Homeschooling: Good and Bad Days
You know how you read posts filled with scripture, that lift your spirits and make you feel as tho you must strive for more …
This is not one of those posts.
You know how you read posts that make you feel as tho you will never measure up, that you don’t have it together and you should just throw in the towel …
This is not one of those posts either.
But if you struggle some days, soar on others and are a real, live, breathing Mom dealing with the real day to day stuff that life throws at you … then this just may be a post you should read.Let us face facts here, not every day is a good homeschooling day. Well, with that said, not every day is a good parenting day really. Even if you stayed in your pajama’s all day, drank several cups of coffee – while that may sound perfect, it is not if it was because you couldn’t make the time to shower – and coffee was holding it all together.
This is not one of those posts.
You know how you read posts that make you feel as tho you will never measure up, that you don’t have it together and you should just throw in the towel …
This is not one of those posts either.
But if you struggle some days, soar on others and are a real, live, breathing Mom dealing with the real day to day stuff that life throws at you … then this just may be a post you should read.Let us face facts here, not every day is a good homeschooling day. Well, with that said, not every day is a good parenting day really. Even if you stayed in your pajama’s all day, drank several cups of coffee – while that may sound perfect, it is not if it was because you couldn’t make the time to shower – and coffee was holding it all together.
You know the kind of day where instead of starting your day peacefully, maybe a moment of quiet reading, a reflective time, or time in prayer … instead of a guiding prayer it was more of a Dear Lord, please give me the strength to not put this child in a box and tape it shut … the kind of day when you give serious thought to stamping your feet and yelling ‘its just not fair …’
What you don’t have those days?
And here I thought we were going to be friends …
What you don’t have those days?
And here I thought we were going to be friends …
So back to those of you that are still here, why am I sharing this with you? Just yesterday, another Mom said that she wished she could get it together like me.
I was floored. Me?
With the nights I go to bed praying that I will be more capable tomorrow. Hope I will do right by my children and guide them on the right path, and nurture them so that their lives are rich.
When I wake in the morning, light a candle and turn on soft music, hoping for a day where the stars align, trying to create a peaceful place …
I was floored. Me?
With the nights I go to bed praying that I will be more capable tomorrow. Hope I will do right by my children and guide them on the right path, and nurture them so that their lives are rich.
When I wake in the morning, light a candle and turn on soft music, hoping for a day where the stars align, trying to create a peaceful place …
But truth be told, it made me feel good that she thought I had it all together. Even as I hushed her kind words and went on a self deprecating rant, because we all know it is impossible to accept a compliment.
Your hair is lovely. Really, I have not even washed it today.
Just love your blouse. This old thing? I picked it up on sale for $5.
You did a great job on this project/party/fundraiser. Oh not really, it just all came together.
See yourself in there?
But when I was told that another Mom wished she could get it together like me … inside, there was a little glow that someone thought I was doing a good job even tho I had many days where I felt so lacking.
Your hair is lovely. Really, I have not even washed it today.
Just love your blouse. This old thing? I picked it up on sale for $5.
You did a great job on this project/party/fundraiser. Oh not really, it just all came together.
See yourself in there?
But when I was told that another Mom wished she could get it together like me … inside, there was a little glow that someone thought I was doing a good job even tho I had many days where I felt so lacking.
So what is my point here?
Look around you and compliment the Moms you see each day. They are all doing the very best they can, but I bet not one of them thinks they are doing enough or doing it right. Smile, encourage, tell them what a great job they are doing … ask that Mom with the crying toddler in the store if you can give her a hand. Help load groceries for Mom with the newborn and the needy, younger children clamoring for her attention. Smile, encourage, compliment.
Look around you and compliment the Moms you see each day. They are all doing the very best they can, but I bet not one of them thinks they are doing enough or doing it right. Smile, encourage, tell them what a great job they are doing … ask that Mom with the crying toddler in the store if you can give her a hand. Help load groceries for Mom with the newborn and the needy, younger children clamoring for her attention. Smile, encourage, compliment.
Because really, we all have have days where we doubt every single thing that we do. Where we never think we are doing enough. You, yes you, may be the difference between them having a good day or having a bad day.Because we all know that there are always days that are worse than others.
Beautiful! Beautifully written and beautifully REAL! I like the restraint from taping them in a box – oh only by the power of prayer!!! LOL!!!!!
Never evah underestimate the power of prayer 😉
It is my saving ‘grace’ …
Thank you for this crucial reminder, Nicole. I’m always shocked (every time, you’d think I’d learn) by the power of unsolicited positive feedback. And, as always, you make my day brighter.
Love that i make your day brighter – any day now you will convince that hub of yours that home would be the perfect place to bring your kids school too … i see it!
Thank-you for the perspective. It’s refreshing to hear a voice of reason in an otherwise “fluffy” homeschool world. Sometimes, I wonder if we’re all trying so hard to make homeschooling appeal to one another that we forget to be real.
I cannot wait to share with my husband that you called me a voice of reason .. he is never going to believe it … but you made my day!
We leave the fluffy at the door! There are so many wonderful fabulous shout it from the hill tops days .. and then there are days that make me want to sing Jimmy Buffet – and I am not even American 😉
Today has NOT been a GOOD parenting day for me. I have a tendency to compare myself with other blogging moms and tell myself that I just don’t measure up. This post really encouraged me today, reminded me that we are all human and we are ALL doing the best we can. Thank you so much for this post!
You are so very welcome. sadly we all do it. We look around and think everyone has it together, and mostly no one fesses up to their screaming fits. And really, have you ever met a real ‘Stepford Wife?’ 😉
Perfect! This post is so right . . . “Dear Lord, please give me the strength to not put this child in a box and tape it shut . . .” I’m still laughing over that one because it is so terribly true and so very good not to be alone!!!!
oh we have totally had the conversation here about sending boxes to Timbuktu … and even went to so far as to turn it into a Geography lesson with the globe and everything.
Everyone knows it is a real place now and not just an idle threat 😉
I’m giggling- because I just had one of those moments right before reading this post. So glad that I am not the only one. This was just want I needed after moments like that.
and this is the perfect post to read over and over myself – particularly on a Monday 😉
I appreciate this reminder so much. Last week my husband and young daughter were eating dinner out and there was an older woman sitting nearby that kept staring at us. Honestly, I thought she was staring to the point of being rude until she made her way over to our table after dinner and complimented us on how well behaved our daughter was- and what a great job she thought we were doing as parents! Oh, how I needed to hear that on that day. Compliments mean more than most people would ever know- particularly on “bad parenting days”.
Isn’t it great when people share the good stuff with you rather than point out the stuff they don’t like!
And we ALL have bad parenting days – even the people who are no longer technically parenting had them, they just seem to have dimmed the memory 😉
Thank you for this today as it seemed everything was pulling teeth to get things to happen today. I think I’m just going to save this to reread when I’m having another one of those days. 🙂
Loved reading this.
It is always nice to know that you’re not alone in a world full of Pollyannas. I know for a fact it can not be as frilly a world as some homeschool bloggers would lead you to believe but sometimes people don’t want to air it out. On my blog, I tend to do it all the time. After all, it is called Staying Home and Staying Sane. 😉
My two “big kids” are in public school but I have decided that next year I will be homeschooling our youngest for Kinder. I have been drinking in all of the homeschool mom knowledge that I can find because I am a nervous wreck. I have a feeling it might be because of the less than thrilled peanut gallery I have been hearing from.
It is so great to hear from moms like yourself. After reading this and knowing that we could totally be bloggy friends I went to follow you on Twitter…who knew? I was already following you. 🙂
I will be keeping up and gathering ideas!