As an adult, I believe I have a better understanding of how I learn and how I process and retain information. Every day, I am learning that I do not know myself as well as I think I do. There are moments in my day-to-day life that reveal to me that I am still learning. As parents, guardians, educators, and adults, there are always days when we must rally. But there are mornings when you wake up and the weight of the world presses you down deeper into your blankets and pillows. These are the mornings when having a rally plan for ourselves AND for the education of our children is crucial. In these instances, there is more at stake than just not having time for a shower or your morning workout. This is the molding of our children's minds and their education. It’s worth the rally!
The Rally Plan:
- Know Yourself: I have always been a natural introvert. Knowing this, I can identify the events in my life that are energy-giving or energy-draining. I have not been given the gift of small talk and find this to be the most draining part of my day. For those days that I know are going to drain more than give, I must prepare in advance. This looks like an intentional, slower pace to my morning, with quieter moments as I drive to work. Surprisingly, it's also a change in my wardrobe (look good, feel good, right?) Knowing myself is great when I know what to expect, but life is full of the unexpected!
- Embrace Flexibility: The alarm did not go off this morning. No time for a shower—day three hair it is. You are out of eggs and that's the only food your kids are choosing to eat today! Locking yourself in the bathroom for the day may sound like a good idea but it is not a sustainable choice. Your best-laid plans may not have prepared you for this day, but by the grace of God, we can evaluate, prioritize, and adjust! First, pause. This could be a moment to cry, breathe, snuggle the puppy, or whatever you need to clear your head and put your feet back on the ground. Prioritize. When we feel knocked off our mooring, we cling to those things that are the most important. Then, keep moving forward. We cannot stay in the mess, and any step taken is progress. Flexibility grows when habits are disrupted.
- Create Space: We don't know what we don't know. When we choose to create the space for healthy habits to form, our kids, family, and friends also learn a valuable lesson in habit making. We learn the importance of time management, commitment, compassion, and reflection. Boundaries not only protect and secure our own time, but they also benefit and guide others in being mindful of the 24 hours we are given each day.
"The Best You Can Be" is always the goal, and there will be days that disrupt the best-laid plan for your homeschool or even your life. It is easy to become tunnel-visioned on these days of chaos and discouragement. Still, there is a truth that we can carry in our hearts:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." -Hebrews 12: 1-2
