Hello mamas! I have something fun to celebrate… part of me wishes it was a new baby! Nope, it’s something different: I am going to be a mom for a decade in August! *Cheers! *Bust out the glass of champagne! *Just kidding… or am I?
I will have gone through one child’s first nine years and having four follow in suit.
Each child is different and presents their own gifts, skills, talents and personality along with challenges and differences. What a beautiful bouquet of flowers, so to speak. They are each beautiful and their life is fragrant!
Now..my homeschool life
What raising five looks like while homeschooling: it is full of ups and downs. It is for sure a roller coaster that I did not and could not prepare for but… I feel like I am doing pretty good. *pat myself on my back, real quick!
So, we decided we would homeschool amid COVID strangeness… I would quit my job and be a full-time homeschooling mama (this was July of 2020). My MIL jumped in to help two days a week with my 3 year old (she will once in a while take the 1 yr old,too, woohoo!!)And another bonus, one of my child needs particular breaks, so my buddy takes her once every two weeks or so… it’s amazing: it’s the only way it could have been so “smooth.”
Homeschooling with five: it looks nothing like anyone else is doing… it looks like sometimes sitting with the one child who is willing to do work. It looks like convincing the other one that with my help, she can get her work done. It looks like coming down on the 3rd school-age child with rewards versus consequences to get her to do work. Sadly, sometimes there are many tears. Frustratingly, it looks like leaving work for them to do with daddy when he gets home. *Let’s celebrate dads, too!
Secrets:
I get stressed every month in turning in samples of work.
I make my kids do a lot… I say: “the more you put in, the more you get out!” *My kindergarten is graduating and she loves to read! She’s into the beginner level chapter books and has completed a few on her own! Wins…
My children cry a lot (but not really) and express their emotions very freely… (me, too! haha)
I mostly live between excited and nervous about homeschooling, but I do it anyway!
Furthermore…
Today, I listened to a teaching by Chip Ingram of Living on the Edge Ministries and his sermon titled “Teach Them to Suffer Well” really spoke to me as I thought of what I am leaving my kids each day.
Being a mama to five littles mean I fight the thoughts of cynicism towards myself and towards their bad behavior. I have to choose to remember how deeply I am loved and how deeply they are loved so I can execute decisions for each child.
The start of this week, being a mama to five meant accepting two subjects out of five and calling it good! We called it a day around 3:45 and went the library, the kids read a ton of books and I rejoiced in that… we also had dinner right before 7pm and went on a evening walk with friends… 8:15pm.. it’s ok, have a second dinner… cereal and milk, sure…a bowl of frozen fruit, sure. And finally for tonight, it meant 9:30/9:45 and 10pm bedtimes for most of the kids. They can’t get enough of us… also the baby had a three hour nap! He’s growing!!
You see, being a mother means I’m constantly re-evaluating and I have to move into areas of gratitude and away from negative, harsh words, and criticism/cynicism… because it is so much easier to be harsh and cut others down. *secret: my kids left one side of the van door open the whole time we were in the library… Praise: nothing was stolen… the kids made many comments..one of which was “what would people want to steal in this messy old van, aways?!” *insert laughing with tears emoji. So, let’s choose life and love… here’s the deal with my kids… they’re going to get their work down and we’re going to wrap up the school year with tears of joy, celebratory boba milk tea and lots of time in the sun and out on the lake!
Mamas… whatever season you are in… maybe with the babies two years old and under or pregnant with a first… think long term…
1)How do you picture the first 18 years not the first 18 months… go beyond the pregnancy, dream beyond the first years and prayerfully consider: “What legacy do I want to leave my babies?”
2)How can you invest in you a little each day…
3)How are you showing yourself love?
4) How are your babies seeing you love them? How is your mood, tone, and service?
5)Remember, that God made you to be the parent! You are valuable, treasure, and precious… you got this…you get to love the baby, or babies!
Thanks for reading. Comment below a little about your season!
Abundant Mommyhood 