Cut Yourself Some Slack!

Bad days are inevitable. Every now and then you'll wake up feeling physically ill or emotionally worn out. Or your kids will be over-tired from the previous day's activities, or a late night, or an illness. All that is normal.

Take today at our school, for instance. I woke up with a sinus headache and Zach, our sixth-grader, has a nasty cold. I could've forced myself to buckle-down and accomplish the "to do" list for today. And I could've insisted that Zach do the same. Or, I could say, "You know what? We've done a great job of staying on schedule this entire semester, (we're even a little ahead of schedule thanks to our road trip), and we're going to take today off." And that's just what I did!

Instead of pushing the envelope and making everyone more miserable, I saw past the checklist and saw our need. And that was the best thing for us today.

Every now and then it's okay to cut yourself (and your kids) some slack. It's not only okay, it's good!

Addendum: Actually, we did manage to get some basics done after all--journal entries, spelling words, math, and cursive. So even though we didn't take the whole day off, we were able to check a few things off our list without over-taxing ourselves. One of the most significant keys to home schooling is flexibility! Do what works for your family... Your kids will get the education they need and everyone will be happier about it!

Bad Day Blues!

We had a whopper of a bad day today! (Actually we've had a few such days since we started this term three weeks ago.) I'm not sure exactly where the root problem lies.... There are several things it could be.

For instance, Zach, the one with one toe in adolescence, has been challenging every decision of mine (and my husband's) with which he does not agree. Or, if the reason for an assignment is unclear or does not make sense to him, he will challenge that as well. Being the older sibling, this has likewise influenced his sister, 8-year-old Jenna.

Then again, there are personality foibles that tend to color every day. Zach, who is an incredibly bright young man, likes to find the quickest, easiest, shortest route to any end point. In other words, he is a short-cut taker. Because most everything has always come easily to Zach, he tends to follow the path of least resistence--even if it means he has to sacrifice a little quality in the process.

Then there's Jenna. She does not have the giftedness that Zach possesses--although her intellect is quite acute! She tends to give up all too easily--especially if she is left to work independently. (While Zach is the social one outside of the home, Jenna is the social one inside the home. She hates being alone!)

Of course we can't forget that being the only two students in our school, and being together more or less 24/7, they tire of each other's company. There is usually some argument or other stewing, regardless of how many times they lose privileges.

And last, but certainly not least, they are children, and it is school we're talking about! Although we make every effort to make school fun and interesting, there are a certain number of non-negotiables they do not enjoy. Plus, being children in this modern age of constant entertainment, the concept of "work" is the last thing to which they want to apply themselves! TV, Nintendo, computer games, electronic games--now those are things they get excited about! But math and cursive and composition--well, they just can't hold a candle to those other things....

Well, as far as our day went, we did manage to get back on track after a l-o-n-g discussion this morning about making choices: choices of where they go to school; choices of how they will perform their academic duties; choices of how they will treat me and their father as well as each other; choices about whether they will seek after righteousness or walk in the way of wickedness.... All pretty heady stuff...! But in the end, they opted for school at home; excellence over mediocrity; righteousness over wickedness.

As I said, this wasn't the first time this term we've had a day similar to this one. And I'm certain it won't be the last....

May the grace of God sustain us!

"Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul."
~Psalm 54:4