There’s a stigma out there that homeschool moms can do it all. We teach our kids. We have all the patience in the world. We keep our houses tidy. We always have a gourmet meal on the table. But, the truth is, being a homeschool mom doesn’t mean I have to be Super Mom.
When I come across someone who doesn’t homeschool, the first thing I typically hear from them is, “Oh, I don’t have the patience for that!” Well, let me let you in on a little secret- Neither do I.
Hot mess express
I have felt like the Hot Mess Express lately. My soon-to-be one year old has been keeping me on my toes, as usual. But, add in teething, going out of town, and a new homeschool year into the mix, and Little Miss just doesn’t know what to do with herself. Cry fests on the regular. It has made my temper super short and my patience at about the level of zero.
For whatever reason, people think I have it all together. I don’t know where they get this fairy tale from. Maybe it’s from social media and posting our happy moments. Maybe it really is because we homeschool that they think I have some super power to just be patient all the time. But, I yell at my kids too often, lose my patience, and have all the same struggles that other parents have.
Homeschool Mom doesn’t equal Super Mom
If you are one of the homeschool moms who has a clean house, despite her kids living there all the time, you’re my hero. My house is probably the thing that suffers the most. Between laundry needing put away and the floors constantly needing swept, I feel like there’s little time to clean the toilets and make sure the shelves are dusted.
My kids have cereal nearly everyday. Our lunches consist of macaroni and cheese. We have pizza every Friday night. We do try to cook nearly every night, but if I can make one meal stretch for three days, you better believe I’m going to be adding potatoes or rice to it to make it happen. My kids are fed and they’re healthy, and that’s all that matters.
Being a mom of a little princess while trying to homeschool my older kids has put me more on edge than I think I would be otherwise. I mean, who isn’t on edge when they’re up half the night feeding their child who still thinks she needs to eat like a newborn while she’s teething?
You see, I have the same struggles the typical mom has. I’m trying to juggle my kids’ activities, my work, school work, chores, and the baby, every single day. It doesn’t all get done. It isn’t always pretty. But, I never let a day go by that I’m not thankful for the life I’ve been blessed with.
We’re all in this homeschool mom thing together
If you feel like you’re drowning in your responsibilities that motherhood has handed you, you’re not alone. Don’t believe the pictures social media shows you. Behind those beautiful pictures is a world of chaos you’re not seeing. I promise you, that friend you think is perfect probably just yelled at her 10 year old before snapping that photo.
What’s a mom to do?
If you’re feeling like you can’t get your stuff together, there are some steps you can take to give yourself a little grace.
Don’t make too large of a to-do list.
Keep things simple. Add tasks to your daily to-do list that you know you can for sure tackle, then add more if you’re able. I also like to make a weekly to-do list so if I have a rougher than usual day, I can just pick up the next day and know I have plenty of time to get it all done.
Don’t get caught up on checking boxes.
Okay, you box checkers, listen up. You don’t have to do it all just because a piece of paper says you do. If you can shorten a lesson, shorten it. If you can only accomplish numbers 1-15 on a lesson instead of 1-30, that’s okay. You only read one chapter today instead of three? Your world won’t end. The beauty of homeschooling is that you should be able to make homeschooling work well around your life, not force your life to mold around your homeschool.
Learn to give yourself some grace.
Take time to sit and breathe. I know, time is precious and there’s little of it with all of the responsibilities you have. But, take a time out (even if it’s just for one minute) to read something encouraging. Whether it’s one chapter of a book (like Triggers or Teaching from Rest), or a small piece of scripture, take a small time out and get that piece of encouragement you need in the middle of your day. And give yourself some grace, mom. You’re doing a great job!
After all, motherhood is not a competition to see who has the smartest kids, the cleanest homes, the healthiest dinners, the nicest clothes…motherhood is YOUR journey with YOUR children. (I can’t take credit for this quote, but can’t find who to give credit to. Whoever you are, you nailed it)
We all know we aren’t super mom, and that’s okay. We aren’t meant to carry that kind of burden. When you see a homeschool mom who looks like she has it all together, underneath, she’s the same hot mess as the rest of us.
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