The kids head back to school tomorrow. I'm always sad when my kids' school break is over. To be honest, I'm probably in a small group of people who enjoy having their kids home all the time. True, the routine is nice sometimes, but there is something so peaceful about no school routine. There is no homework to keep track of daily, there is no rush to get everyone to school on time, making lunches can happen five minutes before you sit down to eat instead of being prepped the night before and stuffed into lunch boxes. We can plan fun activities to do in the middle of the day instead of waiting until after school or the weekend. Bedtime routine is so much easier when school the next day isn't hanging over your head. I love late night family movies, sleeping in until your eyes refuse to stay closed anymore, messy bed heads & pajamas all day, bubble baths that last longer than ten minutes, silly giggles at bedtime because they're all 'sleeping' in the same room and telling stories to each other. The reality of life & responsibility have their place too, sadly.
My upbringing might play a small part in my loathing for the school routine. Don't get me wrong - my kids attend a great school and we love their teachers & school staff because they're amazing & caring - I would just prefer my kids to be at home with me all the time because I miss them so much when they're gone all day.
I was home taught as a child. Kindergarten through 12th grade. I never experienced school outside of my home. When people find out that I never attended public school, they always ask if I enjoyed it or preferred it. I couldn't answer them with too great of detail because I couldn't compare the two, only having experienced the one. As I've gotten on in my years, I've appreciated being home taught more & more with every year that my kids attend school.
When you teach your children at home, you have the ability & freedom to tailor their education to their specific needs. Schools outside of the home may desire or even attempt to tailor education to the child but the truth is, they don't have the man power or even the cash power to make that happen. Maybe one day, in the future this might be possible but the school system would have to change dramatically. I don't know how, I just know our method for education is in need of a massive overhaul/makeover/update. That's an entirely different conversation for another day though.
As we get closer to the end of this school year, my anxiety grows due to the fact that my oldest will be enrolling in high school this fall. This is such a daunting fact of life. This is when my first born takes another dive into a dark abyss of the unknown. At least, that's how I see it.
The worries start tumbling in; this is when all those years of parenting come to fruition. When rubber meets pavement. Have I instilled all the tools required to combat life as a teenager in high school and come out on the other end of it all unscathed? Probably not. I just hope I've given him the tools of kindness for all, the desire for integrity, the goal to seek out truth instead of popular opinion, a passion to further his knowledge, the ability to believe in himself, and the motivation to get back up & try again after failure.
I will promise to savor the moments he has left in middle school as much as possible. I will enjoy the time he has left being in the same school as two of his younger siblings. Because, isn't that awesome? And I will strive to remind myself to enjoy every ounce of time my younger kids have in school as well. I will soak it all in for as long as I can and love every second. Because life is fleeting. Children grow up quickly. Time waits for no mom.
Enoch is a remarkable human being and I'm so grateful that I get to call him mine. He will do great things in life and I'm excited to see where life takes him. I'm just sad that he's growing up quicker than I expected. When your child is young, in the thick of potty training and learning about the world around them, it feels like the day will never end. Until one day, you wake up and that same child is shaving & only two years away from learning how to drive - your mind is trying not to explode while your heart is breaking.
This post goes out to all the Parents out there. Whether you're the parent saddened by the end of break or elated by it. May we all remember to enjoy the good moments, move on quickly & heal from the not so good ones, and try to leave our surroundings a little nicer than we found them.
Here's to the 2020 school year! May we all survive it!
