"Out there" doesn't come close....

I am sitting here at my desk, shaking my head. I just read an article about what some women feel is the "new" job for all the mothers who find themselves unemployed. The "new" job is.......... being a mother. Does this strike anyone else as ludicrous?? The women interviewed for this particular article - for the most part - were worried about going back to work because they wanted to, and not just for financial reasons.


One commented how "surprised" she was that her 8 year old daughter wanted to "spend her summer" with her mom, and that she was "worried" about being home ALL summer with her children........ WHY should it be surprising that children want to spend time with their parents. Are you surprised by it? I'm certainly not. God intended for children to spend time with their parents, to learn from them, and be guided by them. And why in the world would someone not look at spending time with their children as a gift?

Another mother came to the realization "that she'd always really known" that she preferred to work and was "tired of being home with JUST her children". I find this incredibly sad. I am so incredibly grateful to be home with my children, and often the very best days are when it is "just us"!! WHY does anyone intentionally have a child only to turn it over to someone - most often complete strangers - to raise??? Can someone please explain this to me?

Believe me, I understand all about having to work - a single parent does not have to be reminded of our obligations and responsibilities. But many, many parents PLAN to have children while KNOWING that they will go back to work - by choice or by necessity. Pardon me for saying so, but I just DON'T GET IT....

Another woman quoted in the article knows SO little about her 2 year-old's life (yes, I said TWO) that she had to "get directions from him to find his playgroup room", and the "pediatrician's staff didn't know who she was because they had always seen him with the nanny" when she took her son in for a check-up!! PLEASE..... Does she know ANY thing about her son's life? Anything? At all??

I will probably ruffle some feathers by posting this, but that is OK. Ruffled feathers means we are thinking. If we begin to truly think about situations, maybe that will lead to realizations. And perhaps, just perhaps, that will lead to action. I know that in this case, I might be "preaching to the choir", but some of you may be able to influence other mothers in similar situations. And on those days when YOU think there may be "life out there", please remember that the LIVES in here (our homes) are SO much more valuable than anything "out there" could ever be. In fact, "out there" can't even come close..... :-)

Welcome to my pity-party.... :-)

As I write this blog, my little girl is dancing around in her pj's with my sleep shirt over them, to Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 6. We've been discussing Bach - when he lived, why he wrote the music he did (or why we think he did), where he lived, etc. She has asked some very insightful questions, and is loving his music. We haven't listened to this particular CD in quite some time, and I'm very glad that she found it yesterday! My favorite (tonight :-) is Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. It is so beautiful!

Although I try really hard to not mention this often, at times like this I wish there was someone here to share her with. When she is being so cute and asking such great questions, I sometimes wish that there was someone to turn to and smile, knowing that both of us are thinking "this kid is really something". I wish that she could be a Daddy's girl, as I was. She deserves that. At times, I would give almost anything for us to have a man in our lives who is wonderful. I know how much my children are missing because we do not.

But at the same time, I am honest enough with myself to know what they ARE NOT missing by one certain man not being here - and that more than makes up for the rest. Knowing that they are safe and happy, that they know they are loved without question and accepted for who they are, and knowing that I am continuing my homeschool journey without having to justify it to anyone, even that we can listen to and enjoy Bach without rude or obnoxious comment... those things are very precious indeed.

I wish I'd written this!!! :-)

I found the quote shown below and just had to post it here. Ms. Tate really hit the nail on the head with this -- I wish I had written it! She does go on to say that this is not her usual comeback when questioned about homeschooling, and reminds us that it is usually better to answer briefly and walk away to avoid confrontations about something that we know is best. It just puts a smile on my face to know that I will be THINKING about this the next time someone has a snarky remark to make!! LOL

"I don't go around telling folks in my neighborhood or my church, "I don't understand how you can possibly send your kids to public school. I just don't have the patience to get my kids ready by 7:00 every morning and help them with homework for hours every night. How can you really be sure they're learning anyway, when all you get is a report card every 9 weeks? And aren't you worried about socialization? When your kids spend all day in a room with a bunch of other kids the same age, how will they ever learn to function in the real world?" (bold emphasis mine)

"Defending our Decision to Homeschool" by Mary Jo Tate posted on HomeschoolBlogger.com

Can I hear some Amens??