Not the homeschooling poster child
Not all homeschooling days go well.
If you are an experienced homeschooling parent, with experienced here, meaning for at least one week or more, you will completely agree and resonate with that first sentence. I think this is important to say sometimes. Homeschoolers, especially newer ones, can fall prey to the assumption that other homeschoolers always have good and productive days. That they always get through their list. Their children are always cooperative. The parent is always on top of things and enthusiastic. If I were just to share the successful moments, you would think that this is true around here. But it's not. Oh, no, no, no... it most certainly is not.
Take yesterday morning for instance.
I got up late. This is never a good start to the day. It means that the masses are just a little too far removed from breakfast to be at the top of their form. And when it is also a Monday, well... I had a feeling we were doomed from the beginning. Some things were hard for some people. Some people did not want to count by 9's like their math book had them doing. Some people did not want to count by 6's like their math book had them doing. Some people got to play for a long time with the activity boxes for the day because counting by 6's and 9's was taking other people far too long. Some people did not feel like doing their piano practicing. Other people managed to avoid doing their piano practicing because those 6's and 9's managed to derail everything. Some people's mother might have suggested that counting by 6's and 9's might be better done in an actual school. At the very least, some people's mothers would not then have to listen to the horrified screams of the children being forced to count by 6's and 9's; that someone else, in another building entirely would have the privilege. Or not, because it was also suggested that screaming about 6's and 9's might not even happen for another person. The question was raised as to why this mother got to be the one to enjoy the screaming about 6's and 9's.
Tomorrow, our schedule will be done backwards, so that the people who played all morning while 6's and 9's were not being counted get a chance to work. Maybe we will also be able to get to the travel journal and map work that we ran out of time for yesterday as well.
The morning was not a total loss. R. put together Mr. Potato Head in a recognizable face all on her very own. Everyone did their handwriting page, but it came before the 6's and the 9's. L. did a good page of reading for me, and is very nearly fluent. But, that's about it. The rest was a wash.
I expect today will be better. Days usually are after a really rough one. I know I don't enjoy days like that, but I don't think my children do, either. The key is to let the bad day go and not dwell on it. At least not until you've written a blog post about it. They happen to everyone, even to the people who don't admit to it.
If you are an experienced homeschooling parent, with experienced here, meaning for at least one week or more, you will completely agree and resonate with that first sentence. I think this is important to say sometimes. Homeschoolers, especially newer ones, can fall prey to the assumption that other homeschoolers always have good and productive days. That they always get through their list. Their children are always cooperative. The parent is always on top of things and enthusiastic. If I were just to share the successful moments, you would think that this is true around here. But it's not. Oh, no, no, no... it most certainly is not.
Take yesterday morning for instance.
I got up late. This is never a good start to the day. It means that the masses are just a little too far removed from breakfast to be at the top of their form. And when it is also a Monday, well... I had a feeling we were doomed from the beginning. Some things were hard for some people. Some people did not want to count by 9's like their math book had them doing. Some people did not want to count by 6's like their math book had them doing. Some people got to play for a long time with the activity boxes for the day because counting by 6's and 9's was taking other people far too long. Some people did not feel like doing their piano practicing. Other people managed to avoid doing their piano practicing because those 6's and 9's managed to derail everything. Some people's mother might have suggested that counting by 6's and 9's might be better done in an actual school. At the very least, some people's mothers would not then have to listen to the horrified screams of the children being forced to count by 6's and 9's; that someone else, in another building entirely would have the privilege. Or not, because it was also suggested that screaming about 6's and 9's might not even happen for another person. The question was raised as to why this mother got to be the one to enjoy the screaming about 6's and 9's.
Tomorrow, our schedule will be done backwards, so that the people who played all morning while 6's and 9's were not being counted get a chance to work. Maybe we will also be able to get to the travel journal and map work that we ran out of time for yesterday as well.
The morning was not a total loss. R. put together Mr. Potato Head in a recognizable face all on her very own. Everyone did their handwriting page, but it came before the 6's and the 9's. L. did a good page of reading for me, and is very nearly fluent. But, that's about it. The rest was a wash.
I expect today will be better. Days usually are after a really rough one. I know I don't enjoy days like that, but I don't think my children do, either. The key is to let the bad day go and not dwell on it. At least not until you've written a blog post about it. They happen to everyone, even to the people who don't admit to it.
Comments
Your blog is a blessing to me! Thank you for sharing real life.