mothergooseof4 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 When I graduated from college, I said that I would never see the campus of a college again if I had it my way. I don't enjoy taking classes and my reading material would be called twaddle by most. I am very black and white and don't typically see things as artistic or have any interest in doing anything but the necessary. I have always enjoyed researching things that were currently applicable to my life, but otherwise uninterested in learning anything that I didn't need to. Until lately. I have gotten to where I can't get enough. I have a huge list of books that I want to read. I started doing some artistic stuff as well, which I have NEVER had any interest in. I want to take some martial arts classes. I stay up late to read or work at projects which is totally out of character for me considering that I have been a early-to-bed person ALL of my life. I want to shuck all of my chores and outside relationships to read and study. And, I am getting frustrated because I want all of those books read NOW and I want to be good at the other things NOW and there simply isn't enough time in the day. Anyone else experience this? Is it simply that I don't have toddlers around anymore and actually CAN do this? Is it a result of over a decade of hsing and my love of learning is developing after being squelched by my ps education? Or, is it a mid-life crisis?...I am almost 40 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I've been in that phase of life for about the last 3 years. I do think it is that I am done with pregnancy brain, infants and toddlers. All my kids but one can enter the bathroom and come out 15 minutes later clean each night. I finally have time for me, and there are so many interesting things to think about, to learn and to do. I took an art class a few years back and enjoyed it immensely. I am doing some part time writing work. I enjoy reading non-fiction all of a sudden. It's like my brain woke up after 10 years of childbearing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Well, my self-education methods aren't quite what you're experiencing, but I definitely like learning way more than I ever have. I absolutely LOVED being in my college classes. It was the stupid busy work assignments that I hated. But I loved lectures and discussions led by someone knowledgeable in the subject as it was so much easier to understand than just reading a book. I'll admit I have mixed feelings about the school level of my kids. I really and truly miss the fun days of homeschooling, when everything was fun and interesting and we did only the things that worked well for the kids' learning styles. But then we hit high school for everyone and the joy was sucked right out of homeschooling. However, I can say that I really do enjoy working with my son on his classes because I'm learning so much. I'm learning Japanese right now! My learning style is really geared towards textbooks so these classes are great. We use an online school which gives some of the auditory and visual aspects that just reading a book doesn't do for me. Unfortunately, my son doesn't see his classes the same way I do. He absolutely dreads every school day. If I could get him enthused, we would have a super time. Or I also think that if I didn't have to drag him through the materials, I would enjoy them much more. :D When he's finished school, I may continue on with high school materials because there will still be things I want to study that he didn't need to finish his diploma. Of course it looks bad for a 44 year old woman to prefer high school level materials, but I want to enjoy what I'm studying. I don't think I'd care for college level materials without the in-class component. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mothergooseof4 Posted June 20, 2012 Author Share Posted June 20, 2012 Well, my self-education methods aren't quite what you're experiencing, but I definitely like learning way more than I ever have. I absolutely LOVED being in my college classes. It was the stupid busy work assignments that I hated. But I loved lectures and discussions led by someone knowledgeable in the subject as it was so much easier to understand than just reading a book. I'll admit I have mixed feelings about the school level of my kids. I really and truly miss the fun days of homeschooling, when everything was fun and interesting and we did only the things that worked well for the kids' learning styles. But then we hit high school for everyone and the joy was sucked right out of homeschooling. However, I can say that I really do enjoy working with my son on his classes because I'm learning so much. I'm learning Japanese right now! My learning style is really geared towards textbooks so these classes are great. We use an online school which gives some of the auditory and visual aspects that just reading a book doesn't do for me. Unfortunately, my son doesn't see his classes the same way I do. He absolutely dreads every school day. If I could get him enthused, we would have a super time. Or I also think that if I didn't have to drag him through the materials, I would enjoy them much more. :D When he's finished school, I may continue on with high school materials because there will still be things I want to study that he didn't need to finish his diploma. Of course it looks bad for a 44 year old woman to prefer high school level materials, but I want to enjoy what I'm studying. I don't think I'd care for college level materials without the in-class component. Yes, I said to dh the other night, "So much to learn and so little time. Why didn't I have this attitude when I was sitting in front of a TV all of those summers when I was a teen?" Sometimes I think so many things are wasted on the young LOL! Dh thinks I am crazy right now because "study" and "read" are curse words in his vocabulary. I am not liking the necessary studies of my kids either lately. Of course none of them have ever enjoyed school work anyway, but now my oldest has so much that he has to study and it isn't always interesting to him. I would love to follow a more interest led way of educating, but that would be limited for him and wouldn't prepare him for the future very well. So, I am trying to balance it by adding some things that he IS interested in and by allowing him to help pick some of the materials to use for those subjects that he isn't so interested in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Yes, I said to dh the other night, "So much to learn and so little time. Why didn't I have this attitude when I was sitting in front of a TV all of those summers when I was a teen?" Sometimes I think so many things are wasted on the young LOL! Dh thinks I am crazy right now because "study" and "read" are curse words in his vocabulary. I am not liking the necessary studies of my kids either lately. Of course none of them have ever enjoyed school work anyway, but now my oldest has so much that he has to study and it isn't always interesting to him. I would love to follow a more interest led way of educating, but that would be limited for him and wouldn't prepare him for the future very well. So, I am trying to balance it by adding some things that he IS interested in and by allowing him to help pick some of the materials to use for those subjects that he isn't so interested in. ME TOO!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Here, here! The absolutely aren't enough hours in the day. (Of course, playing on forums doesn't really help me, except that at least here I get great ideas for self education!) Something happened when I started to homeschool, like something woke up inside me. Can't quite put my finger on the why of it, but I'm just rolling with the new me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luanne Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I thought maybe I was just crazy or something. I know very few people around here would understand my need to learn new things. My daughter (now 23 years old) understands or at least tolerates my incessant reading and studying. I don't know if anyone else even knows how much time I spend on this ... and I still feel sometimes like I am not doing enough. For me, it isn't a want to learn anymore, it is a need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suppleasthewind Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I think self educating is fantastic and sets a good example for kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I think self educating is fantastic and sets a good example for kids. It does set a good example! Thinking on it...my kidlets are usually conked out when I have my nose in the Latin (or insert whatever other) book. Wondering how to incorporate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mothergooseof4 Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 OP here. I am glad to know that others experience this. I start reading and studying and realize that I didn't learn all that much while acquiring a high school diploma then a bachelor's degree. It was just a sliver on the tip of an iceberg. Glad I can discuss this here. I am in a huge circle of hsing friends, yet if I bring up what I am researching or books that I am reading they look at me like I am crazy. I just have to remember that they still have little ones and I know time is limited and brains are foggy during those years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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