tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329782430566577328.post1694685246698583239..comments2023-12-19T05:15:27.114-05:00Comments on Liana Brooks: A Mom By Any Other NameLiana Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14587774916354749190noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329782430566577328.post-4631300675216951112012-06-09T15:03:58.559-04:002012-06-09T15:03:58.559-04:00Yes, exactly! As much as I enjoy being involved wi...Yes, exactly! As much as I enjoy being involved with their school, I also need them to be at school. They need exposure to other people and social situations and I need time off from being mom. I get enough 'teacher' time helping with homework, thank you very much. <br /><br />I'd much rather show them that moms have friends, hobbies, and despite being on-call as mom 24/7, are people too.Jean Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02047709505502621618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329782430566577328.post-81182965908477813302012-06-07T05:39:08.077-04:002012-06-07T05:39:08.077-04:00Being a parent is a balancing act. We stand as exa...Being a parent is a balancing act. We stand as examples for our kids as well as being there for them. Each of us finds our own way to balance everything.<br /><br />For myself, I never considered teaching my child to be another job but to be part of being a mother. We taught Mouse to read by reading to her and pointing out the words as we read. We had alphabet books and toys that made teaching part of playtime. <br /><br />If anything, we made it harder for her to go to public school because learning at home was fun and school was boring. Also she was reading equivalent to grade three when she started grade one. Since the years leading up to school age meant that I or Hubby was spending so much time with her anyway, we simply incorporated homeschooling into our routines.<br /><br />The downside was that not only was she reading two levels above everyone else, she was also using words college students had trouble with (thanks to Hubby's tendency to use large words all the time). Her math skills were also in advance of her class. Her science and history knowledge were all over the place though as we taught her what she showed interest in or got Hubby going. This made school a mix of boredom, frustration, and some interest as she got into subjects we hadn't covered. And of course art class was fun.<br /><br />For me, school age meant I could return to having some "me time" as well as do what I wanted for a few hours every day. The break was badly needed. However, we didn't stop doing our version of homeschooling after she started school. For us, it was being responsible parents and teaching our child to expand her horizons and learn to look beyond what was taught in the school system.<br /><br />Some people have their children as their interests and are willing to devote all their time to their children. Most people want to have their own lives along with raising their children so have to learn how to balance them. <br /><br />The Militant Moms (and Dads) either follow or try to follow the first group. From what I've seen, people who go against their natures end up unhappy, bitter, and frustrated and sometimes take those emotions out on their kids even though their kids never asked them to give up their lives to tend to them.<br /><br />Look at Eldest being home as another way to teach her more about being an adult. Let her help you with Bunny and taking care of the house. Schedule some time to do something for yourself when she can feel like she's in charge of something - like letting her do the laundry while you do some task associated with your writing, maybe answering emails or writing a blog post. She's old enough to want to show she's responsible without having to be responsible for everything.<br /><br />After all, a hundred years ago she would have been responsible for helping with household chores rather than spending time playing.Ilnara Heskenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18299242041768818364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329782430566577328.post-39164380200775633112012-06-06T18:54:24.236-04:002012-06-06T18:54:24.236-04:00That's exactly where I am. I want the best edu...That's exactly where I am. I want the best education for my kids, but I still can't look at homeschool and see it as something wonderful. All I see right now is the time and energy I put into homeschooling (prep, planning, teaching, grading, ect) as time and energy that weren't spent on other things (writing, baby, taking care of the house, sleeping). <br /><br />Eventually, maybe, I'll be able to see the benefits and find a way to balance my schedule so I can do everything. Right now... no. I've always said being a parent is a full-time job. Goodness knows writing is a full-time job. Now I've added a full-time teaching job to my schedule. Not because I have delusions of being the best teacher in the world, but because I know right now this is the best option for my child.Liana Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14587774916354749190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329782430566577328.post-47932161212676646262012-06-06T18:49:54.112-04:002012-06-06T18:49:54.112-04:00I hope it's one I'm able to teach.I hope it's one I'm able to teach.Liana Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14587774916354749190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329782430566577328.post-54703420770848137632012-06-06T17:15:50.003-04:002012-06-06T17:15:50.003-04:00Amen and amen!
We waded into the homeschool water...Amen and amen!<br /><br />We waded into the homeschool waters because my son was not being set up for success in public school. Now we're not sure what to do next year. We're looking at some small private schools, but we're not completely sold on that solution, especially since we'll need to find somewhere for my oldest daughter as well (because she'll be done with elementary school). But if I homeschool both of them, my time to focus on my career will be severely limited. That's really frustrating to me.<br /><br />I'm committed to making sure my children have a good education, and if no other decent solution presents itself, I'll homeschool them. But I was a mite offended when a very young single woman with no children suggested that me being able to homeschool my children was a "blessing." No, it means I have to give up my career, my personal identity, my mental space for several years. That's not a blessing. It's not exactly a curse, but I'm certainly not happy about it at all. I don't feel "blessed"--I feel miffed that I can't trust the public schools to do their jobs.<br /><br />*puts soapbox back in the closet*<br /><br />Sorry for turning this into a rant. Rest assured that I will NEVER be a Militant Homeschool Mom! :) Rather, I'll be the Reluctant Homeschool Mom who's dragged into it kicking and screaming and as pissed off as a wet cat. :P<br /><br />AmyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329782430566577328.post-19363893948943843892012-06-06T13:20:11.022-04:002012-06-06T13:20:11.022-04:00Hear hear! Showing Bunny that you are a vibrant, i...Hear hear! Showing Bunny that you are a vibrant, intelligent woman in your own right is as important a lesson as you will ever teach her. You are the first and most important example.Kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05080278315707441923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329782430566577328.post-18529261849005874002012-06-06T11:33:58.790-04:002012-06-06T11:33:58.790-04:00WOW! Great post, Liana! I agree, we can't for...WOW! Great post, Liana! I agree, we can't forget who WE are in the process of raising our children. I want my daughter to be able to tell her friends, "My mom does _____" or "My mom accomplished ____, so can I!" Homeschooling is NOT for me, LOL. Although, I have numerous friends that this works for.Christina M. McKnighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09556438221251810456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329782430566577328.post-58527139263015151422012-06-06T11:26:57.443-04:002012-06-06T11:26:57.443-04:00*high five**high five*Liana Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14587774916354749190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329782430566577328.post-66256718036723732952012-06-06T11:26:49.372-04:002012-06-06T11:26:49.372-04:00There are days I feel like I'm fading. I get b...There are days I feel like I'm fading. I get buried under Mom, Wife, Teacher, Parent, Cleaning Lady, and Cook that I cease to feel like Liana. When people ask me to describe myself in three words and all I can think of is labels... it scares me, honestly. All of those things are important, but I need to be a person when my children are grown, not a label.Liana Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14587774916354749190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329782430566577328.post-60093999525431769142012-06-06T10:38:13.045-04:002012-06-06T10:38:13.045-04:00And this is one more reason why I love you. (In a ...And this is one more reason why I love you. (In a non-creepy way.) All I can say is amen a thousand bazillion times.Stephanie McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16507025637411479409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5329782430566577328.post-86715046704804680342012-06-06T07:10:50.074-04:002012-06-06T07:10:50.074-04:00This is exactly why I started writing again. I was...This is exactly why I started writing again. I was disappearing under the labels of 'wife' and 'mother' and however proud I am of those titles and however much I love them, I was completely losing my sense of self. Of me.<br />Writing gave that back to me. I can still be a mum and wife, but I can still be ME too. :)Pippa Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15146591827060731958noreply@blogger.com