The Last Thing You Need To Worry About is Curriculum

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If you’re knee-deep in catalogs and Pinterest boards, wondering which shiny curriculum will finally make homeschooling work, breathe with me a second. Because the last thing you need to worry about right now is curriculum.

What Keeps Us Up at 2 A.M.

Spoiler: It’s Not Phonics

I can’t tell you how many sleepless night I have stayed up thinking about curriculum.

• Kids underfoot 24/7—no clock-out button.
  
• A child who flips letters like pancakes and cries over math (hello, dyslexia and dyscalculia).
  
• Attitudes—ours and theirs.
  
• Running ourselves ragged until “self-care” is hiding in the pantry with chocolate chips.
  
• That heavy blanket called overwhelm, plus its cousins: comparison and guilt.
  
• Sibling squabbles, kitchen-table meltdowns, our own flare-ups of anger.
  
• The nagging fear: Will I ever reach their hearts, or am I raising well-educated Pharisees?
  

Curriculum can’t heal a weary soul, calm a tantrum, or anchor a heart to Jesus.

My Confession: Curriculum as a Security Blanket

I used to spend February mornings clicking through vendors until my coffee went cold. I thought if I landed the “perfect” language-arts package, the arguing would stop and motivation would sprout like spring tulips. Instead, frustration grew. Why? Because phonics wasn’t the problem—fractured connection was.

God whispered Matthew 6:33 into my worry:

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else…and He will give you everything you need.”

If I wanted everything—peace, growth, wisdom—I had to seek Him, not the flashiest workbook.

Three Heart-First Priorities (Before You Hit Buy Now)

1. Relationship Over Rigor
   Start the day with five minutes of face-to-face connection—no agenda, just eye contact and “I’m glad you’re mine.”
   
   • Proverbs 4:23 reminds us, “Guard your heart…for it determines the course of your life.” Secure their hearts first; lessons follow.
     
2. Rhythms Over Rushing
   Create anchor points—morning Bible, lunchtime read-aloud, afternoon nature walk. Consistent rhythms calm brains better than color-coded timetables ever will.
   
   Predictability is a hug in schedule form.
   
   
3. Rest Over Relentless
   Mom, you cannot pour from the dregs. Pencil “Mom Time” on the planner like a required subject. Even twenty minutes with tea and a Psalm can reset the whole house.
   

A Quick Word on Learning Disabilities & Attitudes

Yes, you need tools—an Orton-Gillingham reader for dyslexia or hands-on math for ADHD kiddos. But the tool only works in the hand of a calm, hope-filled teacher. Slow down long enough to:

• Research, then release. Choose a resource, give it six solid weeks, and pray more than you Google.
  
• Celebrate micro-wins. One correctly written “b” can outshine ten workbook pages.
  
• Separate attitude from ability. A meltdown may scream “I can’t,” but often whispers “I’m scared.”
  

What to Do When Mom Loses It

We’ve all thundered down the hall like Godzilla in yoga pants. Here’s the recovery plan:

1. Pause & Pray. Whisper “Lord, help me sow peace” (James 3:18).
   
2. Own It Out Loud. “Kids, Mom sinned by yelling. Will you forgive me?”
   
3. Reset Together. Ten-minute break. Hydrate. Hug. Resume.
   

Your apology can teach more theology than a week of Bible worksheets.

Practical Steps for This Week

Dear Overwhelmed Heart…

Curriculum matters, but it’s not magic. Love is. Your kids will forget the year you used Saxon or Singapore, but they’ll remember whether Mom’s eyes sparkled when they walked into the room. They’ll recall backyard read-alouds, tear-stained prayers after hard days, the way you kept trying.

So close those fifty browser tabs. Ask Jesus what your family—this quirky, beautiful crew—needs most right now. Start there. Resources can follow.

The goal isn’t perfect lessons; it’s formed hearts. Seek first the Kingdom, and the curriculum will find its rightful place—second.

Cheering you on, always,
Tricia 💛

Additional Resources