Attention Perfect Homeschooling Moms

Are you trying to give your child the perfect education or the perfect homeschooling experience? If you think about this logically you'll know that this isn't possible. In our hearts, however, parents want to do the best they can for their children, do the most possible for their children... and we often beat ourselves up when we fall short.

Relax! You are not perfect and God doesn't expect you to try to be perfect. Us moms, especially, need to cut ourselves some slack. The memories your children keep the longest won't necessarily be WHAT you did with them but WHAT KIND OF ATTITUDE you did it with. If you are stressed because you feel you aren't measuring up, that will negatively affect your child more than if you aren't teaching a lesson well.

Having chosen to homeschool, you may find that your house stays messier and your laundry never quite gets put away... If this stresses you out, you need to remember what's really important in life. When you're on your deathbed, will you regret that you didn't keep your house cleaner - or will you regret that you didn't enjoy the time you had with your kids because you were stressed out about not feeling like you were measuring up.

If you find yourself stressed out and feeling like you don't measure up, remember the following:

• You Need to Take Occasional Breaks - We recently went on a family camping trip. My husband and my sons went off by themselves fishing several times. They absolutely loved it! When they would go off fishing, I would stay back at the campsite and read a good book. Our boys discovered that they LOVE to fish, so I got a lot more reading time in that I thought I would as well. I felt so recharged after that trip, having had some long overdue time to myself.





• Accept Help from Others - You can't do it all. You may think that since you're home all day you should be able to run the entire household singlehandedly. Homeschooling is a full time job. You will need to accept help from your husband and kids in order to get everything done.
• You Are NOT Perfect - Don't expect perfection from yourself or from others. No one is capable of being perfect!
• Be Flexible - Things won't always go according to your plans. That's alright. You must be flexible and adapt to your current situation. Remember, some of the best homeschooling lessons for you AND for your kids are when things go off of plan and are spontaneous.

Enjoy your role as homeschooling wife and mother! And be flexible. If you can adapt to changing circumstances and stop sweating the small stuff, you and your family will end up on top, no matter what comes your way.

Check out the below resources for more information:

Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe: Learning to Live the Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth By Todd Wilson / Familyman Ministries You look around, Mom, and what do you see? Everyone else's kids are better. Everyone else's home is cleaner. Everyone else fixes better meals. Everyone else is more disciplined and more spiritual. Everyone else's marriage is better. Everyone else can do it all. Every other mom loves homeschooling. Everyone else is more capable. You are the only one who is falling apart and who feels the way you feel. Why do you see those things? Because, believe it or not, everyone else sees them too, and feels the same way you do---the crushing pressure to meet expectations, to be perfect, and to at least keep up appearances when they can't. Let Todd Wilson draw back the curtain and show you what you can't see. Go behind the scenes with him and discover the reality. With gentle encouragement, anecdotes shared from his own life, and that lighthearted wit that brings such comfort and the relief of laughter to those who can identify, Todd will help you see the lies that bind you and steal your joy. You are not perfect---you may even be far from your ideal---but you are not a failure and you are not alone! Learn the truths that you need to lift your heavy load, take your joy back, and gain the courage and freedom to be real with others . . . and give them the precious gift of being able to be real with you.

Homeschooling but Still Married: How to Be a Great Wife...Even though You Homeschool When homeschooling takes all the time and strength you've got (and more!), how can you possibly be and do everything it takes to be a great wife, too? Actually, it's easier than you think and it's the key to a great marriage as well as a successful homeschool. Meeting your husband's needs will naturally increase his involvement in your marriage, your family, and your homeschool---when you take care of your marriage, you'll find that homeschooling will take care of itself. As part of a homeschooling family himself (and as a man married to a homeschooling wife), Todd Wilson intimately understands your struggles and constantly piles on the encouragement while striving to avoid adding to any sense of guilt or failure that you may already struggle with. In his personable and witty down-to-earth style, Todd shares key ways you can nurture your relationship with your husband and help your marriage (and your homeschool) flourish.

A Mom Just Like You: The Home Schooling Mother By Vickie & Jayme Farris / B & H Publishing Group As a homeschool mom, you juggle so much! Housework. Curriculum planning. Teaching. Discipline. If you've ever felt like you're drowning or wondered whether to continue, this book---written by a homeschool mother of 10---is for you. Personal insights and Bible-based wisdom gleaned from years of experience will bolster your resolve and confidence, and help you balance it all without sacrificing your own well-being. 288 pages, softcover from B&H.

The Heart of Homeschooling By Christopher Klicka / B & H Publishing Group Raising children is hard work, but the homeschooling family has particular needs that are particular to their situation. Many families start out strong, but give up or cheat along the way; but there is help and encouragement to be found! The Heart of Homeschooling brings a poignant focus upon what really matters, being faithful in the spiritual aspects of homeschooling, not just the academics. Principles that came directly from Chris and Tracy Klicka's life, you'll see their own experience raising seven children as well as the principle's they've learned along the way. 218 pages, softcover.