I am Not a Super Mom

Posted by Peggy | 0 comments

I love to read blogs but I have to be choosy about which blogs to read and when. Depending on my current situation I might find a blog uplifting or convicting or I might be discouraged – thinking that all of the other parents out in blog land have this thing down pat.

I always start each school year with the best of intentions. Plans are made – curriculum purchased. Schedules are made out. I envision days and days of cozy lesson readily completed by happy enthusiastic children.

And then I wake up….

The schedule I had dutifully completed for this school year looked like this:

7:30 am – Boys up – breakfast. Rooms straightened.

8:00 am – School begins. Everyone will start their respective math program.

9:00 am – The Grammar lesson of the day will be completed.

10 – 10:30 am – Break

10:30 – Writing

11:00 am – History as a group.

11:30 am – Science as a group

12:00 pm – Lunch

After lunch, reading and outside activities.

Instead it looked something like this:

8:00 am – Boys gradually stumble in as Mom – if she had to take medicine the night before – has her second cup of coffee and struggles to wake up. The dogs stand outside and bark. Mom begs boys to let dogs in. Boys – not fully conscious – do not understand the prompt. Mom lets dogs in and announces school will begin as soon as the room stops spinning. (Side effect from anti-nausea medications)

9:00 am – Mom announces school will begin. Boys cry that they have not had breakfast yet. Mom reminds them that cereal and waffles are all available and she had already told them to make their breakfast. (And there are picture schedules all over the house)

9:30 am – Boys start school. Youngest says ‘I’m tired, this is too easy’. Middle wants Mom next to him while he works. Oldest starts his math sheet and gets distracted by something shiny. Mom finishes with Middle and Oldest has exactly one problem done. Mom redirects Oldest and chases down Youngest and after a million and one ‘This is stupids’ Youngest gets his math done in record time. Meanwhile Oldest now has three problems done and Mom has the beginnings of a migraine.

After this time is not important. Middle grabs his science book and begins to read his lesson. Youngest goes to Youtube to find a spider video. Mom helps Oldest with math – not her best subject. Middle interrupts frequently to ask what he has to do next – forgetting the open and filled out planner in front of him on his desk. Youngest pretends that math is the only subject on his list.

Mom considers it a modern day miracle if everyone is ready for history AFTER lunch.

Reading this one would assume we have a discipline problem. I’m sure that’s part of the problem. Another part is the chronic illness I’ve struggled with the past year. I never know how I will be feeling one minute to the next – much less one day to the next. Also all of mine are Aspie’s and are not independent workers due to many issues.

As I write this I am too exhausted to feel discouraged. I simply pray for enough light for the step I am on at the moment. And I watch my blog reading and realize I should be reading The Word instead.

The point of this is to encourage other homeschooling parents. I am not a Super Mom. I don’t play one on TV and I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. I’m just a human being doing the best I can with God’s help. Realistically I know that my kids are getting more at home than they did during their school career – not matter how little it seems gets done each day. And God has made it quite clear this is His plan for us.

Remember to pray for His plan for your family and don’t feel discouraged that another family has a different plan.

Peggy Dalley has been married to her best friend and husband for 14 years. She uses the eclectic approach to homeschool their three sons, 12, 10 and 7. Her interests include writing unit studies, Bible study, history and she is working hard to become a Proverbs 31:10 woman instead of a Proverbs 21:9 woman.