Then we came home and did lessons, well we tried. For some reason Candice fought with me on everything. Every. Little. Thing. Math, L.Arts. Finally I stepped away for a minute and came back. We managed to get through some of L.Arts and then we read a story. We talked about Frogs, Halloween, and then finished up community.
Tonight we are going to the Library Trick Or Treating. It should be fun. Its been hectic the last 2 days and Im sorry I dont have much to write.
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Today was just a rotten day, but I found this on a blog: http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/page/4/
On most days I thoroughly enjoy homeschooling my three kids. Most days. Then there are those OTHER days…the days I DO NOT enjoy homeschooling my three kids. On those days I find myself simply checking off boxes in our curriculum and praying the seconds morph into hours instead of minutes. For the record, those prayers have yet to be answered. In fact, the opposite seems to occur – time literally stands still.
Further proof God has a sense of humor.
Moments like these are not the proudest moments of bright, sunshiny, homeschooling parents. We don’t like to talk about them out loud…especially not to -*GASP*- non-homeschoolers.
“Do I love to homeschool? YES! I could NEVER IMAGINE doing anything else!!”
Bologna.
We can ALL imagine doing something else at times. Why just yesterday afternoon I imagined myself getting into my truck, driving to Starbucks, and sitting alone for two hours without a single person asking me any question other than, “Would you like another Iced Latte?”
To which I answered, “Heck, yeah!”
Y’know, just in case you were curious.
Y’know, just in case you were curious.
So what stops me from “calling it a day” and escaping to Starbucks (other than the fact I might still be in my pajamas) when things go sour?
Love.
I know, I know, I sound as cliche as a Hallmark card, but truthfully, love IS what stops me.
Love isn’t just a fuzzy feeling.
I love my children. I love them completely. Around here we teach that love isn’t just a “fuzzy feeling”, but that love is a VERB – an action word.
We ACT on our love when we open a door, help fold clothes, give a compliment, respectfully stay quiet when someone else is taking a test, grab the 10 lb. dictionary off the shelf for a sibling, apologize when we’ve wronged another, and in my case…keep-on keeping-on when all I want to do is throw my hands in the air and walk out of the schoolroom.
No one pays me to do this day after day.
I chose to teach my children.
I am GLAD I chose to teach my children. At the same time, honesty forces me to admit that there are some days when my meter expires waaaaay before its time.
Usually it is an accumulation of irritants that I allow to push me to my limit.
Note that I said “allow” because I’m perfectly aware I should be in control of my own behavior at all times.
Note that I said “allow” because I’m perfectly aware I should be in control of my own behavior at all times.
Still, it can be hard.
Take yesterday, for instance – I asked a simple question in the process of working through a missed long division problem.
Me: “What is 11-3?”
Child: “9?”
Me: “9?”
Child: “7?”
Me: “7?”
Child: “8?”
Me: “8?”
Child: *silence*
Me: “Is 8 your final answer?”
Child: *considering*
Me: “Well? Is 8 your final answer?”
Child: “No, 9…yep, it’s 9.”
Me: “Nope.”
Child: “7?”
Me: “Are you kidding me?”
Child: “???”
Now honestly this wouldn’t bother me except I KNOW this child KNOWS the difference from 11 and 3. I was dealing with pure laziness and indifference.
This is about the time I wanted to go to Starbucks.
Instead, acting out of love, I turned and opened a drawer, pulled out a package of flash cards and we proceeded to back WAAAAAY up to the beginning – basic math facts.
Instead, acting out of love, I turned and opened a drawer, pulled out a package of flash cards and we proceeded to back WAAAAAY up to the beginning – basic math facts.
It might have seemed like a waste of 15 minutes, but the apathy quickly dissipated and we were able to get back to work FOR REAL.
Does it always work this way?
No, not always.
No, not always.
When nothing works.
Some days nothing I can think to do works and productivity is at an all time low across the board. Maybe the schedule has been too full, the bedtimes have been too late, or we’ve eaten too much chili and rice – I SIMPLY DO NOT KNOW.
I can tell you it’s a rare, but real, occasion and certainly not worth the stress of pushing through.
This is when I know it is time to “call it a day” and I say it.
“Enough is enough – we are done today.”
The kids actually do not prefer this coping method because the work follows them to the next day – or pushes our 4 day school week to 5. I don’t particularly like this method either for pretty much the same reason.
Many times we’ll part for a while – each to their own room. And then, the magnetic pull that keeps us so close-knit draws us back together. The rest of the time will be spent snuggled together on the couch with a non-school-related read aloud, watching a movie, or doing our own thing – separately, but together.
and I feel the SAME way, especially today. I actually yelled at Candice because I was just beyond my limit. I felt terrible after 2 seconds and quickly apologized to her and tried working on it again, of course by then her interest was gone and we just goofed off. Not a productive day at all. I NEED to learn that shes just being stubborn. Stubborn candice and that days like this are NOT what makes up homeschooling. Kids have days like this in school, the difference is the teacher deals with it and somehow the kids listen. Mom, isnt as scary i guess.
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