{image credit: “hope“ by Renatvs88 / CC BY 2.0}
It’s mid-year, the holidays are over, school is back in full swing, and the pace of life has ramped up again… how are you doing? Have you jumped in joyfully? Are you being pulled along reluctantly? Are you struggling but still hopeful?
January can sometimes be a rough month, especially for those of us who homeschool and/or have very full SLOCA lives! It’s common to feel overwhelmed or anxious about life and the rest of the school year, so let’s face those January blues and find a way through them.
Last January, Track A mom Jill Talley wrote an excellent and heart-felt post offering some mid-year encouragement – read it here if you didn’t back then or if you just want to be inspired again. Her main point still rings true today: People need people, and it truly helps to turn to others in our community when we need a boost. Whether it’s to glean ideas or just to commiserate together, time with friends and other SLOCA parents can help remind you why you've chosen this path, and ignite the motivation to lean in and keep going.
(And if you happen to be feeling great about home and school life right now, look for opportunities to reach out to others in our community who could use a kind word or an invitation to hang out. It can make all the difference!)
Other times it’s solitude we are desperate for. If you recharge and focus best by finding much-needed alone time, this is a great month to try to schedule that in. A weekend away alone (does anyone do this? Tell us!), or even an afternoon at a coffee shop and a walk on the beach might be just the thing to hit that reset button, make plans (if you're a planner), and focus on the “why” or the BIG PICTURE that Susie talked about in the last update.
{image credit: “back“ by Matteo / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0}
Perhaps it’s the little things getting you down lately, especially with the transition back to school. Kids not wanting to get up in the morning, forgetting to read that chapter, a misplaced binder, email that slipped through the cracks, etc. Sometimes these pile up and leave us feeling frustrated, thinking we are totally failing. Another SLOCA mom recently reminded me of a simple but powerful phrase that a mutual friend of ours often says in situations like these: “It doesn’t matter.” When we truly have the big picture in mind, when we see that our kids are thriving, and we commit to moving forward, these little mishaps and times when we fall short really don’t matter. Try using these words on yourself!
We can all use the reminder that it is such a privelege to do this. Beyond the occasional tears, blank stares, forgotten lunches, and the messy house… we get to spend precious time with our children, we get to be there for their magical moments: the first book they read on their own, a really well-written paragraph, seeing a connection between a current event and something we learned in history, the way they light up when reciting a poem, each time they recognize Latin in our world, etc. We get to know exactly what our kids are learning, and learn right along with them!
Doing life the SLOCA way isn't always easy, but it's rich and rewarding on many levels. We hope you are seeing the rewards in the midst of the struggles. We are right there in it with you and want to support you on every step of the journey!
What about you? What gets you through the rough patches of home and school life? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. You never know how your encouragement might help a fellow parent!
SLO Classical Academy is not affiliated with any of the above mentioned websites or individuals.
