Life in the Balance

I like to be organized. I like to be balanced. I like to be prepared. I like to be punctual. And for those of you who know me well, you're probably laughing right now, since you know that I'm NOT organized, balanced, prepared, or punctual.

This summer, I started stressing over how I was going to be a good wife, mom, housekeeper, and teacher. Much as I wished to be a good homemaker, I wasn't a competent housekeeper even before I took on the task of teaching the boys. So how was I going to add their education to my already-full plate without dropping the ball in some other area?

And then something a friend wrote really resonated with me: how do you find a balance when there isn't one?

...when there isn't one?

I had never before thought about the possibility that I was looking for a balance that simply didn't exist. I had assumed that, miraculously, I needed to find the missing key in order to do it all. But I think my friend was right. There simply isn't a key, or a balance, to be found. It's not there.

After this mental breakthrough, I stopped stressing. Each day, we try to get the bulk of our school work done, with a few household chores sprinkled throughout our day. And when the housework builds up to the point that it's inhibiting either our functionality or our health, we simply reverse our priorities. We try to get the bulk of our housework done with a few worksheets accomplished here and there.

Am I neglecting the kids' education by doing so? I think not. I realized early on that home schooling has very little to do with workbooks and a great deal to do with life. Teaching children how to manage overflowing toys is just as necessary as learning to count, at least in my opinion. Plus, we can also incorporate learning into scrubbing bathroom sinks. We can sing through our educational songs while working. We can count the toys as we toss them into the toy box. We can stop to read a book before sliding it back on the shelf.

And, if the house is clean, I'm a happier person, which translates into a better teacher the following day. I think the kids would gladly put up with a day of chores rather than deal with a constantly-grumpy mom.

It's not a perfect solution, but it's one that works for us, for right now. As our needs change, so will our strategies. These days, I find that I'm learning at least as much as the kids are. To me, that's really exciting!

Life truly isn't balanced, and it was quite silly of me for trying to make it so. This is yet another area where I'm learning to roll with life's hiccups. Perhaps someday I'll actually discover my sea legs instead of falling apart every time a wave of life hits!