I have the same job Elisabeth has - wife, mom, & homeschooler - except that my kids are fourth graders this year. I've been home with them for eight years now and formally homeschooling for five. I also teach two classes at our homeschool co-op - grammar and composition on the 4th-5th grade level.
Once school is out for the day, I transition from "teacher" to "chauffeur" and spend my afternoons in my car, running the kids to their various activities. And throughout the day, I'm also "cook", "housekeeper", "pet care-giver", "nurse", etc., just like any stay-at-home parent.
There are definitely good days and bad, and there are some days when I really miss working - being around adults, chatting around the coffee pot in the morning, having projects with a beginning, middle, and end, being
thanked by the recipients of my efforts. (And my husband does thank me. My kids might thank me one day, but right now, making them do math does not inspire much in the way of gratitude. Go figure.)
But there are also plenty of days when I'm bowled over by how very privileged I am to spend my time learning and laughing with my children every day. When I see their eyes light up as understanding dawns. When we're able to snuggle up on the sofa and read one more chapter, just because we want to. When they ask some question or make some observation that makes me realize that I have as much to learn from them as they have from me. That's good stuff
.
Caroline
