Recent Reflections - September 2018: Back-To-School Time...

This is the ninth Recent Reflections post of 2018.  Recent Reflections goes live the third Friday or Saturday of each month.  Each Recent Reflections post covers something that I'm reflecting on.  If you'd like to share a post with a similar theme, feel free to leave a comment with a link to your post, and I'll hop on over and leave a comment (and maybe some other readers will, too).

This month, I will be reflecting on all the thoughts that I have during back-to-school season.

My kiddos on their first day of school for the '18-'19 school year.

It's that time of year again: back-to-school.  It's one of those things you either love or hate, and there's very little room for middle ground.  As a homeschooling parent, I find that I greet this time of year with a bit of excitement and fear.  I love teaching my kids at home (I have a secondary education degree (English major, math minor)), but I always fear that maybe I'm not quite getting it all right.  I pray I am not forgetting to cover certain things, wondering if they are getting enough hands-on in some things, and trying not to be too much of a stickler on things that don't matter, but enough hardcore on things that do.  It is a fine line to tread being both mom and educator, and one I don't take lightly.
I love that I can give them the one-on-one that they need.  I love seeing that look of understanding that comes when learning has happened successfully.  I love the joy they get out of learning something new and exciting.  I love the closeness teaching them myself brings, and that I can instill our
family and religious values into them in all aspects of their learning.  It  is such a blessing!

My kids doing the "must have" silly pose".

On the flip side, there are days when homeschooling is downright hard!  I mean, uber, super HARD!  There are days when a concept remains elusive no matter how many ways I explain it.  There are days when spelling rules and reading skills baffle my daughter to the point of frustration and tears for both of us (she and my middle kid both struggle with forms of Dyslexia/Sensory Processing Disorders).  There are days the answer keys are wrong or so vague that I have to spend 30+ minutes trying to figure out what the right answer is or why they got the answer they did.  There are days when all the kids have tests at the same time or are needing me to grade something so they can move to the next thing, and they all want my time NOW.  There are days where I wonder, "Am I really doing the right thing?"  There are days when the idea of sending the kids back to public school sounds amazing because I'd have a few precious hours to myself.  But, thankfully, those feelings and days are less often than the good ones, and I know beyond a doubt that homeschooling IS the right path for my family.

I know that not everyone can homeschool or even wants to.  That's ok.  My kids all spent time in a public school, and, before I turned to more traditional homeschooling with Monarch, my boys were even in an online charter school (think homeschooling, but with actually classes online with teachers).  Everyone has to do what they believe is best for their kiddos, and that doesn't look the same for everyone.  Don't think that you are less than because you don't homeschool (I certainly don't think that of you), and don't think I'm less than because I do.  The beauty of education is that it comes in so many forms.  You do what's right for you little ones, and I'll do what's best for mine.  At the end of the day, we'll both have children that we feel are better equipped to function in society for the way they were raised, whatever that personally means to us.  Truth be told, the only one that I am accountable to when it comes to educating my children is God, so others' opinions very little beyond that. :)  That's how you should feel about it, too. 

My favorite silly picture they didn't realize I was taking. :)

As your kids go back-to-school in whatever form that takes, know that you are in my prayers!  We all need those to get by and to thrive in this life.  It isn't easy being a parent, and it is just as hard being an educator!  So if you are both, you have double prayers! :)  If you are "just" one or the other, do your best version of that, and all will be right with the world, and we'll have a great year, I'm sure!

I truly hope this post has been a blessing to your heart!  What has God done in your life lately to bless you?  What are you reflecting on?

Have a wonderful weekend!