Homeschooling Is Hard

 Do you ever feel like you work and toil all school year to get to the finish line of summer break, just to start planning again? No one warned me there’d be no break.  I’ve come to find out that although there are no breaks, there are different seasons, and embracing the shift can ease the anx to get it done into do it differently. 

We wrapped our year in May with a celebration, and within a week I was packing up supplies, binding past work, and evaluating what was done and what comes next. I started previewing my upcoming curriculum and found some holes. 

Then I seemingly relied on others as I took to Facebook groups to ask, ask and ask some more! Continually nervous the entire time, like a detective who isn’t sure where her case will lead, I want the best answer and often find it hard to trust my gut, knowing the perfect option is really what I make of it. I’m grateful for the moms and dads who do offer opinions, reviews, YouTube videos and honesty. I’m grateful for their experience and I’m not to shy to use it! 

Fast forward a few weeks of lists, q&a, and product reviews… I order, print and wait for boxes. Doing two kids in different grades there’s a lot of deliveries! Hello ups, usps, fedex and pony express 😂 

I thought that’s be it… ordered, delivered, in the house by July 1! So much better than years past( the last two ). But then I got that nervous gotta open it, review it, make notes etc feeling, and here we go again! I’m up late sorting through curriculum openings on the counter after everyone is asleep. Worried I made the right choices, wondering if the new additions picked will help or hamper our routine from last year.  

We are moving into 5th and 1st grade and so my youngest will be doing alot more and has some new things to me too. My oldest has a few “work on” items and we’ll be adding a new pick or two to help with that too.  I’m nervous again and realize that break I want will really start as we start again, because that’s when the planning stops and the use begins. I’m sure my confidence will resume as we ease into our new year’s waters and set our own pace. 

I’ll continue with my lists and tackle reviewing at my pace. I will continue to remind myself the summer I worked so hard to get to isn’t a finish line but a different/new season of our journey and I choose how to handle it. Just as you should. Just as no two homeschool experiences are the same , neither are you. Be Brave on your journey, in your decisions, and believe in yourself.

Btw - wrote this to help, commiserate, and help remind myself to keep going, to be brave mom.