Let’s get real for a minute, shall we? Homeschooling is hard. We homeschool moms (and dads) struggle with things like loneliness, or comparing ourselves with others, or wondering if we’re doing enough, or...or...or…
Any homeschooling mom that tells you they don’t think about those things is either hiding something or they know some great secret that I haven’t figured out in my 11 years of homeschooling.
Secret Struggles Are Real
But there’s another level of hard that we deal with, too.
It's the crawl into the closet and sob kind of hard. You know...all that stuff we don't want to admit to ourselves, much less talk to someone else about.
Things like:
- My kid hates homeschooling and begs to go to public school every day.
- My husband isn’t really on board and it’s ruining our marriage.
- I really want to keep homeschooling my kids, but I HATE teaching!
- I have GOT to get away from these kids!
- We accomplished nothing this week...absolutely nothing.
We all go to places in our minds that we wouldn’t dare utter to another soul.
But why? Why do we struggle in secret?
What are we so afraid of?
I suspect it’s that microscope that people put us under for no other reason than because we homeschool our kids. It’s as if people expect us to prove that we’re qualified or capable.
So we act like everything is ok...even when it’s absolutely not.
We have to remind ourselves that there are others out there dealing with the same stuff. We have to bring our secret struggles out into the open and share them!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says,
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”
I believe that Scripture to be true, and so I have teamed up with 12 other homeschool bloggers to tackle the tough issues that we try to keep secret. Together, we hope to encourage, strengthen, and guide you through our shared understanding, experience, and wisdom. We'll be here all month to help each other up when one falls down.
Today, I’d like to kick things off with my number one strategy for dealing with the hard stuff.
Get Out of Your Head
When I sit and mull over my problems, focusing my attention on myself, I end up miserable. Everything becomes a jumbled mess that I can’t make any sense of, much less do anything about!
So, I do a couple of things to get out of my own head.
First, I get everything down on paper. Some people call this a brain dump, or journaling...I personally call it “Releasing Thoughts.” It’s how I get all those things that are swarming around in my head to a place where I can release its power over me and begin to think logically about it. When it’s in my head, it’s like I can never catch it or hold onto it long enough to make any headway.
Putting it on paper captures it so I can pray over it and patiently determine how best to handle it.
Then, I remind myself of J.O.Y.
J = Jesus
O = Others
Y = Yourself
This little acronym reminds me how my thinking should be - on Jesus first, then on helping and serving others, then on myself.
When I keep my focus on Jesus first, then on others, I am less likely to get overwhelmed and depressed.
If you’ve never tried getting your thoughts onto paper then I invite you to download the free Releasing Thoughts printable that I use. You don’t have to use it - any old piece of paper will do.
Just remember, friends, when we’re within God’s will, you can bet the bank that Satan will come at us with everything he’s got. He will make us doubt ourselves and our abilities; he will fill us with fear and guilt and make us think we have to keep our struggles a secret.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” ~ Ephesians 6:12
We will stand together, holding each other up, encouraging, guiding, and strengthening one another.
Join us all month as we tackle the tough stuff! Sign up for the newsletter and I’ll send you a weekly email with all the great content from homeschool moms all over the world.
More posts in the series:
What's Your Secret Struggle Homeschool Mom? Series Introduction
3 Simple Steps to Discipline in Your Homeschool
Wanting Time Away From the Kids
I Want to Homeschool, But I Don't Want to Teach
Super Simple Homeschool Record Keeping
When Your Homeschool Child Begs To Go To Public School
Living with Allergies and Asthma: What Parents Need You to Know
Am I Qualified to Homeschool a Child with Dyslexia?
Helps for Your Unmotivated Teen
Hold On There Homeschool Mom, You Can't Do Everything!
My older son went through a phase (a LONG phase) in middle and early high school when he wanted to go to “real school”. He was embarrassed that he was homeschooled. (The phase ended once we joined a co op and he met his need for more social interaction). Fast forward to his last years of high school and first years of college and he’s THANKFUL that we homeschooled him the entire way. He realizes that he received a fantastic education at home. My point in saying this is to stay the course. If God is calling you to homeschool, He will be faithful to complete the good work He started.