You know those days when everything has gone haywire, the kids are moody, the reliable recipe flops, the unexpected bill comes in the mail, and the in-laws birthday card was left unmailed? Those are the worst. These types of days are the ones that make you question every decision you’ve ever made. You go back to the tiny idea you had which caused you to decide to homeschool in the first place and wonder what on earth you were thinking…yeah that day. Maybe I am the only one?
Maybe not. I will be the first person to vehemently agree that those days are 100% real and validate how absolutely soul-crushing they feel. I have sat in the seat of frustration and considered tossing in the towel immediately. But I accidentally found a secret that has prevented me from making stupid decisions when my frustration feels so intimidating.
Don’t. That’s my secret. Just don’t. Don’t make the decision. Don’t change the course. Don’t pivot yet. Not today. And not while the blood pressure is still so high. I have learned that if the hard decision needs to be made, then it can still be made a week, a month, or a season from now and it will still be the right decision. I have learned that my emotions and outlook need to settle before I should overcorrect and steer us into oncoming traffic. I need to breathe. I need to sleep. I probably need a good protein smoothie and a long run. I need silence. I need to talk “it” out.
I arrived at a pattern of decision making that helps eliminate the emotional response to a bad day accidentally. Perhaps walking away from a bad day is my own coping mechanism to prevent freak-outs, but it has served me well so far. What I found is that I am able to stay steady on my course without jumping ship because of a moody teen or feral first grader. So, when those horrific days come (because I am certain I have taught the same person how to find the area of a rectangle about 4587 times), consider pausing before making a big decision.
Sleep on it. Wait until you can think more clearly about the situation. Let the options sit there and stare at you for a good long while before making a choice. You might find that you are rather satisfied with how things are at the moment. Maybe you need to establish some new rules to make smoother sailing or shift schedules somehow. But you might not need to make any big decisions quite yet.
Now it’s your turn. How have you learned to make big decisions for your homeschool or family?
Lindsay Banton is a caffeinated mother to three great kids. She never expected to homeschool, but has found that it is a wonderful addition to their lifestyle and wouldn’t change it for the world. In addition to homeschooling, Lindsay works alongside her husband in campus ministry at a large university in Connecticut. She grew up in Virginia but has settled into life in New England, learning to love the long winters, cool springs, green summers and gorgeous autumns- and has built a boot collection to meet all the demands. She is currently blogging at www.lindsaybanton.com.