Dutiful Diva

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Embracing the Struggles of Homeschooling

In the quiet moments before the house wakes, I often reflect on our homeschooling journey. It’s a path chosen through conviction, love, dedication, and the profound desire to provide the best for our boys. Yet, like many of you, I’ve encountered my fair share of struggles along the way. From the daunting task of curriculum selection to the balancing act of family life and educational responsibilities, the challenges are real. But it’s within these challenges that I’ve discovered divine strength and a depth of joy that comes from overcoming them.

The Reality of Homeschooling Challenges

Homeschooling, at its core, is an act of love. It’s a commitment to guiding our children through their educational journey in a way that honors their individuality and prepares them for the future. However, this commitment doesn’t come without its trials. There are days when the lesson plans are cast to the side when our children struggle to grasp a concept we thought would be simple, or when we question our abilities as educators.

It’s on these days that the mantra “The Struggle is Real” feels most poignant. Yet, it’s also on these days that we’re given the opportunity to grow. Each challenge presents a chance to learn—about ourselves, our children, and the learning process itself.

Finding Strength in Struggle

When faced with a particularly tough day, I’ve learned the power of stepping back and taking a breath. It’s in these moments of pause that clarity often comes, reminding us that education is not a race but a journey—one that’s meant to be as enriching for us as it is for our children.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that our attitude toward these struggles can make all the difference. By adopting a mindset that views challenges as opportunities to learn and grow together, we can transform our homeschooling experience. It’s about finding joy in the journey, even when the path gets rocky.

Strategies for Overcoming Homeschooling Challenges

Here are a few strategies that have helped me embrace and overcome the struggles of homeschooling:

  1. Flexibility: Be willing to adapt your plans. Sometimes, what we’ve envisioned for a lesson or a day doesn’t align with our children’s needs or interests. It’s okay to change course.
  2. Community Support: Lean on the homeschooling community. Whether it’s through online forums, local co-ops, or just a group of homeschooling friends, having a support system can make a world of difference.
  3. Self-Care: Remember to take care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and taking time for self-care ensures you have the energy and patience to face the challenges of homeschooling. I started having ME Time moments years ago and highly recommend that you give it a try.
  4. Celebrate the Small Wins: Take time to celebrate both your children’s achievements and your own. Acknowledging progress, no matter how small, can be a powerful motivator.

The Joy Beyond the Struggle

As we navigate the ups and downs of homeschooling, let’s remind ourselves of the joy that lies beyond the struggles. It’s in the moments of breakthrough when a challenging concept finally clicks for our child, or when we witness their curiosity and love for learning blossom, that we’re reminded of the why behind our choice to homeschool.

So, to all my fellow homeschooling parents, know that you’re not alone in your struggles. Together, we can embrace them, learn from them, and continue on this incredible journey of education and discovery with our children.

Remember, “The Struggle is Real” but so is the joy, the amazing growth, and the profound satisfaction that comes from homeschooling our children.

How to Organize Your Closet Like a Pro

For some reason, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about organizing your home is your closet. Nothing beats an efficient and well-organized closet space. Here are some pro-tips for organizing and maximizing your closet spaces.

Pro-Tip #1: Purge. Getting rid of items you don’t need or don’t use is the first step in ‘getting it together’ with a well-organized closet. Begin by looking at each item in your closet. Ask yourself these questions:

  1. Have I used this in the last 6 months?
  2. Is this item worn out, broken, or damaged?

When you come across an item you’re not using, or the item is damaged, donate or toss it all together. Items that have been overly used and that are important to you should be replaced.

As you go through your closet space, make three piles: Keep, Donate, and Discard. If you lack the courage or discipline to make these decisions, consider hiring someone to help you with this phase of organizing.

This can be the tough part!

Pro-Tip #2: Survey what‘s left. Once you have your three piles, go ahead and donate and discard the items in those piles. This leaves you to assess what you have left. Begin a list that details what items need to be replaced and what items are missing from your closet. Many people embrace the capsule wardrobe trend. If you are considering this trend, make note of what key pieces you need to anchor your closet.

Pro-Tip #3: Determine what you need for the space to work. If your closet has been in shambles for a long period of time, you may not have the foundation you need to create an organized space. Most new construction homes have large closets with built-in space for organization. You may need to create spaces for your garments and your accessories in order for the space to be functional and remain that way.

Take a step back, take pictures of your space, and sketch out your ideas and vision. Now, find out what you need for the space to work. You can either purchase or get creative and build the needed framework.

Many home goods stores offer closet organizers or containers that make organizing easier. Make a day of visiting sites like Amazon to see what they have to offer. Stores like Home Depot and Homegoods, have all sorts of fun goodies to help get your closet all the way together.

Pro-Tip #4: Let there be light. Nothing is more frustrating than a poorly lit space. You can’t fully appreciate your closet if you can’t see into it. To help solve that problem, there are many sources of battery-operated systems that can enhance your closet. You might consider hiring an electrician to come and illuminate your space with the flick of a switch.

Organizing your closets isn’t as hard as you might think. The actions of purging, donating, and discarding things you just aren’t using makes it possible to showcase the things you love. Your newfound real estate will have you excited and make your morning routine less hectic.

Are You Considering Homeschooling?

The Beginners Guide to Homeschooling.

Are you considering homeschooling? One of the main reasons homeschooling is important to our family is because we’re able to oversee the education of our children, knowing exactly what they’re being taught and how they’re processing the information and being influenced by it. We believe in our children having a biblical worldview and perspective in their education. The environment that they’re in is important to us as well.

It was 1997 and our oldest son was five years old and he had just finished pre-K at a private school and was entering kindergarten in one of our local public schools. Initially, I didn’t have any major concerns as far as the school’s environment goes. Instead, my concern was with the teacher, the structure of his classes, and the pace of learning.

To make a loooong story short.  We finished out the school year and ultimately decided to begin homeschooling the following year.

What is homeschooling?

Generally speaking, homeschooling is to make a sound decision to accept full responsibility for the education of your child(ren). For most parents, the decision comes from having a strong conviction, albeit spiritual or educational wise.

Homeschooling is so much more than having “school at home” and quite frankly it can be just the opposite. The homeschooling community is made up of a variety of methods and philosophies. When you decide to homeschool your child, you are deciding EVERY aspect of what, when, how, and why they learn what they learn. You also have the opportunity to be there and guide your child when they begin to go through different stages of emotional, physical, and mental development.

When it comes to actually teach your child(ren), you are able to tailor your choice of curriculum and structure your days based on your family’s unique style. Your child would be able to advance or slow down wherever needed in their learning journey. Also, with the freedom and flexibility of homeschooling, they are able to pursue their passions.

What homeschooling is not.

There can be some misconceptions concerning homeschooling, especially when it comes to the socialization of the child. Different families will weigh in differently with this issue. There are many opportunities and programs available to homeschool kids for them to interact with their peers locally and abroad. Once you are able to plug into your local homeschool community, you will see that you won’t have the time to participate in all that is offered.

If you happen to live in an area where local opportunities may be few, there’s a huge online community willing to welcome you but remember…YOU ARE A HOMESCHOOLER! You can be the trailblazer and create your own local group, club, hangout, etc.

How to Get Started Schooling at Home.

Before you buy a book or maybe even withdraw your child from a public or private school, PRAY!

The next thing you’d need to do is research the laws for your state in regards to homeschooling, and the rules and requirements involved.

Tips for Successful Homeschooling:

The success of your family’s homeschool journey depends on YOU. The opportunities before you are endless.

  • Tip #1 BREATHE! This is NOT a race! This is about your child’s spiritual, mental, and emotional development. You are deciding to take control of your child’s education. You are NOT deciding to bring a public school experience into your home.
  • Tip #2 Enjoy the journey! You will learn so much about yourself in this process, that you are able to see your children in a way you may not have before.
  • Tip # 3 Your child will be FINE! This is probably the number one concern of all homeschooling parents and honestly…parents in general. This is NOT a competition!

Common Questions About Beginning Homeschooling:

  • What should my first step be?
    • As mentioned before, PRAY! Be clear that this is indeed the journey you and your family are to embark on.
    • Find out your state’s requirements. Visit the Home School Legal Defense Association to obtain information on the prerequisites and overall details in regards to the homeschool laws in your particular state.
  • Curriculum, Curriculum, Curriculum???
    • Prior to purchasing any supplies, do a bit of research and find out what ALL is available to you.
    • Ask other homeschoolers for their experiences with whatever curriculum you may have interest in. You can also look online to read reviews as well.
    • Attend a nearby homeschool convention. Conventions are normally held in the spring and summer before the new school year begins. Here, you’ll be able to physically look through the different curriculum choices, talk to vendors, attend mini-seminars, and possibly make a more firm decision as to what would be a good fit for your family.
  • What does a typical homeschool day look like?
    • Each family is different, and with that said, creating a “master schedule” would be helpful in order to have an overview of upcoming scheduled activities and outside commitments you have aside from homeschooling.
    • Create daily and weekly schedules to help you to stay on track. DO NOT feel as though schedules net to be set in stone or followed without fail. Look at your schedule as more of a guideline that you’ve set. Life happens and things will come up.
    • At the very least, you could create a daily routine and determine the times of the day you will begin your lessons and the time you will close out your formal schooling day.
  • Now what?
    • Prepare for DAY 1 and get your homeschoolin’ on! You can do this!

Final Takeaways on the Beginnings of Homeschooling:

  • Don’t be discouraged! Try your absolute best not to copy or compare you and your family to another homeschooling family. Being inspired is always great, but emulating someone else is a setup for disappointment.
  • YOU and your family are unique. Bring your own AMAZINGNESS into your homeschool journey.
  • Connect with other like minds where encouraging and uplifting one another is an important goal. Be sure to stay away from negativity and judgment. No one has time for that!

You are about to experience some of the most amazing times of your life and create some of the most amazing memories and traditions your family will ever have. I’m praying and rooting for you, my sister. Homeschool Forward!

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends and family, or leave a comment below. I’d really appreciate it and would absolutely love to hear from ya.)

SOS – Finding Assistance When You Need Help Organizing

Wanting to be organized is one thing… getting organized is an entire beast. Making the decision to become more organized and streamline your life deserves a round of applause.

YOU GOT THIS!

If you begin to experience your excitement wears off and the realities of the to-dos begin to set in, it can feel overwhelming and ultimately cause you to scrap your plans. It might make sense for you to enlist some help decluttering, purging, organizing, and streamlining. 

You have many choices when it comes to getting help when you don’t know where to start. Below are two you may want to consider:

  1. Hiring a service
  2. Emulating a pro

Hiring a service: No matter what you need to have organized or streamlined, there’s likely someone out there who specializes in that particular area. From large-scale cleanup to fine-tuning and creating functional systems for everyday life, there is someone out there who has the solutions you need.

Here are some examples:

Hire a lawn service to do a large-scale trim and cleanup of your yard. Consider hiring them for weekly maintenance to help you keep your yard in great shape. This can save you time to focus on other tasks that benefit your home.

  • Hire an organizer to revamp your private spaces. Professional organizers can help you declutter your closets and create dynamic spaces. They can make suggestions for closet redesigns and have excellent tips for maximizing space and helping you purge items that you simply don’t need. Your spaces may need a facelift or restructuring to be more effective. Professional organizers have knowledge of the most current trends and products that will help you be more organized and more efficient with your space.
  • Hire an organizer to build a better pantry. Pantry spaces have the potential to waste space and money. A disorganized and inefficient pantry can make it hard to know what you have on hand and what you need from the store. Having your pantry well designed, fully stocked, and easy to navigate can make meal prep easier and save you money with your food budget.

Emulating a pro: If budgeting funds for a service is unappealing or impractical, consider emulating the pros. You may want to consider sites like YouTube, Pinterest, or Netflix which help in making it easier to get inspired with all sorts of ideas to get your home together. They are some of the most creatively organized people on the planet.

Here are some examples:

Use Pinterest to DIY your organization. Simply type the keywords DIY Organization Tips for an endless supply of ideas. You can start a Pinterest board that stores the pins you love. The more narrowed down you get with your search, the better the options become. You will find yourself discovering links to websites, blog posts, and virtual videos that can teach you everything you need to know about DIY organization.

Do you know Marie Kondo? Kondo is the Netflix sensation inspiring viewers to become joyfully organized. Her Netflix series is making an impact on people who want to be clutter-free. You can catch her series or follow her on social media to learn DIY tricks of the trade.

You needn’t feel overwhelmed at the thought of becoming organized. You can easily hire someone to help you get things in order or discover unlimited options for DIY. Where there’s a will, there’s a way to become more organized and more streamlined.

Are Commitments Cluttering Your Life?

Having too many items on your countertops and piles of unsorted mail aren’t the only ways to define clutter. Clutter comes in all forms, including having too many commitments. Are commitments cluttering your life?

Most homeschool families have one or two working parents and kids who participate in outside activities nearly seven days out of the week. A typical family can easily expect to have multiple commitments pulling them every which way on a daily basis. Having too many commitments make it hard or nearly impossible to be organized.

Now that we have dealt with our mindset and cleaning that up, it’s now time to take action. One of the first steps in being more organized is decluttering your calendar. Being able to prioritize your commitments and make cuts when needed can reduce stress, create opportunities to be more streamlined, and increase your personal happiness. You don’t have to say yes to everything that comes your way and spread yourself too thin. You have the ability and the responsibility to simply say NO.

Here are some tips for streamlining commitments:

Tip #1: Just Say No. Consider no as an automatic response. If your weekends are busy, then simply say no. You don’t have to worry about other people’s feelings if you know that there is no room in your schedule to make a commitment. It’s not personal, it’s about progress! Most of the time people won’t be offended if you decline their presented opportunity. Be kind, have a blanket statement ready, and simply say no to the request. 

Tip #2: Have a Family Meeting. Decide as a family what sort of commitments are on or off the calendar. Making decisions together helps families work towards a common goal. If you are committing to a bunch of activities and the lawn is never mowed or the laundry is never washed, how can one expect to be effective. Decide together what activities you will commit to and what actions need to be taken to maintain the status quo at home and/or in business. If the cost for saying yes is too high, then declining the commitment is the right thing to do.

Tip #3: Evaluate Your Priorities. Look at the commitments you are making and ask yourself why you make them.

  • Could you be saying yes to anything out of guilt or coercion?  
  • Are you enjoying the commitments you have?  
  • Do you feel as though you are searching for self-value or validation?  

If you aren’t a heck yes about what you are doing, then you may want to consider putting a lid on it and walking away.  Don’t allow guilt, a lack of self-worth or a misguided sense of responsibility overwhelm your schedule.

Tip #4: Agree to a “Commitment Fast”. For one month, cut out all unnecessary commitments. Try fasting from commitments and see what you and your family think at the end of the month. Do you feel more refreshed and less harried? Did you realize you feel better having less to do outside the home? Was it easier to stay on top of chores, resting, and doing things you love? A Fast will show you if you’d like to consider limiting your commitments on a more permanent basis.

Almost a year ago this time, I was met with the tragedy of the loss of my father. During that time, I was unaware of the amount of commitments I was truly engaged in. My father lived with me and my family and we were his caregivers. With that said, I would end up being the one to discover him, in bed, unresponsive one evening before dinner. TOTALLY UNEXPECTED to say the least! Hours later it would seem like my brain would go into survival mode. I wasn’t able to mentally process ANY of my prior engagements outside of the house.

I tried, but I just couldn’t get it together. My focus was off, my attention span was null. That is when I started my ME (mentally exhaling) Time moments again to allow God to refocus and recharge me. By the time Summer was ending, I’d realized that I had been doing entirely too much. No wonder people would ask how did I do it all. HA! After my awakening, I made calls and wrote emails explaining as humbly and gracious as I could that I could no longer commit to and participate in “xyz”.

FREEDOM!!!

My husband was ecstatic, my kids were excited. My commitment has been refocused on my home and family and the rewards from it are unimaginable.

At certain stages in life, commitments may seem like an unavoidable aspect of life. To some extent they are, but more often than not, they are part of a mindset and habit of behavior that feels normal…not healthy, normal. NOT GOOD!

You can declutter your schedule and remove commitments, making way for more time and more peace in your life. Consider evaluating your calendar and begin making those changes.

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