Happy Unschooling Days

I don't know if it is simply the contrast with spending a week with sickness last week or what, but we have had some very nice days here at home lately. I had a true naru hodo moment several days ago when I realized the difference in our interactions (less fights among kids, less whinyness and boredom), and the creativity level of our activity, all due to having the MUSIC playing! How do I forget things like this? We've had more games, more creative projects, more sharing, more independent play. I admit however I've had a harder time focusing on what is being said to me by my children as I almost literally do not hear people talking if I have music in my brain. It gives me some sympathy for how my son tends to be without music.

Homeschoolers don't tend to admit to the general public that sometimes days are not happy. It's that defensive thing, of course. Who wants a lecture about how it could be so much easier if the kids would just be in school. Unschoolers perhaps are even less likely to discuss feelings of irritation at whatever can irritate us about our unschooling days. But I'm very grateful for Unschooling Catholics, where we can discuss ups and downs and realize that doubts about our course of action are part of life.

What I find key to this round of ups for me, which gives me some insights into the down times, is that I have a sense of our connectedness being strong. We all want to be with each other. Which of course doesn't mean that we spend every moment of the day interacting. But I have found a few times when both children were doing their things that didn't require me that my feeling about it leaned more towards disappointment than relief. My children are small, so there are those days when I just want to use the restroom alone, or think about how to style my hair without any companionship.

Maybe another happiness key, or indicator, is that I find myself saying yes throughout the day. To me, "no" is for safety, health, and sanity. But I discover I have finally moved away from using "no" for a sense of control.

If I am happy, I have a good sense that my children are, too. And that makes for the best learning environment.