A day in the life of a mom–it can be overwhelming…
You wake up before the sun rises just to get some extra quiet time with The Lord, and unfortunately your toddler woke up earlier than expected.
She woke up her siblings in the process. They are all hungry, tired, and whiny.
Your head is beginning to throb because the dog will not stop barking at the neighbors.
After burning the toast, you manage to throw some poptarts on a paper plate while your toddler is hanging onto your pants leg. You are finally able to toss them on the table for your older children, who are running around the kitchen instead of waiting patiently for their breakfast. You spend the next few minutes shaking your head and feeling guilty about what you are feeding your children.
Startled by a loud noise upstairs, you attempt to run and investigate, but you can’t move your leg. Your toddler is still crying, hanging onto your pants leg with one hand and weighing down your leg by hanging limply in a meltdown.
You pick up the dead weight of your unhappy toddler and trudge up the stairs only to find water on the floor in the laundry room and a broken washing machine.
At this point all you want to do is crawl back under the covers and cry. You are ready to throw in the towel. But you can’t. It’s only the start of the day, and you have a full schedule of school and homeschool activities.
Then you remember you forgot to make copies of the worksheet you need for this morning’s history lesson.
And that’s just the story of the first hour of the morning… You haven’t even begun to think about the pile of papers that needs grading, the items you forgot to purchase for today’s science experiment, and the siblings who can’t look at each other without arguing, and the math meltdowns, and, well I think you get the idea.
It’s true-homeschooling can be overwhelming.
Life is overwhelming. I wish there was an easy fix for days like these, but there isn’t. When you are dealing with the busyness and happenings of life, multiple people with different personalities, and an imperfect world, these things are bound to happen.
But that’s no reason to give up. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
We just need to change our perspective. We need to focus on Jesus. He has peace-giving, life altering power. When things are spiraling out of control, stop and take a deep breath. Speak His name. Call on Him. Listen to Him. He will breathe and speak peace upon you. He will always give of Himself to you.
He will also send others to the rescue. Seek out fellow homeschoolers. They will be a listening ear, and many times a wealth of knowledge on how to deal with days like these.
The homeschooling community is like a second family. Homeschooling parents have different life experiences, family dynamics, and expectations, but they have much in common as well. They’ll be the first who admit they don’t have it altogether.
Over the years, I have been asked to mentor and coach families on homeschooling, time management, heath and wellness. In helping them, I’ve always walked away feeling as if I I have learned just as much from them as they have from me. God enriches the our lives through the community, accountability, and mentorship. In fact, He has even led me to reach out to help others through my blog at ruckusandrubies.com. He’s given me the knowledge and words to share in life coaching books. He is faithful.
Remember, don’t let these situations overcome you. You can homeschool, manage your schedule, and get through today, and you have plenty of people willing to walk with you on the journey!
