Homeschooling in the Raw - Getting Through the Hard Days

I have not added anything to this series for awhile. We have hit a bit of a hard patch in our schooling lately, I have touched on this subject before but since we are still in this season, I decided it was time to talk about it again.

This week has been a bit rough for all of us. It the last week of our second quarter, so we are rushing to finish up some work that needs to be completed. The last few days we have been doing school until far into the evening.  I will openly admit, this has been draining for me. At the end of the day, I am completely tapped out, my well is empty. I have started doing more through out the day to help with this though.

Something we have started recently has helped me tremendously in getting through these trying days, without losing my mind. We have started a quiet hour. At three o'clock each day, the kids are told they all need to go upstairs, and find something to play together quietly. Some days this goes wonderfully, they spend the whole hour up there, playing nicely. Other days, they come down every other minute to complain about something the other sibling has done. I love the days that I can sit down on the couch, or at my desk, do a devotional, read a book, or write in my blog, while listening to the sweet giggles, and playful banter of all of them upstairs. Not only is the quiet for me, to help me get a small break. but it is helping the kids. It is helping them spend time together, use their imaginations, play together, be nice to each other, and I am hoping it is building lasting memories.

Today during quiet hour, I am sitting here writing this. I have some good music turned on, I am drinking my fourth cup of coffee ( don't judge me ), writing this blog, and grading the stack of papers you see on the printer beside me.
                                        
As I have been grading papers all week long, I have something else that has given me joy. My kids are thriving. Even on the days that I feel like I am failing, the days that math takes hours, on the days my child is telling me it is to hard, they are thriving. The proof is in their grades. They are not just getting by, they are excelling, they are learning. I am not failing, they are not failing, they are thriving. This fills my heart with joy.

So even though this week has been hard, even though I go to bed feeling tapped out, I can take comfort in knowing this is just a season. The days won't always feel this long.

So all you mothers out there that are feeling the same way I have been. Know this, you are not alone. Families go through good and hard times, some days feel like they will never end, you may feel like you are barely scraping by, but you are not alone.

If you find yourself feeling this way, find a way to help refill your tank. Take a quiet hour, do yoga, drink more coffee, do whatever it is that makes you feel like you are getting some much needed you time. You can't take care of your family, unless you take care of yourself.