So I imagine my average homeschooling day looking something like this:
5:30 am - wake up for a three mile jog
7:00 am - grind wheat for my whole wheat flour pancakes
7:30 am - kids arrive at the table having made their beds and gotten dressed on their own
8:00 am - morning prayers and Scripture reading
8:30 am- school work
11:30 am - prepare nutritious lunch all together, eat harmoniously, shared clean-up
12:30 - 2:30 - kids in quiet time while I write uninterrupted
3:00 pm - outing to the park, the library, ride bikes, etc.
5:00 pm - Kids do evening chores (perhaps fold and put away laundry?) while I cut up the dozen or so vegetables to be served with the complicated Thai dish that I am making for supper and everyone in my family is super excited about
7:00 pm - Dad comes home to a tidy house, a fantastic meal, and a wife dressed to the nines in a cute little outfit she picked up at the J.Crew outlet on clearance
That sounds about right, don't you think? Am I missing anything? Am I setting myself up for a flood of disappointment, the depth of which will drown out all acceptances of imperfection, of having imperfect kids, an imperfect life? Is there something else to this homeschooling thing besides keeping up with the proverbial Latin speaking, violin playing, exotic food making, scrapbooking Joneses whom primarily exist in my imagination? Could you share with me a realistic snap shot of a typical day, in your house, with homeschooled children? Could you inspire me to do my best for the sake of Love rather than vanity? Can you explain how, within the context of educating your kids, fulfillment might look messier, sound noisier, and feel much more authentic than the sterilized images of family life being portrayed by the media as normal, achievable, purchasable? Can we please keep reminding each other to pace ourselves and to take advantage of every circumstance, whether good or frustrating, to point our sons and daughters back to Christ?
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4 comments:
While it is nice to dream of such a schedule, in my house there was never such a thing. Mornings could be very regular with breakfast and the first few subjects maybe, but usually a few days a week some field trip, drama rehearsal, or choir practice would interrupt the regular flow of school work. Then there is always the issue that arises when one child is particularly struggling with a subject, or worse, not wanting to do any school work at all.
Not to discourage you at all, homeschooling is a very joyous experience. I will always remember the words my parents said at my graduation about homeschooling all those years to end with me. There were a lot of tears and hugs.
It's only that to homeschool, there is going to be a lot of change from day to day and what you exactly do when. Some days might need more time on math, and others might need more time for spelling. Then there will also be days when your children have no trouble at all and finish their schoolwork quickly with hardly any help from their mother (yes, those types of days will occur). It's all just a little flexible.
blessings,
Molly,
Your schedule makes me laugh. That is probably what I will see myself doing too. I will certainly have children who always WANT to read instead of watch TV, who share everything, and always want to help me cook dinner....
Patty
Oh Rachel,
I think you have summed up nicely what exactly I need to work on:
FLEXIBILITY!
I am trying to prepare myself for the fact that I might not be good at that initially, while trying to get all the details sorted out. I am hoping as I become more experienced the changes within each day will feel natural instead of discouraging. I love the thought of you at graduation being thankful and loving to your parents, who made such sacrifices to educate their children. That truly is a dream come true for any mom!
I like your optimism Patty! All sharing all the time!
You crack me up....although I have to admit, it does sound ideal!!!
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