Comments on: Sweet Defeat

By: Leslie

Leslie — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 17:25:33 +0000

Suz, I admire you for your effort with Jachin and even more so for knowing it just wasn’t working. It’s so easy, when it comes to your children, to fool yourself into thinking you’re doing them good when you sacrifice yourself. But you’re a good mother, and you know to maintain that, you’ve got to take care of yourself. It was a huge act of courage to homeschool your son and an even greater one to send him back. You didn’t fail. Not at all.

No go get yourself that pedicure! You deserve it.

By: Mama Milton

Mama Milton — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:35:31 +0000

I hope you find some peace in your decision. I love the idea of homeschooling. The theory. I pondered it from the time I was pregant with Lexi, it’s just that I didn’t think I was cut out for it. I think I would do a fine job, it’s just that I thought I would become so grouchy, so overwhelmed because I crave being alone. I always have. Thankfully, the kids love school, love their friends so I don’t fret too much. We’re in a decent school. But I still think about it from time to time.

So, here’s to hot showers and peace of mind. I think you are a fabulous mom who knows her kiddos, and took a risk. I think you rock.

Have a great weekend.

By: Mama Milton

Mama Milton — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:36:28 +0000

Or perhaps I was *pregnant*…

By: stephanie

stephanie — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 22:47:04 +0000

Everyone asked me when I was pregnant (and pregant, too :)) if I was going to homeschool because I’m a teacher. I always thought it was such a funny question - being a teacher means I generally accept that school is a good place for people to go. Then I started wondering if I should be the one to teach my kids. I had the same blissful dreams of going places without crowds, taking our time examining the cultural richness around, reading classic books all afternoon…

But you’ve found the golden ticket - Moms without time to be quiet, calm, introspective and ALONE occasionally become unhelpful to their children. Those who homeschool successfully (meaning they are well-adjusted women with well-adjusted kids) are a fantastic mystery to me; God bless them. I do any extra teaching and cultural learning and classic-reading I feel needs to happen when we have time after school and during vacations.

You haven’t been defeated. You’ve discovered a better answer, and no one can do that without some kind of research and experimentation

By: kerri

kerri — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 12:43:21 +0000

Time alone is one of the most important things in life! I don’t know how you Moms do it. Living with an adult man is hard enough sometimes. But also, isn’t it important that good, smart, involved families still believe in public schools? For the sake of children growing up in less than ideal homes, for whom going to school is their only, best shot at doing better, shouldn’t we all try to make the system work, make sure enough money is going toward education and demand better teachers and curriculums? If everyone with the means and ability home schools or puts their kids in private schools, what happens to the public schools? What happens to the kids left behind whose parents aren’t bugging the board of education to make things better?

By: kate

kate — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 17:30:02 +0000

i think you’re a rock star for trying, and a great mom for understanding when to say when. we’ve just had a week of no school and no work thanks to the san diego wildfires, and i can’t wait to see the back of my kids tuesday morning as they walk through the doors of the public school. bad mom? maybe. but…i’m a better mom when i’ve had some non-mom time. congrats on your showers.