Inspiration and Encouragement all around me

Lately H and I have had a really hard time with one another when it comes to school time. This is always a tough time of year because it's cold and yucky out and we're house bound for what seems like forever. It's hard to keep everyone happy and entertained in the house, for months on end.

So Monday is when it all seemed to fall apart. Well, at least I fell apart. We were having yet another rough school day with her being grumpy and not wanting to do the work and me feeling so frustrated that all I could do was cry. I felt so discouraged and wondered for the first time if maybe I wasn't doing the right thing by homeschooling her. I worried that she would lose her love of learning because she seemed to loathe school time most days. (Well, not all the time, but for the last few weeks.) I felt as though we'd hit a real low point in our student/teacher/mother/daughter relationship.

Luckily I am blessed to have in-laws who take care of the girls every Monday afternoon. As bad as this sounds, I think it was nice for H and I to have a few hours away from one another. I went to work for a few hours, and since they were on sale ... came home with a dozen beautiful pink, purple and yellow roses. It's funny how something like flowers can really bring my mood up!

Next, I requested prayer from my alumni friends from Bible college and received many great ideas and encouraging thoughts and prayers from other homeschooling Moms who are just like me.

The next morning I talked to my friend Sarah for a long time, she is homeschooling as well and offered lots of support and encouragement.

I'm not sure why, but sometimes I feel as though I need to hide it when I'm going through a tough time. It's hard to admit when things aren't going perfectly! But I'm so thankful that the Lord helps me see that I can't do it all on my own. That there are many others who are there to encourage and support me, if only I'll let them. And through it all, God is faithful. He never fails me.

So here's what I've learned about homeschooling H ...

• I need to pray more, by myself and with her.
• I have a creative mind ... I need to USE it, to keep things fun for her so she doesn't get bored with worksheets.
• There are resources everywhere that I have not taken advantage of but need to! (library, internet, museums, etc)
• I need to realize that life isn't perfect, and we will have bad days and good days.
• I need to remember that I had days as a child when I hated school too, and that's OK.
• I need to school her in a way that appeals to her interests!
• I need to remember that I'm not alone!
  

Thank you Lord, for showing me that I am not perfect, my child is not perfect and life is not perfect. Thank you for your faithfulness through our trials and your wisdom for dealing with life's ups and downs. Thank you for my beautiful, healthy, vibrant children ... give me strength, creativity, and energy as I teach them every day. Thank you for friends and family who encourage us, pray for us, and help us in raising our kids. And thank you for the internet which connects me to friends, family and other homeschooling Moms all over the country in ways that I am so thankful for!

I don't usually do this on my blog but ...

I know a lot of other Moms (and Grandmas) read my blog ... so I'm going to ask some parenting advice. And let me just start by saying that I adore both of my children with all of my heart. But we all know that parenting is hard work, and sometimes we need a little (OK, a LOT) of help with it. I pray daily for the strength and patience I need to parent my girls well, but sometimes I also need a little practical advice from other parents ... you know what I mean??

So, here goes:
One of my children is not a good listener. Most times I have to ask her 4-5 times before she will do what I have asked.

I have disciplined her for it, but being that she is very sensitive she just gets really upset, and I wonder if she really got the message.

I feel as though all day I am saying "YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO MOMMY". I have tried the tough approach and I have tried the compassionate approach.

Sometimes I don't know if she is disobeying, because she is the type who is VERY easily distracted. So on the way to put her PJ's on, she sees a toy and she stops ... then I tell her again to put PJ's on and she walks to the dresser and sees a book and stops to look at it ... so I tell her a 3rd time and she gets halfway undressed before stopping again to pick up the toy ... etc, etc, etc, on it goes.

Could this be a symptom of ADD? (I'm not trying to 'label' her, just trying to understand the behavior.)
Or do you other parents just think it's out right disobedience?
I feel as though she could be disciplined ALL day long and she would still act the same way because like I said before she's very easily distracted.

I know she has the ability to focus, because she does well in preschool. And she is a quick learner, even times when I think she isn't paying attention and she ends up retaining information.

So, what advice have you got?? I am really struggling with this one. And feel free to email me if you need lots of space to write! Thanks friends!