Real Life Homeschooling
Real life has a way of interrupting…
For the past two weeks, colds and flu viruses have kept my family and me under siege. I used to somewhat smirk when one of our kids became ill, thinking, Hey–we homeschool, no biggie. We might have to lay low, but we can still stick with the schedule!
Then the flu bug bit me and all schedules went “poof” up the chimney while I lounged around, feverish and miserable.
It never crossed my mind that things would have been easier if I could have sent the kids off to the bus stop each morning.
That week I received plenty of TLC, and my girls got a great education. Real life application of essential skills such as:
nursing me, mothering our three year old, fixing lunch and cooking supper and doing all the clean-up these things require. And, my ten year old had a blast maintaining “classroom” order while I languished on the couch.
No, we didn’t fall behind when mommy got sick. We worked through it and came out stronger in the process.
The best part? My girls got a flash-flood education on exactly how much their mommy does to make their life so cushy. I’m getting a lot of gratitude these days…now that I’m back on track again!
“Interruptions can be viewed as sources of irritation or opportunities for service, as moments lost or experience gained, as time wasted or horizons widened. They can annoy us or enrich us, get under our skin or give us a shot in the arm. Monopolize our minutes or spice our schedules, depending on our attitude toward them.” ~William Arthur Ward
Life will offer plenty of interruptions to our homeschooling, the beauty emerges with what you do with them. Sometimes you do have to shelve the books when a crisis hits. Don’t feel guilty. Think of all the school kids and their lost snow days, and bask in your freedom to call school off on a day too beautiful to be spent inside.
A well-rounded education is more than just academic. It’s a character building, spiritual growth process. Not just for the kiddos, but for their parents as well.
