December 4, 2007

Being at Home


For several years I have been a reader of Lady Lydia's blog and articles on LAF, which you can view by clicking the links on the left of this page. (Homeliving Helper is her blog) She is always writing about making our homes comfortable, peaceful, beautiful and how women are truly fulfilled by being at home.

Having been at home for over 5 years now, I have concluded that she is right. I tried to write a comment on her blog, but for some reason it wouldn't let me, so I'll just write what I want to say here.

Her most recent article, Better at Home, really struck a chord with me. For two years my oldest daughter has been going to public school. Every morning we rushed around, getting her ready and out the door. This fall, I made it even worse by making her lunch and also enrolling my second daughter into preschool. Every morning I would get up early, get dressed in a hurry, make lunches, make breakfast, hurry and get her dressed, get her bag packed, force some food into her and have her on the bus by 7:20am. Then I would get the other two dressed and fed and drive up to the preschool, drop Alexa off, go home and rush around doing chores or run errands, and be back to pick her up at 11am. Then she would be cranky, tired and hungry. When Leiah got home she would also be tired, hungry and have a short fuse, so there was much discord to say the very least.

What a world of difference now. None of my children are in school now. I can get up reasonably early, make breakfast and do some chores before the kids get up, we can eat breakfast in pjs, and conduct our day how we want. Everyone has cabin fever? Then we go to the park. No time constraints or papers to be signed, or whatever. If naps and bedtimes need to be later, they can be with no worry of tired children at school the next day.

I am much more relaxed, I have more time to get things done, and time to enjoy my children. We can take walks, read books, play dollies, bake and they can assist me with cleaning and other things. Life isn't just perfect, but things are so much better. No rush, no hurry up, no wasting gas running all over the place.

Being at home is a blessing, truly. I am so thankful that I know this and am able to be at home.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I stopped putting our 3 Year Old in a preschool program over the summer for this very same reason. I am still debating regular school for him in a few years, we're hoping to have more kids and they'll be home with us too.

It's amazing...we're questioning everything in our household these days except our faith in God. It's all the stuff you "need" or "should do" because you now have kids.

Kudos on having the guts to go down a different path.

Laura said...

I agree wholeheartedly... this is our first year homeschooling, too, and it is so wonderful. I never realized before that I could be a homebody, but there have been days that have gone by that we didn't leave the house almost the entire week. Pure bliss... God is so good!

Blended in Texas said...

Hooray for you! I'm so glad you are happy with your decision. I do have to say that as a homeschooling mother I love the choice to 'not' brave the cold, yucky weather outside if I don't want to. The flexibility is wonderful! Hope you enjoy a relaxing day!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Its been awhile and I am out of the loop completely! Did you take leiah out of schoool?