Friday, March 25, 2011

extended vacation?

Sometimes, when homeschooling, it can feel like everyone else around you has it all together and you are the slacker mom who can't get it together long enough to get a proper workbook page done, let alone plan out an entire week of enriching, educational activities. Honestly, I am having one of those moments. To be truthful, we have been loosely schooling for weeks now. I know, it's something a lot of HS moms do not want to admit. But to be honest I school 12 months out of the year, no summer vacation, no spring break. I get burnt out from time to time. I don't have the luxury of janitorial, cafeteria or nursing staff. There's no sub to step in when I need to take a personal day or have a cold or migraine. I am the teacher, the janitor, the cook, the nurse, the bus driver. I do it all. All day. Everyday. Without fail. Do I feel overwhelmed? Sometimes. But honestly, that comes with the territory. No job is great all of the time. Do I feel like my kids are being slighted? No. This is the time that they are self reliant. This is the time that they ask to do work. BEG for it actually. And I am more than happy to oblige. Do something, anything. Whatever you want. There are gardens being tended, math games being played, books being read, stories being written. There's pretending and sharing and entertaining each other. There's food being cooked, recipes being created, ideas being formed. There's learning taking place all around us. Did I do a lesson of the associative property of multiplication (which is what's on the schedule for today)? No. Did we discuss the Mongolian invasion of medieval Europe? Nope. Are they going to be doomed to a life of crime due to lack of education? I highly doubt it. My motivation will return soon and we will back to our regularly scheduled schooling. Until then, happy learning.

6 comments:

  1. I so get your sentiment right now and just know that you are not alone. I guess that's the benefit of homeschooling year round: You take breaks when needed, not when scheduled. And you're right your motivation will return and so will the vigor for homeschooling. Ebb and flow, baby, ebb and flow.

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  2. this is us right now! funny we havent been doing much (or feeling like doing) book work, but a lot more learning! amazing how that happens :) we are currently studying space, last night we went to the planetarium & that put the textbook to shame. next week we are dissecting cowparts. we already watched the video & lesson online...no need to beat the lesson to death on paper. we did a sewing project, cooked, all the things you mention & the mood has been completely diff...life learning ;) makes us want to keep the books & lessons put away for a while ~enjoy the break~

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  4. Enjoy every teachable moment which I know you know doesn't only happen w/books propped open, on days where every minute is planned to the second, or ten plus subjects are covered daily w/tests, scrap booking, essays, etc. I'm totally there w/you and today is no different. We also homeschool year-around and I think one of the reasons we do is because sometimes, you just don't feel like doing it and just doing what you feel (reading a few books off subject, arts & crafts, cleaning, etc.) at the time is good enough. One thing that is great is learning never stops so our kids are always learning even when we’re not standing in front of a chalk/dry erase board drilling them on their math facts. I would say you’re doing just fine.

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  5. Your break is never really a break, but go ahead and breathe, you are doing a fantastic job and we are always there for our little ones

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  6. I know exactly where you are. Even though this is our first year of homeschooling, I've already been there. A combination of illness, visiting family and spring fever meant no "seatwork" for about two weeks. We are back to it, but I am kinda missing our "nothing" days. (And our nothing, like most, is quite a lot actually)

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