Heart of the Matter Article - Getting it from the Head to the Heart

Almost every homeschool blogger I know has one. You know, the posts about “A Real Day.” Apparently we all feel led at one point or another to make sure other moms know that life isn’t perfect, school doesn’t always get done, the laundry is usually piled on the sofa, and we occasionally sleep a little late. But then it is back to regular programming, that post gets buried with all the others, and moms are left reading about joyful, peaceful homeschool days reminiscent of The Walton’s.

While we all know we shouldn’t compare ourselves and our homeschools to others, getting that head knowledge into our hearts can be the hard part. We end up always wondering if we are doing it right, if there is a better curriculum out there, if so-and-so’s children are better behaved or are reading better. The constant comparison, wondering, worrying and guilt we carry around with us can prevent us from experiencing the true JOY of this journey.

“We are all unique and bring something different to the homeschool table” . . . blah blah blah. It sounds great, but unless we truly believe it, it’s just a bunch of pretty words. I have written about this several times and have told it to myself even more, but really believing it is hard for me. Most recently I have been struggling with a daily schedule. Trying to find enough hours in the day to exercise and read devotionals, spend quality time with the girls learning and reading books, having the house not look like a tornado hit it for once, attempting to look somewhat decent when my husband comes home, and trying to get enough sleep so that I can wake up and do it all again has been very difficult. It seems as though I have two stages – the first is where everything is going like clockwork and getting done but I am constantly exhausted and feeling like I am playing beat the clock, or the second stage where none of it gets done, and I gain 15 pounds!

This second stage is where I have been stuck for the last six months. Even while finding my own groove in how we school, I have been trapped feeling like I had to have the schedule of everyone else. I constantly beat myself up for not being able to get as much done each day as the others I read about. I would make a new schedule every week, trying different variations of the same thing – wake up early (way before everyone else in the house), exercise, start the dishes and laundry, fix my husband’s lunch, have my quiet time, fix a wonderful wholesome breakfast for the family, start school by 9:00am, make lunch, clean the house and have dinner ready when my husband comes home. This might be what your schedule looks like, and it might work for you, but this has not worked for me. For whatever reason, I am wired differently I guess.

But a new hope has been birthed in me, thanks to a post on the Five in a Row Message Boards!! When I shared about my struggles, someone mentioned that in her home, the morning was when the children had free play and she did housework, emails and blogging (I will add exercise here as well). After lunch is when they did school for 2-3 hours and then it was time for errands, more free play with the kids, dinner and bed. A REVELATION!!

• I can start school AFTER lunch?!?
• I can do what seems to come naturally to me -- catch up on computer time while waking up, use the burst of energy I get after to do what I dislike the most (cleaning the house) and save the highlight of my day (school time with the girls) for later?
• We can start school after lunch and when we are done, already have the house clean, exercise done and have the rest of the day for real free play?
• Can I really break the classic rule of school first in the morning?
• Is there really such a rule after all???

I have no idea if this new schedule will work for us or not, or if this will help anyone else out there, but I wanted to share one more myth that I have dispelled for myself. I hope this gives you the freedom to break some of the rules you have created in your own minds and propels you to a schedule that can truly bring JOY to your day and family!!!

If you have advice or insights you would like to share with us on how you schedule your day or if you have any other homeschool myths you’d like to dispel, please post your thoughts in the comment section! We’d love to hear from you!!
The Heart of the Matter is giving away a copy of the life-changing book See, I Told Me So.

This compilation of 18 heart-warming stories answers the cry of anxious
homeschoolers everywhere. Homeschool veterans from many walks of life share from
their experiences: their challenges, their fears, their trials and triumphs.
Each contributor, be it the graduated son or the mother who homeschooled him,
offers the same assurance: "We could have stopped worrying years ago and you can
stop worrying today."

To enter this giveaway, simply go to my article at HOTM's site, and leave a comment there (but please leave one here, too!)