One of the most common feelings expressed to me by other homeschooling moms is self-doubt. Am I doing enough? Am I doing it right? Am I organized enough? Am I doing too much? Am I getting through to my kids? Am I measuring up to other moms?
Notice a trend? The relentless “am I” questions are sure to wear you down quickly and steer your focus in the wrong direction. Soon comparison joins in, feeding the self-doubt and robbing you of the joy homeschooling can bring.
Click through to my guest post on Hip Homeschool Moms — “When in doubt, seek support!” — for the rest of my story and what I learned about the critical role God and others play in defeating self-doubt and finding support for homeschooling moms, bringing joy back to your homeschooling journey. You’ll also find four steps to building the best support network for a homeschooling mama.
A “p.s.” to my guest post:
My self-doubt was compounded by my unrealistic expectations and the self-applied pressure of pleasing others, and when those “failures” began to overwhelm me, they turned into physical anxiety and depression. If you’ve had any challenges in this area, I just want you to know that you’re not alone! God wants to heal you and help you rebuild your trust in Him and others. It’s my prayer that you reach out to Him first with all of your heart, and then seek the support you need in people you can trust. There is support for homeschooling moms out there, whether it is from a mentor, friend, family member, bible study or support group.
I would also recommend reading “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp. It’s an incredible personal journey that inspired me to recognize God’s purpose in my pain, and encouraged me to press forward in rebuilding my bridge of trust in the Lord through “planks of thanks,” as Ann describes it. Her gift-counting “joy dare” played a pivotal role in my recovery.
Have you struggled with self-doubt and comparison? Do you feel isolated at times in your homeschool journey? Where do you seek support? What holds you back? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!
Hi Renee,
I found you today. A great site. However I could not work the link Ten Best Homeschool Family or group blogs.
Blessings,
Janis
Hi Janis!
Glad you found us today and thanks for pointing this out. I have updated the link so it is working now! You can find the HSBA’s Top 10 Homeschooling Family or Group Blogs of 2012 here.
Renée
Thank you for linking up for Fellowship Fridays! I’m headed to read your post linked here as well. I hadn’t realized that the book you named was faith inspired at all; I’ll have to add it to my list for the year! I think it’s important to find the balance in these things, in not succumbing to unrealistic expectations, while still getting needed things done. I tend to make more excuses than I do feeling pressure to get it all done, and then just end up feeling guilty.
Anyway. Off to read the post! Thanks again!
Hi DaLynn! Thanks for offering the Fellowship Friday link-up. The book was given to me last January as a belated Christmas gift from my sister, fellow NextGen Homeschool author Cristina Eklund. I had never heard of it, but now that I know many moms who’ve read it and been blessed by it.
I also want to clarify that when I’m talking about unrealistic expectations, I mean perfectionist tendencies — things never seem good enough, and you’re always chasing the next “better” way to do things. I have no problem with wanting to be on top of things, that is really important especially when homeschooling. But I also think most moms who share their self-doubt with me feel the way they do because they have this long list of what they believe they “should” be doing that really isn’t important — especially if it’s not core to their homeschooling mission. I believe the enemy uses these tactics to take our focus off of God’s working in our family and put it back on ourselves and what we believe we should achieve.
Renée