Thoughts and Feelings As Another School Year Ends.

  I know that you probable should not blog when you are emotional, but I need to just let me feelings out. I feel a little lost. I know that God has a plan for me. I know that He loves me and that as I try to rely on Him, He guides my way. That being said as this year comes to a close and my children are home for the summer I am happy to be with them again. At the same time I dread next August as the children all go back. My baby will be in school full time and I can't help but ask myself if my mission in this life is to really just be here in the house by myself cleaning. When she was gone for half a day it was not so bad because I spent time in prayer, scriptures, and getting my exercise in then when that was all done it was time to pick her up.  I felt like I was still important I was still spending most of my time influencing her and doing important things. I feel like I am mourning as I realize that in a few short months, as my children leave my home to go out into the world once more, all of them full time, that my time will be spent waiting. I don't want my life to be spent home alone most of the time then the rest of the time still doing their agenda in school work and  undoing the mess that the children get from school. I also feel caught between a rock and a hard place because all around me from my husband to my mother they are all very happy that I have put them all in school. I don't feel like it is the wrong thing to do I just don't know my next step and that is hard. I know that I am of worth and that my calling in this life will be more then just cooking and cleaning. This is what I picture in my mind as all of my children will be in school full time.
  I thought that it was hard having them home all of the time, but I was grateful to have that opportunity. Knowing that they will all be gone is harder by far. I feel like my value has been knocked down a few notches. Before I had a great reason to be home. I was teaching and training and installing value and morals into my children. Now I don't know what I will do and it is hard to deal with how this makes me feel.
  Much love, Emily

TJEd My Way. Part 1

I have a dear friend who disagrees with the Thomas Jefferson Education. As I have been thinking about this (because I do TJEd) I had to take a deep look into why it is that I believe that it is good for me and my family. I will give you my take on the 7 keys of great teaching. The first that I think people have problems with is Key number 3 inspire not require. As I was pondering this key, part of me was thinking that it takes more then just inspiring my children to get them to learn. Then I heard another friend say that when you home school it is really your education and your children are along for the ride. That hit me so hard as truth. Yes, we do the three Rs more now with my older then with my younger children. My oldest went to school for a while and she was NOT ready. I have tried to make her learn what the public school kids her age are learning and we both get SOOOO fustrated. By the time we are done there are a lot of tears from the both of us. Through LOTS of prayer and pondering and guidance. She is now ASKING to do math, spelling, typing and other things that interest her. Yes, she is a lot older then most her age from where she is starting but I know that she will catch up because she wants to,and not because I require her. This is truly a blessing that she is ready and wanting to learn on her own! It has taken a long time but now that she is ready I know that she will actually value and understand what she learns. I have learned that when you introduce a subject and try to push it, like I did, that just creates fustration, tears, and broken relationships. I do introduce them to things. This is where I take a few minutes and read or do math or whatever and then tell them about it. Me AND THEM! We also play games and read books and do all sorts of things. It is our job to cultivate what it is our children are interested in. Daniel wants to scuba dive when he gets older and so Steve took him snorkling at Sea Base where he was able to experience swimming with salt water fish. Some of the sea life he was able to experience inclued Nurse Sharks, Stingrays, Angle Fish, Tuna, and a number of other fish. However, if a child is not ready for a concept and we try again at a later date then there will not be the tears and fustration connected with not being ready. When we take the time to learn ourselves then we can show them how it looks and feels to learn about things that interest us. A note about older children. Scholar phase children it is inspire AND require. With younger children they are also required to do some things as well. My children have to all sit through devotional even though my youngest is in and out, they are also required to do family chores. For me it is inspire until they can grasp new concepts. Again, when they are not ready and you force them it only creates fustration. If you mentor and the child sets goals and interest then they are required to follow through with what they said they would do. This is how I see this Key of teaching.