Homeschool Mom You Are Not Alone!
Homeschool Mom, you are not alone! Deep in your heart you know that when you decided to homeschool, you made a decision that is good for your kids as well as the whole family, but it’s not easy taking the road less traveled. Do you feel alone in homeschooling? Here’s why you should take heart!
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Have you felt alone in homeschooling from time to time? The very nature of the job means we moms are home alone with young children day after day. This is a wonderful blessing, but it can also feel isolating.
You may be the only person in your family who is homeschooling. Because of this, your parents and in laws may question or criticize your choices. If you have nieces or nephews who are in school, the work your kids are doing might be compared to them.
You may be alone in your neighborhood. When you see the school bus go through and all the children going off for the day, do you feel left behind? Sometimes I go on walks during the day with our kids through the neighborhood and it looks like a ghost town. All the kids are in school and all the parents are at work. Sometimes I imagine what how wonderful it would be if more kids were home more often. It would be so wonderful to hear children’s voices throughout the day.
Are you alone in your church? Maybe you are the only homeschooling family or maybe all the children’s programs operate from from the perspective of the public school calendar and way of doing things. You may feel unseen.
Some moms can struggle with isolation even among other homeschoolers. If you have a parenting philosophy that is different or are using a curriculum that is not what others are using or you have a child who has learning difficulties, you may struggle to relate to other moms in your circle of friends.
Maybe you miss the respect you had when you worked in the corporate world where your job held a title. Let’s be honest, our culture doesn’t value the work a mother does in the home.
These are all things that could lead to feelings of isolation. Here are some tips that have helped me along the way.
#1 Don’t Wait For Others To Find You
Take the initiative to reach out and find a community. Don’t wait for people to find you. As a homeschooler you will have to forge your own path in many ways, but the extra work is worth it! Reach out to friends to plan some play dates. Connect with other homeschool moms by going out for coffee to talk. Organize field trips with other homeschoolers.
Look around for co-ops or start a co-op yourself! Attending a co-op is a wonderful source of regular encouragement and support. Our co-op, which is now established and running itself, was started several years ago by five moms. We met together in each other’s homes weekly. Our co-op has since grown exponentially, but at the time, it was the perfect support for us.
Having Trouble Finding a Homeschool Community That Fits? Consider This!
#2 Consume Homeschool Related Content
Read books, listen to podcasts, and follow blogs that relate to homeschooling. This will help you in several ways. It will open your eyes to the larger community of other homeschool parents. Also, it will encourage you to keep going in the day-to-day work with your kids. It may give you ideas or support to help problem solve when you have struggles.
Here are some of my favorite homeschool blogs to follow.
Also, here is a post with my favorite homeschool podcasts.
Five Homeschool Podcasts You Need to Download
Other homeschool bloggers you might enjoy.
#3 Find a Hobby
One of the mistakes I made as a new homeschool mom was that I didn’t take enough time away from the kids and homeschooling to do hobbies that I enjoy. Homeschooling can be all-consuming. Being with children all day every day is exhausting. Getting away, even for a short period of time, can be just the thing to refresh your spirit. Spending time learning a new skill or investing in a new venture can be invigorating. When you come back to your kids, you will feel refreshed.
Encouragement: You Are Not Alone
You are not alone because the number of homeschoolers is rapidly increasing. As a homeschooler, you are part of a growing number of parents who are deciding to take their children’s education back into their own hands. Even after the spike during COVID, the number of homeschoolers continues to climb. Many parents are concerned about the safety in school environments and the aggressive liberal agenda of public schools. Others simply want more time with their kids. The tide is changing as word is getting out about the positive effects homeschooling has on kids.
You are also not alone because the LORD has promised to be with you. Jesus said, “I will never leave you. I will never forsake you.” If you are doing something that you know God has called you to do, then He will walk with you through it. The words “with you” should sustain you through any struggles you have in doing the Lord’s work.
Such a great article!
We’ve been homeschooling for 11 years now, and I have often had all those thoughts you described. And even though I have not struggled with it too deeply, reading that validated my feelings on the matter, and showed that I am not alone in those thoughts, either! It was both comforting, and encouraging. This article should be shown to every homeschooling parent, both new and experienced.
God bless you, Sheri.
Thanks so much! It’s nice to hear from another mom like you with experience who has also had these same thoughts. Blessings to you and your family as well!