Imperfectly Perfect, Because They Are Mine

    Ever notice how other people's kids are calmer, cleaner, well behaved, better dressed, more cooperative and smarter than your own kids?  We live in such a day in age that when people brag on their kids, it makes you feel like you are doing something wrong. "He my kid just got accepted into Mensa! You say "Yay!," but you are thinking "Whoopdie Doo!" I stay at home with my kids all day, I homeschool and take them everywhere.  Believe me, spending all day with your kids does not make you a better mom or handle crisis better or even manage your kids better. I also look forward to the single moment my husband breaks through the door to have some adult and human interaction. I'd also be lying if I said I always enjoyed it. I do not do it to make my kids smarter, or well behaved or even to brag that I am homeschooling and you are not, na-na-na-na-na-naaah! Honestly, my reasons for homeschooling are selfishly motivated.

Here are 3 of my main reasons for homeschooling:

    1. I do it because I do want to be with my kids.  The good, bad, ugly and in between. I want to remember them because it will be gone in a flash.  We are not promised tomorrow and our kids are not promised tomorrow either.  I want to love them, and to share God with them.  Do I do that?  Probably not enough. More often than not, I feel like I am yelling and getting frustrated. You know what I do, get up the next day and pray for God to help me, and I try again to be the mom I am supposed to be to my kids.  I do it because I am imperfect in every way, but I love my children.

    2. I homeschool, because my kid is that kid.  The one who gets "that call" from school every day.  The one who gets into altercations and causes trouble and cannot stay on task, is not learning as fast as the other kids.  The one who argues with the teacher, and on and on and on.  The one who gets angry when he cannot understand something, who hides what he is feeling and takes it out with anger. The one who needs his mom and dad to understand that he is loved and he doesn't have to understand how to multiply fractions the first time. The one who needs to know it is all ok, and he is loved, and precious, and imperfectly perfect. I also really, really, really don't like "that call."

     3. I homeschool because I can sleep in and stay in my jammies all day if I want to.  Do I? Sleep in? Never. Stay in jammies? Probably not, but I can if I want to!

My children probably have food on their faces from breakfast at noon, and uncombed hair. Even when I am not in pajamas, they may still be. My daughter quite honestly is on the computer whenever I help my son with school work, or watching Daniel Tiger or Super Why on Netflix. We do finish by lunch so after that I am all hers, and, yes, there are a bajillion other things I'd rather be doing (ahem, sewing), and things I'd rather not be doing (cleaning). All in all, I am glad to be able to fulfill my children's needs physically and emotionally as well as spritiually. Mind, body, and soul.