When Homeschooling is Hard

When homeschooling becomes hard (and if you’ve been doing it for more than a month you KNOW that it gets hard sometimes) you need to give thanks. You’re building memories with your children- children who will be grown and gone before you even know it and what you (and your children) will have left are the memories you’ve made together.--Steve Lambert

I love Steve Lambert's blog! Steve is the husband of Jane Claire Lambert, the creator of the Five in a Row homeschool curriculum. Steve has such a heart for homeschoolers and I love his posts about homeschooling. They really make me think. The above quote jumped off the web page today for me. I always look forward to the beginning of school, but soon things become tough. I don't know why this comes as a surprise or that I forget about it every year. How easily I forget the drudgery of May while we are finishing our homeschool year. The one thing that I need to remember is that I should be thankful even when it is hard. I have decided to list out my attitude of gratitude ahead of time this year! That way I can refer back to it when I find myself in a rut, discouraged, or in over my head in our homeschooling day. There is a lot to be thankful for when it comes to homeschooling!
*I don't have to get the kids up and rushed off to school.
*I myself don't have to go to work (I used to be a high school Spanish teacher...that is far more difficult than staying home and teaching my own kids!!!!)
*I can choose what my kids will learn.
*My kids can have a choice too and follow their interests.
*My boys have a close relationship with each other which wouldn't be possible if they were going to school.
*My boys don't have to put up with bullying, peer pressure as much because they are at home.
*I can tailor their lessons to fit their needs, strengths and weaknesses.
*Tim and I can actually have a relationship with the boys because they spend more time at home.
*We are free to teach our Christian values and beliefs to them.
*I get to learn those subjects that I never really understood when I was in school. I have really increased my knowledge of history!
*We have time to focus on some subjects that are sometimes neglected in public school (i.e. history and science).
*And as Steve said, we will create memories that will last a lifetime!