Am I the kind of mama that drops the kid off at preschool, tears and all, and believes he’s happy the minute I leave?
Or am I the kind of mama that invites all the neighborhood kids over and has preschool at home?
Am I the kind of mama that can enroll my son in kindergarten and really trust that a teacher he and I barely know, knows what is best for him?
Or am I the kind of mama that finds a group of like minded mamas to let our kids learn in their own way? Together.
Am I the kind of mama that can let kids be kids and school food be junk to fuel their little brains?
Or am I the kind of mama that believes it can only be the best if it comes from a real kitchen and not a freezer?
Am I the kind of mama that worries he’ll miss something if we don’t do what everyone else does?
Or am I the kind of mama that can let him find his own way?
Am I the kind of mama that thinks there is no substitute for kick ball with your buddies on an asphalt court and Christmas Carol programs?
Or am I the kind of mama that can find other ways of thinking outside the traditional box?
Am I the kind of mama that is going to beg and plead until hours of homework is done?
Or am I the kind of mama that lets the homework be the whole lesson because it never left home.
Am I the kind of mama that believes lessons begin and end with a bell, and learning only happens when you are sitting still?
Or am I the kind of mama that thinks science is better learned on a hike with a wasp cocoon in one hand and the other one reaching for a butterfly?
Am I the kind of mama that needs the kids to go to school so that I have some time to clean house of my own time?
Or am I the kind of mama that can live with a chaotic busy life around the clock?
I honestly don’t know.
What kind of mama are you?
Bring on the school bell!
I wish I had it in me to be patient with my children and be able to teach them all the necessary things they need to know, such as the questions and answers one might find on “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” But I know myself and I know that my patience runs very thin with people (big or little people… doesn’t matter) who “don’t get it” the first or second time around. Four preschool aged little girls would drive me insane trying to meet all of their learning needs at once. MAYBE if my kids were spread out by 4 years between each and I could take the time to focus on each of them, I might be in a different mindset. Then, there is HOW I teach…
At work, I believe in trial by fire. I teach them once and I give them the tools to do their work (you don’t learn by watching, you learn by doing), but if they can’t cut it in a week, they are gone. I can’t expel my own kids. ;-)
I’d also rather teach kids by consequences too. They are still little, so I repeat things exponentially more times than I would an adult, but I still let them fail in order to succeed and learn. For example, I’ll tell them not to walk barefoot on the grass in the front yard with the clover all over it and WHY they should be careful. And when they get stung by a bee, they will learn. Same goes with “if you eat too much candy…”, ” if you don’t go to sleep at night…” and, my favorite, “if you don’t get dressed to go out when I tell you to, you will go in your PJs…”
BUT … teaching them US History? Science? Geometry? Nope, I’m out.
When my nephew Luke was about 7 (I was in my late 30′s) he asked me very seriously one day, “Aunty San, why don’t you have any kids?”
My heart stopped for a second; I had no idea what to say.
After a moment I said, “My job is to be the world’s greatest Aunty.” and I waited…
He responded, “OK. Can I tell my mom?” and off he went.
What a great story! We all have different paths, but that doesn’t mean we always know what the name of that path is. What quick thinking, and such a genuine answer. Good thinking mama!
What a lovely post.
While I’m not a mama I think questioning our roles in life and wondering how well we do is what makes us be a person (friend.auntie.mama) that cares.
Visiting from SITS :)
Good question! Honestly, since I only became a mom six months old, I can’t really say what kind of mom I am. I know that the mom that I would like to be is reliable, honest, funny, and understanding. I would like to be the kind of mom who only cooks dinner and forbids take out, but we’ll see.
-Jessica
Oh, and I finally linked my blog post on being a “working” mother to your post on being a sahm. Sorry, I am a bit technologically slow at times! Also, I shared your link (to that post) on my blog today, so check it out!
Ha ha…I’m that kind of mama…the “or” mama. Mostly. I’ve only been at this for three years, so it’s just kind of unfolding as we go. But so many of the modern approaches to motherhood don’t really sit well with me. I choose to take responsibility for my little ones in every sense, and at least make informed decisions about things.
PS- thanks taking the time to read (and comment!) on my guest post at Rediscovering Domesticity! I really appreciate it. :)
Mostly the latter. We’ve been homeschooling by the seat of our pants for over 13 years, but I get pretty lazy about cooking, and don’t freak out too much when my kids eat junk food. I don’t buy it very often, but they tend to binge on it when it’s available, like at Grandma’s house. ;-)
I struggle with this, as well. I’d love to homeschool the littles, but am finding an incredibly hard time figuring out how to get things done with the boys under foot. Maybe it will get easier as they are older, but for right now, 4 year old plus 2 year old twins is hard!
While I LOVE the idea of having my kids learn at their own pace and in a way that’s best for them … I cannot imagine that I would have enough patience to homeschool!
Probably because I can’t imagine having enough patience to be a teacher, period.
And therein lies the dilemma. I’m hoping that my and my husband’s “teaching” (and loving and coaching,etc) outside of the official classroom will help round out the education from our school system.
Can’t they stay newborn and 3 forever?!?!?!
I’m a homeschool mom all the way….now. It took a while to make the leap, and a long while to feel confident about it, and even now I have days. I just have to remind myself that they have a whole lifetime to learn. Life, and learning, are a long distance run, not a sprint, and my kids have their whole lives to learn anything I miss.