Welp, it’s December. Normally by now I would be in full swing, with the kids being close to halfway through their school year. This year, not so much. I still feel like I haven’t really started yet. Yes, I’m teaching a lot of classes, and those kids are all doing fine and are all right on track for the school year, but my own kids are, um, not. Behind is a good word for my kids, but it might not really encompass how far behind we really are. Hardly started is probably a better way to describe their progress. And this is very stressful for me because I’m working on starting a business helping homeschoolers out, and my own homeschooling journey this year has made me feel like such a failure. But maybe that’s why this is happening now. This has been one of the most stressful years I have ever endured mentally and physically, and that’s why I am having such a hard time getting things going. But, that’s how so many of us feel all the time as homeschoolers. We are pregnant, exhausted, have little kids running everywhere, are constantly cleaning up various bodily fluids, are breaking up fights, organizing playdates, driving to sporting events. We are listening to our older children as they navigate their lives, and listening to our younger children as they tell us stories about the imaginary world they are living in. And taking the time to cuddle, read, listen, and yes, sometimes, clean up gross messes, is so important to how our children turn out in their lives. Our children are growing up knowing that their parents loved them so much that they were willing to sacrifice money, status, and social lives to spend time with and raise their children well.

And maybe that’s why this is all happening this year. So that I can be that support person for people who feel like they haven’t actually started their school year. So that I can be there to give guidance and help to those who feel totally overwhelmed with everything. Because that’s what I want to do for you. You are amazing and are doing amazing things by homeschooling your children. And I want to help. Whether it’s listening or tutoring, I am here to help you on your homeschooling journey. Because you are doing the most important work possible right now.