The homeschool mom identity is known as the Uber driver, the eraser-finder, the organize-the-extracurricular-accouterment, menu planner, laundry folder, dishwasher, or homeschool lesson planner.
And it is all these things.
But not only these things. Homeschool moms have an identity entirely outside their homeschool mama role. What’s yours?
My homeschool mom identity has been a writer too. So I’ve learned plenty about myself through my writing practice.
Here are 8 things I’ve learned to do to develop my homeschool mom identity through writing.
1. I should write many things down.
So I do, in one of a dozen notebooks, or Notes on my iPod.
Those weird, or hilarious, things that my kids say or do that send me into mentally writing a blog post…that’s gotta have a place.
The things I think, the cool and insightful things that others say, whether in a book or conversation. I wrote those down too.
I don’t lose them and I find a place to write all those things down.
2. I own my voice. And I listen to my voice.
I was created to be me. Not an echo of anyone else.
I’ll let others be themselves and thoroughly enjoy them as they are, or sometimes be perplexed by them as happens too.
But, I was meant to do what I was meant to do. So don’t listen to other’s voices.
Rather, I own mine and honour it.
3. Don’t write for someone else.
Or I will write for a specific audience that may not want to hear from me.
I won’t share the fullness of what I’m thinking if I write it too close to an audience of one person.
Everyone doesn’t have to want to listen, but someone always will.
4. Write to me.
Certainly, the things I like to write about are things I’m thinking about.
Don’t know why this happens, but I tend to write mostly to myself. (I clearly did that in my book).
And I’ve discovered there are enough people that have some overlap with my mental space, that they want to engage in a discussion on those things.
This is cool, because I’ve learned that my TRUE voice helps me connect with my TRUE people, love that!
5. I connect with people in many different ways.
Some of them relate to what I write, and some of them don’t.
No need to require them to read my stuff to connect with others–we can still be friends.
6. I am a writer when I write every day.
Why was this so hard for me to accept when I first began putting my voice to print?
- Yes, I’m a published author if I count the “thank you” in a book that I helped to edit.
- And then there was that Christmas surprise where I was published for a couple pages in an actual book.
- A dozen, paid and unpaid, articles.
- I journaled and wrote stories since I was seven.
- A couple chapters of a book I’m working on right now. A long-term project: attempting a novel.
- A website with over 100 posts (you’re reading it).
- And a book I wrote for me and you!
Am I a writer? Yup, as much as I am a mother.
7. Utter disadvantage of being a writer…
I lay out my thoughts for people to critique, I learn the craft out loud, and my potential for paid vacations is kinda low.
“There is nothing to writing. Just sit down at the typewriter and bleed“. Ernest Hemmingway
8. Utter advantage of being a writer.
I learned to accept myself and train myself not to listen to critical voices.
The more I write, the better I get at it.
I wake up every day in gratefulness and thankfulness that I get to do something I love.
There’s a skiff of time every day, where I can do something wholly creative that doesn’t just require my person but feeds my person.
Well worth the effort.
“That’s exactly what writing is: to be able to duplicate our original mind on paper, with all its odd, kinky turns. Writing is about getting close to our genuine self and the authentic way we see…not to hurry for sense when I write, I might land too quickly and miss out on half my mind”.
Natalie Goldberg in “Thunder and Lightening
A Daily Homeschool Mama Journal for You!
Introducing the Daily Homeschool Mama Journal, your perfect companion to build time for yourself! With daily journal questions, weekly planner, and self-care activities, enhance your self-awareness and explore your identity while taking care of yourself. Start practicing self-awareness today!
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Teresa Wiedrick
I help homeschool mamas shed what’s not working in their homeschool & life, so they can show up authentically, purposefully, and confidently in their homeschool & life.
