I Am Not a “Fun” Homeschool Mom, and That’s Okay

The homeschool community has grown immensely over the last 5 years. I genuinely enjoy talking about homeschooling. This is what the Lord has for our family and as a result, there’s nothing else I’d rather do. If you had told me 10 years ago that this is what we would be doing, I would have said you were crazy. I never dreamt of this. As we all know, the Lord has a way of changing our plans. We began this journey 8 years ago. I can’t say that it has always been great. When my oldest was in second grade, we had so many challenges, to the point my husband was ready to send him to school. If you homeschool, you have probably had days like that as well. I get it.

As much as I love homeschooling and being with my children, after 8 years of experience, I am still not the fun homeschool mom. If you are in any groups online, you see the whole spectrum of homeschooling. From unschooling to DVDs, co-ops, and school at home. We fall closer to the school-at-home option. We use the Abeka curriculum and are unaccredited parent-led. This means I do all the teaching and can change anything in the lesson to fit our needs/wants each day. I do not have to report to Abeka for anything. For us, this works best. For some, this is too strict. We follow the lesson plans and use the books we purchase from Abeka. I am absolutely not interested in building my own curriculum and letting my kids choose what they want to learn this week. We are not doing crafts and projects for every insect we study. We are not taking many field trips. We don’t utilize a co-op. We are pretty simple. Do the lessons outlined in the curriculum, and go on with life. We do life together. And that is the important thing for us. We have lots of life skills happening.

We love the freedom and flexibility homeschooling gives us. My husband works HVAC, so if he is off for weather, we are, too. If my child understands a concept, we skip problems and keep moving forward. If my health isn’t great, we can take the day off. 

I don’t have to be a Pinterest mom or homeschool teacher to be a good mom and teacher. And neither do you. If those “fun” things don’t come naturally to you, or you simply don’t have enough time in the day for them, that’s okay! Do not compare your parenting or homeschooling to those online. It is perfectly fine to get ideas, learn from others, etc., but do not feel like you have to live up to someone else’s standards in order to successfully home-educate your children. 

They need a mom that loves them, teaches them to love Jesus and others, models how to be diligent in their work, do their best, and be godly adults. Remember, you are not just raising children. You are raising disciples and training adults. We are to prepare them for adulthood, to guide them to whatever it may be that God has for them. If your student isn’t an A-B student, that is okay. It does not mean either of you are failing. Their grades won’t be on their diplomas, nametags, patches, or applications. 

Don’t get hung up on things that won’t matter in a year, five years, or ten years. Keep pointing them to Jesus. Be the mom He has called you to be, not the mom you see online. Teach, parent, and love the children He has given you, not the ones you wish you had. Encourage them to try hard things, but also to nurture the strengths God has given them. 

Dear homeschool mama, you are doing fine. Keep going. 

With Hope in His Service,

Heather