This is a blog I wrote for my girls’ school’s website…
My name is Robin, and I am a messy.
When I say that, let me assure you that I am not one of those annoying people who apologize for the mess when there’s no mess to be found.
I am one of those people who, at times, profoundly struggles to keep up.
I am much better than I used to be, but victories in the area of organization are still something that I celebrate, not something that is routine.
I hear people encouraging others to let the laundry go, to enjoy the kids while they are this age, and for some those words have tremendous wisdom. But for others, like me, that advice misses a reality that should not be overlooked.
Sometimes the most valuable thing I can do for my family is to create some peace and order.
I am all about flexibility, but it is difficult to homeschool if there is not a single flat surface available. Am I all alone in this struggle?
The truth is there are always two sides to every coin. Yes, I struggle with order. But, yes, it is also true that I encourage my kids to be creative.
There are times when the successes and failures of my life are so tightly layered one upon the other that I can’t tell them apart.
My girls made brownies together. Awesome.
My girls don’t quite clean up after themselves when they make brownies. Not so awesome.
I love to let my kids experiment. Great.
I don’t always clean up right away. Not so great.
Years into this educational process called SLOCA I am getting settled into the rhythm, learning the balance of what to let go of–perfection, condemnation and discouragement–and realizing that sometimes that means acknowledging who I am, not who I wish I was. There are times when taking a deep breath (and using a school day to get things organized) can be just what I need to facilitate the many magic moments this way of educating has to offer; when the willingness to face my own weaknesses, with courage and not criticism, makes way for my children’s strengths to flourish.
I don’t know what your weaknesses are specifically, but I do know two things:
- You have weaknesses.
- Whatever they are, you are not alone in them. Someone else struggles with that very same thing, too.
Let’s be a community of growth and solutions! Let’s cheer each other on in our weaknesses so that our strengths can be enjoyed together…humbly, honestly, transparently. Our children learn so much from watching us. Mine are learning that Pinterest makes for great moments fueled by new ideas, but that the mundane takes up much more time than we often want it to, and even more time if it is fueled by neglect.
In case you were wondering, the laundry will start to smell if you leave it in the washer for too long. Ask me how I know…