I know that my posts have been lacking, uninspired for a while. There are things that I just don't want to relive and hash out on paper. Not because they are bad, but because its just not interesting. No brilliant parenting tips here. I'm just winging it, trying to do the best I can, and I'm pretty sure most of the things I do will never grace the pages of a book. Unless I were to write one titled "Yeah that's really not gonna work for me." haha. Have a child and the mommy wars begin, especially if you really want to do it right. You know better than your parents. Oh, wait, were they winging it to? Doing the best they could in the situation they were in? Nah. That can't be right.
I've come to terms with the facts: I liked using diapers. I wasn't able to breast feed my newborns, much less send some in my 3yr old's thermos to Tuesday school. I love the idea of homeschooling, but it wasn't meant to be for our family, and I fell in love with our kids school....public school. Shudder. I have no idea what attachment parenting really is. Yeah, we had a sling but my husband used it more than I did and and while a couple of our kids have "coslept" with us it was not by my choice. Those little bodies produce a lot more heat than you'd think.
I could go on and on painting a picture of how "bad" of a parent that I am. No really I could. But, somehow, I have great kids. Yeah I know being their mom makes me a wee bit biased, and they aren't perfect, they are kids, after all. But, they are intelligent and kind and funny. Someday they will make great parents. That's everything we're all striving for right? We get caught up in the other stuff, and the hustle and bustle, but really all that matters is the kind of people they grow up to be.
It's been an interesting school year for me. I'm learning to let go and see what they can do. This year, I told the kids that I didn't give a flying flip about their grades, but we would continue to go over the things they missed. Amazing how they take off when they no longer feel pressure to perform a certain way. We've been talking a great deal this year about initiative as well. With technology, there is no reason for them to sit around and wait for someone to teach them. If you're curious look it up. Its ok to go beyond the classroom at home, to delve further into your interests.
Still working on the middle child. We are still figuring each other out. He's not like any of my other kids when it comes to learning. Above average intelligence with a big chip on his shoulder. I keep thinking that one day he will realize that he's younger than his brother and sister, not less. The things that he can't do are things that he can't do YET, because he is younger. And of all things he doesn't like praise. I mean, ever know anyone who doesn't like praise? It shuts him down. You gotta be sneaky about it. After the first six weeks of school, I pretty much left him alone, just doing what had to be done for school. This seems so wrong, but he flourished. It's gotta be his. He has to own his accomplishments. Lately, I've been working a few things in here and there if he asks. Reading a story about bats and his questions and we looked up some very interesting facts. Reading a required story about diego rivera and we looked up pictures of the actual places that were cartoon drawings in the story. And, interesting enough, things that I thought were a waste of time for him in the past, left a bigger impression than I thought. He tells his younger siblings so many interesting things. He is a great teacher. His younger brother is reading because of him.
You can only do so much. They are what they are. So, enjoy today.
