To Whom it May Concern,
No, I am definitely not. More patient, I mean. The mere mention that I am homeschooling my children seemed to bring up a barrier between us that I’d like to demolish. For some unknown reason, the first thing you thought when you found out is that I must be more patient than you.
That is just plain wrong. I wish I could convince you.
You see, my conviction to homeschool my children does not come with a set of other-worldly characteristics that subsequently separates those who can from those who can’t. To the contrary, it is a decision that comes from deep beliefs and desires regarding my children’s education that then requires daily recognition of my own weaknesses. Lack of patience is one of those weaknesses.
The decision, therefore, is bigger than I am. I am no superwoman. I am not perfect. I am not even all that organized! What I am is committed. And stubborn. And a bit crazy. And boy, do I love those kids. That combination, I believe, is what it takes to do this thing called homeschooling. We all are capable. Or perhaps, to put it more truthfully, we all are equally incapable. It’s a monumental task, but one with immeasurable rewards.
Maybe if you witnessed the kind of things that happen each day you would understand. Maybe if you were peeking in on a morning that I slept too long and the littles were already arguing over a toy at 7:45 a.m. and my first response was to snap at them, you wouldn’t suggest that I have more patience than you. Maybe if you saw a time when my oldest took two hours to do ten math problems and my frustration got the better of me you’d realize that we’re all struggling with the some of the same flaws. Maybe if you were sitting beside me on an evening that I was just too tired to plan anything and decided to wing it with our schooling the next day it would be apparent that I am all too human, homeschooler or not.
The truth is, patience is not something you can buy at the store (don’t I wish!) but rather something that is attained bit by bit. I have had days when no patience was required (though few and far between) and days when I needed bucketloads more than I felt I had. There are a couple of things I do that help me along the way, as I stumble through this humbling and rewarding homeschooling journey.
- Pray. I pray for patience daily. Plugging in to the source of all strength and wisdom is essential.
- Adjust my expectations. Two year olds cannot sit still and wait for a 45 minutes lesson with an older sibling to be finished. So I can’t expect them to!
- Remember that I will fail, and God’s mercies are new each morning.
- Try to enjoy each moment, for the years fly by way too fast.
- Laugh a lot. At myself, mostly.
- Ask for forgiveness. My children need to know that we never have it all figured out, but we can go to the One who does have it all under control and get our slate wiped clean.
So believe me when I tell you that I’m just an ordinary mom called to an extraordinary task! I’m not qualified with an extra helping of patience or any other virtue, but I do love seeing my kids learn and like to think that I’m learning right beside them.
For now, my goal is patience. My curriculum is my kids.
Care to join me?
Sincerely,
Christine
Christine is a Christian, homeschooling mom to three boys and a girl, ranging in age from 9 to 2 years old. She is a musician by trade, eclectic in homeschool style, and continues to grow and learn along with her children in this journey of life and discipleship at home. Visit her blog at Fruit in Season.
Christine,
Great post! It’s so true. Thanks, for being real and telling it like it is or isn’t.
Beth
Beth’s last blog post..Week 23: Photo Challenge "Sepia Toned"
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Wow and thank you!
Kela’s last blog post..Dead, But Now Alive. Lost, But Now Found
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Exactly! I hear it all the time and think, “Are you kidding me? If you only knew!” I’ll be referring people to this post all over the place!
Suzanne’s last blog post..The Name Game – Let The Competition Begin!
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This was a great article. It’s good to know that I’m not the only one praying to learn patience.
Zinnada<
Zinnada’s last blog post..Night Walkers
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It does sort of put up a barrier, doesn’t it? I never thought of it that way.
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Well said.
Nobody starts out as a super hero. It’s only when ordinary folks take on extraordinary tasks when the magic happens.
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Awesome post! Thank you for sharing what lies beneath the surface of so many of us homeschooling moms. (We don’t all have the ability to put our thoughts into words.)
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Fantastic post.
Yep, we’re not super humans, but we aren’t when we become parents either. Thankfully, there is grace for our failures and tons of joy to make up for the difficult times.
~Luke
Luke Holzmann’s last blog post..One Year Anniversary
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Preach it, Sistah!! I really do hate it when people tell me I must, obviously!!, be very patient. Oh, if they could only be flies on the wall! Thanks for the good reminders.
Bethany L.’s last blog post..
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I usually get the response: “How can you stand being with them all day?! I LOVE my alone time, counting down the minutes til the school bus arrives, then dreading when I hear it drop them off!”
Hurts my heart…
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so true… so true.
After 18 years of homeschooling I can tell you I do not feel like I have any more patience than I did when I started. I guess I do have a little more but not much. I homeschool because I was called by God to do it. I love my children but often wonder if I am doing a good enough job. I pray the Lord will make up for what I lack. I know I am doing better for them emotionally and spiritually than the schools could but wonder at whether they are doing ok academically. I have many flaws and becoming a homeschool mom did not make them magically go away. In fact they bring to light many flaws in my character as well as in my kids, but that makes it so that we can better deal with them instead of covering them up or hiding them from each other.
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The only person that continually tells me I must be really patient is my mother – and from her I take that as a compliment. I think to some it may look like we have more patience, because everything about homeschooling is completely selfless – opposite of a world that preaches “self” first. I don’t believe patience is something to be aquired, but learned. Paul preaches “I have learned to be content in all things” – I think the key word here is “learned”. Great article, well said.
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