Leaflet Academy

School holiday woes

I have a gripe, and my husband has declared that he is sick of hearing my gripe, so I will vent about it here.

I hate it when a parent expresses out loud and in public their frustration at having to spend time with their children.

You hear it a lot at the moment, because two weeks of school holidays have just ended here.  I went to church on Sunday, and a man from the pulpit (not Pastor, thank goodness) commented on how unhappy the children will be that school holidays are over, and how happy the mothers will be to see the kids back to school.

Then at Jasmine's first ballet class yesterday, one of the mothers commented that her daughter's school doesn't go back for another week, and another mother was like, 'Oh, you poor thing!  I couldn't stand it if she was home for another whole week!  Two weeks was long enough!'  And she just kept going on, and on, and on about it.

And I just sat there thinking; I don't know these mothers yet.  They probably aren't christians, let alone open to homeschooling.  What are they going to say when they find out???

And really I should be thinking... why do I care what they think? I guess I just don't want them to treat my kids as outsiders.

ANYWAY sometimes I wonder why some people have children.  I mean, if you honestly don't want to spend time with children, then just don't have kids and enjoy your life your way, you know?

But then I also think that they are doing it to themselves.  I mean, schooled kids do get zooey in school holidays.  Goodness knows my siblings and I did.  You have your routine all through term, and then school holidays come with FREEDOM and you make sure you test every boundary you have because your routine is out and you have to entertain yourself for once and it's all wonderful and new!

Until everything gets boring, of course :)

But my kids are home all the time.  They have routines, and boundaries that are consistent through term and holiday time.  And they have far more freedom and creativity right through term time too, so they don't go psycho when presented with some freedom.

Which child is the better adjusted?  I mean, really, school ends for everyone at some time.  We all know kids for whom the freedom of graduation brings unwise choices - just look at the Schoolies Week tradition on the Gold Coast.  Imagine if children had an adequate amount of freedom every day, so they didn't have to celebrate breaking out of their cruel incarceration at the end of twelve long years?

Anyway, just some thoughts.  I'm just glad I don't cringe at the thought of school holidays!

I'm with you

2:54 PM, Jul. 18, 2008 .. Posted by basketflat

I'm with you. That is my pet peeve too. That and when people talk about how "TWO" children is enough for them. Then they'll add something like after all they want to be good parents. Not that there is anything wrong in my estimation of having two children, it's just that the way they say it communicates that children are this burden - something they don't like.

Not that I am perfect in what I communicate to my children at all, but that whole concept that children are just to be handed off - that I want them with me for only short periods of time - what does that communicate to those children. Those children grow up - and they are still that same little boy or girl whose parents didn't want to be with them.

I think kids go squirrely because they aren't getting attention during that time - or the attention they are getting is dragging them from here to there. I am guilty of that. I've got this time in the Summer and I've got to get my kids to swimming and this event and that event - instead of just enjoying them. But don't blame the squirrely-ness on the kids.