As a homeschooling parent I have many days where homeschooling is a joyous experience, but then there are those days, that I look at myself in the mirror and just have to ask: “What are you thinking woman?” I am sure you all have been there.

On the good days I feel like I am top of the world. The kids sit quietly doing their work and I just sit back in awe of how great our lives are and how blessed we are to be able to homeschool. Then there are those days where I feel like the worst mom and teacher on the planet. No one wants to work, everyone is out of sorts, they are frustrated, and I am completely worn out. Those are the days, I need to stop in my tracks and pray! I need to give our schedule to our Father and Creator and allow Him to lead me.

I want to share some of the pros of homeschooling first. At the top of my list is the time I get to spend with my children (of course I can also add this to the top of my cons list). You are probably wondering what I mean. I will get to that a little bit later. Let’s get back to our list of pros:
2. Being able to teach my children about our Lord and Savior on a daily basis.
3. Watching my children grow physically, emotionally, and spiritually
4. Seeing that moment when the light bulb goes off and they get what you are teaching them.
5. Being able to teach them about our religious views as they are learning all the other subjects. I love weaving the Bible throughout each lesson.
6. Picking the curricula that works best for each child.
7. Having a luxury of being on a schedule that works for the entire family. When my hubby worked nights, we could work around his time schedule.
8. Being able to take days off for special activities and vacations.
9. Having siblings together daily so they can get to know one another better.
10. Time to talk and really understand each other as you grow as a family.

Now on to my short list of cons. Remember when I said my top pro was spending time with my children and that it could also be a con? I meant that sometimes we forget that we need time to ourselves and when we fail to get that, we become easily agitated with our kiddos. We need time to recuperate and rejuvenate ourselves. Here is the rest of my list of cons:
2. Too many false expectations. Sometimes we expect too much and that can cause issues.
3. Not getting out into the world and spreading the Word of God like we should.

There are many times that we forget that our number one priority is to teach the gospel to those who do not know our Lord as their personal Savior. If we can balance homeschooling and this, we have accomplished our goal. I feel we need to be sure that we are out in the world and allowing the world see the Light of Jesus shining through our lives. We can do this by being involved in our communities and churches. Look for local groups that your children can be a part of and let them share their hearts for the Lord.

In order for the cons not to become a discouragement to us, we must pray and read our Bibles daily. We must ask the Lord to restore us when we feel we have nothing left to give. We need to be sure to have friends and family who support us and help us when we feel like giving up. If you take time for yourself, you children will benefit. You will be more relaxed and on top of things. Your children will also see the example you are setting for them to follow when they become parents and possible homeschool teachers one day.

Just take one day at a time. Don’t fret over trials, and rejoice in the little things. God has it all in control. Surrender your life, your children and your homeschool to Him!