When we first were considering homeschooling I was in a panic. I had been culturally conditioned to accept the idea that I would stay home with my kids for the first few years but then re-start my career life once they started school. Instead I was faced with the idea that at the very time that I would have been ‘free’ I would instead be chained to a desk alone trying to beat phonics into a blank mind.
Worse still I had the picture of me doing kid's crafts and science experiments in the back yard. How tedious, all that saving toilet rolls, gluing, going outside to find 5 kinds of leaves, bringing in bugs to find names in books. Was I not worth more than that? Don’t I have better things to do with my life? Would I not be better serving the world with my educated mind? Wouldn’t I rather be in a meeting to plan the next newsletter or 4 million dollar budget for the development department?
Thankfully after wrestling with God on the issue of self-identity, pride and priorities I embraced a full package of family life.
We have settled into a nice pace. Matthew being a liner thinker and a workbook type child has made the transition/process easier. Sometimes I think – this is too easy, perhaps I should be doing more non-linear stuff. More experiments and crafts. But desk/book work is easier than jumping all around the place doing this enriching thing and that.
So today during geography I spied an activity which involved dirt, food coloring, baking powder, vinegar and soap suds. That picture of me doing experiments came in my mind and for a moment I thought ‘I just don’t want to do that’. Furthermore I thought ‘too much effort. I would rather be here at the table and describe to Matthew a volcano’. But in a flash I announced ‘let’s make a volcano!’
What enthusiasm! He ran the whole way to dig up mud to make the mountain. He wanted Lily to join in so we got her out of quiet time. They helped bring out all the ingredients. So intently they followed the directions. They were ENGAGED. They loved it so much when the first red lava foamed out that we had to do it again in blue, then yellow and then green.
Yes, it was messy. Yes, it took a little effort. But Lily will never forget that blue and yellow make green; Matthew that the island of Java has 50 volcanoes and that mud slides down when wet; Mom that it is easier & better to just do it than not and that baking powder, soap and vinegar can do crazy things!
I can honestly say that I would rather be here building volcanoes with muddy fingernails than anywhere else.
