Sometimes I want to go to the park instead of doing history. Sometimes I want to build towers out of legos and blocks instead of giving spelling tests. Sometimes I want to play dolls instead of checking math answers. Sometimes I want to bake cookies all morning instead of reading science. Sometimes I want to run errands in the morning instead of looking for countries on the globe. Sometimes I want to go on a walk with my kids instead of reading poetry.
Sometimes I just want to do the mom stuff without adding in the teacher stuff.
Sometimes.
Often, actually.
13 comments:
So how do you handle those times? Those days? How do you handle it when you are sick and just crave sleep?
There is certainly something to be said for persevering despite wanting to do something else.
...on the other hand, homeschooling gives us the freedom to do other things and not just be "teachers" all the time. ...well... not unless you consider it "teaching" when you view all of life as affording learning opportunities. Yes, even baking cookies. Perhaps especially baking cookies [smile].
~Luke
Anonymous - Well, I've felt that way a lot lately. I think it's largely to do with the fact that not all of our kids are school age, so I feel stretched between just hanging with the little while teaching the bigss.
Other than a nasty cold each year I'm rarely sick. I got strep in the spring and it was the first non-cold, non-allergy sickness I'd had in at least 10 years. I battle insomnia, so I often crave sleep.
But what do I do? Just keep on keeping on. The sun still rises, meals still need to be prepared, kids still need to be cared for. Just suck it up and keep going. Sometimes with a smile, other times irritable. :)
Luke - This is definitely about persevering. I'm confident that homeschooling is the right choice for us for right now, but sometimes I want to delegate education out to someone else. Of course, that choice wouldn't be all sunshine and roses either. There are pros and cons in all we do. Right? And baking cookies with my kids mid-day is definitely a good thing. :)
Bethany, I feel your pain. Moreso this year. I don't know if it is because it's year 13 and I'm so close to the end, yet not really. High school wears me out and I just don't want to.
But we just keep on keeping on.
You're doing a good job :)
Sometimes I want to drive to Beaverton to see my daughter and her family. Hey, I think I'll just do it!
Someone left a comment on here once saying 'I'm not lazy, I just don't like doing things I'm not interested in." I think (and laugh) about that comment often. 90% of life is doing things we don't want to do. But when we do them cheerfully unto the Lord, they become bearable and even enjoyable.
But I hear ya, I don't particularly like being an elementary teacher. I don't particularly like cooking meals either. And changing diapers, don't even get me started. But, that's life. A series of jobs that need to be done more than want to be done!
Hang in there Mrs. Weathersby, I'm sure you are a fantastic teacher!
I'm feeling this way SO much right now.
The temptation to sit and hold my one-month-old all day long and do nothing else is very strong. My two-year-old is going to a morning program at our church two mornings a week to help with his speech development. Add in the fact that everyone else we know sends their kids to public school, and it takes a lot of will power for me to not give in and send my oldest to school. I'm not really serious about doing it because I know the only reason I even think about it is because I think it would make my life a little "easier". But, oh man, the temptation has been really strong lately. :-)
Then why don't you? Just a question :-)
Summer - First, I *have* seriously considered putting Silas in public this year in order to focus more on the other two. I really don't want to change mid-year though, particularly when homeschooling is going well on a practical level.
Second, I want to make sure that this isn't an issue of "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence". The thought of having the whole family's day structured around the public school day doesn't appeal to me, at least not while I have non-school age kids. Neither does having Silas be gone for 7 hours of the day only to come home to another hour of homework, especially when he can get a whole day of work done in 3 hours (or less) at home.
We approach homeschooling with a "one kid at a time, one year at a time" mentality. So we definitely reserve the right to change our minds if something else seems like a better fit for our family at any particular point in time. :)
Soryy, BIG misunderstanding!!! I meant, "why don't you just do the things you feel like sometimes?" I admit, I am a homeschool ONLY mama :-)
That is where we as believers agree to disagree!
Summer - Ha! That's funny. Our brains were clearly in different places.
I don't have a problem with the "homeschool only" folks, but with public school putting food on our table, we obviously don't fall into that category. Each to their own. :)
So, to answer your *real* question ... I do. Sometimes I scrap school and play. Sometimes we spread school throughout the day to mix in more down time. The problem is that lately those play times tend to make it harder, rather than easier, to jump back into school.
I tweaked yesterday though, and it was the best Thursday we've had in a while. Thursdays generally stink because the kids are tired and grumpy from being up late for Bible study. Proud of me? :)
I am not against Christians teaching in public schools
--that is an awesome ministry. I just believe that sending young, impreshinable hearts and minds into a pack of wolves is risky! Love you :-)
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