Homeschool Moms! Connect with your "co-workers"!

About mid-summer, I was crying on the couch to my husband.  I was frustrated, scared and worried about our 7-year-old!  I was emotionally drained as his mom AND his teacher.  We had made the decision to consider putting him in public school...

I didn't sleep that night!

My heart slowly melted as I laid there, that night, thinking how could THIS be happening?  How could I fix it?  What if his 2nd-grade public school teacher assesses him and confirms that he SUCKS at writing, comprehends math on a 4th-grade level and can read like a 3rd grader.

What in the world was I going to as his mom AND as his teacher?!

Rewind 10 years ago, when I was a classroom teacher...

Every teacher HAS one of "those students".  The one that drives you crazy, keeps you up at night, isn't putting their best foot forward in your classroom.

And as teachers, we'd ALWAYS run down the hall for help.  Maybe it was a teacher that was next door, teaching the same grade.  It might have been a mentor teacher that was assigned to you for support.  Or maybe the school counselor that is a genius when it comes to dealing with "that student".

Yes!  I was the turkey - and the pilgrim to my left was one of my support pillars as a teacher!
We cried, laugh, yelled, and high-fived through our 2 years of teaching together.

As homeschool moms, we don't have those teachers down the hall or those professionals just foot steps away.  So what do we do?

Many times, I have chosen to keep quiet and would just wait for another day.

Yes, we have our husbands (aka our homeschool principals).  And mine is great at supporting, listening and offering advice.  But there's one thing lacking from this amazing man...emotion.  And that's NOT his fault!  The majority of husbands probably have a hard time understanding our fears and frustrations as a homeschooling mom.

And when that disconnect happens between you and your principal, we have to connect with our "co-workers".  Those moms that were graciouly given to us by God to support us during our down times.  The moms that know you and know your children!

So I snuck out of bed and jumped onto my email.  I began thinking of "my tribe".  The handful of moms that know my heart for homeschooling, they know my 7-year-old and they know how to pray HARD!

Side note: After searching for pictures with these moms, these "co-worksers", I noticed we don't take enough pictures of US!  So many of you are missing from my picture stash! However, I have a million of my kids with yours...but none of us!)

I wrote a simple email letting them know the situation and asking them to PRAY!  I needed support and the next day my inbox was FULL of positive replies!  And to my surprise...they had ALL had this same thought, at some point, during their homeschool journey!

"Just give up and try public school!"  It's one of our favorite threats!

But they all reminded me that homeschooling our children is a calling. It's a calling for our God-given purpose in life.

These women have been placed in my life at the perfect time!  (Thank you Jesus!)  Just like the amazing moms that I had in my life back when Mommy's Little Learners started.

 

Just like the moms that WILL be placed in my life when I have teenagers.
(Don't even want to picture my boys as teenagers!)

When God knows your heart has a homeschooling mom, he sends you your "co-workers".  They aren't down the hall or next door to your classroom, but they are just a text or phone call away!

So my challenge to you as a mom, homeschooler and blogger...USE this amazing network that God has designed for you!  Don't be afraid to ask for help and/or prayer.  Don't be ashamed to post a REAL picture of that REAL situation that's going on that day!  We all need each other to make it through this journey!  We need to rely on our "co-workers" during this homeschool career.

To end this post,

J is still at home with us.  August 23rd, the first day of school, came and went.  Have things gotten easier...some days, yes and some days, nope!
But I have BIG plans for us and can't wait to tackle another school year with this awesome learner!  He was the first born that gave me the desire to homeschool in the first place.  I can't just give up!