Mindful Homeschool: Find Peace in Your Home
How in the world does one find peace in her home? To be honest, I’m not sure how to answer that, and that must disappoint you because this is supposed to be an uplifting meditation for homeschooling parents. But I can only be honest.
Family life is hard. There are peaceful days when good things happen. The weather is beautiful, the flowers are blooming, and the boys sit on the porch to sketch in their sketchbooks….Oh, but wait. Usually one or both of them break down into a long crying spell because his drawing doesn’t come out the way he imagines it to be. But we still somehow gain another entry in the sketchbook, and the memory of sketching on the porch is sweet.
There are days when we have so much fun as a family going hiking…. Oh, but wait. There’s that difficult part trying to get everyone out. the. door. Did everyone go pee? And then there’s car sickness, and at least one person (child or adult) is going to have a cranky spell during the trip. Or more. But mostly, it’s a wonderful day.
There are days when everyone is getting along swell and then one thing trips it up, and the day goes kaput. But by the next day, it’s all forgotten. Or maybe not. But it does get better.
There are many days when only one spouse has the peace of mind, but the real problem comes when neither has the peace of mind.
Peace comes from within. Perhaps you find your strength in nature, or friends, or your religion, or the quiet moment you steal during the chaos. The best we can do in these moments is remember that we’re not alone. We all experience this: good times, bad times, hectic times, unsure times. Even the happiest people experience all these different situations and emotions. Perfect peace may not be attainable, but by keeping a good perspective, we can cultivate it in our lives.
If you can stop for just a moment during a bad situation and remember that you are not alone, you may be closer to finding peace. If you can find beauty in the chaos, you may be closer to finding peace. If you can remember that this too shall pass, you may be closer to finding peace. If you can do one thing each day to nurture your true potential, you may be closer to finding peace.
Do you feel like you have a peaceful home? Peace of mind? When things are going wrong, how do you cope?
Believe it or not, a well-chosen mantra can help you turn around a bad day—or at least your perception of it. And while it’s not a cure-all for challenges in your homeschool, a mantra can be just the perspective shift you need when your homeschool hits a bumpy patch.
The work we do as homeschoolers matters, and we should see it that way.
Happiness comes more from our actions than our circumstances: about 40 percent of the average person’s happiness comes from things they do. So to get out of a rut, do something different. It’s almost too easy.
One of the most effective ways to feel happier and more productive? Working with your hands. Winter is the perfect time to start a new project.
You don’t have to do huge renovations to make your learning spaces feel brand new. Here are a few simple ideas that will breath new life into your school space this winter.
Sometimes when you feel stuck, setting a series of goals can help you break out of the blah.
There is no secret to making your homeschool life more of the life you want — the only way to get there is one change at a time.
Sometimes quitting is the key to homeschool happiness.
Sometimes, homeschooling is easier when I get out of my own head and try to see things through my children’s eyes.
Silence feels like a rare commodity in my life right now, and I miss it.
It’s not just okay to let go of being perfect — it’s essential.
What brings you homeschool joy?
Homeschooling isn’t always easy, but you’re probably doing a better job than you give yourself credit for.
I like to turn my worries into what Patricia Zaballos so eloquently called wondering in her first column. Not all wondering is bad, and it comes with the territory of homeschooling.
“Tell yourself that you and your children have all the time in the world to learn whatever you want.”
A key to happy homeschooling is learning to recognize the creativity, imagination, exploration, learning, and joy that's happening amid the mess and noise.
You can't do everything, be everything, buy everything — nobody can. So why do homeschool moms feel so guilty about it?