Hello, my name is Rachel and I've been homeschooling two kids for three days.
It's kicking my assiduity.
Last night I got the kids to bed and sank down onto the couch in a sort of comatose state. I told Jay the only thing I could move was my eyeballs. (He kindly took the remote control and turned on the TV for us.) That exhaustion took into account a two-hour afternoon nap, people.
What gives? My mom homeschooled six children from the time her oldest started Kindergarten until her youngest's graduation from high school. She did this every day for 21 years. With six kids. And no internet or video games for most of it. Jay's mom homeschooled four kids--two of whom had severe ADHD--for 10 years. I have friends who do this with multiple kids.
I only have two and I only have to do this full-time for nine days and I don't even have to make lesson plans. And I'm beat.
Speaking of multiple kids and lesson plans, let me just send a BIG shout-out to you classroom teachers who do this day-in-day-out with 20-something students at a time (or in Jay's current case, 50 students at a time; his school's master schedule is getting off to a gnarly start). What you do would frankly be horrifying for me. I salute you!
But back to my life.
In defense of my kids, I should say that they are not "being bad." They're being pretty cooperative and have even had downright enthusiastic moments! I think what really exhausts me is Brain Strain. It's quite the juggling act to sit with one kid, overseeing him trace the letter B, while the other kid is wrestling with fractions and calling me over with questions. Then one of them finishes his worksheet, and while I'm shuffling through the assignments to get him started on the next one, the other kid needs my help; so I put down the pile of worksheets to talk with him and the first kid asks, "Am I done yet?"
Meanwhile, I'm trying to keep track of how many minutes each one of them has read/been read to, check off their assignments as they're finished, make sure we all eat at a reasonable time, fit in showers and baths (mine included), and all the other normal everyday stuff. Today I had to choose between a shower and a nap. For meals, I've been throwing things together from the freezer since we haven't made it to the grocery store for a week. Most of Tuesday's laundry has been put away, but not all of it. The kitchen was clean for a bit yesterday afternoon. Our rabbit got today's breakfast at 2 p.m. I've gotten almost no exercise and am feeling fat and flabby.
Pause for a second.
If my mom were here, I'd call her right now and she'd listen with her kind "Hmm"; chuckle a bit; and gently give me some perspective. Maybe this is what she'd say.
"Well first of all, Rachel, you're not fat. But we can come back to that. Remember that you've just had a whole summer of Jay helping with the kids, so now that he's back to school and you're on your own during the day, of course you're more tired. It was always hard for me when Dad went back to work after a vacation.
"I'm not Supermom. [Yeah right.] When you kids were little, I was always exhausted. I wasn't creative with meals. I didn't grow a garden. We didn't have pets.
"And too, it sounds like you are doing a lot with the boys! Yesterday you led them through worksheets and did three science projects and went to the library and did an art project? That's a lot for one day!
"Also, remember that the teachers giving the work don't know your kids. They don't know how long something might take or how difficult it might be. Do they expect you to finish everything exactly like they assigned?"
Well no, I'd answer. They told us these first couple weeks are to get a feel for where the kids are at and then they'd adjust the homework accordingly. But the boys are actually doing fine with it; it's having them both at once that's so tricky for me!
"Well then it seems to me like you need to have some helpful systems in place to help you organize your time. Have you thought much about how you might do that?"
Not really, I'd admit. It seems like a lot of work to set that up when we're only doing this for nine days.
"Only nine days? Hmmm. Well, then you don't need to come up with a long-term routine, but it could be helpful to plan ahead a bit for each day. Even a little structure can cut down on all those little 'bumps' in your day, and bumps like that can add up. You and your kids--and Jay--are all adjusting to this new schedule, and you need to be very gentle with yourself.
"And as to feeling fat, Rachel, you aren't. Even if you did put on a few pounds during the summer, these next two weeks are not the time to set up a new exercise routine or completely change the way you eat. For the next two weeks, just do the major things your family needs--even if that means eating cereal for supper--until the four of you get into the swing of things.
"You're a great mom and a great wife, and your kids are sweet boys, and Jay sounds like he's working hard and helping a lot, and the Lord will give you the strength you need. Ask Him for wisdom and He'll give it to you. I'll be praying for you, too."
Thanks Mom. I love you.
"I sure love you too, Rachel."
I sure miss you, Mom. Thanks for being super and raising me, and helping me learn how to raise my kids, too...inside school hours and out.
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