How can I become Miss Agnes? :-)

[Shelly in VA]

I am reading "The Year of Miss Agnes" with my dd, and as I am reading it I am thinking to myself wow, I need to become this woman! Then, I notice dd sneaking sideways looks at me, and I ask what she's thinking about. She replies that it sure would be nice if I never got angry and I was a teacher like Miss Agnes. My older kids heard her say Miss Agnes, and they came running in to ask if we were reading the book about the Alaska teacher, then they immediately started gushing about how they LOVED that book when they read it 3-4 years ago.

 

So, first, I need to be her because I see characteristics I wish I had, or had more of at one time.

 

Second, I need to be her because my kids crave more of that.

 

Third, I am painfully aware of how our situation over the past few years has changed the dynamic at home. I've had to return to work part-time and we've moved to a new area of the country where we aren't all that happy, and what we seem to be missing is the creativity and goal orientation that we used to have. Our routine has become more of a box-checking, harried, stressed-out-mom sort of thing. Uggh.

 

So, I know I can't really become Miss Agnes, but how do I get back to that relaxed, enjoying at least *part* of what we do feeling?

 

Thanks!!

 

Shelly

[Nicole M]

Who the heck is Miss Agnes?! :D

 

Never heard of her. But I totally hear you about the work thing. I have worked part time the entire time my youngest has been of schooling age. Now he's in 6th grade, and I finally have my head wrapped around my job well enough, and a large enough support staff (for the first time ever), and the homeschooling thing down well enough that I'm not stressed out every stinkin' minute of the day. Today I actually thought, this is what homeschooling is supposed to be all about. And yes, I still had to pack our bags and shove off to work after lunch, but the morning was sublime. I still wish that there was more time and "space" for creativity and spontaneity. It would have been lovely to head to the beach instead of my office this afternoon....

 

So I'm checking out that book!

[Sharon H in IL]

I think when you're looking for opportunities to be more spontaneous and creative, that the opportunities will present themselves.

 

You'll simply be in a place where you can grab the chance, rather than miss it because it wasn't calling attention to itself. Reading aloud at bedtime (or anytime) is imo the *premier* good part of homeschooling. So you could say you're already there, in part.

 

Try singing folk songs in the car, or playing I Spy With My Mind's Eye Something That The Ancient Egyptians Would See. Use your imagination to add fun and laughter to your day. Pull together. Enjoy your kids. Bake together -- after all, you have to eat; why not eat muffins you've made while kidding around together?

[Free Indeed]

I don't know. I strive for that too. I did want to say you can find a unit study I wrote on that book at http://www.homeschoolshare.com if you are interested. We had fun with it. ;)

[msjones]

Have you seen Julie Bogart's Brave Writer site/program? It's primarily a writing program, but I find that it also encourages me to enjoy my kids and my teaching. She has lots of suggestions for deliberately communicating with your kids, for slowing down, letting go, and "making relational peace a priority."

 

Here's a link:[email=http://www.bravewriter.com/]http://www.bravewriter.com/[/email]

 

Check out her blog and 'Bravewriter Lifestyle.'

 

Good luck!

msjones