In the interest of full disclosure, I do not consider myself a 'Veteran Homeschool Mom'.
PE class at my house may or may not consist of ' go outside'.
My kids have not always used vitamins, supplements, essential oils, and we do not grow all of our own food or bake all of our own bread.
We don't eat all organic, crunchy, gluten free all the time. The only real reason that my family eats healthy AT ALL is that my 13 year old SON cooks dinner more often than I do - and has recently traded recipes with some of the moms at co-op. (I am so embarrassed).
I have made mistakes, I have raised my voice, lost my cool, been a 'smother', and actually threw a computer once (it was really more of a forceful drop).
I didn't start homeschooling my kids until AFTER I put them in the public schools and witnessed the damage. I have believed lies cunningly told by school officials and then later been super embarrassed (and angry) when I realized my error.
I have gotten suckered into 'but this is the best curriculum ever...' sales pitches. I hate, Hate, HATE lesson planning! I don't design and organize my own curriculum from scratch. I don't even like unit studies (gasp!) and I once spent $200 on a unit study curriculum under duress (hubby liked it, there was a sales pitch involved!) which I gave to another family a year later without even opening the book!
What I do know is that I have found and been utterly blessed by some trusted homeschool mentors who I call whenever I need some help in one area or another. I have been homeschooling for 9 years, I have 2 kids in high school, I lead a wonderful, messy, beautiful co-op with some of my closest friends, yet even I am really not a homeschool veteran.
Here's why...
Being a homeschool veteran means a few things in my book.
1.) She may not always have it all together, but she did homeschool a child, from kindergarten through high school and that person has graduated and become a functioning adult. Maybe they went to college, maybe not, but this adult she helped create can read and write and hold a job and dress themselves in the mornings and have 'normal' conversations with people.
2.) She's nice. The veteran homeschool mom knows how to be in community with other people. She understands when your hair is standing on end and you have baby vomit on your pant leg. She is approachable and understanding. In fact, odds are she will approach you. She hands you a tissue when you are crying and a cup of coffee when you need an ear, not because she's selling curriculum or trying to change your homeschool style, but because she's been there and she understands.
3.) She has standards without being judgmental. She understands that being a 'homeschool veteran' doesn't make her better than you, and she remembers the difficult days and encourages you through them. At the same time, she didn't forsake her calling, and she isn't going to advise you to quit or give up or let someone else handle your children for a while because you're having a hard time. She knows that path leads to destruction! She may however, give you a firm kick in the rear if you need it!
4.) She may not have all the answers, but she knows where to find them. The VHM knows a LOT about homeschooling. But she also understands that she doesn't know EVERYTHING about every homeschooling situation and she is completely willing to refer you to the right resources if she doesn't have the answers. Maybe you have a child with special needs, or a husband who travels for a living, or are a single mom - and she isn't. She won't pretend to know what it's like to walk in your shoes and try to give advice because she likes the sound of her own voice. She will give you a link to a support group, or the number of one of her friends/mentors for encouragement.
Knowing some AMAZING homeschool veterans, and listening to their wisdom and advice, has been invaluable to me as a homeschooling mom. If you homeschool, I encourage you to find a homeschooling veteran mom, and/or be open to the opportunity of mentoring if she should approach you.
And to my dear friends Tami, Cherie, and Peggy - Veteran Homeschooling Moms Extraordinaire - THANK YOU for all of your love and guidance, I don't know where I would be without you!
Blessings,
Amanda
No comments:
Post a Comment