Through this process of surgery, I have encountered the beauty of homeschooling again and again.
- The doctor’s nurse asks if we need a note for missing school.
- Our doctor asks about school obligations.
- An education specialist at the hospital asks about getting behind on schoolwork.
I can brush them off with two words — “We homeschool.”
No need for notes explaining where we are or what is about to happen. No need for a tutor or a specialist to help.
Just “homeschool.”
On one hand it’s incredibly freeing. We are not bound by attendance rules or course outline of the public schools.
On the other hand it’s a huge burden. All the decision making lies on my shoulders.
- When should we resume school?
- How much should I require her to do during recovery?
- How quickly or slowly should we ease back into lessons?
- Should I throw out the things we missed during this phase or try to cram them in later?
But isn’t that where it always was? The task of educating my child is my job whether we are homebound or not.
I’m choosing to focus on the beauty of the freedom instead of the burden of the responsibility.
During week three post-op, a friend asked me “How much school are you getting done?”
And I boldly answered, “Oh, we haven’t done any school since surgery. Emma’s job right now is to recover.”
No guilt. No second guessing. Just enjoying her freedom to recover without the pressure of hurrying her healing or completing make up assignments. This is yet another facet of the beauty of homeschooling.
Awesome. Praying for speedy recovery!
Dear Jimmie…Amen, no guilt! You are a wise woman, following the Lord’s leading and you can trust Him as He speaks to your heart…isn’t it odd that our culture views learning as something we partake of for 9 months each year-when in reality it is life..and life is learning! Your sweet girl is learning many lessons that will serve her richly in days to come…I taught in a Christian school for 12 years and have home schooled for 5 and am just now coming to see that there is far more to learn than one lifetime can hold…may we all hold to what is lasting and eternal and let the dross burn away! May the Lord cover you all with His healing wings!! Love in Christ, Becky
Praying for you and your sweet daughter. I had surgury on my back for scoliosis when I was 15. They put a rod in my back (had a literal S curve), ready your posts has made me think back on those days over 35 years ago. It was painfull, but God used it to strengthen me in so many ways and actually answer many prayers!!! Praying for healing – your daughter has a special place in my heart being a kindred spirit in this experience…
Kathey
Amen to that! How many times do we as adults wish we had more time to heal but can’t or think we can’t, because of work. You are letting her listen to her body and let that tell her when it is okay to start back to work. Blessings to all of you, God will let you know when it is time to get back to work and until she starts with books again, she is learning! More lessons than any books can tell.
Yes to waiting for school work– she (and anyone who has had surgery) has ONE chance to heal correctly. Good job, Mom! Blessing to you all!
It brings to mind Mary and Martha. That there were many things Mary could have been doing but she chose the best thing to do in that moment. Likewise Emma has the rest of her life to learn but only now to heal.
Absolutely, Jimmie! Sweet Emma needs time to heal, and so do you. I thought of another beauty of homeschool while reading your post: you don’t have to cram anything in, nor must you skip it. You are free to continue on where you left off. The only schedule is yours. Yes, it’s a responsibility, but it’s also a blessing.
Wonderful post and So agree with your approach~ no worries just recovery. Praying and thinking of you and your daughter for a speedy recovery 🙂
It is a blessing that we don’t have to follow the “rules” of school systems and we can take breaks when we physically need it. We’ve thankfully not had to deal with surgeries, but we schedule dentist or ortho appts during the day and never have to worry about excuse notes or missing anything. Liz had physical therapy for her legs for 6 wks on Friday mornings and the littles and I used that time for park days. It was a nice breather to look forward to during that time. Praying for a quick recovery for Emma!
Beautiful post Jimmie! That is exactly as it should be. You all remain in my prayers.
We were in a serious car accident and I struggled with those same issues. Praying for a quick recovery.
Such a reassuring post for all of us, and especially those stressed and pressurized homeschool moms, Jimmie! I think that it is only in crisis or disturbance we see the real strengths of homeschooling; being available to those who need us and pacing the work or recovery to suit the weakest or most needy.
I hope that Emma regains all her energy and strength soon and that you ease back into the “new normal” with fresh vision and joy.
I like your optimism. Go girl!
This reminded me of when my son broke his arm. They had to sedate him to set the bones, and my husband ended up staying with him while I left to pick up the other kids from my brother-in-law’s house (it was the middle of the night and I knew the baby would be waking up soon). When he came home with his papa, my son proudly waved the paper from the doctor giving him permission for a 3 day absence from school. I don’t give snow days, but I had to let him have that one. 😉
I haven’t been by your lovely blog in many months. Had no idea you guys went through this. So glad she received great care and recovered well.
This post was a good reminder for me to take things slow. My 10 year old was hospitalized at the end of January and discovered that he has Type 1 diabetes. So I keep wondering if it’s important to get back to “normal” or focus mainly on learning how to care for him and let the schoolwork come back later. Right now we are just taking it slowly. “No guilt” is a great way to look at it. Thanks!