Feel your powah!
Image by thephotographymuse
The homeschooling parents I know? They’re the hippies of the 21st century. They said “No” to the man and drew a circle around their houses, saying, “This far and no further.”
No matter how “conservative” you may be politically, or how urban homesteader you are… YOU are an amazing force to be reckoned with.
The confidence, the chutzpah it takes to homeschool gets lost on us. We hang out with each others’ insecurities every day. We make comparisons and doubt some of our decisions. We scrutinize our children’s progress and agonize over curriculum decisions like it’s our job (cuz it kinda is!).
But drop back a sec.
Get the macro view of you—this person who would dare to say “no” to room mothering and the PTA; this person who thinks she can teach high school chemistry some how, some way; this person who thinks her own zeal for learning is enough to school her multiple kids in multiple grades without any teacher training, certification, or validation from the state, the neighbors, often her own extended family, and the other parents on the soccer field.
And then—you commit to do this thing, all day, every day, no breaks, no “summers off” because honestly, for school parents, the summers are when they feel “back on”—and you feel great about it (mostly). I mean, you’re proud of this homeschool thing you do 24/7. You like doing it. Your kids and their educations become your chief hobby and your career—the way you’ll leave your mark on the world…and then you do. Some of you have already found out that your kids as adults have turned out to be even better people than you are! And your finger prints are all over that finished work.
It’s so easy to get sucked into self-flagellation about all that you don’t get done or didn’t know to do or are still figuring out. But the truth is: Who does what you do? Really? Only someone who has this inner reserve of strength that goes far beyond births without pain meds or corporate job interviews.
Your husband (if you have one) isn’t the principal of your homeschool. You are. The parent who runs the homeschool is the one with the power.
You are principal, teacher, curriculum director, extracurricular advisor, and superintendent of your little district.
What will you do with those responsibilities? How can you tap into that sense of self that got you started to begin with? How did you gather up the self-esteem and courage to pull your kids out of school or not send them to begin with?
That’s the person you want on your side today.
I salute you! You inspire me.
Shake hands with powerful you.
Now—make stuff happen!
Cross-posted on facebook.
Thank you — just, thank you.
This is inspiring! Thank you!