This post is part of the series of blogging through the alphabet with Ben And Me. This week we are on the letter I. I is for ideal, as whenever I have a day that doesn't go as planned and things become difficult..... I tend to think of how "I" want our homeschooling days to go. I have my Ideal day laid out in my head. The biggest thing would be having my boy happily doing whatever I asked of him. Whether it be cooking, cleaning, book work, practical stuff or whatever. Just a happy compliant lad following wherever his mother leads.
making french toast
The reality of it is this..... sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't, I need to understand why. Why is it that some days my lad will happily do computer work and other days it's a battle?
Why some days bookwork is happily embraced and others days it would be better to toss all books out the window as it's just not going to happen? It's good to think on these things.
I know I could force it...but you know what happens when I force what I want on my boy? The exact same thing when you impose your will on me (except over the years I've gotten more gracious about it). I get my back up and it takes me SO much longer to learn or do what is needful. And it causes anger and hard feelings... and since my boy is only eight those feelings show up readily.
I know I could force it...but you know what happens when I force what I want on my boy? The exact same thing when you impose your will on me (except over the years I've gotten more gracious about it). I get my back up and it takes me SO much longer to learn or do what is needful. And it causes anger and hard feelings... and since my boy is only eight those feelings show up readily.
Over the past three years of schooling this boy I have learned this...
1. I can't always predict the day we are going to have.
2. I can choose how I respond to the "I Don't wanna mom". If I respond with questions instead of "do this" it helps. :) If I explain WHY we need to do something today it's a huge help.
3. If I can help him make a choice to comply with my wishes, the day goes so much better and sometimes it's as simple as.. Let's do this for 10 minutes and then we'll go and do something else that you might like better. Shall we do math by doing some baking? What about math by going out and shopping? What about learning some words by hopping on them? Shall we do math with a snowball fight? Let's see what happens if we __________.
4. by taking it all to God. Seriously. If we take it all to God somehow he settles our spirits and helps us take a second breath. And by taking it all to God we are doing a VERY important thing.... we are trusting him to walk us through our time just as he wants us to. God calls for us to trust him in everything and it's so easy to forget that or to think of trust more globally... trust needs to be worked, even in the small things. :)
Anyways, my ideal day is more and more becoming a How can I trust God in the education of my son on THIS day. It doesn't always make it easier as this is something I'm just really starting to ponder on. But it will get easier.
What is YOUR ideal day like?
1. I can't always predict the day we are going to have.
2. I can choose how I respond to the "I Don't wanna mom". If I respond with questions instead of "do this" it helps. :) If I explain WHY we need to do something today it's a huge help.
3. If I can help him make a choice to comply with my wishes, the day goes so much better and sometimes it's as simple as.. Let's do this for 10 minutes and then we'll go and do something else that you might like better. Shall we do math by doing some baking? What about math by going out and shopping? What about learning some words by hopping on them? Shall we do math with a snowball fight? Let's see what happens if we __________.
4. by taking it all to God. Seriously. If we take it all to God somehow he settles our spirits and helps us take a second breath. And by taking it all to God we are doing a VERY important thing.... we are trusting him to walk us through our time just as he wants us to. God calls for us to trust him in everything and it's so easy to forget that or to think of trust more globally... trust needs to be worked, even in the small things. :)
Anyways, my ideal day is more and more becoming a How can I trust God in the education of my son on THIS day. It doesn't always make it easier as this is something I'm just really starting to ponder on. But it will get easier.
What is YOUR ideal day like?
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