I am officially crazy. I have decided to homeschool my oldest daughter who will be a kindergartener in the fall. She and I are very much alike and I anticipate a lot of butting heads. If I think about it too hard, I start to become riddled by anxiety. Will I be able to teach her what she needs to know? Will she listen to me like she would a teacher outside of the home? Will I be able to focus on her learning needs while also taking care of a high-maintenance preschooler? What about me? Will I ever have any time for myself if I’m homeschooling during the day and taking care of them in the afternoon and evening, too? I’ll effectively be on call 7 days a week.
At the same time, I’m very excited about the prospect. The moments when I’m watching her learn something new are some of the best I’ve ever had. I love watching her eyes light up as she figures something out. I love the idea of being able to focus on her needs and her interests.
I also love the idea of not sending her to public school. I was a public school teacher for the better part of a decade and to say I’m disillusioned would be an understatement. I also think it will save me a great deal of worrying over bullying issues and school violence. Three times in the last month, there have been credible threats made against schools in the area where I live. An armed man was also arrested outside of one of our schools in the last week.
I really hope that we can make this work. Send good thoughts that my daughter and I won’t drive each other crazy this year!
Mommy Went Crazy 
While I am sure there will be brief moments when you will butt heads and drive each other crazy, I’m sure you’ll find those days will be few.
Rest assured that the questions you are asking of yourself are good ones; it’s best to go into any new venture with your eyes wide open. Considering you actually have a history of teaching, you are already one step ahead of the game. There might be some transition time needed in order to get your routine focused, but I’m sure you’ll get that down pretty quickly.
Being a mommy AND a homeschooling parent is a grand adventure; one I hope you will enjoy. Just remember, it’s just as important to schedule ‘mommy time’ as it is to plan for arithmetic. Make sure to take moments just for yourself. We all need them from time to time!
Welcome to the fun world of homeschooling!
LikeLike