Failure Leads to Success
Feeling like a failure can be one of life's hardest challenges. Recently I had a very painful experience in which something I worked many years for did not work out. I had to learn some of life's lessons the hard way. But I did not give up because this was important to me. It touched on the very fabric of who I felt I was called to be.
How do you respond to failure? Some times might not be important. But if you care deeply about something, do not give up. If it is something that you want to make it work, like homeschooling, then don't stop trying. It might be time for some big changes. Maybe you need to ask for help or you need to set some boundaries in the home. Everyone is not good at everything and that's ok. But if it affects your future and the future of your children, then trying again might be worth risk.
Failure can be a hard thing to feel. It is a brave choice to try something new and to try again. Every time that I have failed, there has been something so precious and valuable learned from the experience. Learning from trying and failing has made me a better person. In other words, all of my successes have come from my failures. Giving something another chance, trying again in new and different way, and taking risks again and again is all part of learning how to do anything that is important to us. Homeschooling is no different from any other learning experience.
Homeschooling can be particularly challenging because it gets at the very heart of what parents wish for their children. Just as no two families are alike, there are no two homeschools the same. Do not fall into the trap of feeling like a failure when your homeschool does not measure up to standards from an outside source. Know yourself and your child. Be open with your spouse about what failure should and should not look like before you begin this educational journey and then take the risk and be willing to adapt along the way. Remember each "failure" you feel is making you a better teacher, a better Mom, and a wiser person. Stay true the heart and soul of what you wish for your own family. Your children are learning and growing from this journey, just like you are.
I have failed many times in my life, including a painful one recently, but I have learned from each one of them. If we never fail, how can we learn? My Dad used to say, switching around the old maxim, "Anything worth doing, is worth doing wrong." If homeschooling is worth doing, then it's worth crying, feeling bad, and learning to do it in the way that makes your family a success. Just because the test is hard, does not mean the class should be stopped. Keep trying! And know that you are not alone in this journey. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Stay encouraged that many others have walked this road and your heart will lead you to the right place.
