Energized - For Life and For Homeschooling

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What energizes you and keeps you motivated? At the best of times, we become weary and have times when we just don't feel like it. And when it hasn't been the best of times, then we're even more likely to be tired of trying and ready to throw in the towel.

This is true in all areas of our lives. We need to be re-energized. In our lives as believers, we have the Holy Spirit to empower us and give us the strength to carry on and do what we've been called to do. We also have a family and community of believers to encourage each other along the way. Or to spur one another on, as the writer of Hebrews says. I can use some good encouragement - and I shouldn't neglect opportunities to encourage others!

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. ~II Timothy 1:7

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  ~Hebrews 19:25

Now more specifically, I want to talk a little about encouraging each other as homeschoolers. Let's just be real - homeschooling is hard work for moms and for students. And we usually don't manage to stay excited and enthusiastic about it all year. There are times when we are just plain tired and feel like we don't have the energy to get through the week. There will be times of frustration and discouragement, for parents and students alike. 

So where do we find the energy and motivation when homeschooling is hard?

For me, I had to remember why we chose homeschooling in the first place. We didn't decide to do this because we thought it would be easy. We chose homeschooling because we believed it was best for our kids and our family. Was it still best, even though she didn't get to sing and act in a school musical? Even when math or science were so hard and frustrating that we wished someone else had the responsibility of explaining it and grading it? Even when we felt like we had no clue what to do next or how to prepare for college? It didn't always feel like it, but YES, we knew it was best. 

Whatever the factors that led you to homeschooling, you made a decision that you thought was best for your kid. Remembering that can help you find a bit of stick-to-it-tiveness to power through some hard days.

In our family, a big part of our conviction that homeschooling is best comes from our belief that it's God's best for us. No matter how hard it is to teach tough subjects, or how exhausting it is to deal with crappy attitudes, there's no way I can believe that any of my kids would have been better off in an impersonal institutional school surrounded by questionable influences. So when I need to get a new infusion of motivation, the place to start is prayer and Scripture. That's why I still choose a School Scripture every year. That's why I need to start every day in the Word.

Need a reset after a really challenging or discouraging stretch? Often the answer is as simple as going out for ice cream or for an explore at a park! Promising a donut as a reward for slogging through a hard chapter in the algebra book can be surprisingly effective. Having a special event or a little break from routine to look forward to will help renew motivation too. 

And one of the most helpful motivators I know is the support network of homeschooling friends that I've made over the years. I'm part of a homeschooling fellowship group that's offered a Homeschool Moms Night Out every month and that simple evening out with friends keeps us going sometimes. There's something so encouraging about those simple evenings out where a group of like-minded homeschool moms can share our stories. We "get" the struggles of dealing with issues like dyslexia, curriculum that's not a good fit after all, laziness, and bad attitudes. We understand that homeschooling isn't all sunshine and lollipops so we don't get judgey when one of us is just so done or feels like the yellow bus might be a good option after all. And then - we rejoice with each other when we have triumphs as small as a perfect spelling test or as momentous as graduation or the college acceptance letter! Let me repeat that challenge from Hebrews:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  ~Hebrews 19:25

How do you stay motivated when homeschooling is hard? Rely on God for wisdom and strength, and for renewed joy; remind yourself that you're doing the best job; reward yourself (and your students) or reset by taking a break; and build relationships with others so you can encourage each other.

See my related posts:

Encourage One Another (how a support network can help moms stay motivated)

The original version of this article appeared on Homeschool Coffee Break on August 20, 2018.

This post is part of the Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge hosted by Anita Ojeda. Find all my posts for the challenge here: Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge - Disappointed. The challenge took place during February 2021, and I did create content every day, but some articles - like this one! - were not ready to be published during those 28 days. 

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