Dear Homeschooling Momma,

 Dear Homeschooling Momma,

They say, "The days are long, but the years are short."  That can be true sometimes in a homeschooling family, can't it?  As the kids are little you spend your time working with them hoping they will learn that "A says aaaa as in apple.  A says aaa aaa aaa."  Soon enough they learn their letters, numbers and even put them all together!  You go to bed exhausted physically and dream of an uninterrupted nap. Believe it or not,  I miss those days.

  I now have a middle schooler and two high schoolers.  There is a lot of talk about raising teenagers and don't even think about homeschooling them!  But, I want to encourage you...the years really are short, so enjoy those moments. But also know that the moments ahead can be some of the best!  Having teenagers is mentally exhausting, but incredibly rewarding, too.

 As I looked around my table this morning, while we worked on an Elections Unit, I realized that there really is hope for our next generation.  We often hear the negatives about Generation Z and Generation Alpha.  But, don't fall for that trap.  Just as our generation (and our parent's generation) wasn't entirely lazy and unmotivated, this new generation isn't either.  If we stop and listen and look them in the eye, we can realize that they are people with great ideas, interesting thoughts and are a joy to be around.

But to realize that you have to be:

~Willing to listen to them and their ideas.  Our adult minds can often want to interject all that could go wrong with their line of thinking.  But, sometimes they can think through a process out loud and come to a great conlusion on their own.

~Recognize they won't listen to us if we don't have their hearts.  We, as Mommas, work hard at many things.  We keep our home running smoothly (or try to), we do laundry and dishes.  We arrange car pooling and schedules, and lessons and sports.  We can work hard at doing all those things, but we often forget to work hard at winning our children's hearts.  You can speak sweetly.  You can listen to them, even if it's not your favorite topic.  You can do what they like to do.  It is possible!  But it does take work.

~Flexible.  As we sat around the table this morning discussing voting Democratic, Republican, Independent or any other party....my mind was trying to worry about how much time we were taking that wasn't supposed to be on politics!  I was thinking about dishes to be done, math needing to be completed, and outside chores.  But, I had to take a deep breath and recognize how much they were learning in this moment.  They were so interested in discussing that they want to make sure and find out their Dad's viewpoint during lunch!  They were intrigued and their minds were working....and I had to be flexible to allow that to happen.

~Remember that you won't always have a perfect schoolday.  (or maybe ever!)  We are always readjusting our schedule and our subjects to fit each kiddos needs.  And mine, too.  We will make mistakes right along with our kids.  Be willing to forgive, adjust, and move forward.

~Cherish the moment. The clock is ticking in the Gimenez Household.  My kids are growing up.  I am cherishing this time with them.  

The days can be long.  They can be tiring and exhausting.  But let me encourage you, the time you invest in your children really is worth it!