I sat surrounded by bills I could not pay. I stood surrounded by aisles of food I could not afford. I laid in a cold bed unable to afford the ever rising cost of heat. How could I continue to homeschool while my fingers were too fatigued to hang on for one more minute? Retreat was not in my nature; ask my husband. He says when I have a cause worth fighting for I wrestle it to the ground until I find a way to choke it out. It was that thought that forced me to dig in my heels and find a way.
The first free resource I want to share is attitude. Don’t be disappointed as I know you wanted an answer that would buff out the worn floors you have been pacing. Subfloors are as important as the tiles. We need to dig deep to find the will to continue to pave the path of homeschooling. Homeschooling is not a road we travel it is a road we pave. We get dirty. We get exhausted. We sometimes run on empty. Yet, it is our road alone and there a sweet strength found in that.
If you are feeling like things are impossible, you may reject the solutions. Solutions do not come with blinking lights, they are discovered. Yes, you need a flashlight. Perseverance, faith, a rested head and revived heart, all construct the flashlight. You need to come to a place where you are willing to try. You may feel that is exactly what you have been doing. I have been there, you can’t fool me. I know what it is like to welcome misery because you are too exhausted to try.
My son was building a skyscraper out of Legos. He kept trying to use this one piece that just would not fit. He grew frustrated. He asked for help and I suggested he was focused on the wrong area as the foundation was not strong enough to hold the Lego skyscraper. He rejected that idea because he was only focused on the top half and insisted he did all he could do with the bottom half. He remained frustrated and shot down any attempt at help. He continued to use the same pieces that had failed him. He was unwilling to listen. Finally, after stepping back and refocusing he was able to see it was his attitude that prevented him from finding the solution. He also found he was focused on the wrong half and needed to revisit the foundation.
Step back. Revisit your reasons to homeschool. Write it down. Yes, physically write down your reasons. You need to lure them out of your mind and make them concrete. Keep the list where you can review it when you find yourself wanting to retreat. Then, I want you to take inventory on all the materials you currently own. You may be surprised how much you already have to use or sell/trade for new materials. Finally, make a list of what you need, not want, but need for a successful homeschool year. You don’t need a remodeled school room but you will need a means for teaching math.
Assignment Review:
- Write down your original reasons for homeschooling.
- Take inventory on what you already own. Consider how it could still apply or how you can sell or trade it.
- List your needs to successfully homeschool.