Tuesday 15 July 2008

Sigh, one of those days!

We really and truly had 'one of those days' yesterday. I'm never sure what kicks it off - if it's the children pushing me further than I can go, or if it's me being short on patience due to tiredness, hormones or something else, or probably a combination of both. My daughter argues, my son is cheerily defiant and non-compliant, things get broken which I have to clear up and one or other of the children manages to fall off something/tread on something sharp/bang some part of themselves on something hard about every 2 minutes. My daughter has hysterics about something completely trivial regularly throughout the day.

And it all adds up to a big crisis of confidence. Can I really do this home education thing? Not the education part, I'm pretty cool about that, but just being with the children so intensely non-stop. I start wondering if it would be better for the kids to be away from me if I'm going to shout at them and be horrible. But surely, my inadequacies is no way to make such an important decision about their education? And also, after they have been away from me (with their Granny) for a couple of hours, they are all over me as if they haven't seen me for days! My son tells me 'I cried for you, Mummy, when I hurt my foot,' and I'm overcome with remorse for not having been there.

I suppose it was all just a bad day. People whose children are at school must have them too? So, deep breath and start another day with a blank slate. At least children don't hold yesterday's bad mood against you.

3 comments:

Carolyn said...

I've had one of those days too. Asking myself the same questions.

bethnoir said...

we all have those days, don't let one particularly bad one deter you from a lifestyle you've spent a long time preparing for and carrying out so well.

Teachers get holidays though, perhaps you need a bit more 'me time' now and then?

arwen_tiw said...

Been there, done that lol! I suppose it pinpoints one of the dangers of believing that if we do everything perfectly everything will always go perfectly for us. ;)

Don't be discouraged, you don't have to be either a rubbish mum or a rubbish homeschooler to have a day like that. At least, I hope not!