To My Fellow Homeschool Parents: We Are Enough

"I quit!" Is this a familiar phrase?

There are some ways to combat this thinking caused by yet another day of meltdowns and what feels like little to no progress.

As a 6-year homeschooling veteran with four kids with varying needs, knowledge bases, and interests, things can get a little crazy some days. In those all-too-lonely moments, I quit for the moment, but not for good.

I have learned in that time some valuable skills: first, do not compare; second, we are all learning together; and lastly, breathe. We will all get this in time.

“Comparison is the thief of joy,” Theodore Roosevelt once said, and it was so true. We compare our kids to the school standards, to each other, and to other kids, then wonder if we are doing things wrong.

We need to stop this as soon as we can. It is a hard habit to break, as I know all too well, but we can break those habits.

We as homeschoolers often teach mastery, not test and dump, so they may not be on the same page as the schools, and that is fine. Do not let comparison steal joy from watching your lovely littles learn what you have taught them, and enjoy the moments where they randomly recall it.

We all learn new things every day, so remember that, and as Miss Frizzle always says, “Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy.”

It is ok to not know everything; most of us are not trained teachers, and that is ok too. We are learning as we go, and we need to remember that and give ourselves grace, just like we give our kids. New things are hard, but we are made to do those wonderfully hard things, and we will overcome them.

Inhale and exhale. Hopefully not blowing up again. Homeschooling is hard, frustrating, and can be anger- and tear-inducing, which is part of the journey some days. But there is light because we control our schedules and how our kids learn.

We can step back when things are getting too much for them or us and just slowly breathe and refocus. Move on to something else and come back later. Inhale and exhale; you've got this, and they will get it. Do not trap you both in a schedule that isn't working for either of you.

Breathe in and out and change plans; it's ok.

We got this as parents; you are enough for them. Let us stop comparing ourselves and our babies to everyone else. We are all different. Let us take back the joy of learning and growing together.

Breathe through the tough times; it's just a hard minute, not a hard life. We got this, and our kids will be better for it. Whatever we do, parents, praise yourself for the good days and the days we hold our tempers.