Lies Homeschooling Moms TELL!

I don’t know about you, but I’m loving summer. Not only does it feel nice and warm, but there’s also nothing like the feeling of pure freedom from homeschool “school” for a whole three months. My wife does 99.9% of the homeschooling, but I still relish the break and love the freedom she has during the summer.

That said, why don’t the “lies homeschooling moms believe” follow suit and take a little break as well? Like demon legions “the homeschooling lies” continue to whisper in your head as you sit by the pool or visit the park. “You’re doing a lousy job…look at all those other school children and how smart they seem…look at that three-year-old, I bet he’s reading already…and that mom probably has an organic garden, raises chickens, is teaching her children a foreign language over the summer, and weighs less than she did in high school!!”

Oh yes, those lies homeschooling moms believe are tenacious little critters, always looking for an opportunity to cause doubts, feelings of failure, and regrets.

Honestly, I feel like a broken record on the “lies homeschooling moms believe” mantra. I’ve written a book about it, dozens and dozens of articles, and ‘preached it’ all over the country. Sometimes I think I can’t talk about it anymore. I’ve said everything there is to be said about it. I keep saying it, moms nod their heads in agreement and then they keep right on believing them.

And then it dawned on me; I’m not just speaking the truth in an ocean of silence. There is an enemy who continues to loudly spew out lies and untruths. It’s a battle for the souls of homeschooling moms of Middle Earth proportions. And the enemy is…

YOU.

You thought I was going to say Satan, didn’t you? But it’s not him (although he’s behind the whole lie thing…he is the father of lies after all.) But the real enemy is homeschooling moms because it’s not just about believing lies, it’s also about TELLING LIES. And homeschool moms spend much of their time telling lies to one another.

Spend a few minutes on Facebook and feelings of failure begin to sweep over you as mom after mom talks about the great food they make, field trips they take, children they have, projects they tackle, husbands they adore, and LIVES they live.

Lies…lies! I just got an email from a mom who sounds like the Apostle Paul on Facebook. She quotes long passages of Scripture and each post gives the impression of total dependence on Jesus and shekinah glory living. You can imagine my shock when she wrote me a few weeks ago to share how hard life and marriage had been for her and  her family. My shock wasn’t about what she was experiencing. I know it’s hard, and we all feel like giving up sometimes, but I thought to myself as I read through her email, “Liar, Liar, pants on fire.” She posted one thing but felt another.

I’m just betting that you fall into ‘telling’ those lies as well. In fact, here’s a little list of some of the Lies Homeschooling Moms TELL:

– The kids are doing great.

– School is fine.

– I just love being home with the kids.

– We’re right where God wants us.

– I love my man.

– We have so much fun in the kitchen creating nutritious meals.

– I love listening to the kids play worship songs.

Now just in case you need a translation, here’s is what they really feel and need to say:

-I feel like we’re falling apart. I feel like all the kids do is bicker all day long. I’ve got teenager attitudes and young children who never SHUT UP. I just hope that I don’t screw them up…but right now it’s not looking very promising.

– I hate doing school. I just want to get up and put the kids on a magic yellow bus and have the whole day to do whatever I want to do. Besides, what does it matter? My friend’s kids are in school and they seem OK.

– Calgon…take me away.

– We’re at the end of our rope and I’m not sure I can hang on much longer. I want easy! I’m tired of living this way. I need a change!

– I don’t feel like I even know the man I married twenty years ago. I feel so distant from him I sometimes wonder who he even is. I don’t believe in divorce, but sometimes I think about it.

– Give me a Twinkie…and deep fry it.

– If I hear one more lousy note on the violin I’m going to FREAK!!!!

Here’s the deal, Mom. All homeschooling moms feel like FREAKING from time to time (and that’s OK), but what makes it 100 times worse is that YOU tell lies. You don’t share what you’re really feeling about your marriage, homeschool, or family. Those lies (and you’re not the only one telling them by the way) make other homeschooling moms clam up and intensify what they falsely believe.

So here’s what I want you to do…right now: TELL THE TRUTH. You don’t have to blab it all over Facebook or Instagram, but tell your friend, husband, or another homeschooler what you feel about your hard child, the pre-packaged foods your planning to serve for dinner, or how you’d like to throw in the towel.

I’m thinking that if more of you homeschooling moms quit TELLING lies…maybe more of you homeschooling moms would stop believing them.

Just a thought! Enjoy the rest of the summer.

Todd