The Value of Reading Aloud to Your Kids

 
         One of the best things I did with my small children as a homeschool mom was to have a certain routine where I could unwind and the children could relax a bit every afternoon. It was a lifesaver and it kept me from blowing it many a time when I'd become frazzled.
         After lunch each afternoon it was story-time on the couch with Mom. Each child was allowed to pick out one book for me to read to everyone and I got to pick the rest. This was my time to read aloud and the kids' time to be quiet and listen. The kids would all snuggle up to me on the couch, the youngest ones having the privilege of sitting right next to me.

          We often read for 2 hours and sometimes I had to fight to keep my eyes open, slurring my words; the kids would always jolt me awake so I could finish the story. It was a routine, a habit and it was just expected every afternoon; we all looked forward to it. This served to help us all relax and it also instilled in my kids a love for books and the value of reading. It was also a natural lead-in to blessed nap time.
        
         As the kids got older we continued to read after lunch but usually around the lunch table and I would read aloud a chapter out of one of the Henty book series or one of our favorite series, Little Britches by Ralph Moody. We even read aloud some of the more difficult stuff like Beowulf when my oldest were in high school. Often it was hard to stop at just one chapter and the kids would plead for "just one more, please!"
          I kind of miss those days of reading aloud to my kids but  I look forward to reading to my grandchildren. That will be special.
        

Homeschool "Stay-at-Home-Mom?"

             "Stay-at-Home-Mom" That is a total misnomer. The only time I was a true "Stay-at-Home-Mom" was when I had a very small baby and also when I had toddlers and a baby. It was just easier to stay home then.  As my children aged and we began homeschooling we  stayed at home less and less. There were and are now so many opportunities out there for homeschoolers including organized play times, drama productions to watch and participate in, choirs, bands, art classes, co-op classes, sports, 4-H, debate clubs, all kinds of academic classes, organized field trips, science fairs and more.  It seems like we did it all. There was a lot of going and not much staying at home, and I found myself wishing I was a "Stay-at-Home-Mom."
               I'm thinking those of us who choose to be homeschool "Stay-at-Home-Moms" should call ourselves something different besides SAHM or homeschool Mom. Not that those labels are bad or anything, I just think they are not truly apt descriptors and they lack zing.   When you  have to fill out a form at the doctor's or anywhere else in which you are asked to name your occupation you could put something more professional sounding. How about "Mobile Educational Consultant,"  "Adaptable Academic Advisor," "Itinerant Individualized Tutor," or "Developmental Transitional Educator?"  
              What do you call yourself in that space labeled "occupation?"
           

Mommy Private Time

        My husband is such a gem! Several years back when my kids were much younger and much more demanding and I was homeschooling several children and trying to juggle toddlers at the same time, my husband, seeing how frazzled I was, would occasionally give me private "mommy time,"  while he took care of the kids.  Sometimes I left and went shopping or out to coffee but often I didn't really want to leave, but just to be left alone.

         We came up with an alternate plan:. Daddy would tell the kids, "Mommy's going on a date by herself," and they would hug and kiss me goodbye, whereupon I would go out the back door. He would have the kids occupied inside so that they didn't see me sneak around to the side of the house and come into my bedroom through the sliding glass door. Of course I was very quiet, sometimes taking a long hot bath by candlelight or working on some project or just reading a good book. My husband would sneak food into me and the kids were none the wiser. I wouldn't come out of hiding until all were tucked securely in bed.

         Not only is it OK for moms to get away from their children occasionally, I think it is imperative, especially if she is feeling stressed and harried. It is better for everyone in the family if Mom has a chance to relax and unwind; times of refreshment for mom help her to be more calm, happy, and able to cope with the pressing duties of motherhood and homeschooling.