I like to keep it real.
So today, let’s talk about the imperfectness of my homeschool…

We are schedule challenged.

Our days don’t start at a set time. (Actually, mine do now, but that’s because of the kindergartener in public school and a really early school bus.) That’s works just fine sometimes, but there are some days we just seem to keep dragging all day.

Now, throw two young kids in the mix; I’m amazed we’ve gotten anything done in the two months since they joined the family! That’s one of the reasons I chose to put the 4-year-old in a three day preschool this year while the 5-year-old was in public kindergarten: to give us a little time during the transition.

I used to think we had to have a strict schedule, or no schedule at all. Nothing in-between seemed to work for me. I’m finally learning that we can have a routine without being slaves to a schedule. This means we do certain things before we do other things, and we usually do certain things on certain days — BUT when needed that can vary. For instance, a beautiful spring day after a week of rain means I am perfectly happy for the kids to spend ALL day outside.

Personality clashes + grumpy days = no fun.

Lindsey and I sometimes clash because our personalities are so different. Then again, Kathryn and I sometimes butt heads because our personalities are so similar. I have no idea what gets into the little kids some days. Some days, it seems like everyone in the house ends up grumpy for no good reason. As much as I love my kids, those days can seem mighty long.

I have a child who does NOT like homeschooling.

Lindsey has come to see homeschool as the lesser of the two evils as compared to spending another 2 to 3 years in public school, but she doesn’t like it. Meaningful conversations about what she’s learning are far and few between because she rarely enjoys learning.

That’s been hard for me. Kathryn has grown up homeschooling and enjoys learning and discussing it with me. I love that. For a long time, I felt that Lindsey’s rejection of homeschooling was a rejection of me, the homeschool mom. It has created tension between us, especially before we sent her back to public school last year. I have to remind myself that her early learning experiences squashed her natural-born love of learning, and bringing that back at the age of 14 didn’t work. Maybe it’s possible, but it didn’t happen here.

In reality, it’s the schooling part of homeschooling that she has a problem with. Real-life learning (working and paying bills, as well as basic schooling) has taught her more this year than she learned in the previous several years combined. On a good day, she’d admit that, too.

Homeschooling is worth the trouble.

Of course I don’t share EVERY little detail of my life (I wrote about that a while back), but hear me on this: those hard days (or weeks, or YEARS!) aren’t just in your house!

This is no fairy tale, and there’s no fairy godmother stepping in to teach fractions. {Wouldn’t that be lovely?} Even with the grumpy days, the clashes of personality, the schedule challenges, a less-than-enthusiastic student… I wouldn’t trade it. The imperfect life we’re living is worth the time and effort.

–>  I’m not the only one! Read about MORE imperfect homeschools!

Jamie

Wife, mom, J-ma. Introvert who enjoys good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand – unless it’s lost yet again in the microwave. Read more »