Keep doing what you do, you know... teaching your kids to be smart, love what they do, and be creative in how you deal with obstacles! TM : )
I'd like to thank you all for your kind words in the form of comments. I so appreciate when you do... it inspires me. I have always had an open door policy, meaning I've made it very easy to leave comments, but can you believe it? I'm getting SPAM or I guess you can say, "junk mail," or maybe a crank phone call? Okay, I guess not the last. So for now, until this SPAMMer goes away to play with someone else, I have to approve all comments.
Keep doing what you do, you know... teaching your kids to be smart, love what they do, and be creative in how you deal with obstacles! TM : ) I don't like it when the kids are sick! : ( It has been a back and forth kind of sick that I don't want to get caught in the mix. Yikes! Lots of OJ, good night sleep and washing hands. Oh, you think that list is just for my kids? I was thinking about me! Can't get sick, won't get sick, Mommy can't get sick... sniffle, sniffle... TM : )
Two more days before Christmas and the chaos to just drive down the street to buy some milk is crazy! The combination of rain and last minute shoppers probably has something to do with it. Ahhh, the joys of the holiday season! BEEP, BEEP, "The light doesn't get any greener!" HONK, HONK, "Come on Buddy, you're blocking the whole lane!","Mom? What's for dinner?"
STOP! Okay, breathe. Again, deep breath... when you're feeling stressed and you're frantically trying to get things done, take a deep breath. And then to put you in a better mood, sing! Yep, we all know the words... "It's the holiday season, the holiday season, and whoopty-doo and dickery-dock and don't forget to hang up your sock..." real LOUD now, "HE'LL BE COMING DOWN THE CHIMNEY NOW..." singing off key is better yet and it'll make you laugh. Try it. I promise you'll forget about the madness in the streets, your kids will be embarrassed and you'll actually forget that the person in the silver truck is honking at you. Honking at Me? lol TM : ) I don't know what happened to my URL! Something changed and I can't figure out how to make it go back! Thanks to MM for pointing this out. I hope everyone knows that I didn't leave! TM : )
Okay, I wrote a post, thought it posted, came back, it's not here... I guess I'll try again! This is a good reminder on how we are supposed to behave. I could stomp around and tell you all about how wonderful my little Monday before Thanksgiving post was, I could cry and whine and blame my silly computer. I could have a fit and be grumpy the rest of the day, but I won't. It's no big deal and as much as I wanted to talk about holiday traditions, that's just not happening at this particular moment. Remember, how we behave when things don't go our way is being watched by our kids. Make sure you have your temper tantrum where the kids can't see, I have mine in my closet! TM : )
Sometimes you have to let them fail. I'm learning this the hard way with my first born. He will be 13 soon enough and it's time that I stop holding his hand. Sniff, sniff... I want to tell him that his history assignment is due in 3 days. He's had a week. I want to tell him if you wait until the 11th hour to do your literature assignment, then it won't be the best you can do. He had two weeks, but chooses two days prior to the class to even look at the assignment and now it's due tomorrow morning.
This is normal, right? We all did this at one time or another, right? How do they learn? By keeping my mouth shut and letting him fail. As much as I want to help him and tell him what needs to be done, I have to let it go. I'm having a hard time with this because I'm a Homeschool Mom, and we're not supposed to let our kids fail... but we are supposed to let them learn. TM : ) Today I got to talk with many homeschool Moms about, can you guess? Yep, homeschool! It's the time of the year when the glow of being a new homeschool family starts to fade and either you're moving right along or the frustrations start to sink in. Most times the second reason wins.
The frustration of being new to something so unconventional and out of the box can be rather intimidating. Please remember why you chose homeschool for your kids to begin with. It will encourage you to keep moving forward and help you get through the frustrations of the moment. And it is, just a moment. Find a friend (me?) that can be your shoulder to lean on and lean! You will be amazed at what you thought was frustrating at one time is no longer. Keep going, you can do it, you're doing a great job! Have a wonderful weekend! TM : ) Why is Mondays so hard? I prepare myself, I let the kids know what's on the agenda, I try to get in bed at a reasonable time the night before...
It started with the thunder clouds floating above my son's head. I could see the frustration starting over a math problem that he was working on and I tried to take cover and bring him with me. Then the wind kicked in and the rain started to down-pour and next thing you know we're caught in the middle of a ferocious storm with no signs of a silver lining! Okay, slight exaggeration. I want to let you know that these storms happen wether you are prepared or not. Homeschool enables us to deal with these storms the best we can for our kids and help them understand why these storms happen to begin with and how not to get soaked in the process. Easier said than done! The sun did eventually come out and hopefully we'll have our raincoats handy the next time I see those clouds rolling in. TM : ) One week into homeschooling my youngest and I'm already getting frustrated! I know frustration is part of the deal when homeschooling, but I can't imagine someone brand new to this lifestyle, trying to figure it out, having a hard time and bumping heads with their kid and wanting to continue to homeschool! So how do I deal with it and what can I say to those that are new to homeschooling? BREATHE!!! Take a deep breath, go outside, look at the clouds and relax! Clearing your head, even if it is just for a few minutes, can help change your whole perspective and calm everything down. Try it. I did this morning and it really does work. TM : )
Even though you don't want to do something, okay, let me change the wording around a bit... Even though your child does not like or want to learn or do something (school), it's in their best interest to do it. This morning is a fine example of my youngest not wanting to write, write anything for that matter. "I don't like writing!" Well, that was a struggle for me and to interpret to her why she should write is never a fun discussion. I gave her an analogy of something she does love and I explained to her where the writing would be an important part of it. Not the whole part, but you know, they need some part. So I clarified to her, "Be good at everything, even if you don't like it. Just so you know how in case you need it." I think I saw a lightbulb turn on in her head. I'm crossing my fingers! TM : )
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