Homeschooling in Imperfect Circumstances-Special Replay

The Homeschool Highschool Podcast

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Homeschooling in Imperfect Circumstances- Special Replay

Homeschooling in Imperfect Circumstances

Have you noticed that real life does not actually look like:

• The Pinterest-perfect pictures on your well-curated Pinterest boards?
• Or the Instagram filtered and perfectly staged IG posts?
• Even the Facebook fabulous, perfect family photos?

If you are like most of us (well, ALL of us 7Sisters), then your family looks like a real family living in real life, real circumstances. SO let Sabrina and Vicki offer you a little homeschool real-life encouragement for you.

We are all homeschooling in imperfect circumstances most of the time

Recently, Sabrina had a conversation with a person who has been working through some challenging circumstances. Through this unasked-for time of growth, he has learned to frame the way he is handling life by saying:

Circumstances being what they are and me being who I want to be, I have decided to…

Notice what he has discovered: We know in imperfect circumstances, we humans can tend to think this way:

Circumstances being what they are and me being who I am…

See the difference? If we focus on who we are right now, we can become focused on our limitations. On the other hand, if we focus on who we want to become, we open the door to possibilities and even more availability to God working in and through us!

(However, remember to keep things balanced. God made us in special ways and each person it unique. When we remember and build on our God-given gifts and personalities, we are available to making good things happen.)

While we are working on balance, then, think about who you are and who you want to be at the same time. With that in mind, hold onto God’s grace and allow him to help you grow.

With that said, let’s talk about homeschooling in imperfect situations

Most of us are homeschooling in less than perfect situations. That is just life! Here is some encouragement for some challenging situations.

Homeschooling in financially challenging situations

Have you noticed how much FABULOUS curriculum is out there. Oh man! If we could only buy a fraction of the cool texts, courses or programs that are available to our homeschoolers, our kids would have an amazing education!

However, money is often tight. In challenging financial times, we can say:

Financial circumstances being what they are. And me being the flexible and create person I want to be, we will be creative with what we can afford and trust God for good education.

Vicki recalled when she was homeschooling her kids in the early days of homeschooling. In those days, there was not much variety in the homeschool curriculum market. Not only that, but the curriculum that was available was expensive. Unfortunately, the marketing for those curricula was guilt and fear oriented: IF you do not use our curriculum, you are not homeschooling correctly!

In those early days, there was so much pressure to homeschool “right” because there were truly “truant officers at the door” occasionally. However, Vicki’s family had five homeschoolers and a very limited budget but she knew (especially for homeschooling high school) that she wanted to do a good job! (More on choosing curriculum here.)

She was never able to afford the “right” curriculum. So she had to say:

Circumstances being what they are. And me being the good homeschooling parent I want to become, I will trust that God has our family where he wants us. Not only that but it is “right” for me to create our own curriculum that fits our kids’ needs (and not be whiny and complain-y person while I was at it).

Vicki’s homeschool mom-friends were in the same boat at the time. They were thinking the same thoughts. Together, they began creating curriculum for their kids and co-ops. Because their kids are all encouraged to have well-thought-out opinions, they gave feedback on the curriculum. Thus, it was refined until they ended up with the materials that became 7SistersHomeschool.com‘s curriculum offerings.

SO, good can come out of financially challenging circumstances!

The homeschool mom who does not feel competent to homeschool

What if you are a mom who wants or needs to homeschool but you do not feel competent because:

• You did not go to college
• Or you are not a natural writer
• Maybe you hate math
• Or you do not know everything already
• Maybe you are a busy, working mom

Here is a suggestion, think about saying to yourself:

Circumstances being what they are, and me being who I want to be, I can learn to work creatively and model a growth mindset for my kids. I can farm things out and develop resources for my homeschoolers.

Sabrina shares about her own experiences homeschooling her family. She felt concerned about whether she was competent to homeschool her kids because she only had a year and a half of college. Not only that, but she severely struggled in her college math class.

Her math struggles haunted her as she began to homeschool her kids.

She tried several math curriculums with her kids, but realized that she was passing on her math anxiety to her homeschoolers. Then she said to herself:

Circumstances being what they are, and me being who I want to be (a wise and calm mother who is creative with her resources), I will find a different solution to the math problem!

Then she realized that she could swap resources in her local homeschool co-op and umbrella school. Sabrina is a wonderful literature teacher. She swapped teaching literature to the homeschool high schoolers, while another mom taught her kids math! It was perfect!

So remember, life is full of imperfect homeschooling circumstances

In any circumstance, you can choose to become the person that God created you to become. He is working in and through you, to make you a model of creativity. trust and growth mindset for your kids. So keep saying:

Circumstances being what they are and me being who I want to be, I have decided to…

These are just a couple of examples, but remember, that God is a God of redemption. He likes making new things out of brokenness.

So in the brokenness of your imperfect circumstances, you can trust God to help you become the homeschooling mom he wants you to be. Share your stories and questions with us here or on our 7SistersHomeschool Facebook group, please!

Join Sabrina and Vicki for encouragement about homeschooling in imperfect circumstances. You CAN do it!

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