What actually happens when a perfectionist mom tries to learn a language the traditional way… and then tries TalkBox.Mom?
Instead of telling you, I’m going to share an interview from TalkBox.Mom Week where one homeschooling mom shares both experiences—the computer programs, workbooks, and pressure to get it right…
And then what changed when she opened her TalkBox.Mom box and started showing up differently with her kids.
Hi, I’m Adelaide from TalkBox.Mom, where we help your family talk in a foreign language the same day you start our program.
And as you listen to the interview, pay attention for the moment Lorell’s perfectionism stopped running the show, and her high achieving self took the stage. Hit that like button and add your comments as you watch!
What actually happens when a perfectionist mom tries to learn a language the traditional way and then tries TalkBox.Mom?
Instead of telling you, I’m going to share an interview from TalkBox.Mom Week where one homeschooling mom shares both experiences the computer programs, workbooks, and pressure to get everything right.
And then what changed when she opened her TalkBox.Mom box and started showing up differently with her kids.
Hey, I’m Adelaide from TalkBox.Mom, where we help your family to talk in a foreign language the same day you start our program.
And as you listen to this interview, pay attention for the moments Lorell’s perfectionism stopped running the show and her high-achieving self took the stage.
Add your comments as you read.
Adelaide: Thank you so much for being on. Lorell, I know that you guys are a newer Fluency Family.
Lorell: Yes. Yes we are. We just started probably officially in like September, so yeah, we’re new to this.
Adelaide: But y’all came in hot, I wanna say.
Lorell: Yes, yes. Well, and I have to say it’s because you have everything in a video, it helps so much because I am that recovering perfectionist. And just to give a little backstory, I’m a homeschooling mom of five and I have two that have already graduated.
And so our foreign language journey has been very bumpy. I mean, I started off with, I’m not gonna name any names, but an expensive computer based. Program, and it was on again and off again and on again and off again. And so much so that when my oldest was in high school, I had like serious anxiety that she was gonna get her credits to be accepted into college, like sleepless nights over it.
Again, perfectionism rearing its ugly head and so I, I fell back to what I did in school and I just bought books and workbooks and dictionaries and like pounded it in not a very fun experience for her. All that to say she graduated, she got into college she’s graduated with her bachelor’s now.
She’s doing great. And in fact, she’s even dating a bilingual man and, and learning the language as she goes. So I knew with my younger kids I was gonna have to do something different and TalkBox.Mom has absolutely fit that bill, but I was so nervous to even open the box the first time. Like it came in, it was pretty, I was afraid I was gonna mess it up.
I was like, oh, it’s so cute, I’m gonna miss something. And so the fact that you had a video on how to open the box and show me what was in it. I literally opened my email. The kids are with me, we’re opening the box and, and before I know it, we’re doing a practice session. I’m like, oh, okay. I can do this.
And from there, like we, we did some practice sessions. We, we were kind of getting it, we were kind of doing some emotions. My youngest was kind of like, just always too cool to do anything, but that’s how he would say it. So we’d go with it. But once we started the Consistency Crew, it has just absolutely transformed.
My kids are so excited to get on, they’re so excited to record a video, except for one, sometimes he just slips out when we record a video, but that’s fine. He’s still showing up. He’s still doing it, and I just give him that choice. But honestly, the fact that you have a video, I can just open it like it takes the perfectionism out.
I don’t have to plan. I can just open and go, you’ve got it set up. And, and the foundation is solid. Like the, the science behind it, the foundation is solid and I can just trust the process and we can just show up. And like, we took time off around the holidays and instead of going, oh, I’m such a bad mom, I was like, Nope, we’re just gonna show up and start right where we are.
And it was just perfect. So thank you.
Adelaide: This was just so fantastic to hear, for just so many reasons, just that you, I mean, it was terrible that you had such a terrible experience, right? And I’m like, well, at least you can learn the language now, right? So that’s good. But it’s just so nice that you realize like, I can’t keep doing it like this.
This is just really not working. And then, I mean. Even my team is gonna be so excited to the ones that aren’t on right now to hear this in the morning, because when we were like, realizing, we’re like, we have some perfectionists. And also like another group of moms, we realized like they’re not opening their box, right.
So I was like –
Lorell: It’s so pretty.
Adelaide: Yeah. And so I was like, okay. And then I had a group of business owner friends and they’re like, have you heard of body doubling? And I’m like, yeah. They’re like, when it’s like someone comes and they just open the mail with them, they’re like, can you body double in a video?
And I was like, yes, I could do that. So I’m really glad that the, that, that really helped you out to be able to, to do that. Absolutely. If you guys don’t have the first box opened, we have a video for that, so if you need to let us know, and yeah, I have some people commenting like, I need to open a box.
Okay. So good, good, good. But this was just so, so fun to hear. I I, we noticed a comment from you Lorell, where you said we’re focused on fun progress over perfection. What, what is that looking like when you practice?
Lorell: It’s looking like me taking my hands off instead of worrying about it or choosing the right phrase.
Like sometimes my kids choose a phrase, I’m like, well, we’re maybe not gonna use that one very much. But it’s their phrase. They’re having fun with it, you know, and, and instead of you know, ’cause I, yeah, I’ve got a 15-year-old, 13-year-old, and a 10-year-old right now. So like, they’re learning at different paces.
And so sometimes a 10-year-old can be like I’m not learning quite as fast. It’s like, it’s okay. We just play the audio and we just all try again. And he has so much fun with the videos. He is the one that’s constantly bouncing, you know?
Adelaide: Yes.
Lorell: In my videos. And it, it’s okay. Like, that’s who he is and like, let his energy out.
And if he doesn’t pronounce it perfectly, he’s having fun. And, and you know, obviously having multiple kids, I, I’ve learned a lot. I can relax a little now. But, but that’s what it looks like. Instead of agonizing over the right situation or agonizing over even whether the video’s perfect. Oh my goodness.
Most of the times I show up. I’m still in exercise clothes, my hair is up and I’m like, ah, I don’t even have makeup on. I’m a homeschool mom. Like, just have fun. The kids are having fun. You know, you can probably, when I, because I, I’m in my bedroom now, but usually I’m in the homeschool room. Like there’s clutter, there’s boxes, there’s books, there’s stuff everywhere.
It’s like I could agonize over that or I can just let my kids have fun and be themselves. And that’s what we do and we’re making progress.
Adelaide: I love it.
Lorell: That’s what matters.
Adelaide: I love, every time I see a video from your family, I’m like, they just let us into their home. Right?
Lorell: That’s what I do.
Adelaide: I’m like, are we best friends? Is that what’s happening? I hope you guys all remember how she shows up in her videos, because you might be getting sent something tomorrow for a video. So I just want, want you all to remember that because it’s just so, so fantastic. Do you have, like, what would be your biggest advice for you if you could give yourself, when you got that first box in the mail, what would you tell yourself?
Lorell: Just open it. Just open it. You know, I’m, I, I worry about my kids like making a mess or they’re gonna tear something up or they’re gonna lose something. But that again, like, that’s all part of the process. But yeah, just open the video, open the app. Like you, you o we referenced a book earlier and I’m like, oh, I think I have that.
And I don’t think I’ve even opened it, but I don’t need to. ’cause everything’s just so easily laid out. Like the process is there, the charts are there. And, and just, just follow like your, your process is, is tried and true.
Adelaide: Awesome.
Lorell: So it’ll work.
Adelaide: Thank you so much for sharing. Is there anything else you wanna share with us? Everything you said so far has been so amazing to hear.
Lorell: Oh my goodness. Well, I will say like over the years of, of facing my perfectionism down, like most, most of my, my perfectionism has been chasing an illusion that does not exist. And so when I, when I realized that, like, that goal of perfection, like nobody has ever achieved that.
There’s only one, if you’re a believer in Christ, there’s only one, but nobody else has ever achieved perfection. So I’m chasing something that I will never, ever achieve. And so if I wait to be happy, I’ll never be there. I can just be happy now, enjoy the process and just have fun.
Adelaide: Look at you. You high achiever.
Lorell: Thank you. Thank you.
Adelaide: Alright. Lorell, this was so fantastic. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
Lorell: Oh, thank you so much for including me and inviting me.
Move through your boxes at a record-level pace with record-level fun!
Leave a comment