{"id":101,"date":"2012-02-19T18:01:06","date_gmt":"2012-02-19T23:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yoshee08.com\/blog\/?p=101"},"modified":"2012-02-19T18:01:06","modified_gmt":"2012-02-19T23:01:06","slug":"101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atorahlife.com\/blog\/homeschool\/101\/","title":{"rendered":"Homeschool – “What I Really Do”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Homeschool<\/a> Thought this was a great picture that I found on Facebook. \u00a0Hope you enjoy it too! (Clicking on the image will bring it up in a new tab\/window so you can read it.)<\/p>\n

On vacation I see many posts on Facebook from mothers who send their children to school. \u00a0They get so excited about the end of vacation for they are at their wits end and need the break. \u00a0I smile every time I read\/see or hear such remarks, not because I think I’m better of than they are, but I smile out of experience and wisdom. \u00a0Since my oldest did go to school for one year, I know what it is like to not have him home most of the day and then to have him home all day. \u00a0I did get used to not having him home, I got into a routine. \u00a0It definitely was a change when he came home. \u00a0However, I worked on myself when we decided to homeschool, and now I deal with all my children all day, every day and night.<\/p>\n

I usually have to restrain myself from making the homeschool parent comment, but I do admit that sometimes my friends do set themselves up and I occasionally do let myself to (very respectfully) make that comment. \u00a0\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

When mothers comment on snow days and how it is very difficult for them to deal with it, I will comment and tell them that Harper Academy is open! \u00a0We don’t close down for snow days. \u00a0We close down for nice, warm, delicious, gorgeous spring and summer days. \u00a0Ah, those are wonderful days. \u00a0They are never planned. \u00a0We wake up, usually start the day, and as I look out longingly at the wonderful calling sunshine, I will look at the boys and I say, “Ok, outside!” \u00a0Sometimes we will go next door to the park, other times we just go out in the back and enjoy ourselves there. \u00a0Even when we don’t take the “day off”, we sometimes go outside to have picnics. \u00a0It is nice to be able to enjoy the outside with others.<\/p>\n

It is not always fun and games, as any homeschool parent knows. \u00a0There are many pros and cons, just as with anything in life. \u00a0With 4 busy boys, it is basically impossible to keep the house clean like I want it. \u00a0Yes, my house gets messy during the day. \u00a0Some days are really bad. \u00a0However, usually within a day or so, I am able to get it back to “normal.” \u00a0It is a constant battle. \u00a0And the worst thing is that it seems that people want to actually come to my house when it is the messiest! \u00a0As the boys get older, it gets a little bit easier to have them help around the house. \u00a0I like to think it is slowly getting better.<\/p>\n

I do not get very much time off. \u00a0I am mother, teacher, babysitter, etc. to my children all day, every day and every night. \u00a0My husband goes and works and I am home all day. \u00a0Sometimes I just need to get out. \u00a0When they were younger it was hard. \u00a0I always had a hard time getting a babysitter for I never knew any. \u00a0We have all boys, and I felt it just was not proper as they got older than toddlers to have girls all the time. \u00a0To find a boy babysitter is always difficult. \u00a0My oldest is now old enough and mature enough that we do take advantage of that, and in the afternoons or evenings when I need to go out to the store, I can now go by myself. \u00a0But I try not to take advantage of that too often.<\/p>\n

There are a few others things I could list, but instead, I like to focus on all the wonderful positives. \u00a0There is the obvious – it is nice to see my children grow and learn. \u00a0They have, and continue to test me and try me, and I have found I can do a whole lot more than I thought. \u00a0You need to learn how to be creative – and I am not talking about art projects, I am talking about learning how each child learns and grows. \u00a0I sometimes have to be very spontaneous and come up with new ideas to try on the spot. \u00a0Yes, you have to do it as a parent in raising children in general, but teaching stretches my limits even more.<\/p>\n

I never was one to be organized. \u00a0However, that is one of the great perks that have come out of homeschooling. \u00a0I will not say I am now perfect, but, slowly things are coming together, organizing, thinking ahead, it’s getting there! \u00a0All in all, I feel that not only have my children grown, but I have too. \u00a0And, I do learn with them as well!<\/p>\n

We do have our days, we do have times when I am pulling out my hair. \u00a0But, that happens for everyone. \u00a0However, I am very happy with my decision, and would not change it for the world. \u00a0If everyone were to put all their great perks in life and all the tests in life in a bag, I would come back to my bag, no questions asked.<\/p>\n

When I need help, there are many resources available – family, friends, and homeschool groups – both local and online. \u00a0We are all in the same position and sometimes it is good to hear that others have the same issues – it makes all of us know that we are “normal” in the sense that it is okay that we do things the way we do, or that things go wrong. \u00a0That is part of life.<\/p>\n

Whatever is your part in life, hope you have help and support when needed and hope you enjoy it! \u00a0Life really is wonderful most of the time!<\/p>\n

Kol Tuv,
\nRivkah<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thought this was a great picture that I found on Facebook. \u00a0Hope you enjoy it too! (Clicking on the image will bring it up in a new tab\/window so you can read it.) On vacation I see many posts on Facebook from mothers who send their children to school. \u00a0They get so excited about the … Continue reading “Homeschool – “What I Really Do””<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[6],"tags":[237],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s9ErqW-101","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atorahlife.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atorahlife.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atorahlife.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atorahlife.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atorahlife.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/atorahlife.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atorahlife.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atorahlife.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atorahlife.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}