Zipadeedoodah

(you guessed it...google images)

Our schedule has really been coming together around here...and I LOVE it!! Remember my purchase of the book "Managers of their Home" I'll do another post about that and our new schedule soon...(promise). But for now, here's one thing it reminded me, one thing I've struggled with ever since committing to school my children at home...

that I am here to SCHOOL MY CHILDREN AT HOME.

hmm...what?

Didn't I already say that?

yeah well I'm a little slow apparently. I needed the reminder.

(I'm sure I'm alone in this...so just feel sorry for me and tilt your head and nod a bit with a solemn look on your face and a bit of a furrowed brow when you think of me)

Going from a stay at home Mommy of 2 kids in public school to a home educator I've realized was a bigger leap then I thought it would be.

And I'm not talking about the teaching part (this time). I'm talking about the realization that basically.....

I work....

I have a job (granted I think it's the greatest job on earth).

Last year I would go for coffee with friends, baby sit for friends, run errands, volunteer, etc etc during the school day...professing "what a blessing it is that I am at home" or I would find myself saying "just call we are at home pretty much every day"

sounds good.....

except that I wasn't changing my life to reflect the change in our home. So we would spend a ton of time rushing to catch up...which meant Mommy wasn't always a delightfully fun teacher - or Mommy - to be around. I was still trying to do all the things I'd done when the kids were in Public school and then do school.

This summer I did a lot of thinking of what I wanted this school year to look like...how I wanted it to look, and how I needed to change my mindset so that I could accomplish everything I wanted to....and my kids not hate me for it. I had to have my own little vocabulary lesson....

"N-O spells......"

Boundaries

I recently spoke to another homeschool Mom who has had the same problem. Her husband finally made a sign for her front door "please do not disturb between the hours of.......& ....... school is in session" and she turned her ringer off on her phone.

I generally don't answer the phone during lessons....BUT sometimes when the kids are finishing up a worksheet or something I have been known to answer it since they are occupied...then they finish and I'm still on the phone an hour later.....and then we're behind and pushing it or we don't get done what we'd planned because the kids get distracted because I wasn't engaged.

I learned in this book, I'm not the only one.

But I have to set boundaries...for my sanity and for the benefit of my children and the health of my home.

but the problem is my friends don't all realize that...you see, to the world outside these 4 walls i'm still seen as a 'stay at home Mom' so I still get calls to get together with friends, do this or that. you know the call "hey would you mind taking on...." ....and I HATE and I mean HATE to turn them down....

but if I say yes you know what it means??

it means my kids are not in school.

hmm....I'm pretty sure those with kids in public school wouldn't think it was okay to let their kids skip school so the Mommy could enjoy a cup of delicious coffee (caramel machiato please) and fabulous company.

errrrr.....that doesn't really work.

So friends (not speaking to one in-particular AT ALL). I'm so sorry, but I hope you will understand, that although my insurance package and retirement might not look the same as a public school teacher...I still have a responsibility to my students to clock in to work and teach them.....(don't worry I've factored some 'me' time into our new schedule...I am not deprived.)

Truly I Love My life and thank God each and every day that I have the privilege of educating my children at home. It's a great job - I love going to work every day

(okay ALMOST every day)