Are you happy with the homeschool mom that you are? What kind of homeschool mom do you want to be? Chances are you just need to change your perspective to become the homeschool mom your kids need!
Do you ever look at other moms and think “Oh, I want to be like her!”? Do you ever compare yourself to someone else? Or wish you were just a tad bit different?
I know I do. When I first began homeschooling I had an idea of the type of homeschool mom I wanted to be. Through the year’s reality has set in, but if I’m honest, I still have her in the back of my mind, and I’m NEVER going to measure up.
The “Perfect” Homeschool Mom
- She has a meal plan that she actually sticks to
- Her hair is done each day
- Her kid’s clothes NOT hand me downs
- Crafts are TOTALLY her thing
- Her home is decorated for each season AND holiday
- Her flowers are actually alive
- The kids NEVER use textbooks
- Charlotte Mason is her idol
- She doesn’t have to work
- She never comes unglued
- Date nights? She has them…
- Her home is always clean
- So is her crossover. Minivans are SO last season 😉
- She looks good in LulaRoe
- She has time to exercise
- And cook
- And the money to eat organic
I could go on and on about the homeschool mom I want to be. But, in reality, I’m just me. I’m imperfect. My vans not clean, I can’t pull off LulaRoe and a messy bun is sometimes all that happens. I have to work, and while I think Charlotte Mason rocks, that’s just not my style. I’m just me. An eclectic homeschooler. And that’s okay.
But, instead of moping in the fact that I’m never going to be the homeschool mom I want to be, I can remind myself of a few things.
When I Embrace Imperfection I have a more Joyful Homeschool
- I’m the homeschool mom, my kids NEED
- I can strive to be the BEST mom I can be.
- I can grow and learn and improve.
- I can embrace my imperfections because there are three beautiful kids who are watching every move I make.
- I may be a mess, but God thinks I’m a masterpiece.
- My husband adores me
- My kids think I rock
- Everyone is fed, and healthy and most days they all have clean clothes
- I’m doing MY best and that will look different from everyone else’s.
Moms, I think when we focus on the homeschool mom we want to be, we forget the homeschool mom that we ARE. We are getting up each day and doing the BEST we can. The life of a homeschool mom isn’t easy, our homeschool days may not look like someone else’s. We may use a different curriculum than that other mom uses, but ours gets the job done. We may not be able to pull off rocking crafts, but we can bake with the best of them. For every strength we see in someone else, we notice our weakness. BUT, guess what? They have weaknesses too, and their weaknesses may be our strengths!
Today, I want you to take that homeschool mom you want to be, and kick her to the curb. Remind yourself of the homeschool mom you ARE. Because she ROCKS!
Related Posts:
- How to be Successful at Homeschooling
- How Comparison Almost Ruined my Homeschool
- Dear Mom Who Has Lost Her Joy
Do you struggle with joy? Want more encouragement for homeschooling moms? Then you may be interested in our 5 day Choose Joy Challenge! A simple, yet encouraging challenge designed to help you have a more joyful homeschool! Sign up below.
Janelle Jones says
This is a great post I loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Misty says
Thank you!
Shelly Sangrey says
Oh, this is all so, so true. I needed to read this!
Michelle says
YES!!!!! Lord help me embrace my imperfections for the little ones watching every move I make!
Misty says
Thank you! I hope that’s the case. Sometimes it’s different with girls. I try to let them go and pick out a few items each year that fit their “style”. That helps some!
Misty says
Thank you Emily!
Michelle Caskey says
So true. It’s important for us to be ourselves and allow God to use us according to whatever plan He has laid out for us. We aren’t all here for the same reason!
BTW – I wanted to encourage you on the whole hand-me-down clothes thing. That used to bother me as well. But now that my boys are older, I see how they are so much more centered and less materialistic because they are used to receiving hand-me-downs and shopping at secondhand stores. They’ve learned the value of a dollar that that probably wouldn’t have happened if we had plenty of money to spare. 😉
Emily Woodring says
I Love this post! We all need this reminder. Thanks for writing this and sharing it, I could feel your love pouring out through the words!
You Rock!
Crystal Green says
This is a vital reminder in my opinion. We all do things differently. God has designed us all according to his plans for our lives. He picked us to raise our kids for a reason. That includes how we homeschool them.
practicalbydefault says
Such a great post! Thank you so much
Misty says
Awe, that is so sweet Jenn. Thank you!
Jenn Roberts says
I love this post so much. I think everyone needs to read it! Thanks for sharing these thoughts with us Misty!