Inside: What we enjoy most about parenting is sharing life with our kids. But what about when life gets hard? Including managing a toddler and dating your spouse (again), here's 5 game-changers that could make or break your time with kids

It began with a yell up the basement stairs. 

"Come now! You have to see this!"

I glanced at the untouched cup of coffee on the counter, then moved towards his voice. Arriving at the bottom of the stairs, I was thankful that the kids were still in bed. 

The basement floor was slowly covering in stinky water, with half-drawn masterpieces and uncapped markers floating on top. 

It was the middle of the week anyways, and now this. 

Since my husband was leaving (in minutes) for a mandatory conference, I saw my productive morning sailing away & capsizing into a sea of plumbers and insurance phone-calls. 

Then I sighed, And what about homeschool?

Talk about parenting difficulties: We just lost our basement homeschool space, two kids & a toddler were ready to wake up for the day, and the house was filling with sewer gas. 

Why is Parenting Hard?

What we enjoy most about parenting is sharing life with our kids. But then life happens, and there our kids are- right in the middle of it with us. 

The lessons that we teach through our responses can be the most important lessons of all. 

Your child will follow your example, not your advice. -Unknown

But how do we stay positive when the sewer messes of life happen?

How do we start dating our spouses again after a two year drought?

And how do you get anything done when your toddler's emptying all your drawers?

These situations have almost broke me as a Mom, and as a homeschooler. 

Related: 10 Simple Ways to Reset a Bad Day With Kids

5 Game-Changers for Parenting

Surviving them has allowed us to build up resources for when they happen again. Resources that we've shared with friends, and now want to share with you. 

So that when parenting gets difficult- and it will!- we can be prepared. 

This is also part of the 5 Days Hopscotch with iHomeschool Network. All this week, the amazing women of iHomeschool Network will be sharing "5 Days of..." posts with encouragement, time-saves, homeschool ideas and more. 

Here is the list to check each day as I post a new topic: 

Tuesday: Surviving the Worst With Your Kids

Wednesday: An Easy-to-Repeat Daily Plan

Thursday: Meal Planning Success (For the Month!)

Friday: Dating Your Spouse (Again) After Kids