I really don't do much in my day-to-day life but keep my home and be a wife and mother. My friends are moms with kids. My hobbies can be pursued during nap times. My activities are (mostly) kid-friendly. I don't participate in any church ministries that take me away from my primary ministry of being wife and mom. That's the way I like it and the way of life that gives me peace.
To me, homeschooling is just a natural extension of my lifestyle. However, I continue to be amazed at the comments people make when they find out I homeschool. One neighbor commented that children educated at home never get any socialization. I had just returned from the park with friends and my kids were playing in the yard with the other neighbor children as we spoke. I bit my tongue to keep from stating the obvious.
More often, though, people look at me in amazement and wonder how I "do it all". I feel a little hypocritical. I always wonder exactly what it is they think I'm doing. My list of things I don't do is much longer than the list of things I do. For example, I do not pack up my children at 7 a.m. to take them to school or the bus stop. I do not pack school lunches or scramble for lunch money every morning. My 3 children are not involved in 6 different activities involving my chauffeuring them every evening of the week. I don't even have to dress them on school days, though I try to make this a regular habit. :-) Then, there's the actual schooling. I do not stand in front of a classroom and deliver half hour lectures from 8 a.m. to noon and again from 12:30 to 3:30. I don't attend 30 different parent-teacher conferences.
If I were a teacher or day care worker, I would be in charge of 30 kids instead of 3. If I were a nurse, I would be in charge of more than 3 patients and get less sleep than I do now. If I were a secretary, I would be sitting in an office all day instead of playing with my kids and learning together.
The trouble is, the people that make these comments take my life and view it from their perspective. They might not be able to add homeschooling to their life because their calling is different from mine and it would be too much for them. However, at this season of life, it fits us fine. God's yoke is always easy, and His burden is light. Following Him gives us rest.
Is homeschooling always easy? Of course not! Do I ever wish that I could take time off from being mom and teacher for awhile? Yes (especially March through May!)! But whether you are a CEO, an elementary school teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, or a full-time mom like me; I would venture to guess that it isn't always easy and fun for you, either. However, when we follow God's calling on our lives, we are also given the grace to handle each situation He places in our lives.
To what has He called you? Have you found the yoke easy and burden light through His abundant grace?
I don't homeschool yet because my daughter is only 2 but I do know that I work the same amount as a stay at home wife/mom as I did when I was a teacher (before I had my daughter) just in a different way. I definately think that it is what God designed us to do and so in turn HE gives us all the strength we need to handle each task.
ReplyDeleteI've always said I could do what you do every day with my eyes closed, it so easy and here's proof. I work much harder than that every day and I don't even have kids! I think if you worked my schedule for a week, hard work would kill you. Never mind.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen how some of the kids at public school act, I don't want me girls to be taught "socialization" by them. We'll just stay home for their 'education'.
ReplyDeleteVery wise words, Emily, and I appreciate your perspective as a former teacher.
ReplyDeleteSarah, I suppose neither one of us could really say how the other one would do on our schedule unless we actually switched for a week. I will say it's something my husband isn't willing to do! LOL
Jayme, I agree, although that can be a generalization. Many children, no matter what school they attend, would not be good peer role models for my children. Also, in keeping them home, I can hopefully train them to be good peer role models for the children with which they "do" socialize.