It was one of those rare days when winter loosened its grip just enough to allow a sliver of warmth and sunshine to seep through its frigid grasp. After months on the treadmill inside a stuffy, overcrowded gym, this warmth and sunshine were all the invitation I needed. Ten minutes into my run, my knees began to inform me that the pavement had a lot less give than the belt of a treadmill. Although the crisp air was invigorating, I found it challenging to adjust my breathing to something other than room temperature air. And I had overestimated the warmth of the sun, leaving me underdressed and chilly. After twenty minutes, I considered turning around to head back to the car until all the months of training started to kick in. I began to settle into a good cadence and regulate my breathing pattern. What had been an uncomfortable chill became the perfect temperature. I reminded myself to keep doing what I knew to do, remembering that this is what I had trained for. As I plodded along my route that day, I couldn’t help but draw a few analogies between my athletic endeavors and my years of homeschooling.
The first parallel between running and homeschooling is to find and keep your pace. Whether an athlete is on foot, on wheels, or in the water, the hardest temptation to resist is not starting off too fast. Between the adrenaline rush that follows the starting signal and the cheer of the crowd, it’s hard not to take off full throttle. The risk of doing so is the inability to finish the race well—or to finish at all. Although you’re not likely to have fans cheering you on at the starting line of the new school year, the risk is much the same. What I have found to be consistently true and helpful over twenty years of homeschooling is that a slow, steady start allows both me and my students to adjust to “doing school” again and find a pace that works for the long haul. Every year, we start our first week of school on a Wednesday, so that our first week is a short week, and I begin with only a few subjects. A few weeks later, I will incorporate the rest of the academics once we have settled into the rhythm of the year. Starting too hard and too fast will lead to quick burnout. Learning to pace yourself both on the track and in the classroom is key to finishing well.
The second parallel, loosely tied to the first, is to know your limits. It probably goes without saying that there is great danger to an athlete who pushes beyond his limits. There is a fine line between pushing to reach the next level and pushing past what is reasonable. This is surprisingly true in homeschool as well. There are days when school is just plain hard, and you must simply push through. Other days or weeks—or perhaps whole seasons—life can press in with a force that pushes you well beyond what you are able. When that happens, the safest and wisest course of action is to take a break. If you homeschool for any length of time, I’d say there is a one hundred percent chance that you’ll encounter this need for rest at some point. It might be the birth of a child, managing a chronic illness, unexpected job loss, making a move, or caring for aging parents. As moms, we tend to soldier on and make sure we “do school,” all the while forgetting that the most valuable lessons aren’t found in a book or curriculum. Injured athletes and burned-out homeschool mommas don’t do their teams any good. Both athletes and teachers need wisdom to know their limits and the humility to take regular breaks.
The third parallel is perhaps the most important, and that is to remember your why. Or, in other words: what is your motivation? Why do you choose to get up every day and do hard things? Homeschool moms face the same daunting challenges as athletes in training: good days and bad days; days when it comes easily and days when it’s a fight; days when you reach your goal and days when you fall short. There have been times when I felt like I could run a marathon and other times when a five-year-old could outrun me! Your motivations—your why—is what you fall back on when you feel like quitting. Remembering your motivation gives you the desire and the drive to keep going in spite of setbacks, disappointments, and fatigue. Physical goals have their proper place in a well-balanced life, but how much greater and higher and eternal is the calling to shape and shepherd your child’s heart through the homeschooling years!
After I finished my short three-mile run that late winter day, I was glad I hadn’t given up when conditions felt too challenging. The fresh air and sunshine were a welcome change of scenery, and it felt great to achieve a small goal. There were days when I felt like I wasn’t making much progress, or my efforts weren’t worth it. So, it was physically and mentally rewarding to reap the benefits of hours in the gym and miles on the treadmill. After twenty-one years of homeschooling our four children, the comparison falls woefully short. All the hours, days, and years we have spent together have yielded sweet, eternal fruit in each of their lives. As you begin another school year, be encouraged that what you do day in and day out in answering the call to homeschool matters. The hard days and the easy days and all the in-between days are worthy investments of your time, effort, and devotion. Keep pressing on!
