Confession time! Being a homeschool mom has taught me so many things about myself — these are my confessions of a homeschool mom.
Being a Homeschool Mom
When I first started our homeschool journey, I had so many doubts and insecurities.
I wasn’t exactly the most patient mom, and I knew I didn’t know all the things my kids needed to learn.
To be completely honest, I was afraid I’d fail them.
All that said, I’ve learned a lot about myself on this journey, and I wouldn’t take it back even if I could.
These are my confessions, you guys.
Confessions of a Homeschool Mom
I have been homeschooling for over 10 years now, and that mom I was on day 1 is no longer around.
I’ve changed, you guys.
That said, I truly feel like I’ve changed for the better, and these are the 5 biggest things I have learned about myself during these past 10 years.
These are my homeschool mom confessions.
Being a Homeschool Mom Has Taught Me:
I am a HUGE introvert
Before homeschooling, I never quite fit in with other moms.
I felt totally awkward at most school gatherings, and I loathed all things small talk.
My awkwardness and need to avoid people were so bad that I would arrive an hour early for school pick-up just so I could be at the front of the line and dodge talking to the other parents.
Everyone else got out of their cars, chatted with the teachers, and made plans to get together on the weekends, while I sat in my car, hoping no one would notice I was there.
To be completely honest, I thought something was seriously wrong with me, you guys!
Why were all the other mothers such good friends, and why was I so filled with anxiety all the time?
I already knew that I was what some people would consider a homebody, but I didn’t realize just how much of an introvert I truly was until homeschooling entered the picture.
Once the school social requirements of being a school mom went out the window, I felt like I saw myself clearly for the very first time.
I was happy to be home with my kids and away from a society that I never felt comfortable in.
The slow-paced days and snuggles on the couch were completely refreshing.
However, I also found myself more drained and needing extra alone time by the end of the day.
So, needless to say, homeschooling, while great, created a whole new problem for me.
This new problem created intense Mom guilt, leading me to the next thing I learned about myself.
I was an introvert, and my people meter was full.
I Need Me Time
While being home with my kiddos and away from all the social requirements felt amazing, being around my small people all day became too much for my introverted spirit to take.
Now please, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my kids!
However, after spending all day together, making dinner, and doing evening family activities, I simply found that I needed to be alone for small moments throughout my day to recoup.
So, after a time, I began focusing on balancing my me time and my family time.
First, I focused on simple self-care in the morning hours while my children worked through their morning basket.
I took things slow, sipped my coffee, and allowed myself all the time I needed to get started on our day.
Then, we focused on our core homeschool lessons.
Later, while my kids participated in their quiet time routine, I focused on working and writing, or catching up on daily house maintenance.
Finally, I leaned on a simple self-care routine in the evening hours because I simply needed to be alone and reset for the upcoming day.
Now that my kids are older and no longer require my constant attention, I’m finding it much easier to take care of my introvert needs.
Setting aside time to reset each day is no longer something I feel guilty over because I recognize just how essential it truly is.
I am an Overachiever
Before homeschooling, I had a clean and organized house.
I strived to sign all the field trip slips early, packed homemade lunches, made sure there were fresh treats on the table for after-school snacking, made dinner every night, and kept the house spotless.
To put it plainly, I did all the things, and I did them pretty darn well!
I had more time on my hands, and I already knew I was a perfectionist in certain ways, but I never realized just how much of an overachiever I truly was.
When homeschooling became our way of life, I almost immediately felt like my legs were cut out from under me.
I added lesson prepping and teaching to an already hectic schedule of house cleaning, dinner making, grocery shopping, and caring for a toddler.
I truly thought adding homeschooling on wouldn’t be that big of a deal, and I put unrealistic expectations on myself.
Suddenly, I was no longer getting all the things done, and when I would, I was definitely not getting them done well.
This caused me to feel like a total failure.
It took me over a year to finally break down and admit that I couldn’t handle this new load and needed a little help.
My husband and kids were so used to me doing it all, and they had no clue just how hard it was for me to keep things perfect all the time.
While yes, I’m still an overachiever to this day (my daily to-do list will always be longer than what I can accomplish), I’ve learned I can take a step back and let someone else run the show from time to time.
All that said, I do still put high expectations on myself and will always work my butt off to do the best I can and get as much done in a day as possible because it’s simply who I am, you guys!
I Can Be Flexible (a little)
Ha, ok, this one might be a stretch, but…
While this wasn’t exactly true prior to homeschooling, learning to be flexible is a part of who I am now.
The keyword here is learning because if I were to be honest, flexibility and spontaneity are not in my nature, and I am definitely still learning this one.
However, after many years of trying to stick to a strict homeschool schedule while keeping my house magazine perfect, then moving cross-country, living out of boxes, and experiencing RV life for a few years, I have become a totally different person.
I’ve learned that my house can look lived in, it’s ok if plans change, and I don’t need to check off boxes or follow a schedule all the time.
Currently, my middle school daughter makes her own pacing guide for lessons, and I help her plan whenever she asks for help.
I have become a very hands-off homeschool mom, and you know what? I’m totally ok with that!
While yes, that overachiever still lives within me, and I still create a list of priorities to tackle almost every single day.
However, I’ve also learned that it’s ok to miss a few checkboxes on my list, shut the computer down early for an impromptu family activity, or throw the schedule completely out the window to embrace the little things.
Kids grow up fast, you guys (trust me on this, my 8-year-old and 5-year-old are somehow 21 and 18, and they are out enjoying their adult life while I’m sitting on the sidelines wondering where their childhood went), enjoy it while it lasts!
To be completely honest, though, this whole enjoy-the-moment thing that I’ve grown to embrace is partially due to our life on the road, and not only because of homeschooling!
I am Good Enough to Teach MY kids
Last, but certainly not least, I have come to realize that I am enough for my kids.
Before homeschooling, I had so many doubts in my mind.
I absolutely knew that I wasn’t capable of teaching a child how to read, how to write in cursive, or how to learn a new language.
Unfortunately, while I was a child, I never had teachers who looked out for me or made sure I was processing what I was being taught.
I was pushed through the system, left school in the 7th grade, did some self-taught homeschooling through high school, and as a new mom, I finally took a GED course to end my school career at the tender age of 18.
So, needless to say, when starting our homeschool journey, I was stuck in the mindset that I was not smart enough and would ultimately fail them.
All that said, it took me a while (a long while, to be honest) to come to the realization that God gave me these kiddos and He knew I was enough from the get-go.
You know what? I did teach my youngest to read. I also helped her learn how to write in cursive, and while I’ve never taught my kiddos a new language, I’ve learned alongside them and taught them more than I could have ever imagined over the past 10 years!
Starting Homeschooling
If you’ve stumbled upon this post because you are dealing with anxiety while gearing up for your first homeschool year, I’ve got you!
My world got flipped upside down when my oldest kiddo looked me straight in the face after his 5th-grade year and asked me to homeschool him.
He was tugging at my heartstrings, and I knew I had to say yes, but I was totally terrified, you guys!
The best advice I can ever offer a new homeschool mom is this: You are enough! It’s ok if you don’t know everything, and some of the best memories you can make will be learning beside your kiddos.
Ready to get started? Check out some of my top posts for new homeschool parents!
From planning to surviving.
- Homeschool Planning over the Summer
- Planning Homeschool Lessons
- The First Homeschool Year
- Dealing with Homeschool Challenges
I truly hope my confessions can be beneficial to your own homeschool journey!
Happy homeschooling, you guys!
