, worksheet, or day met with resistance
Loss of motivation or fatigue...
But unlike an Amazon package, you can't track when they will be arriving.
They just show up.
It's easy to lose sight of the importance of addressing these tough days because we ourselves chose this path, so how can we feel anything but joy, right? But speaking up about these days is worth the tarnish on my great homeschool mom reputation, especially if it can be of any help.
In our first year, it was the writing. In our second year, it was the reading. In our third year, it is T.B.D. Each year brings with it a subject that challenges my children's seemingly inward most being. Since each day will involve their ever-changing challenge, a hard day is just waiting in the wings.
So what do we do with these hard days?
How can we use them, instead, for good?
Don't Ignore Them
Attempting to gloss the hard days over and pretend that they aren't that bad or don't exist, is not good for anyone. Accept that the day didn't go as planned or desired and that there will be another day- a better day. Hard days aren't every day. Admitting defeat in that moment does not mean that all is lost and we quit, it means that we are recognizing that the enormous responsibility we typically excel at each day, just got the better of us.
Give Yourself Grace
Practice forgiving your mistakes, because we all make them. Just because we have a passion and gift to teach our children doesn't mean we will be able to do it flawlessly every day, unfortunately. Growing pains goes the same for growing minds, so their emotions and their testing of you can be expected. If you're anything like me, my reaction to it though isn't always so understanding. Allowing myself some grace restores my mindset and gives me the security that I can still do this.
See The Bigger Picture
It's the hard days that so often pave the way for growth and progress. When in the midst of a hard day, it may be difficult to shake it. Experiencing them can feel defeating, but looking back I see that those days taught us all perseverance, responsibility, and dedication. Lessons that go beyond just the pencil and paper sitting in front of them. Hang on to the bigger picture- the principles you're teaching them, the time invested in them, and although the hard days still won't be welcomed, they can at least be of value.
We Are In It Together!
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