Homeschooling & Realistic Expectations

I just wanted to share a small snippet of wisdom I received years ago that has helped me have a realistic expectation toward myself as a homeschooling mom.  When I participated actively on Sonlight Forums (which helped me greatly as I was getting acclimated to homeschooling), a more experienced mom shared this:

She told her husband he could come home to any 3 of the following:

• a clean house  

• clean, brushed, bathed, dressed children 

• educated children 

• a hot meal 

•  a "willing" wife 

But he could only pick 3 per day.  :D  I love that.  I can do it all, but not in one day. 

And many of us have other things to fit in too... perhaps you are in a situation where you have to fit in some part time hours of work, or language learning (lessons, study, & practice) several hours a day, or maybe you have an aging parent or grandparent that you care for.  

Mama, BE GRACIOUS toward yourself.  Give yourself the gift of realistic expectations, knowing you CANNOT DO IT ALL, ALL AT ONCE.  Rely on God.  Do the things you can do.  And don't feel bad or take on guilt from magazines, from Mrs. Perfection at your church, or from some false set of expectations thrust on you from another person.  

Do what you can do, and don't feel badly that some things fall through the cracks. The world will go on spinning if the bath gets skipped for today or if the dishes sit on the counter overnight.   Rest.  Trust.  And choose joy as you "do the next thing."




(***In case anyone is wondering what it is, the picture is of my 6 year old and 4 year old helping me brine the turkey for Thanksgiving, in a refrigerator drawer.***)