Combating Insecurity

Combating Insecurity

Remember Whose You Are: You are called. You belong to God who made the heavens and the earth. God will equip you. We ask Him for our daily bread to build trust and to keep us returning. Our time with Him keeps us on the right path as His children, as parents and as homeschoolers. Spend time each day with Him. Cast your worries on Him and ask for wisdom, patience, joy, and whatever else you need to make it through the day. Remember that nothing can thwart the will of God. You do not have the power to ruin His plan.
Define Success: What are your goals for homeschooling? Figure out what winning looks like for you and your children. Set short term, long term and longer term goals with definable measurements. If your child wants to be a plumber, don’t stress not teaching Latin and Calculus. You are homeschooling for a reason. You are already an outside the box thinker. Don’t go back and let society tell you what you need to accomplish.
Seek Community: We are not meant to live this life alone. We are a body, a family. We need one another. Find a group of homeschoolers that you are comfortable with. This may take some time. Don’t be afraid to switch groups, but don’t switch too easily. Find your tribe and hang with them. Your child needs this. You need this. You need people who have been there/done that, are in the midst of doing that, and haven’t done it yet. You need to mentor and be mentored. Find those who allow you to be open and honest.
Date Your Husband: No one should be a bigger cheerleader for you than he is, but if you aren’t spending time together, how will you know. Make plans to be together to talk regularly. Maybe it is an after-dinner stroll, a weekly beach picnic, or even a McDonalds lunch. Spend time talking to him. Share your frustrations, fears and dreams. Let him know where you are. Do the same for him. Pray together. You will grow closer together, and your fears will recede.

Stop Comparing: We become insecure when we decide others are doing a better job than we are. This lie is straight from Satan. You love your children. You are seeking to do the very best you can for them. You know them better than anyone else. You are in the best position to guide and direct them. Don’t let another family dictate what is right for yours.
Take Care of Yourself: Get the sleep you need. Exercise regularly. Eat right. Being fit physically will help you to stay fit mentally. “When you feel good, you think good”. These things help you to handle stress. You get the added benefit of modeling healthy habits for your children who are natural mimics.
Know Yourself: Every one of us has skills. Everyone has different skills. Some are crafty, some are not. Some are people oriented, others goal oriented. Some bake, some garden, some sew, some get math. Find your strengths and use them. Share them with others. Ask them to share theirs with you and your children. No one person is good at everything.
Don’t Fear Failure: All successful people have failed. It is a part of the process. Mistakes are okay. Learn to admit your mistake, figure out where you went wrong, and brainstorm on how to do it better next time. This lesson alone, passed on to your children, will make them successful beyond your wildest imagination. They will learn to try everything that interests them. They will not let a mistake stop them. They will find ways to handle problems that you never dreamed.

Don’t let your insecurity define you. Turn it over to God. Press on toward the goal, and you will soar. Your children will grow to be amazing individuals ready to do what they were created to do.