For the most part, when I started this second blog, my plan was to share more of our day-to-day schooling and hopefully capture some of the fun stuff we do. However, this is not one of those posts. (Come back later in the week when I plan to post about the play-do people the kids made as part of our study of the skeletal system, I promise it will be more fun than this.)
This is the post where I plan to do a little venting and in the end, ask you some questions. This is also the post that I am hoping other home-schooling moms will read and respond to and maybe impart some of your wisdom to me!
Today has been one of those days when I feel like giving up and begging the next school bus driver who comes by to take my kids with them. So, of course, on this day when my home school has been in total chaos, I read a few other blogs , one in particular that I don't read very often, whose school rooms are the image of tranquility and where the Moms/teachers are in perfect harmony with the children/students and I wonder where I went wrong. Perhaps God is trying to tell me something ... like please give those children to someone else for their education before you ruin their lives!
Okay, that is an exaggeration, of course. Well, maybe not. But the kids and I have been butting heads all day and I am incredibly frustrated and wondering if I am the only Mom who wonders if her kids wouldn't be better off in school instead of fighting with me.
Intellectually, I know the answer to that question, but that doesn't necessarily help me in the more emotional moments. I know that this post is basically a pity-party and I hope you will all forgive me this moment of choosing to be a little too honest.
I am curious though, for those of you who may have experienced days like this, do you have any advice on how to redeem a day that starts going down-hill (like before 10 in the morning)? Do you try to turn the day around or just try to work through it or even give up and reqroup for the next day?
I think I feel better already just admitting where I have been today ...
Jennifer - go make yourself a cup of tea and relax a bit. I have days like this too! Sometimes (like lately) I feel as though I have more of them than of good ones!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I manage to salvage the day, other times I just let it go. Some things that have helped me in the past:
- Let go of everything and go to the park instead.
- Forget the work you wanted to do and read aloud to them.
- Try to just get ONE thing done, and then feel good about it.
- Send them outside, lock yourself in your room and PRAY!
- Try to remember what's really important - such as relationships
- Don't forget the tea (or whatever you enjoy..)
these simple things sometimes help me from going completely nuts.
It's not easy, but then nothing worth achieving is ever easy. (That's what I remind myself...)
Wishing you better days,
Felicity
Jennifer, Lets put this in perspective...if your darling children were in school for 8+ hours a day, then when they got home with piles of homework it would be worse. After they have sat in a classroom all day, they are tired, cranky, and don't want to look at another book AND then they have to do homework. Also, remember that homeschooling isn't just about education, its about relationships, its a lifestyle, and even on bad days its a blessing. Everyone has bad days! This is my 15th year and I still have bad days. Sometimes ya just have to relax, make a snack or watch a video and then try again. Any mom that says homeschooling is a breeze all the time, everyday is not being truthful. I have with your children! Love on them, even when you want to strangle them! I'll be praying for you!
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