Guess what, friends? There is not a single homeschool mom on this planet that has it all together. I hate to burst your bubble. Now, if you have met this mom, let me know. I’d love to meet her! But, to date, I have yet to meet this mom. Even the ones that seem like they are all put together, once you really talk to them, you find out very quickly that they are human and they have struggles just like you and me.
It reminds me of college. There was this crew of popular kids that everyone simply adored. Then, once I got to know one of the kids, I found out that he really didn’t have any close friends at all. It was all an image, a facade. And this was all before social media. Now the facade is even greater with the rise of this dangerous giant. Moms post pictures of their perfect homeschool and you leave Facebook feeling like you really need to get your act together.
I was at the park the other day and I saw were young moms (and dads) taking snapshots of their kids. The one kid was frolicking in the leaves. It was cute. The other was hanging off the monkey bars. Impressive. But what their friends saw on Instagram and what I saw in person were two completely different things. I saw the struggle, the practicing until there was a perfect shot, and the parent coaxing the child to smile and pose perfectly.
Isn’t that how it is with homeschooling? We see these seemingly perfect moms on the Internet, at church, or in our homeschooling groups but what we don’t see (or hear) are the conversations in the car before the events or the struggles that occurred before the pictures were taken.
We as homeschool moms need to be real with one another. Real with our struggles and real with our victories. Our victories are powerful because of what we have overcome. Rather than waiting until you have jumped over the hurdle, reach out to others and admit that the hurdle is there. Chances are, others have either faced the same one or are facing it right now. If not, maybe they know someone else who has. I love homeschooling events because it gives us a chance to unwind, but let us not forget to be real with one another. I read somewhere that “Homeschooling isn’t hard because of the schooling. It is hard because of the parenting.” So true!
Let us take each other’s hand and help them along in their journey and if you are in need of help, reach out and take someone else’s. Chances are, someone has been exactly where you are and is just waiting to help!
