Before you read this, stop. Give yourself a pat on the back, a raise, a cookie…something, because you are doing amazing things!

Homeschooling is so rewarding. But like anything else it comes with challenges. But we’re not letting these challenges produce chaos. Nope, we’re not doing it. We’re going to grow, together!

Have you thought about why you chose to homeschool? Fear of the climate we’re raising our children in? The ability to instill your family’s values? A tailored education for your children? Flexibility?

Whatever your reason, let that be your guide, your anchor each day.
(Hint: Fear is not a long-term motivator. Replace fear with actionable goals/attributes.)

Your anchoring goal should go beyond “what do I want my child to know?”.

Think “what kind of person do I want my child to be?”.

See if this scenario sounds familiar. Your child is struggling with his work. You both begin to get a little frustrated. What happens next depends on your anchoring goal.

If your goal is just to raise smart kids, your reaction may include pushing through at all cost, impatience and you name it to get that work done (we’ve all been there)!

But if we take a moment to anchor ourselves to our child’s future purpose, we’ll respond in a different way.

We’ll model empathy, show patience, teach how to break a hard task down into manageable parts, lovingly teach stick-to-it-ness, give grace, take a nap or eat a snack, use wisdom and build your child’s character even as you build his brain.

Listen, friend, we’re learning and growing right along with our littles. Give yourself and them lots of grace. On those hard days remember why you chose homeschooling. Hold fast to that goal, especially on the tough days and watch chaos leave your home.

#happyhomemakerchronicles