Ebb & Flow

Posted by Cheryl | 0 comments

There are roughly 65 days left of our current school year. For some of us who homeschool year round, that number means very little. For the rest of us who live in houses with NO air conditioning in the summer, it means we put the books away for the months of July and August and take to outdoor living.

I am turning 40 this month, and lately this leaves me feeling rather contemplative. Nothing too deep – but a desire to be unusually creative. I have become interested in creative writing, poetry and even photography and I’m keenly aware of just how unhappy I can become if I’m not able to create something at least sometime during the week. This allows me to look at my children and appreciate their own desires to create – artistically or otherwise. Put this together with the 65 days left in our school year and one can begin to panic and feel compelled to shelve all this creative stuff and bury our noses in workbooks.

So here’s what I’ve discovered. When I’m creating, my children are watching and they end up imitating my interests and discovering their own. They’ve taken initiatives to start creative writing projects on their own, to write impromptu poetry, or start an art project. This often frees up more time for additional school work, because they are often ahead in the writing process. They also seem to be happier and more content to buckle down when they need too. I was concerned about taking time off for spring break, but family commitments and obligations got in the way and prevented any school work from happening that week anyway. The following week the kids seemed rested and content. They had all their school work done before noon – on their own initiative.

As for me, I fed my creative interests for most of the week. I had a chance to rest and give myself a much needed mental break. I am looking forward to celebrating my birthday with my closest friends, and when Monday hits (that will be the day you will be reading this), I’ll be ready for the last semester. I’ll be willing to pull out the schedule again and get back to academic routines. I’ll have what it takes to face the next 65 days. We are all able to work more effectively and often more efficiently when we are well rested – even when we think we don’t need to take a break.