I decided to homeschool as an answer to a calling by God. It's been a major roller coaster emotionally for me. While most of the responses I've had were positive, there were also well meaning friends or family that made remarks of their "concern" for my children. Which is really ridiculous if you ask me.....you've never been concerned about my kids' well being up until this point, and I've been a mother for 10 years.
Right now we're struggling to find our rhythm. We've got our daily routine down, and that's great. But figuring out how to teach in a way that all 3 love learning has been a challenge. And the even bigger challenge for me is that because there are endless possibilities on how to homeschool your child, there hasn't really been one person that fully understands me and how I'm choosing to go about this. I'm struggling to remember that everyone does this journey differently, so I don't have to hold stock in anyone's opinion on the matter.
I love having my girls home. Nothing beats that. Looking back I really should have known this was the direction I would end up taking, based on my reaction every new school year. I missed my girls terribly while they were at school. It just didn't sit fully with me. I love knowing that it doesn't have to.
With all that being said, it's obviously not all flowers and rainbows and puppies. We have struggles. Daily, at this point. It's a learning process for all of us. But I have noticed positive changes in all 3 of their personalities. There are still things I struggle with in terms of doubts and feeling inadequate, but I also know that is a part of being a mother.
So through my babbling, here is my main point. There are going to be times that I am down, times that I'm going to be stressed over what we're doing. Please, please - I beg you - please don't try and "fix" my problems. I know there are many people that are solution-minded, but unless I ask you for advice that is the absolute last thing I need. In your attempts at trying to help me, I end up feeling even more alienated, alone and frustrated. All I need from you is an ear for listening, a shoulder for crying, and encouragement that says "I love you. You are doing the best thing for your kids. You are answering God's call, and He will not let you fall." I need to feel stronger and in a mindset of feeling ready to tackle my issues before I can accept all of your well intentioned words of advice, links, resources and thoughts on the matter. If you're not sure, you can always ask me. I won't hesitate to let you know.
