What Homeschool Moms wish their husbands knew

My blog is being scraped again.  If you are reading this on a website other than www.crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com you are reading a stolen copy of my content.

The day goes something like this:

Wake up sharing a bed, with either the hubby or a kid that has managed to sneak in for a snuggle depending on when hubby had to be at work that day. Move to the kitchen to start breakfast all the while urging the kids to get moving and do chores. Eat breakfast with all manner of tired, clingy children that won’t eat any faster than molasses in January. Clean up breakfast, finally, and try to get dressed. Only you can’t because you can’t seem to have your own bedroom to yourself. Each child has at least one question which has to be asked RIGHT NOW! The questions get answered in between picking clothes and begging them to give you five minutes alone. Finally you just start undressing, hoping that that will cause them to flee. School starts with the usual whining and complaining, not all of which is theirs! Books have been misplaced and all the pencils in the house have suddenly disappeared. When enough items have been found to start school work, the various questions from each child are fired off continually at two minute intervals for the next hour and a half; or until the frustration causes one or all of them to give up. Recess is called so that mom can lock herself in the bathroom for an undetermined amount of time. But just when the quiet settles in the bathroom, fingers appear under the door. Heavy breathing can be heard from the other side along with whispers of “No, you ask her.” The moment is over when the fighting starts and a crash is heard from somewhere in the house. Mom stalks out to find nothing. Everyone has mysteriously vanished. The choice has to be made-go back into hiding and pretend that nothing is amiss or go find them and the trouble they are in. It takes a little longer to make the decision than you would ever admit to but you finally go in search of your offspring. When you find them you swear there is a hallelujah chorus playing somewhere because they are doing their school work. Not wanting to draw attention to the fact that they are doing what they should be doing, mom grabs a book to sit and read with them. As soon as her body touches the couch, the questions begin again. ‘What’s this word’, ‘What does that mean’, ‘Do I have to read this?’, ‘Can we be done now?’ Determined to get as much school done as possible you tell them no, but inwardly beg to be done as well. Pressing on toward the end of the school day, the questions and problems build to a fever pitch until mom says, ‘Just wait for your father to get home and he will help you.’ That is the last ditch statement given when the limit has been reached and a meltdown of epic proportions is imminent-Mom’s not the kids’. Cheers go up as the kids scatter like roaches in daylight leaving a trail of papers, books, and chaos behind them. Before Mom can gather her wits about her, Dad walks into the middle of the disaster zone. Their eyes meet and she instantly knows that she has failed. There is nothing peaceful and calming about the house at the moment and she just realized that her shirt and pants don’t match, she has two different shoes on, and she hasn’t brushed her teeth or hair all day. Supper has barely been thought of and all she can think of is getting some quiet time alone with no one asking unending questions. But alas, that is not to be. Homework, supper, clean up, chores, time with hubby, bed time, and planning for the next day needs done. She climbs into bed with thoughts of everything that needs done tomorrow hoping she can fall asleep before the first kid comes in needing help in the night. The alarm goes off the next morning to begin the whole circus over again.

1. You can not imagine how many questions your children come up with on any given day.

2. Previously independent children become helpless as soon as I start helping someone else or working on my things.

3. As educated as I am, I sometimes forget what day it is even though I have repeated it countless times for each child.

4. I didn’t forget to do the laundry; I actually forgot we even had laundry.

5. I really was planning on making supper until several kids had Math melt-downs and the computer decided it hated me.

6. I feel guilty asking to buy things for our school even though we need them. So, I don’t.

7. Planning the school year is incredibly intimidating and I would love to have your input and advice.

8. Having asked for your input please be aware that I am also territorial about homeschooling and probably won’t take the advice well. At first. Please be patient and gentle with my tender ego.

9. No matter how well the day goes, I still feel like I didn’t do enough. There is always something that I could have done better and I will tend to focus on that.


10. Please be willing to help with homework and to give me a break from the daily grind. I don’t need much time, just a little break to save my sanity.

11. I need you to support me 100% and to show it.

12. I also need time to just be me and not a homeschool teacher. Time away, not thinking about school, will restore my faith in myself and my calling as a homeschooling mother.

13. I want, no, need you to listen to how my day went and to ask me questions about it. Please don’t feel like you have to solve the problems, sometimes it’s enough for you to just listen.

14. Pray for me. Knowing that you are praying for me is a blessing I treasure.

Now, I am ready for the alarm to go off tomorrow morning!