Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

I can never measure up to these standards! If you've felt discouraged, tune in as Michael Farris talks about the myth of the perfect homeschooling mom, on today's Home School Heartbeat.

Michael Farris:
I've observed that moms get really bogged down and discouraged when they compare themselves to the mythological figure of the perfect homeschooling mother.

Who is this lady? Well, she's that woman on the front of The Teaching Home magazine. Wearing matching outfits she made herself, all 13 of her children are smiling like angels. Her husband's countenance alone calls her blessed. She's managed to teach her children the history of the Roman Empire, variable algebra, the periodic table of elements, ancient Hebrew, and sentence diagramming using nothing but Psalm 137 and a few Legos for manipulatives. Oh, and her house—it's spotlessly clean, and she's a gourmet cook!

This is the perfect homeschooling mom, and nearly all homeschooling moms are just like her. Well, except you.

Well, here's some inside information. These magazines use mannequins, and the stories of the families are written by aspiring novelists. Of course, I'm kidding a bit. But I think the perfect homeschooling mom is a myth created for the sole purpose of stealing your joy.

God knows we aren't perfect, yet He says He is able to equip us for every good work. This week I hope to dispel the myth of the perfect homeschooling mom and help you realistically evaluate the success of your homeschooling. I'm Mike Farris.