This is our third year of homeschool, and my first year of having two full-time students. With a preschooler and an infant, I knew getting into a routine or schedule could take some time and tweaking before we got things working for us. To be honest, having a new baby and a three year old with serious behavior issues has made this a bigger struggle than I anticipated. We have tried to get into a rhythm, but with frequent appointments and interruptions, it has been tricky.
We’re doing our best right now to enjoy our school work, but some days it feels like a struggle. My theme for this year has quickly become “Let it go.” I have had to let go of a lot of my expectations for what I thought this school year would look like. I’ve had to let go of the need to have a super tidy house and a plethora of homeschooling classes and field trips under our belts. I’ve just had to let go of my own expectations for this very challenging season.
And that’s okay.
It is a season, after all. We will do more as we are able, and that’s what matters.
For now, I’ll share what my day looks like. You’re sure to get a laugh out of it!
*Disclaimer: Stop reading if you don’t have a sense of humor.
What Our Homeschool Day Really Looks Like
7:30 The oldest children (9&5) awake. TV comes on.
7:31 Child 3 awakes. Rages about TV. I perk up for a second and will myself to crawl away from my bedsharing baby girl. The struggle begins.
7:35 Coffee while being accosted with a million questions. Pretend I want them to turn off the tv, but I don’t really mean it. Yet. Force people to choose a breakfast option. Someone is mad. Someone cries. There’s a lot of free-T in this household, so it’s kind of aggressive around here.
8:30 Okay, time to get this boat in the water. Do your chores, boys. Get dressed.
Declare Schoolwork Must Commence
9:00 Declare it is time to start school work. Meet resistance. Fortify myself and declare it again. Eldest child huffs. Middle child spins in circles. Adorable Mayhem child screams. Mom takes a deep breath and repeats herself. Reminds kids homeschool is a privilege.
9:03 Drag out all the kindergarten materials. Sit down to start. Uh oh, baby sister is awake. Interruption #1 of 465.
9:24 Baby is fed and changed. Sit down to start with kindergarten kiddo. Adorable Mayhem needs a snack because he refused breakfast. He wants a chocolate chunk granola bar. Fine, terrific! We’re out. Adorable Mayhem screams like a stuck hog. Interruption #2 is in the books.
9:27 Start again with kindergartener. Eldest child- “Mom, can you check this?” Interruption #3 is in the books and mom is still not finished with her coffee.
9:37 Adorable Mayhem needs me to wipe his bottom. Seventeen minutes later, he is actually ready for that to happen.
9:55 Break up a fight over the TV remote. “Also, why are you even trying to turn on the TV? You’re supposed to be working on school stuff right now.” Start muttering “Serenity now,” under my breath.
10:01 Kindergarten student reads to me, and it’s magical! Celebrate this victory by giving myself a mental pat on the back. Remind myself this is why I torture myself homeschool, and feel renewed in my quest to give my kids the best education that I can.
10:02 Smile triumphantly because I am doing this, and even when it’s difficult, it is completely worth it. Repeat above scenarios as many times as needed to get our day’s work accomplished. Embrace the mayhem and move forward.
Any mom who tells you that homeschooling is all sunshine and rainbows is probably not really being honest.
Do the good times and the successful times outweigh the tough times? For sure. But just like anything worth doing, it takes work. It takes confidence in yourself and your parenting choices. It takes fortitude to keep on keeping on, even when life is moving at a rapid clip around you and you’re being pulled in ten different directions. The good news is that your mindset is everything, and being able to embrace your children and meet them right where they are is exactly what we are doing. For that reason, even our toughest days still fit the bill for success!
