I enjoyed this article, found at Ladies Against Feminism:
Don't Revere the Pioneer.
Good encouragement! Enjoy!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The "E" Word
Errands.
It's considered a bad word at our house if you asked the girls.
They strongly dislike the errand running. But alas, that comes with the territory for homeschoolers. Mom can't run and do things while you are in school and then be home smiling with milk and cookies as you walk in the door from school.
But she can run you through the drive through after the library on the way to the post office!
In a few years, the girls will be old enough to stay home by themselves while I run to the store. Especially if my parents are home 3 doors down. But for now, they must come with me unless Grandma and Grandpa are willing to keep them. (Which they really are, but I don't like to take advantage of that AND I happen to think errands are good for them.)
So I told you our schedule a few days ago but I forgot to mention our backwards day. I usually do this on Wednesdays but I forgot yesterday. It's when we start at the bottom of our schedule (the things that ALL too often get left off!) and work our way up. That way, we leave off different things! Just kidding. Kind of.
Well, the girls really like backwards day. It feels good to do things in a different order every now and then. Today, I've decided to REALLY do backwards day. We're going to run our errands first and then do school backwards.
The girls talked me into this. They hate afternoon errands. Here are the reasons they cited:
1. We always get headaches riding in the car. (Sweetheart)
2. We're always tired.
3. We can get the errands out of the way and then stay home the rest of the day.
I pointed out that they will now be tired and get the headache in the middle of school....but Sweetheart said, "Well, at least I'll be at home instead of stuck in the car."
Are you feeling very sorry for them now?
Something inside of me wants this to work, but I'm hesitant. Little Bit asked me just a few weeks ago, when we were off school and therefore running errands in the morning, if we could always run our errands in the mornings. But I'll tell you, afternoon school around here has not been very successful.
Today, we shall try again! I'll let you know how it goes.
How do you handle errands? Do you pack it all in one day? Have certain days assigned for certain things like grocery shopping on Thursdays? Do school in the car while you run? I really would like to know!
And I was just thinking about our life several years ago. Thankful I don't have to go to the laundromat anymore. Thankful I have a car to run errands with. Just wanted to make sure and point out I am thankful for this "dilemma."
It's considered a bad word at our house if you asked the girls.
They strongly dislike the errand running. But alas, that comes with the territory for homeschoolers. Mom can't run and do things while you are in school and then be home smiling with milk and cookies as you walk in the door from school.
But she can run you through the drive through after the library on the way to the post office!
In a few years, the girls will be old enough to stay home by themselves while I run to the store. Especially if my parents are home 3 doors down. But for now, they must come with me unless Grandma and Grandpa are willing to keep them. (Which they really are, but I don't like to take advantage of that AND I happen to think errands are good for them.)
So I told you our schedule a few days ago but I forgot to mention our backwards day. I usually do this on Wednesdays but I forgot yesterday. It's when we start at the bottom of our schedule (the things that ALL too often get left off!) and work our way up. That way, we leave off different things! Just kidding. Kind of.
Well, the girls really like backwards day. It feels good to do things in a different order every now and then. Today, I've decided to REALLY do backwards day. We're going to run our errands first and then do school backwards.
The girls talked me into this. They hate afternoon errands. Here are the reasons they cited:
1. We always get headaches riding in the car. (Sweetheart)
2. We're always tired.
3. We can get the errands out of the way and then stay home the rest of the day.
I pointed out that they will now be tired and get the headache in the middle of school....but Sweetheart said, "Well, at least I'll be at home instead of stuck in the car."
Are you feeling very sorry for them now?
Something inside of me wants this to work, but I'm hesitant. Little Bit asked me just a few weeks ago, when we were off school and therefore running errands in the morning, if we could always run our errands in the mornings. But I'll tell you, afternoon school around here has not been very successful.
Today, we shall try again! I'll let you know how it goes.
How do you handle errands? Do you pack it all in one day? Have certain days assigned for certain things like grocery shopping on Thursdays? Do school in the car while you run? I really would like to know!
And I was just thinking about our life several years ago. Thankful I don't have to go to the laundromat anymore. Thankful I have a car to run errands with. Just wanted to make sure and point out I am thankful for this "dilemma."
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
I Am a (Good) Homemaker
We've got people coming over tonight so we've got to get the house in order.
Not REAL order, mind you....company order. You know the difference, don't you? REAL order is when you actually organize things and spend time getting to the root of the problem and do not ignore areas like cleaning out the fridge. REAL order is when you do actual spring cleaning and completely finish a room and feel good about it.
Company order is when you pick up and surface clean and "make it look good." Heaven forbid someone open a closed door, right?
I want to do the spring cleaning, but I'm going to have to settle for company cleaning today. Still, we have a lot of folks coming over who are not homeschoolers and I feel responsible to have our homeschool room looking really good. I hate to give a bad impression of homeschooling.
I am really feeling the responsibility of keeping and managing this home. Of being a good homemaker. S had a pretty significant job change happen this week. It's a good thing---pretty much a promotion if you will. He's just doing something totally different and I know for a while, that means more stress. I know his mind will be focused on work a lot. So I am really feeling the need to keep up with things here so that his evenings are peaceful and he doesn't have to worry about things.
I don't really feel that women are encouraged to be good homemakers much anymore. Well, despite the fact that they aren't encouraged to be homemakers at all! It's just seen as totally acceptable to just "get a maid" or to "tell your husband he can do it then!" The whole attitude for stay-at-home moms is often wrong. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with having a maid--it's the whole attitude of "why should I have to do it?" If a woman works outside the home, the attitude is even worse! "How can he expect you to (fill in the blank)? You have a job too!"
For me, it isn't what my husband "expects." It's what God has said. I like to read Titus 2:3-5 in a lot of different versions. No matter how it's worded, the message is clear. We are to keep our homes. Now 6 years ago when I had a baby and a kindergarten student and was babysitting another baby, my home did not look that great. I am in a completely different stage of life now. I have 2 helpers! So yes, we must extend grace to ourselves when little ones are underfoot, or when there is sickness in the house, but not constantly be finding excuses to be a bad homemaker. We need to be good homemakers. As good as we are able to be.
Pretty hard when you weren't raised to be one, huh? I cannot believe how much better I have gotten at things these last 4 years that I've been home. I know I am not the only one who has struggled with this because I get more hits to my blog for this post than any other. Constantly, there are people googling "how to be a homemaker." Isn't that sad? Their own mothers did not teach them and now they are trying to figure it all out. I'll tell you, if I had started learning to be a homemaker in 1993 when I got married, instead of after we had been married a long time and had 2 kids....I would be better at it right now. I cannot even imagine how my house and my time might look differently!
But being a good homemaker is all for naught if I don't teach my daughters to be homemakers as well. We all know someone whose mom did EVERYTHING for them when they were growing up and then they practically had to learn to dress themeselves as adults. I can have the best house ever and if I'm not teaching my daughters...I've messed up.
And of course, if I don't show love while I'm doing it, I've missed the whole point.
Honestly, I don't "feel" like a good homemaker yet. But I think I'll start saying it anyway and then live up to it!
What area of housekeeping are you good at?
What area do you need the most help?
Not REAL order, mind you....company order. You know the difference, don't you? REAL order is when you actually organize things and spend time getting to the root of the problem and do not ignore areas like cleaning out the fridge. REAL order is when you do actual spring cleaning and completely finish a room and feel good about it.
Company order is when you pick up and surface clean and "make it look good." Heaven forbid someone open a closed door, right?
I want to do the spring cleaning, but I'm going to have to settle for company cleaning today. Still, we have a lot of folks coming over who are not homeschoolers and I feel responsible to have our homeschool room looking really good. I hate to give a bad impression of homeschooling.
I am really feeling the responsibility of keeping and managing this home. Of being a good homemaker. S had a pretty significant job change happen this week. It's a good thing---pretty much a promotion if you will. He's just doing something totally different and I know for a while, that means more stress. I know his mind will be focused on work a lot. So I am really feeling the need to keep up with things here so that his evenings are peaceful and he doesn't have to worry about things.
I don't really feel that women are encouraged to be good homemakers much anymore. Well, despite the fact that they aren't encouraged to be homemakers at all! It's just seen as totally acceptable to just "get a maid" or to "tell your husband he can do it then!" The whole attitude for stay-at-home moms is often wrong. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with having a maid--it's the whole attitude of "why should I have to do it?" If a woman works outside the home, the attitude is even worse! "How can he expect you to (fill in the blank)? You have a job too!"
For me, it isn't what my husband "expects." It's what God has said. I like to read Titus 2:3-5 in a lot of different versions. No matter how it's worded, the message is clear. We are to keep our homes. Now 6 years ago when I had a baby and a kindergarten student and was babysitting another baby, my home did not look that great. I am in a completely different stage of life now. I have 2 helpers! So yes, we must extend grace to ourselves when little ones are underfoot, or when there is sickness in the house, but not constantly be finding excuses to be a bad homemaker. We need to be good homemakers. As good as we are able to be.
Pretty hard when you weren't raised to be one, huh? I cannot believe how much better I have gotten at things these last 4 years that I've been home. I know I am not the only one who has struggled with this because I get more hits to my blog for this post than any other. Constantly, there are people googling "how to be a homemaker." Isn't that sad? Their own mothers did not teach them and now they are trying to figure it all out. I'll tell you, if I had started learning to be a homemaker in 1993 when I got married, instead of after we had been married a long time and had 2 kids....I would be better at it right now. I cannot even imagine how my house and my time might look differently!
But being a good homemaker is all for naught if I don't teach my daughters to be homemakers as well. We all know someone whose mom did EVERYTHING for them when they were growing up and then they practically had to learn to dress themeselves as adults. I can have the best house ever and if I'm not teaching my daughters...I've messed up.
And of course, if I don't show love while I'm doing it, I've missed the whole point.
Honestly, I don't "feel" like a good homemaker yet. But I think I'll start saying it anyway and then live up to it!
What area of housekeeping are you good at?
What area do you need the most help?
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Round Here
I've been on a Counting Crows kick lately. I do not know why. I was not particularly a fan of Counting Crows in the early 90s, but suddenly I have their songs in my head. Gotta love me some "A Long December" even if the lyrics make no sense. Who needs sense, right? I also gotta love a Jewish guy who gets fake dreds and pulls that look off for more than a decade.
Anyway.....don't know what's going on around here but Saturday Sweetheart started cleaning her room without being told. Then yesterday she took a bath of her own volition and asked me if she could paint her nails. Yes, I suppose all children get to the age where they start to care about how they look but if you know Sweetheart in real life can appreciate the amazingness of this. Of course I don't want my girls to be obsessed with how they look or spend hours primping and fussing in front of the mirror....but caring if your hair is brushed or not is good. Cleaning your room is even better!
I think it's about time to read Beautiful Girlhood with her. I have hesitated to read it in the past--you may think this is crazy--because of the part that talks about "soon you will lay aside your dolls and pursue other things". I didn't even want to put the idea in her head that she should stop playing and enjoying being a little girl. Maybe we'll skip that part. The rest of the book is SO good. (That link is to the book! Wow!)
It's very cool watching her become a young lady. You know I said we are skipping "teenager" around here. Oh the best laid plans..... I mean it though. I do not want to raise my children with the expectation that they can BE a teenager for 6+ years and THEN become a young adult. Rather, like the book talks about, I would prefer they transition from "girlhood" to "young lady." Oh if I could figure out how to do that.
Part of the plan is to not listen to what the world says about being a teenager. We can set our own expectations. Not being a part of a youth group will no doubt help our cause as well. One of the teens at our church was lamenting that she wished people would mature when they reached puberty. I told her they used to do just that. Goodness, children her age were living a very different life less than 100 years ago. Times have certainly changed and we seem to think this is how things have always been. I think so much of it is about expectation.
I've also been dreaming and planning and researching for next year. For the record, we have 12 1/2 more weeks of THIS year. I have no business looking this far ahead, but it's so fun! I should be making plans for summer first, huh?
Lastly, I've been enjoying showering in my own bathroom again! It's so nice to have all our home renovations done. I'm really enjoying my new kitchen! S mentioned that Little Bit's tics might have been so bad last week because of all the commotion of the renovation and the not eating at the table and just the general schedule disruption. Duh. I had not even thought of that. I bet that was it.
OK. Play break is over. Gotta get back to work. Carrie, I hope you are enjoying my DAILY posting.
Anyway.....don't know what's going on around here but Saturday Sweetheart started cleaning her room without being told. Then yesterday she took a bath of her own volition and asked me if she could paint her nails. Yes, I suppose all children get to the age where they start to care about how they look but if you know Sweetheart in real life can appreciate the amazingness of this. Of course I don't want my girls to be obsessed with how they look or spend hours primping and fussing in front of the mirror....but caring if your hair is brushed or not is good. Cleaning your room is even better!
I think it's about time to read Beautiful Girlhood with her. I have hesitated to read it in the past--you may think this is crazy--because of the part that talks about "soon you will lay aside your dolls and pursue other things". I didn't even want to put the idea in her head that she should stop playing and enjoying being a little girl. Maybe we'll skip that part. The rest of the book is SO good. (That link is to the book! Wow!)
It's very cool watching her become a young lady. You know I said we are skipping "teenager" around here. Oh the best laid plans..... I mean it though. I do not want to raise my children with the expectation that they can BE a teenager for 6+ years and THEN become a young adult. Rather, like the book talks about, I would prefer they transition from "girlhood" to "young lady." Oh if I could figure out how to do that.
Part of the plan is to not listen to what the world says about being a teenager. We can set our own expectations. Not being a part of a youth group will no doubt help our cause as well. One of the teens at our church was lamenting that she wished people would mature when they reached puberty. I told her they used to do just that. Goodness, children her age were living a very different life less than 100 years ago. Times have certainly changed and we seem to think this is how things have always been. I think so much of it is about expectation.
I've also been dreaming and planning and researching for next year. For the record, we have 12 1/2 more weeks of THIS year. I have no business looking this far ahead, but it's so fun! I should be making plans for summer first, huh?
Lastly, I've been enjoying showering in my own bathroom again! It's so nice to have all our home renovations done. I'm really enjoying my new kitchen! S mentioned that Little Bit's tics might have been so bad last week because of all the commotion of the renovation and the not eating at the table and just the general schedule disruption. Duh. I had not even thought of that. I bet that was it.
OK. Play break is over. Gotta get back to work. Carrie, I hope you are enjoying my DAILY posting.
Monday, March 7, 2011
In Theory, This is What We Do
Except when we don't. :)
Here is the schedule that has been working for us since January. I had to switch things up a bit. I felt the need for Sweetheart (11 yo, 5th grade) to work independently for a bit of her day. It's time to move her on to that. She would never choose it. She would happily sit right under my armpit and do her work through 12th grade, I believe.
She really loved it at first and now she begs to stay in the room with us. Only that doesn't work because she gets distracted and I have to interrupt Little Bit's reading lessons too much. The girl has to learn to read. Splitting up for a bit is important. Also, it is teaching her to be organized and neat on her own. And she has to keep her desk cleaned off in her room. Win-win-win.
So here goes. We try to start by 9:00. Except when we don't.
Bible (together)
Sweetheart: (at her desk in her room) Daily Bible reading, Journal, Grammar or Map work, Handwriting, Math Practice.
While Little Bit and I work on Reading/Spelling/Handwriting. We usually only get 2 of those done.
Then, Sweetheart and I do math and Little Bit works on the computer. I lost all their bookmarks with our old computer so I need to re-do those.
Play break!!! (That's why I'm blogging right now!)
History (together)
Science (together)
Here is the schedule that has been working for us since January. I had to switch things up a bit. I felt the need for Sweetheart (11 yo, 5th grade) to work independently for a bit of her day. It's time to move her on to that. She would never choose it. She would happily sit right under my armpit and do her work through 12th grade, I believe.
She really loved it at first and now she begs to stay in the room with us. Only that doesn't work because she gets distracted and I have to interrupt Little Bit's reading lessons too much. The girl has to learn to read. Splitting up for a bit is important. Also, it is teaching her to be organized and neat on her own. And she has to keep her desk cleaned off in her room. Win-win-win.
So here goes. We try to start by 9:00. Except when we don't.
Bible (together)
Sweetheart: (at her desk in her room) Daily Bible reading, Journal, Grammar or Map work, Handwriting, Math Practice.
While Little Bit and I work on Reading/Spelling/Handwriting. We usually only get 2 of those done.
Then, Sweetheart and I do math and Little Bit works on the computer. I lost all their bookmarks with our old computer so I need to re-do those.
Play break!!! (That's why I'm blogging right now!)
History (together)
Science (together)
 |
| Learning about birds together. |
Math with Little Bit while Sweetheart reads.
 |
| She's learning about 100 lately. |
Lunch
Sweetheart does spelling with me and then computer and piano practice sometime in the afternoon.
 |
| Math Blaster!!! |
I read with Little Bit at some point too. Just for enjoyment.
I'm really thinking about next year and wanting to start planning and dreaming. But I have to stay focused on THIS year, 'cause we ain't through!
So, I need some motivation amidst spring fever. Anyone got some for me?
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