Are you new to homeschooling or thinking about doing so in the future? What do you think of when homeschooling comes to mind? A beautifully coiffed Mom teaching her neatly dressed children, while simultaneously polishing the furniture and baking bread? Exquisitely mannered children doing everything they can to please said Mother? This is my wake-up call to you…that’s not reality!
Don’t fall into the trap of believing all the sugar-coated stories you hear of homeschooling! While there may be amazing families out there who seem to exemplify perfection- this is not the norm! Homeschooling families are real families with real issues, just like yours.
This was almost my homeschooling downfall- I was comparing myself to the fairy tale version of it, and if you’re a new homeschooler, you need to know the truth! That’s what I’m going to tell you today.
– Your house will be messy at times, but learning is happening, and memories are being made!
My table looks like this at least three times a day.
It will get cleaned!
This is where the learning and memories come in.
Remember that your house is lived in 24 hours a day. Don’t beat yourself up if it gets a little cluttered at times. It happens when you’ve got kids at home- all the time.
– Your laundry will pile up, but that’s a great excuse to do school in your jammies!
Don’t panic. This is extreme- I’ve got twelve people in the house and one washer and dryer.
Bailey learning in his jammies
Yes, there are going to be days when your kids have to wear mismatched socks (that happens a lot here) or you will remember the night before church that your son doesn’t have clean pants (that happens a lot here, too). That’s okay. It’ll get done. If my kids are perfectly happy wearing their pajamas, and we’re not going anywhere, that’s fine! Less laundry for me!
– There will be bickering and crying at times (and not always by the kids!!), but love and friendship will win out!
Notice the mismatched socks!
– There will be days…or weeks that you feel just plain burned out, but flexibility is one of the benefits of homeschooling.
Take the day off and go somewhere!
Put in a DVD or let your kids follow their own interests for a while. Believe me, that’s learning at its best!
That’s a salamander she’s holding.
– You’re going to want need to be alone at times, but that’s okay! Everyone needs some downtime. If having some alone time is going to help you be a better parent, by all means, do it! If you can’t actually get away (like me), get creative. Take a few extra minutes in the shower, send the kids outside, or let them watch TV (they’ll be fine).
I didn’t write this post to discourage you, but to encourage you. Homeschooling is such a tremendous blessing and joy, but if you go into it with unrealistic expectations, you run the risk of disappointment, which homeschooling is not.
What advice would you give to new or prospective homeschoolers?
Linking up with
http://www.happyandblessedhome.com/2014/01/family-fun-friday-week-54.html
http://www.soyoucallyourselfahomeschooler.com/2014/02/01/new-homeschool-mothers-journal-2114/
http://momstheword–livingforhim.blogspot.com/2014/02/self-control-is-our-wall-of-protection.html?m=1
http://the-life-of-faith.blogspot.com/2014/02/mommy-moments-80.html?m=1
http://www.hiphomeschoolmoms.com/2014/02/hhms-favorite-posts-hip-homeschool-hop-242014/
http://www.growinghomeblog.com/growing-homemakers-link-134/
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There's No Place Like Home 
I had to laugh at the mismatched sock comment because my daughter wears mismatched socks on purpose! I’m glad I’m not the only one whose table looks like that! The happy faces of your beautiful children tell us you’re doing a great job !
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Thank you!
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My granddaughter wears mismatched socks on purpose only. Is this a new fad? I don’t have young children anymore, but our daughter and 3 1/2 year old grandson live with us. Yes, this is reality. Anytime children live in your home. Enjoy every moment
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Thank you! You enjoy those grandchildren!
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hahahahah I loved this! ❤ I only teach one … and there are only three people in our home right now… but I so agree and understand all of this! ❤ Thank you for writing from the heart!
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Thank you for visiting!
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You’re just at all the fun link-ups, aren’t you? Great words of advice for new homeschooling moms, especially the messy house. I think it’s one surprise people have when they start homeschooling. You have more stuff, and more people in the house all the time. It just kind of comes with the territory.
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As a homeschool grad, I would sum this post up in one phrase: Don’t sweat the small stuff! I don’t remember the undone laundry. In high school, I was 100% responsible for my own lunch. When you get overwhelmed as a mom, you’ve got to think long term, overall goal… Think past this difficult moment (because it definitely isn’t always easy). It. Will. Be. Worth. It.
Visiting from A Mama’s Story! You’re my linky neighbor.
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Thanks for visiting and the great advice! I love having a hs grad’s perspective!
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I am homeschooling my Kindergartner. I keep seeing 100 Days of School stuff this last week. I was a bit worried because I am only on day 75 with the A Beka program. But oh well, right? We’ll just go longer in the June/July – I love the flexibility of homeschool. And homeschool in pajamas? That’s my favorite part!
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Visiting from A Mama’s Story — fortunately I do know some REAL homeschooling families, so I’ve got that going for me… but I do often wonder if I can handle it all!!
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My advice? Keep it simple!
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Ha ha! That’s a picture of my house. We make sure that Saturdays are clean up day but by Wed the house is wrecked. Joining you from List-It Tuesday
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Your house is better than mine…we clean three times a day, but if you would come to my house right now, you would think we never did anything!
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Wow, your Mount Laundry is larger than mine! I only have 8 people in my house and I thought that piled up.
Homeschooling is messy, time consuming, but worth every minute. Watching my oldest children grab a board game to play in the kitchen together, the little ones playing together, the spark when reading or math finally click are what makes homeschool worthwhile.
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Mount Laundry…I’m going to start using that!:-)
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Ha! I loved all the “real life” pictures. If only we all could be so transparent.
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Someone’s got to do it, right?:-)
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Love the transparency! Thanks for linking this post up at Anything Goes. 🙂
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Love it. Its hard with nonstop playing going around to keep a house “clean” mine is a never-ending task with only 3 littles 5, 3, and 7 months.
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I once saw a yard sign that read ”Don’t mind the mess- my children are making memories!” I need that!
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So important to remember that children don’t necessarily learn best when the house is clean, tidy, ordered. We moms just like it better that way, for our brains 🙂 I agree on having down days, or even a week or more (depending on how many children you’re schooling), and that letting them follow their interests for a while is a GREAT idea. I’m to the point with my daughter, who’s 14, that I ask her input on what courses to study. She’ll learn more if she loves what she’s learning.
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Exactly. I also have a 14 year old, and she loves the shows Sherlock and Psych, so we’ve designed her entire curriculum for next year around private investigation.
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Thank you so much for this! I felt so encouraged. Just recently I read another blog about a homeschooling family and I wanted to cry by the time I was done. It looked perfect… your scene describes us perfectly.we have a farm, lots of chores so there are days when watching out for 12.000 baby chicks or delivering calves takes over. The laundry scene could be mine! I comfort myself with the fact that as long as they have something relatively clean we will be OK;) I take joy in the fact that their hearts are mine and I know its because of the hours we have spent together. This is why I thank God that we can home school! May God bless you for your honesty!
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You’re so welcome! I think sometimes people want to paint this beautiful picture of homeschooling, and it IS beautiful, but they make it look like something that a real, imperfect family could never do. And that makes me sad.
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Thank you so much for your encourage ment! We have a family of 8 along with a farm. Your kitchen table looks just like mine does a lot. I rejoice in the fact that their hearts are mine which I know is a result of the many hours we spend together and God doing a work in their lives! God bless you for your honesty!
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Mount Laundry, Mount Neverending, Mount constantcompanion, Way of the cross, Mount of filth (can be used for dishes too. Love the naked truth of your post. It’s so true. I struggle mostly with trying to keep a clean house and have very unrealistic expectations of how my house should be. However, to let it get too out of control and I can’t think… literally, can’t think. Thinks have to be tidy or I go insane. I can handle a little dirt, I can handle piles of clean laundry but when I feel like the entire house is against me, I just don’t function. I set my kids to do the work they can handle on their own and then I tackle mount doom, both of them (laundry and dishes). Between cooking, cleanup, homeschooling 2 sometimes 3 children, plus 3 other little ones under foot and one at the breast most of the day, it’s all I can manage. Hubby took over the bill, and the kids math. He even chimes in with science, english and social studies when needed. My biggest two kids can wash clothes and are ages (almost) 9 yrs and 7 yrs. next one down (he’s the one I am very informal with school) is 6 yrs (almost). so I can completely understand all of this. Yes, there is much more to it too. We moms need to be real with one another. This isn’t a walk in the park, nor is it the olympics. It’s your new “day in the life”, it’s beautiful and it’s amazing. Some of the moments take my breath away, and not just because of the toddlers poopy diaper.
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Lol to the poopy diaper comment! You’re so right about everything else too.
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oh and I have to ask what learning device is your son using? looking for something for my soon to be 6yr old for his birthday. thank you.
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It’s a Leap Pad 2. They love them.
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thank you. sorry for the typos. yeah really, can’t think…. lol
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I didn’t notice any typos! Besides, I know how you feel. I was just shopping with five of my kids, and they were all talking to me at the same time the ENTIRE time we were there. Til we got to the checkout, I was so overwhelmed that I had to ask my husband to count out the money. My daughter said, ”You can’t count money, Mom?” I replied, ”Not right now. You’ve all turned my brains into pudding!”
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Now this is reality!
I save myself from disappointment and frustration by doubting (or avoiding all together) all immaculately clean photos of houses photos on Pinterest and Facebook haha!
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Good method! 🙂
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Very funny! I feel like I am the only one who gets behind. I send my son to preschool 4 days a week and then homeschool him before and after and on the other days so that I can keep up 🙂 It helps to have a break and the TV or ipad are great tools to give mom time to make dinner without interruption 🙂
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It’s amazing how these little ones can make such giant messes!
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I can’t even tell you how much I love this!!! 🙂
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Thank you!
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Mismatched socks!….my daughter went through a pretty long phase when she wore mismatched crocs then altogether mismatched shoes! I wrote about it in a birthday post about her. Actually, her mismatching socks saved my sanity….I realized it really was unnecessary to spend the time matching them up. I hardly wear matching socks now. Great post!
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Thanks so much! I don’t spend much time matching socks anymore, either. We just have a drawer that we throw them all into. Works for me!
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We are fortunate to have a large house with 2 living areas so 1 is the ‘living’ zone and the other the ‘school’ zone. As if that actually works! We do most of our book work in the school zone, however, if it’s too hot/cold we end up in the living zone anyway as that’s where the heating and cooling facilities are. Having said that, the living zone is usually pretty cluttered regardless due to the avid brick builders in the family. It’s amazing how much space those tiny little pieces take up when under construction! Hang in there, mums! It’s all part of the fun of family.
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Absolutely! I know I’ll miss it when they’re grown.
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