They creep in quietly, most of the time before you even realize they are there. Sliding their way into your thoughts; looking for room in your heart. The main objective? To steal your joy.
So who are these sneaky thieves that want to rob the joy away from homeschool parents? Let me introduce you to a few that have crossed my path.
5 Thieves of Homeschooling Joy
Fear
Doubt. Worry. Call it what you want, but fear is likely at the root of your emotions. We fear that we are failing our children. We worry we are not doing enough. We worry that we are doing too much. We doubt our educational choices. Fear loves to strike us whenever it can.
Comparison
Everybody else has it all together and you don’t. You know, we are all in this parenting thing together and we are all just doing the best we can for our children. Comparison can drive us from our own unique path for our families and lead us to resentment and discontent quickly.
Anger
There are many things that can lead to an angry heart: challenging behavior issues with children, financial stress, lack of sleep, an overwhelming schedule, and more. When we allow anger to take control of us, it chokes the joy out of us and our families.
Perfectionism
One can never truly have joy when perfectionism lives in the heart. Life is not perfect and when you add children, things will rarely go the way you perfectly planned them. Perfectionism will smother the happiness out of a household.
Disorganization
Lack of planning, disorganized piles of books, and misplaced supplies do nothing to encourage homeschool joy. It’s hard to maintain happiness when things are scattered and you are unprepared to teach your children.
Of course, there are other thieves of homeschooling joy. These are just areas I have had experience with over the last 8 years of homeschooling. They are mindsets that I have control over.
So what do we do to protect and maintain our homeschool joy?
We have to guard our hearts.
Many times this involves searching our hearts to see if and where any of these joy stealers have crept in. If we pay attention to our thoughts and words, we can know if joy is filling our hearts or not.
I also ask myself questions, such as:
- What’s the motivation behind my actions or thoughts?
- What have I been watching on television?
- Am I picking up habits from the company I keep?
As a Christian, I also guard my heart through prayer and the Word of God.
Homeschooling with joy is possible. In fact, I believe it’s what God truly desires for us. If you have been feeling burdened by homeschooling or just plain burnt out, it’s okay. You can find joy in homeschooling again. Be diligent in finding the roots of your emotions, replacing the lies with truth, and guarding your heart.
Do you struggle with keeping your homeschool joy? What are some of the joy stealers you’ve found in your life? We’re all in this together!
This post is linking up to The Hip Homeschool Hop & The Homeschool Mother’s Journal!
Alicia says
Jo, thank you for being so transparent here and sharing those things that steal your joy! Perfectionism has (and probably always will be) my biggest joy stealer. But you’re right… through Christ, healing and hope are POSSIBLE!
Jo says
I truly think the only way any of us can heal is by being transparent. Sometimes it’s hard to find people to be vulnerable with and that’s one thing I appreciate about “bloom”. It is a safe place for honesty and healing.
Dawnita says
I’ve been a victim of each of these at some point. Freedom from such lies & struggles is Free indeed!
Jo says
I think many homeschool moms have fallen for at least some of these at some point, Dawnita. It sure can be easy to accept the lies when we aren’t guarding our hearts. Keep walking in that freedom, girl!
Kelly @RaisingSamuels says
Well said, and I could not agree more! Thank you for offering the encouragement to not fall for any of these. I am so glad you shared this with Social Butterfly Sunday this week. Blessings 🙂
Jo says
Thanks for stopping by, Kelly! So glad it was of encouragement.
Saripudin says
My daughter does most of her work on the rikcong chair on the back porch! :-)In reference to your daughter, here is a thought . . . how much time did you spend with her while she was at school and extra-curricular activities X hours a day? I bet you spend more time with her now . . .It takes time, but you do find your rhythm. In time, your son will become more independent. I remember when I had to sit next to my daughter and, if I got up to wash dishes, she lost her concentration. Now, she gets out her math before my first cup of coffee and works on it in her rocker.
Anne Marie says
I so agree with this list!! And when the joy is gone, I have to sit down, pray, and remember why we chose to homeschool in the first place. Then I tackle the area that seems to be most bothersome. I’m fighting against disorganization right now. Ugh! 🙂
Shirley says
I was just expressing these thoughts to my spouse last night. He fell asleep on me as I tried to share my thoughts. This wasn’t the first time he’s fallen asleep on me. It’s the only time I can talk to him. To add to the list is an unhappy marriage. I pray and I cry and share how I feel to him, hoping I can get encouragement and be held in his arms, but…well, I’ll leave it at that. Thank you for being brave to be vulnerable. I really appreciate it.
Caroline Rowlett says
Thank you for this! I struggle with perfection and comparison. I’m so glad I’m not the only one. May the Lord bless all homeschooling families 🙂