8 helpful expectations for a successful school year

8 helpful expectations for a successful school year~
Written by Kari Patterson

My husband used to call me a delusional optimist. Not just optimistic, ridiculously optimistic. Or, from his perspective, optimistic in a way that doesn’t line up with reality.

I concede.

And while I still believe that a healthy optimism is critically necessary to life (hello, hope!), that optimism has shifted significantly over the last dozen years of homeschooling. Instead of expecting endless ideal days, I expect real days that bring about the growth and maturity my children and I need most.

But I still have to remind myself, especially as we start a new school year.

So perhaps you already know all this, but just in case you also need a reminder, here are 8 helpful expectations for a successful school year:

1. We will likely have at least one unexpected life event that will require a break from school.

That’s okay. We’ll slow down. We’ll pray.

We’ll cancel a few lessons or miss a practice or two. We’ll skip the lesson or catch up later, and we’ll learn valuable life-lessons we didn’t even know we needed.

2. We will probably choose to skip a book that was on the “must read” list somewhere along the way because it just bores us all to tears.

Even if it’s a book that everyone else loves or something the experts say they “just have to read.”

Even if we spent money on said book. It’ll give us a chance to evaluate something together and reason through a decision as a team.

3. Guaranteed: We will need to make adjustments mid-year.

That’s great. That’s why we homeschool!

4. I will probably feel like a failure and cry myself to sleep at some point.

This too shall pass. Remember that every parent experiences this, not just homeschool ones.

5. At times the house will feel overwhelmingly messy and disorganized.

We’ll tackle one area at a time. The kids will learn to contribute more and we’ll be forced into better habits.

We’ll grow. It’ll be fine.

6. I will need to apologize to one or more of my children at some point, possibly many points, this year.

I will need to apologize for my own words or attitude. They will get to see me humble myself. We’ll work through forgiveness.

We’ll learn to love each other better. This is a win.

7. There will probably be vomit.

Someone will throw up on something. Things can be washed. It’s okay.

8. We will struggle, we will persevere, and we will emerge at the end of the year a little changed, for the better.

It’s a difficult and glorious journey, one that’s worth every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears.

Let this year be a year that you embrace these expectations and be encouraged.

You’ve got this Mom. You’ve got this Dad. It’s going to be a great year!

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