We typically view the success and growth of our homeschool through the eyes of what the children have accomplished. Sometimes we are so caught up in our students, that we fail to see the growth in ourselves. What if we looked beyond our children, straight into our hearts, do you think you have changed? For me, there are five things that I have discovered as a homeschool mom that I wouldn’t have gotten any other way.
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1). I can do more than I ever thought I was capable of.
While I will never meet the Pinterest Mom standards, I did learn that I was capable of more than I thought. I CAN manage my house, homeschool my kids, and run this blog. I DID teach my kiddo to read, even if it was slow going for the youngest. Maybe I don’t have every answer they need, but I am resourceful enough to find it. Looking back, I can still remember being that terrified new homeschool mom. However, I took the leap and made the hard choices, and guess what I’m a better person for it. It turns out that scared newbie did have it in her to be a homeschool mom, she just had to dig deep enough to find it.
2). My education was incomplete.
I am a product of the public school system. Actually, I would probably be considered one of their success stories. I graduated at the top of my class, both in high school and college. Before becoming a homeschool mom, I managed a successful career as an accountant. At the time I was pleased with my education. Now I can’t help but notice all that it lacked. In my education, great works of literature were replaced with a workbook, and I rarely remember studying a fantastic piece of art. “Real-world” classes, like home economics, were slowly being phased out. I had Calculus instead. Guess how many times I’ve used Calculus since graduating? Not one.
3). Time flies when you’re having fun, and I haven’t missed a second of it.
One of the hardest parts of being a homeschool mom is that you are with your kids ALL DAY LONG. Guess what is one of the best parts of being a homeschool mom? I bet you guessed it! It’s the time you would miss if you were using another method of education for your children. It seems like just yesterday when I was holding my brand new baby for the first time, but she’s almost 12. How did that happen? Where did the years go? Parenthood seems to tick by slowly, but then you look back and YEARS are gone. I’m thankful for all the small moments that I haven’t missed. I’m soaking it all up.
The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas: 500+ Fun and Creative Learning Activities for Kids Ages 3-12 (Prima Home Learning Library)
The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and LifeThe Call of the Wild and Free: Reclaiming the Wonder in Your Child’s Education, A New Way to Homeschool
4). My kids are amazing.
Would I have known this if our education choices would have been different? Probably so, but not to the extent I do now. I could have missed how responsible and independent my oldest daughter is, or how spunky and full of life the youngest is. They are also both highly intelligent and pursue their passions with gusto. If our choices would have been different someone might have picked on their God-given talents and abilities, but it wouldn’t have been me. I LOVE seeing who they are becoming and raising them to love the Lord and others. My calling
5). Learning doesn’t always happen in a classroom.
This world is full of AMAZING opportunities, ones that can easily be missed being stuck in a classroom all day. My girls know how to shop at the grocery store, how to renew a driver’s license, and where to pay taxes. They’ve spent school days swimming with dolphins in Mexico, and in almost empty science museums. We have studied science at the zoo and the seashore. We’ve spent hours cuddled up on the couch reading a fantastic book or lost in an art project. This world holds so many opportunities when you aren’t confined to a room with four concrete walls day after day. I hope they learn to live it, taste it, and breath it all in.
So you see my kids have never been the only ones learning and growing in this homeschooling gig. I have gained just as much, or maybe more than they have. I hope that it never stops and that I can learn to soak up every single second. My advice to you, enjoy the ride and make sure you experience it eyes wide open. It’s a fast one!
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