Wednesday, February 10, 2010
What Determines A Successful School Day?
Who determines what success is or what it looks like? Is it having all the subjects taught? The house cleaned and organized? Laundry complete? Meal cooked and served on time? Not yelling at the children? Children who are lovingly disciplined? A happy mom and happy children? Having family worship? Time to exercise? Time to spend with the Lord? What is success? To, me it looks different than it does to you. However, these are questions that flow through my mind daily. I am not around other moms to visit with about their day. This is all trial and error with me. At first I thought that it was all of the above and the Lord has greatly humbled me on this one. Laundry is never fully complete, the house is never fully cleaned and organized (no matter how hard we try, especially with 5 little ones), school is often times interrupted, meals are not always cooked and served on time, mom and the children are not always happy, yelling occurs sometimes, exercise does not always get done, Bibles do not always get read, family worship does not always get taught, and children are not always lovingly disciplined. So, what determines whether or not your day was a successful day? Is it having helpful children who are considerate of others? Is it instilling a love for learning? Is it teaching your children that life is not always easy and not always having an answer for everything? What determines a successful school day? What does it look like when you have a large family?
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7 comments:
I posted on this a while back. What prompted it was seeing my girls sitting together in the same chair with my older one reading to my younger one. That was a succesful school day! When I see their bonds strengthened as we grow together- then I know we made the right decision.
Debbie
I think your answered your own questions at the end of your post!
I struggle to get to actual "school work" in the morning. We rarely get started until 9:15 or 9:30. But we've eaten breakfast together as a family, I've snuggled with the babies, I've caught a few readers on the couch, I've shooed a drawer from the kitchen table...
And I struggle to get through a 9 month curriculum in less than 12 months. But I have children who learn everyday, all day, and most days don't even know they're learning :)
I'm glad you posted this...I've struggled lately with wondering if we're doinng enough, if we're successful homeschoolers. And I think through your post, I realize that we are.
Thank you. Great, encouraging post!
A successful school day is different everyday, but the underlying theme is having the Lord in it all. When we are at peace with one another, then I am happy.
I also learned that I was putting the public school schedule on my brain and felt guilty if we didn't start when they started and finish when they finished. When I relieved myself by CHOOSING to let my schedule happen according to the needs of my household, nursing baby, poddy-training, kids needing more sleep, then there was a lot more success and less stress.
Thank you, ladies for all of your encouragement. I really needed it. Some days are harder than others and when there is no one around here to ask, I turn to my blog and ask other moms who have traveled or who are traveling this road of motherhood now. Just this morning I was asking my husband how you balance teaching homemaking skills and academic skills. It is my mind being pulled toward the whole public school mindset and the strict laws in the state of NY that I feel pulled.
It is the laws (such as NY being strict) that hinders us a bit, if we let it. We've recently moved to a moderate strict (from an easy one). To label, record, list, and constantly recheck can be overwhelming in itself (blech!);
but for me success comes in the learning, the sharing, the participating, and the relationships.
Thanks for sharing,
~Sheri
In my little homeschool a sucessful day for us is having some true "teachable moments" I don't mean math or phonics, I mean heart issues. The other success time for us is when I see those lessons played out in my kids without them knowing I was watching. If they see grace, forgiveness, love and Jesus in a day then we've hit on the head what homeschooling is about in our family! "training them up the way that they should go"
Now, coming into play with that is learning all about sluggards vs. diligence which is easily applied to their chores and school work.
I often have to step back and remember that math, meals, and a clean house ect are secondary to eternity otherwise I start to feel under the pile and like a failure.
By the way, thank you so much for your sweet comments on my blog! I enjoy them SO much!
What a great question to ponder. I would love a day in which all of the items you listed happened...all in one day.
I feel like we have had a successful school day when all of my children have had a pleasant attitude....but really it is a successful day when I have had a pleasant attitude even though they have not.
I try to be a servant to the Lord throughout the day. When I can keep in mind that whatever I do, do it as if working for the Lord, not men, I can keep the correct, pleasant attitude.
I also like those days when chores are completed, the laundry is all done, and supper is ready.
Like I said.....good question. I plan to think about this some more.
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