People always describe it as a sigh. But that’s not really what I do. I breathe in hard and long through my nose, and like a bull ready to charge, I push it out forcefully like it doesn’t belong in me in the first place. But instead of charging at the man holding a red cloth, I take my arms and open them wide, grab the mountain of cloth, and push it off my bed, along with my intentions, and pile it back into the laundry basket. The basket sits, waiting patiently all day, for this moment. The one they knew would come eventually.
This may repeat for a few days until the laundry basket’s judgment (piled high) finally makes me get my act together (because I cannot find a clean bra to wear) and put the laundry away.
This is a red flag.
Waving and screaming to me that I am overwhelmed, overworked, and overscheduled. It’s when I neglect the things I need to do and hyper-focus on one task that feels like it must be done now—or yesterday.
Don’t worry, this isn’t my only red flag lest you think I only have one bad trait. No, I assure you there are many red flags.
Here are a few that like to wave in my face:
- Snapping at my kids.
- Snapping at my husband.
- Snapping at my dog.
- Not eating real meals (sitting down) (at a table preferably).
- Unwashed hair.
- My eyebrows faithfully marching towards each other to meet in the middle of my face.
- Staying up late.
- Sleeping in late.
- Too much screen time for my kids.
- Too much screen time for myself.
- Skipping workouts.
- Skipping journaling.
- Skipping Bible study.
- Ordering out dinner.
- Watching the vegetables in my fridge rot in the drawer.
This is not an exhaustive list. Ask my family; they can add a few more, I’m sure.
These red flags affect my homeschool more than I’d like to admit. I mean, I shouldn’t be surprised. Snapping at my kids, not eating meals, and watching vegetables pass over into the afterlife isn’t conducive to a happy homeschool life. Instead of letting them spiral out of control until flags and my children's appendages are flying in my face blinding my vision, I am learning to notice them.
I am working on becoming more aware of these flags, noting them, and pivoting and readjusting until I start noticing my green flags flying again (more on those soon).
Do you have red flags that may be hinting that you are sometimes neglecting and/or avoiding your homeschool? Don't worry you're not alone (please refer to detailed list above).