Homeschool Mom Encouragement Gifts

14 little bags line my piano & my piano bench, waiting for some moms to come over tomorrow.
14 little bags filled with some things practical & some things symbolic & hopefully all things encouraging.

"I believe that God placed your children with you as their mother. 
On purpose.
We are all unique.  Personalities.  Giftings.  Situations.
Single moms.  Moms who work.  Moms who have pressures & burdens & griefs that have nothing to do with homeschooling.
Kids with special needs.  Parents who require special care.  Deaths to grieve.  Court troubles.  Finances.  Life.

Some of you have adult children who were homeschooled all the way through & some of you are just beginning your homeschooling journey.  Some will homeschool for 6 months or 1 year.  Some more.

The unique dynamics of your family- of YOU, is a gift to your child!

(give carbon paper to each mom to rip up!!)
That is why we will somewhat ceremoniously rip up our pieces of carbon paper!!  It is not productive to compare.  It destroys contentment and we are not made to be like the homeschooling mom sitting beside us!

One of the burdens that I have chosen, at times, to carry around through a lot of my homeschooling is wishing that I was more like Person X or did as much academically as Person Y or was as organized as Person Z.

And~ I do think that planning well & evaluating what you need to tweak or change is important.  However, the truth is, I have done the best I could with where I have been at life.  And I bet the same could be said for all of you!

For me, I've had exterior pressures that have made my homeschooling more challenging.  Your pressures look different, but they are still there.  So- evaluate yourself, take ideas you like from others, but don't compare.  You are more amazing than you realize!  No one will be as invested in your child as you are!!

Not just for cutting out the comparisons, but also for cutting out some good things so that you have enough margin in your life.

Another thing I have had a hard time balancing is housework!  So these tips are from the one who does not have it together, to all of you who have to be doing a better job than I am! 
Basically, train & teach your child to do more!  (Our family has a long way to go with this!)  

As homeschooling moms, it is challenging to find time for ourselves.  Our children are always with us, which we love, but it's hard to get a break when we need one!

'I need  a break!'
Recharge.  You can't pour yourself out constantly and not put anything back in.

Remember to leave time & space for your other relationships, besides your kids.  Your husband, friends & family.

I cannot recommend enough Cynthia Tobias' book, 'The Way They Learn.' 
We are all unique!  Some of our children are going to excel at traditional academics.  Super!  Some are not.  That doesn't mean we give up on academics, but perhaps we don't measure their success in the same way.  We all have something to offer the world! 
Remember that success is measured in all kinds of ways!
“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
― Frederick Buechner

Lastly, this is a reminder that YOU are the mom & teacher that your kids need right now!"

 

1.  planner:  "A well-planned day and/or week does help!  (No guilt though!)  Evaluate & re-adjust as necessary.

2.  Tide:  "Teach your child how to do a load of laundry."

3.  Dusters:  "Put that active kid to work!  Hey!  You're a homeschooling mom!  Cleaning time is hard to come by!  5 minutes of dusting on the daily schedule!"

4.  Page:  "Margin.  We all need it in our lives!  Don't forget!"

5.  Heart:  "To remember that homeschooling is a season.  Don't put all your apples in the homeschooling basket.  Invest in your marriage, (if applicable), and your friendships and other important relationships."

6.  White flag:  "We all need to raise the 'surrender' flag sometimes & take 5 minutes.  Or 50.  Or the rest of the day.  (Cut yourself a break.  No guilt zone.)

7.  Bandaids:  "For when things get a little rough."

8.  Bubble bath:  "Take a break!  Re-group!  Time for yourself."

9.  Bubbles:  "To help you keep the day fun & to show off your bubbly personality."

10.  Energy bar:  "For when you need a little extra energy."

11.  Notepad & pencil:  "For recording the things you want to remember: The funny sayings & blessings."

12.  Tissues:  "For the tears.  Yours.  Theirs."

13.  Hot cocoa & tea:  "Take a break.  Relax.  Enjoy."

14.  Chocolate:  "Because we all can use a treat now & then."

15.  Eraser:  "Everybody makes mistakes.  They are our teachers.  Learn from them."

16.  Ruler:  "Important to remember:  Success is measured in many different ways."

17.  Button:  "Some things are just better left unsaid."

18.  Scissors:  "To cut out comparisons & busy-ness."

19.  mirror:  "YOU are the mom & teacher that your child needs right now!"

`also, a personal note, a list of favorite books, and some teacher reward stickers.