kristinannie Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I was at the dentist today for my cleaning and many people there were complaining about how it is almost summer and their kids are going to be home all day. They were lamenting their loss of freedom, the peace and quiet of the household and having to deal with their kids all summer. I just found it really sad. I am so grateful to the Lord that my kids will be schooling at home. I won't miss the a-ha moments. I won't miss their happy smiles, laughter and, yes, sometimes screaming filling my house. Our house is a learning home. We all love each other, we don't watch a lot of TV, we learn together, we play together and I LOVE IT! I was just so sad for these people who were talking. They are missing out on such a great time in their lives. I am not saying that I don't complain about my kids. Everyone does. However, I don't regret all the extra time I get to spend with my kids! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyinND Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 :iagree:I can't tell you how many times I have heard those conversations. I have never felt that way. (Not to say that I didn't want a break now & then) When my son was in ps, I dreaded the start of the school year & LIVED for the end of the year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindee Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 There are ads like that on tv, well have been in the past, where moms jump for joy as soon as the bus leaves! It makes me sad too. 13 years of homeschooling and maybe not many more left makes me sad! It wasn't all fun and games, but I feel very blessed to have a wonderfully supportive husband who was willing to work hard so I could stay home with the kids! I didn't know about homeschooling before I started, but if I had, then, when I was little and people asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" that would've been on my list! :D I have loved it and wish more could see how rewarding it can be! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 IKWYM. My church has a women's meeting every Sunday. At the beginning of the meeting, ladies can share any good news that happened in the past week. When it's back-to-school time, someone ALWAYS makes a comment about how glad she is that her kids will be back in school so that she doesn't have to be with them all day anymore. That always gets cheers from the rest of the ladies. The spirit of these sorts of comments feels so wrong. :( Sure, I get tired of my kids sometimes, but I also really enjoy that I get to be with them all the time. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susann Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I work part-time at the library and am hearing a lot of the same type of comments. My dh is a restaurant manager and always has a lot of groups coming in for what they call "Oh, no, it's summer" and "Yeah, school started again" parties. Next year will be my final year of home schooling and every giggle, lightbulb moment, frustration and roadblock has been a blessing!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I just found it really sad. I am so grateful to the Lord that my kids will be schooling at home. I won't miss the a-ha moments. I won't miss their happy smiles, laughter and, yes, sometimes screaming filling my house. Our house is a learning home. We all love each other, we don't watch a lot of TV, we learn together, we play together and I LOVE IT! I was just so sad for these people who were talking. They are missing out on such a great time in their lives. I am not saying that I don't complain about my kids. Everyone does. However, I don't regret all the extra time I get to spend with my kids! :D :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBasil Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I agree with you, but... If I worked full time and had a school age child, I might dread summer because it meant having to find child care that was affordable and a good place for my DC. I see friends who have school age children and work and summer is not their normal. Being out of routine is hard on anyone. I do think it's weird to hear and I am incredibly grateful to be at home, but for my friends who can't imagine staying at home it's weird for them to hear how much I love it, or how I can't afford to do X or join them for Y and that doesn't bother me(much). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 The winter break of '99 I was off 3 weeks instead of 2 in case something happened with Y2K, and my grandmother/current guardian complained (right in front of me) "I don't know what I'm going to do with her all that time" to the receptionist at the chiropractor. That hurt a lot! But she found out what to do with me: the receptionist gave me my first job at age 13. I hope these parent's aren't saying it in front of their kids :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 A change in routine can be an adjustment. I can certainly understand how a person might feel overwhelmed by the prospect of needing to fill their child's time after months of having the school fill it for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiCO Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 They are missing out on such a great time in their lives. I am not saying that I don't complain about my kids. Everyone does. However, I don't regret all the extra time I get to spend with my kids! I think most people are just going along with the cultural joke. I have seen moms go from lamenting the loss of their freedom to talking about all the fun things they have planned for their kids this summer. (And I don't mean just sending them off to "camp", I mean family activities.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I think most people are just going along with the cultural joke. I have seen moms go from lamenting the loss of their freedom to talking about all the fun things they have planned for their kids this summer. (And I don't mean just sending them off to "camp", I mean family activities.) :iagree: I think for many people this is on par with lamenting being a Cubs fan. They love being a Cubs fan and complaining about it. I don't enjoy hearing it, and hope the kids don't hear it. I have a close friend who really struggles with childcare during summer, but is a wonderful mom who loves spending time with her DD. I'm sure if someone brought up the difficulties of summer, she'd join in commiserating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in STL Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I think this is sad, too. I see so many of these comments on Facebook. I also have many school parents ask me how I ever get anything done with my kids home all day. Well, I teach them to be helpful, to be able to entertain themselves, and to care for themselves somewhat. Of course, some days are better than others, but I think the more time a parent spends with her children, the easier it is to have them around. As a previous post said, I think it's hard for families to be out of their routines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdalley Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I hear this a lot and it generally doesn't bother me. However I was at the dentist's office for the kids six month checkup one year before school started back. This woman came in with three kids - and they were a little energetic but not overly so for their ages. They hygienist came to get the kids and she said - not joking either - can you keep them? I thought at first maybe she was having a bad day and offered a sympathetic smile. Then she starts going on and on about she'd be glad to pack them off to school because she couldn't stand being around her kids all day. The hygienist took the kids back and she turns to another mother and keeps up her rant. I went back to my book. Then she drops the thing that shocked me the most. I want to get back to my job, she says, because I'm taking over as the new principal at 'fill in the blank' school. I can cope with everyone else's kids but not mine. Now granted I have the opposite problem. I have trouble relating to kids I didn't give birth to. But this stuck me as incredibly sad and I was glad my kids weren't going to that school. I really do believe some kids do just fine in public school and turn out just fine. I'm sure the adjustment of having them all the time is hard if you aren't used to it. But that just floored me. I tried to 'not hear' the conversation but she was dominating the waiting room. I really, really hope she was just having a really bad day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 I agree with you, but... If I worked full time and had a school age child, I might dread summer because it meant having to find child care that was affordable and a good place for my DC. I see friends who have school age children and work and summer is not their normal. Being out of routine is hard on anyone. I do think it's weird to hear and I am incredibly grateful to be at home, but for my friends who can't imagine staying at home it's weird for them to hear how much I love it, or how I can't afford to do X or join them for Y and that doesn't bother me(much). I do agree with this, but these women were stay at home moms. I have a very close friend who works and says that she could never be at home all day. I know that God made everyone different and that we all have different callings in life. I am so happy that God gave me a calling to homeschool. I was finding myself getting depressed about my son starting school because he would be gone so much during the day. Without God's prompting, I would have never even considered homeschooling. And I sure as heck wouldn't be teaching my son to read right now.... You are all so inspirational. I am going to have to keep this post handy to read whenever I start getting burned out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 We've been homeschooling over a decade, and frankly I can't imagine a weekday without them. I haul them to the gym when I work out, to the grocery store, to the library, when I go to the dentist, etc. etc. and I still get comments even though they're almost as tall as I am ;). That said, I like the "normal" school year when we're packed out with school and activities and find that we get cranky in mid-August. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Food4Thought Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Thanks for the reminder. I was feeling a bit burnt out today, in the midst of science experiments and craft projects and "Mom! Watch this!" But I sure do love teaching my kids and watching them learn and grow. I'm the type who would probably make those kind of jokes if my kids were in public school - I like a lot of time to myself when I can get it. I also have friends who dread summers with their kids - but they have different routines and personalities (and I'd dread being with their kids too! Oy!). Anyway, to each his own. As long as it helps you feel happier with your own lot, then it's good to reflect on these moments. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 I can't fathom that mindset anymore, either. I'm thrilled to ahve them home all day with me. Granted, I didn't always have the patience for it, it was something that I had to grow into. But now I can't envision living any other way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msk Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 I would imagine at least some of the complaints aren't about the fact that kids are home all day, it's about the kids being home and bored. I went to PS and remember hating summer break. Where I live, it's too hot to play outside much in summer. You can only spend so many hours a day reading and playing board games before it gets old; there is such a thing as too much free time. My mom was always struggling to find inexpensive day camp type activities for us-- not because she didn't like being with us, but because she didn't like being with us when we were bored. Homeschoolers presumably have that problem licked long-term, but for others it comes around every summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 (edited) I think most people are just going along with the cultural joke. I have seen moms go from lamenting the loss of their freedom to talking about all the fun things they have planned for their kids this summer. (And I don't mean just sending them off to "camp", I mean family activities.) :iagree: But people in general really should be careful about what they say in front of their kids. I am sure that it doesn't seem like such a joke to them. Edited May 18, 2011 by Penelope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 The winter break of '99 I was off 3 weeks instead of 2 in case something happened with Y2K, and my grandmother/current guardian complained (right in front of me) "I don't know what I'm going to do with her all that time" to the receptionist at the chiropractor. That hurt a lot! But she found out what to do with me: the receptionist gave me my first job at age 13. I hope these parent's aren't saying it in front of their kids :glare: OT--Can I just say that this just made me feel so old?? I was on the Y2K team at work that year, testing and retesting software for glitches. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBasil Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 I do agree with this, but these women were stay at home moms. OK, that I don't get either. :confused: I do agree that it's a huge blessing to be able to stay at home with my kids though. He keeps getting older and bigger when I'm not looking! :) I like to have more time to look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hankins3 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 I hear this a lot too! It is sad, but I have to remember that these parents probably have not experienced some of the joys that we have with our kids, and are maybe geared toward different kinds of things. There are sometimes the comments make me really upset, but I try and remember that we are all built so uniquely. A agree with you though... for me, I am so blessed to be home with him and, while there are times that I need a break, as well all do, I would not trade being a hs mom for anything. I love being here for all of it! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 OT--Can I just say that this just made me feel so old?? I was on the Y2K team at work that year, testing and retesting software for glitches. :tongue_smilie: :iagree::iagree::iagree: I was about to graduate from law school when that hit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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