The Imposter Homeschooling Mom Syndrome

Most of us suffer from this often, The Imposter Homeschooling Mom Syndrome.  Here I am, just a mom, with a mediocre education.  What business or qualification do I have to give my children an awesome education?  Someone is going to find out that I am not qualified to do this.  Or even worse, my children are going to go out into the real world one day and find out, that I did a terrible job teaching them.  We want so much for our children.  Everyone of us has different goals and philosophies, but one thing remains the same, we all wish we were a little bit more knowledgeable for this job.

For me, I want my children to be fluent in Spanish but I only have the very basics down.  I want them to love math, but I am only beginning to understand it all.  I want my children to be mechanically minded and I can’t even change a tire.  It’s easy to get bogged down with all that disqualifies us.  Here are three things I do to overcome this negative attitude.

Celebrate What You have Done!

Your individual victories are important.  Don’t stand them up to the accomplishment of others.  Just relish in your victories for what they are, your victories.   Teaching a child to love reading even if it’s only being read to is an awesome victory!  Celebrate it! Does your kid bug you with a million questions?  You have cultivated curiosity. Celebrate it!  Big or small, celebrate what you have done!

Focus on What You Can Do

I don’t speak Spanish fluently.  I really could let this bog me done, but what I do  know, is what appeals to my children.   I work to find or create resources that meet them right where they are in their learning journey.   I focus on my ability to push play.  We listen to Spanish music, books and play Spanish apps. This has allowed my children to cultivate a large vocabulary of Spanish words and they are growing more and more comfortable speaking in Spanish everyday.  Most importantly, I can and do ask for help.  Without their tutor, I am sure that I would have just given up on the idea of teaching Spanish altogether.

Develop Yourself

The best way to teach something well is to learn it well.  This past year I have found myself stumped with teaching my girl math.  She was just no longer engaged and had developed a negative attitude towards math.  This spurred me to develop myself by looking for other ways to teach math that would appeal to her.  That is how I found myself using Cuisenaire rods and developing activities that combined her beautiful imagination with math.

How to make it happen

Take small goals towards developing yourself.  We have so much on our plates that the idea of learning something new can be overwhelming.  Great small goals are:

• Join an online or local group on the subject.
• Read one article a week on the subject.
• Find a podcast on the subject to listen to during commutes or workouts.
• Read one book a month that will help you progress towards your goal.
• Look for an app on the subject.

Remember, to celebrate along the way.  There is no crime in learning alongside your child.  In fact, it is a beautiful way to learn.

What are you celebrating today?  Please comment below and let’s share in this journey together.