Well, Amelie and I made it through Daddy's Longest Business Trip Ever. And we are just so glad that's behind us.Eleven days on our own wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Amelie and I were a team, and that felt good. And we had a lot of help from my family. Here's Amelie with her grandpa, dancing on a chair in his greenhouse. She loves it in there, surrounded by colorful finches from South America, painted turtles, giant toads, noisy bullfrogs, well-fed koi fish, and even a water dragon.
We spent Halloween with her cousins in the trick-or-treat paradise known as Montclair, New Jersey. Amelie couldn't believe her luck when she knocked on the doors of complete strangers and they handed her candy. She couldn't understand why she wasn't allowed to tromp through their houses, though. Who would say no to a toddler in a ladybug costume?
The biz trip had its downside, of course. Keeping up with my freelance work was hard. Some mornings Amelie went to her favorite play space, the Sunshine Club, which is like a high-class daycare full of fabulous toys and just 4 or 5 kids on most days. And then there were the times when she just watched A LOT of videos while I tried to bang out a 400-word article or proofread a newsletter. She thought she had won the jackpot, but I wallowed in guilt about her television binge.
It was times like these when I began to doubt our ability to homeschool Amelie. Most homeschooling families have one stay-at-home parent who's completely dedicated to their children's education. Usually Michael and I will both be at home, but we'll be juggling work and homeschooling. Even now we have dedicated work shifts to keep our time structured and make a clear separation between work and childcare. Yet unforeseen trips like this one will inevitably come along and throw us into a tizzy again.
Should one of us quit working? With expenses like ours it doesn't seem possible right now. And since both of us are freelance we have no job security whatsoever. With both of us working, we at least have each other to fall back on if the work dries up.
Michael is back home now, so my confidence level is rising again. We have Amelie recovering from her TV addiction on a 12-step program. We are eating less Halloween candy and more home-cooked meals. Things are looking up.
homeschooling
working mom
5 comments:
The nice thing will be the flexibility. If these times are the times you need to take breaks, so be it. Magic school bus videos are wonderful :-), and get back in the swing when you can.
TV binge plus Halloween candy... sounds like my idea of a good time. LOL! I'm glad you survived the business trip and things are looking up.
I think you can do it, Wendy. Just take it one day at a time. Amelie will learn so much just by watching you and your husband at work. And don't feel guilty about the TV. You have to do what you have to do. Some days that might mean lots of television but other days it won't. Guilt just doesn't do anybody any good. Amelie will be fine. And so will you. :)
Thanks, everyone! I'll check out those Magic School Bus titles, Holly. And thanks for the encouragement, Colleen - I need to hear it!
Don't worry. You'll definitely be able to homeschool Amelie and work freelance. (I've always homeschooled my daughter who's 12 now, and in the 7th grade) It's important not to get too geeked out about it. It doesn't matter if you start at 9am or don't get to it until 1pm. You don't need to accommodate 20 different students with 20 different learning styles while keeping order out of chaos so it's not going to require an all day commitment. You'll get to skip all of the "busy work" and most days all you will need is a couple of hours; tops. (Course planning is a different story but it can be done at your leisure if you start far enough in advance). And, if on a weekday you've got a deadline to meet than just skip it that day. There's always the weekend. When she was young, my daughter was very attached to routine so we would homeschool right through the summer which added lots more academic time throughout the year. And really, everything is a learning experience. Just stick to the basics at first and get her acclimated to doing "her work" and everything will fall into place. Lots of stuff can get done in your p.j.'s while eating a muffin or working at the computer. It's easier than you think!
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