If you are anything like me, the kitchen is not your best friend.  I admire people who can crank out 3 batches of 6 different kinds of cookies without knocking a hair out of place.  

My friend, Erica, can do this.  She make batches of Christmas delectables.  She does it with a smile on her face.  What amazes me most is that she does it without setting off the fire alarm... unlike some people I know (guilty grin.)

So, for all of you who don't like the smell of smoke... or even for those of you who are excellent cooks who are short on time, I have a secret.

OK, it's not really a secret.  Anything on the Martha Stewart website is far from secret.  But, if you don't know yet that you can make cookies with a waffle iron, you have been missing out.

That's right, a waffle iron!

Miss Martha has a recipe on her site for waffle cookies.  Click and you will find a terrific recipe for Chocolate Waffle Cookies with the faintest hint of cinnamon.  Erica would create these from scratch and sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

What will Professor Mom do?

I will grab a batch of cookie dough that a local teen was selling for a school fundraiser.  I will set my waffle iron to high, spray on a nice layer of cooking spray and, spoonful by glorious spoonful, make my cookies.  Quick and easy.  My contribution to the family feast done in record time.

Then, I will finish wrapping some gifts, play with the kids, and lay on the couch with my husband looking at the sparkling, white Christmas lights on our tree.

Does life get any better?  I can't imagine...

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Professor Mom 

I recently wrote an article on the Professor Mom® website with tips for staying on task for homeschooling moms.  In that article, I briefly touched on our roles and expectations for this season of life.  Today, I am going to expand on handling your roles and expectations.

I need to post a survey someday because I have a theory on the prevalent personality types of moms who choose to homeschool. 

Many of you, whether you ascribe to being right- or left-brained are overachievers, even if you don’t recognize it in yourselves.  You may have been the best at what you did BC (before children.)  You may not be able to pass up the opportunity to serve in your church or help out a friend in need.  You may also feel as though you can’t make homeschooling fit with who you are inside.

Homeschooling is a tough thing.  Kudos are almost non-existent, progress can be slow, and every time you think you are getting the hang of something, you are pushed into the unfamiliarity of a new stage.  Taking full responsibility for our children’s education can leave us wondering what happened to our oh-so-competent-and-confident selves.  This poem speaks to that confusion.

Be The Best of Whatever You Are
by Douglas Malloch

If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill
Be a scrub in the valley--but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass,
And some highway some happier make;
If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass--
But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,
There's something for all of us here.
There's big work to do and there's lesser to do,
And the task we must do is the near.

If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,
If you can't be the sun be a star;
It isn't by size that you win or you fail--
Be the best of whatever you are!

My husband and I have a little joke.  Whenever he mentions tool names to me, I can’t help laughing.  Tools are named by their functionality.  The Sawzall® saws... everything, the screw driver drives screws.  The drill press presses the drill down.  No deep introspection here, the namers of these tools keep it short, sweet and to the point.  Just as in this poem. 

We are compared to a ‘bit of grass.’  How often do we feel our smallness as we work through our homeschooling day?  Let’s think for a moment, though. 

What would the world look like without grass?  That being said, what would your family be without all of the little contributions you make?  The laundry, dishes, hand-holding, character-teaching, laughter, tears, jokes, and support you bring to your husband and children each day are like so many blades of grass.  Richness and color come to your family through you!

Malloch also reminds us that we can’t all be captains; that there is greater and lesser work.  When you have a natural tendency toward leadership, disciplining yourself to stay in the background on occasion can be a struggle.

We all have work to do.  When that work seems mundane or trivial, we can remember the times when we have been the captains.  In turn, we can be better captains when we appreciate the greater and the lesser work!

Finally, Malloch creates a perfect (and unintended) parallel for homeschoolers everywhere.  “If you can’t be a highway, then just be a trail…”  Trails guide.  Trails lead.  Trails give us the direction to walk a journey with confidence in an outcome.  Isn’t that what we do everyday?  Isn’t that what homeschooling is all about?

I encourage you today.  Strive to be the best of whatever, and wherever, you are.

“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.”  ~William James

Is that not so true?!

Procrastination has three major affects on homeschoolers.  It sucks your precious energy, lessens your credibility in front of friends and family, and is a bad example to your kids.

Motivation can seem like the most elusive element on the planet.  From my experience, you can’t motivate someone else; they have to motivate themselves.  Likewise, when you struggle with procrastination, no one can actually motivate you to break the cycle.  You have to reach inside of yourself and figure out how to stop procrastinating all on your own.

If you are drowning in undone tasks and sighing in despair, don’t give up just yet.  You can increase your productivity and maintain better focus throughout the day!  Here is a 5-step process that I started using in grad school and still return to when I get overwhelmed today. 

Write it Down

I know that you have heard this before… repeatedly.  Most of us say I know, I know… and then go right back to not doing it!  You need a task-tracking system that encompasses your life as a homeschooling mom.

When you homeschool your kids, you have different segments to your life, different roles that you play.  My roles include mom, teacher, household manager, Chair for the Scouts, Co-Leader of our homeschool coop, and of course, Professor Mom.  At other times in my life I was a board member, volunteer, manager, etc.  You get the picture. 

I have created a personal system that keeps my life in order without being a drain on my time.  A task-tracking system does not have to be high-tech or complicated.  I have a calendar (appointments and ‘hard’ deadlines), a task notebook (broken down according to my roles) and an article keeper (a software program on the computer because that is where I do my writing).

An easy way to start your own system is to break your lists down according to your roles.  Keep a notebook with tabs.  Each task goes behind the appropriate tab.  Mark tasks that can only be done in certain settings with appropriate symbols.  For example, any phone call can be labeled with a “P.”  When you have time to make phone calls, glance through your lists to see which phone call you could get out of the way.  You also have a blend of time-intensive or mundane tasks to choose from, all in one place.  This way, you can choose the task based on your energy level, resources and location. 

Break the Job Down Into Manageable Chunks

Every job can be broken down into steps.  These steps give you the opportunity to set smaller, more digestible goals for yourself.  Each and every one of us homeschooling moms has moments when we are completely overwhelmed by the amount of work we have to do.  Frankly, I think this is a common trait to every mother, everywhere! 

Taking things piece-by-piece will allow you to see progress, which is highly motivating.  It also gives you needed stopping points.  Stopping points are essential to give your mind and body a break. 

Set the Timer

You thought this was only for the kids, didn’t you?  A timer is actually a valuable time management tool for busy homeschooling moms.  A timer keeps you on task and focused.  Just knowing that you have a deadline can be enough of an impetus to keep you going.  You may even feel curiously refreshed knowing that when the bell goes off, you get to move on.

I use the timer method when I have something to do that I really don’t feel like doing.  For example, I do not enjoy grocery shopping… at all.  When I head out to the grocery store, I give myself a set amount of time on the clock.  I make it tight so that I have to be speedy to make it out in time.  I am so focused on getting what I need that I have less time to think.  Crabby thoughts are banished in the race to finish my food quest on time.  Juvenile?  Maybe.  But, it works!

Focus On One Thing at a Time

Any job looks less overwhelming if you focus on only the small chunk you're working on. Make a conscious effort to stop your brain if it starts going elsewhere. 

For example, as I am writing this article, my email chime summoned me.  I have to admit, I feel a pull to check and see what just came in.  However, I know I need to stay focused to finish this article.  Otherwise, I will waste a great deal of energy trying to recover the flow of my thoughts. 

Keeping focus takes some practice.  The more you do it, though, the easier it will get.  Just like any habit, focus is similar to a muscle.  Working it often makes it grow stronger.

Celebrate!

The important part--reward yourself each time you finish one part. You may want to lay down, dive into a favorite book, or go for a walk.  Enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.  Our lives are so fast-paced, I am determined to take time for little victories.  The little victories, more than anything else, are what keep our batteries charged from day to day.

These simple 5 steps to overcoming procrastination will not only keep your homeschool running along smoothly, they will be effective in getting you to improve, stretch, and grow.  Try them out on one project and see if you don’t find yourself getting more things done!

Planning - Your capacity for activity has changed.  Now is the time to take inventory of what you can do, when you can do it, and how it can be done.  Figure out what your big rocks are everyday.  Big rocks are the activities that need to get done each day.  Examples may be homeschool activities, making meals, or paying the bills.  Once you have established your big rocks, you can slot them throughout the day.  Decide when you have enough energy for each of your big rocks.  You may decide to homeschool first thing in the morning, taking breaks in between each subject.  You may choose to make all of your meals for the day while you get lunch going because you know that your energy will be low at dinner-time.  Paying the bills can be handled on Sunday afternoon when your spouse is home.

Support - Research shows that those with chronic illness who find a good balance between accepting the reality of their illness and remaining as engaged in life as possible are happiest.  Talk with your spouse and decide which items you need the most help with and then... let him help!  For example, you know you can handle daily dishes, dusting and laundry.  Doing the bathrooms, though, puts you over the edge.  See if you can offload that chore to a child or spouse.  A spouse can take over one piece of homeschooling, as well.  Maybe Dad would love to do science or history with the kids.  The result - great bonding time for them and quiet time for you at the end of the day.

Expectations - Anyone who has lived with chronic illness for any length of time knows that some interests and activities may need to be postponed to a different season of life.  Expecting your body to behave as it did before you became ill can only result in frustration.  Lots of it.  Instead, realize that although you can't do what you used to do, you CAN do other things.  For example, reading to your children is a great activity that results in bonding and learning for them and rest for you.  Keep your expectations realistic and positive!

These are baby steps on the road to homeschooling with chronic illness.  Starting small gives you a sense of control over your life.  Taking on a goal that is important to you can be terrific medicine! 

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