I know this could possibly upset some, but I also know it has the power to help some parents come to some info they need.  So if you are offended, I'm sorry.  Email me,  we can discuss it over coffee in my home.  

 

Many parents see a book like The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home and think they can do it all. Don't get me wrong, we can teach and do many wonderful things with and for our children.  I believe our sights should be set high.  However if that means their health or ours (mental or physical) suffers because of choices we have made, other choices need to be considered. 

 

Years ago a friend of mine who is a wonderful mom and homeschooler tried to do everything in The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home.  If you have more then two children this begins to look more like a three ring circust.  Is it possible?  Yes circus' are possible.  Many a circus exists.  But a circus also has many people on the payroll.  And how many of these performers are also taking care of a home, preparing meals, this lifestyle is more suited to a single person.  It is possible for a homeschooler, but you must recognize that when the performers decide to commit to such an act all else goes out the window.  

Can you still run a huge garden, keep an immaculate house, serve others the way you need to, keep grace with your own family, while you prepare lessons?  Not to mention the actual teaching time and the annoyances and stress that goes along with that?   Im sure you understand what I am saying.  Not all of us can.  Some of us need more down time then others.  We need to have time to sleep.  Time to recharge, time with friends, eat and feed our children well.

  

Back to the book, it says it cant all be done. But hey arent we homeschooling to give our children THE BEST!  So some of us may try to do it all.  Luckily my friend got to meet SWB and realized that she doesnt homeschool her children, her mother Jessie Wise does.  This really helped my friend realize that unless another adult was helping with at least half of the responsibilities of this homeschool parent she could not accomplish all that her and her husband would have liked to have in their home.  

Again please dont get me wrong if you believe you are supposed to do a curriculum like that in full, please recognize that other things will be neglected.  None of us can do it all.   

 

Just as Teri Maxwell sleeps with earplugs to get a full nights sleep, many of us do not have such luxuries. My husband may sleep through the smoke detector and our house would burn down around us.  I enjoy reading her books.  My homes engine runs pretty differently then hers.  But I can enjoy reading her books for tips about time organization.  My home schedule (we prefer the word routine) will never look like the well orchestrated  three act play she so effortlessly puts on everyday.  But it works for us and we are happy with it.   

 

I know most of us are wonder women and super men.  We take care of the home, homeschool, love our neigbors, teach our children good values,  . . . . Lets praise ourselves over what we do accomplish. Not get down on how we dont measure up to certain homeschool writers.  If we feel that way, lets remember we do not have the full story. There is something they arent telling us.  They are just people. 

Remember you are the Expert of your home. 

Candace