I can’t believe it’s really here. I have been researching homeschool for what seems like forever, and I just can’t believe It’s. Really. Here. I have been hyping up Monday, August 28th for months now so when Friday, August 25th rolled around, I felt like I just needed to START already. Even if I started badly, at least I’d ripped off the band-aid, right? So on the computers went, the supplies gather, the kids sitting bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at the dining room table.
It wasn’t long before my 5-year old was begging me for more games, my 8 year old was telling me this was too hard and my 9 year old was telling me this was too easy. And my 7 year old? He was getting lost in the sauce (read: watching YouTube videos of sharks eating sea lions).
I was finished by 10:30 and so happy to have the day stretched out before me.
Only problem? I wasn’t alone. I had 4 kids to entertain. Of course I tried to do what I needed to do (cook dinner, menu plan, pay bills) but what I realized was that without structure, my kids were very quickly losing it.
The drive in the car to my 3 PM TSA Pre-check appt. was exactly what I needed to gain some perspective. Of course, it always help me think clearly when my children are buckled into their car seats and not visible. My kids needed structure. I reminded them of our Friday routine back when they were in school. Clean up the front entryway, put away laundry, bathe, set table for dinner. It was order restored when we got home as they dutifully remembered what being cooperative was like. And all was not lost.