Tuesday, January 29, 2019

The Winter Slump


Try as we might, we can't seem to get back into our normal homeschool routine. Or maybe it's try as I might, because my young pupils aren't very keen on trying. Even the cat is disinterested. (See above.) We're not doing nothing, but some lessons have been outright refused. We have a system in which the kids can only have screen time and other special activities if they've done their school lessons, and one of my children is like, meh, not worth it. Which is her choice to make, but ugh. She sure is making it more times in a row than I am comfortable with.

This is the inconvenience of raising kids to make their own choices and learn to live with the consequences. Sometimes they choose the consequences. I think that right now, we are all tired, and we've been doing a whole lot of stuff, and it's cold, and nothing seems worth it. Who cares about screen time or a special activity if it requires effort to get it? Not my school lesson avoiding child. And the truth is that there are some fun things I'd like to do right now, but the effort it would take to do them is more than I'm willing to exert. I get it. I'm not judging my kids for doing what I myself do sometimes.

Some people would likely advise that I do something to force her to do her schoolwork. I understand the logic of this. Many people see schoolwork as a child's job. But I see it as one responsibility among many, and if she is making progress in other areas, then I can let her make this decision for herself right now. Eventually, she will decide to do her schoolwork again. I know she will. This has happened before, and I know the drill. I'm not worried. If only I could get her to sound a bit less delighted when she shouts "NOTHING!" to queries about what she learned that day, I'd be all set.

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