Childhood is not an emergency. So why does it often feel like one?
Hurry, hurry, hurry, we’re going to be late! We never have enough time! Finish your homework! Hurry up, let’s go!
So many people have told me they would never have the patience to homeschool their kids. The word “brave” has even been thrown my way lately.
But you know what? I have never felt more relaxed and at peace than I have the past few weeks (once I got past the anxiety of screwing up my kids).
I love the way our days go. Homeschool in the morning (starting whenever we wake up). Play time in the afternoons. Activities a few evenings a week.
Less “HURRY UP!” More reading, relaxing, smelling the roses.
I understand that things will probably get busier as the kids get older. When sports and dance and music require more of a time commitment. But right now, this schedule feels perfect. And going forward I want to be intentional about striving for peace in our days as much as possible.
I also understand that some of this is a luxury of choices. I can choose to stay home and do a little freelancing. Jeff can choose a job that has an offseason.
But we also make sacrifices to be able to make these choices. We don’t own a fancy house. We don’t own a house at all. We rent a small home filled with hand-me-down furniture and thrift store finds. We drive our cars until they drive no more.
Don’t get me wrong, we have stress in our life. Sometimes way too much. But I have found that if I can do my part to provide peaceful daily living, we all cope better when the stressful stuff comes along.
It’s not a glamorous life, but right now, today, it’s a peaceful one.
