In full disclosure, I’ve kinda always wanted to homeschool my kids…for all the right reasons, and maybe some not-so-valid ones too.  

But when it came down to it, I put my kids in public school…to start with, at least.  My two oldest are school-age and we plan for our other two to attend public school, as well.  So in my particular situation of homeschooling just one kid, I like to think of myself as a “hybrid homeschooler”.  That being said, the comments made to me when others find out I homeschool are still just as polarized as if I was a devout homeschooler from the start…however, since I have my feet on both sides of the fence, I’m able to see things a bit more objectively when it comes to myths, stereotypes, and flat out absurdities of homeschooling.  One in particular that annoys the crap out of me is the “I would totally homeschool if I just had the patience for it” comment….let’s discuss, shall we?

Patience.  Something of which I have a scarcity.  I know how shocking that is to discover…because all homeschooling moms have the patience to not only teach their children, but be with them ALL DAY LONG, while speaking in calming tones and running the rest of their household to perfection, right? Psh.  In all seriousness, I had the same thought when we decided to pull my daughter out of public school for homeschooling…What am I going to do about my lack of patience and short fuse?  This is going to be a disaster.  Am I ever going to get a break to refill my patience reservoirs?  I’m going to lose my mind!

Bear with me as I go off on a tangent for just a moment and tell you what I really think…then we’ll get back to why the “I don’t have enough patience” excuse is null and void.  Let’s think about how long compulsory education has been in practice…roughly a hundred years or so.  And before general school houses/tutors, in thinking back in the history of time, most mothers not only had to teach their own kids, but had their MANY children under foot at all times.  I like this quote from Hip Homeschool Moms:

After all, children are not a new invention. They’ve been around for a long time, crying and fighting and making messes and complicating their mother’s lives in unbelievable ways. The world has changed, but the nature of children hasn’t and now families are generally smaller, advice is more readily available, sources of entertainment are more numerable, and toy boxes are more ridiculously stocked than ever. Reason would dictate that children should be easier to handle now than at any time in history. Why then do most parents act like there is nothing more overwhelming than the thought of actually spending every day with their kids?

I’m curious as to when the “I don’t have the patience to deal with my own children” became the general attitude of so many.  Was significantly more patience bestowed upon all the moms thousands of generations before us?  Maybe we’re out of practice.  Or maybe it’s all about attitude.

And that’s where I think the “patience” excuse (that I once had myself) can be easily overcome.  When it boils down to homeschooling your child(ren), making that choice should be a culmination of all factors involved and ultimately, what is best for your child.  As moms…as adults, we are in charge of our attitudes and in this case, our patience levels.  Do I get frustrated with schooling my child?  Every single day.  Does it hamper her learning and our relationship?  Sometimes.  But I keep trying my best and praying that we can get past it together.  When my patience wears thin, I simply ask her forgiveness and we move on (while I secretly hope she models my humble behavior rather than the quick-to-anger behavior that preceded it).  Patience takes time to develop, as does any skill…it’s a virtue, remember?  And while I can come up with a handful of excuses why I “shouldn’t” be homeschooling, I make up my mind that the pros outweigh the cons, and that at the end of the day, I can overcome some of those excuses for the good of my daughter’s wellbeing and education.

Moral of the story:  If you’re seriously considering homeschooling, don’t let the “patience” issue hold you back.  You’ll be enough.