From the outside looking in, many people don’t understand what it’s like to be a homeschooling mom. I’m not even kidding how many times I’ve heard the comment, “How can you be around your kids all day?!” Like it is the most horrific thing that they can image. Then there are others that feel bad for you or they think you’re not capable of homeschooling your children. The typical, “I don’t have enough patience for that!” So, if you’re wondering what’s going on inside a homeschooling mom’s brain, here are some things that she wants you to know.
Don’t Feel Bad for Us.
Homeschooling our kids is a choice. Every day we wake up and make the decision to provide our kids with an education from home. Don’t feel bad for us, but do what you can to support us. (Please don’t insinuate that staying home with my kids all day is akin to some form of torture, I promise, it isn’t. I truly like (and love) my kids.) A word of encouragement goes a really long way! Feeling bad for a homeschooling mom does no good. Reach out to us, get to know us, and understand why we’re homeschooling our kids. The reasons may surprise you.
Being Social and Getting School Work Done Can be Hard, but it is Possible.
Most people are concerned that homeschoolers aren’t social enough. The opposite is true! Have you EVER met a homeschool kid or kids?! (I ultimately have had to teach my kids to not be OVERLY social.) There is so much going on with day to day activities that getting school work done can be a challenge. Often we have to say no for the better good of actually getting school work done! We love being social, but the balance can be hard.
We Enjoy Being around Our Children.
Some would say that homeschooling is hard because you’re around your kids 24/7. Yes, a break here and there is nice, but our kids and family mesh well together. This is also the very best way I have found that helps teach true conflict resolution. Learning to be around your siblings all day leads to disagreements sometimes; this is an amazing opportunity to teach our children how to properly handle conflicts that will arise in their lives. And honestly most homeschooling moms enjoy being around their kids all the time. It might sound weird, but it’s in the homeschooling bond.
We Learn Right Along with Our Kids.
There are things you and I might have forgotten from school, but with homeschooling we get the opportunity to learn all about it again. (Like history. My favorite class! We get to expound on all of the incredible events that have happened in our past with cool hands on projects. Or better yet, we can tour the museums for hours!) The coolest thing is learning something “again,” while your kid is learning it for the first time. No doubt we have many re-learning moments with our kids and it’s pretty awesome.
Homeschooling Our Kids is a Season.
While we’re homeschooling our kids right now, it may not always be this way. Some homeschoolers homeschool for a season and others for a lifetime. (I’m in it for the long haul. I am one year away from graduating my first kid. Cannot even believe I am this close to his final year!) It’s important to know that homeschoolers make decisions based off of life circumstances. Homeschooling moms and dads are always putting the interest of their kids first. It’s important to support homeschoolers in these decisions, no matter how you feel about things.
Homeschooling is a way of life, but that doesn’t exclude non-homeschoolers from being a part of it. If you have a question you’d like to ask a homeschooling mom, do it! She’s probably open to answering your questions. Rather than judging, get to know your local homeschooling families, they might just surprise you.
In His Grace,
Callie
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