On parenting

This parenting stuff....it's not easy I'm here to say. Some nights I reflect on the day and wonder if we did all that we could. There's so much packed into each of our evenings that I feel like I'm on a hamster wheel, going no where.

Take for example Regan's homework. She's in 3rd grade and our elementary school is high strung on a new model called "Megan Stone Theory". It's all about the kids taking responsibility for their own homework. As such, as parents, we are not to go into their backpacks. Rather Regan (and Sidney) are to dig out their folders, homework, daily planners, etc and review them with us, get it done/signatures and return them to their backpacks. Simple.

Or not.

Because what happens between the "go get your backpack" to "we're done", is a whirlwind of activity. On a non-activity night, we have 3 hours together as a family to prepare dinner, eat dinner, nurse Lincoln, do homework, shower/baths and get into bed. Not to mention we like to do something fun as a family such as a walk, a swing or running in the back yard. And on most nights, we have a practice for at least one of the kids (softball, dance, etc) which leaves even less time to do all that is required.

So while the kids are trying to do homework after we get home, and Ryan is still at work, I'm preparing dinner and entertaining Lincoln all at the same time. It's like a juggling act some nights where I feel like all of the balls come falling onto my head at the same time: smoke alarms (no joke...having one of those new fancy smoke alarms just means it goes off every time I cook, or make toast for that matter!), kids whining that their home work is too hard, that they can't find the "right" pencil, Lincoln tugging at my hair that I forgot to pull back while giving me slobbering kisses and lunging for the hot pot on the kitchen stove, Sidney having to poop mid-meal (every.single.night), you name it, we're a circus over here.

Sidney's homework is simple: handwriting. And the kid is a genius in my eyes conquering her handwriting no problem.

She's writing out her sight words on the white board now too, just for a little extra fun.

 Regan has a math worksheet to do each night, which is sometimes easy, sometimes not. Often requires a little coaxing from us to complete, or at least a little direction. She also has a Writer's Workshop assignment each week which is roughly 10 problems involving writing. This is thankfully given on Monday and not due until Friday so we can work on it in bits and pieces. She has to read for at least 20 minutes/day too. This is our easiest piece of homework. The kid adores reading and we put her to bed at the same time as Sidney because she spends at least 30 minutes reading in bed. Currently she's breezing through my old Babysitter Club series...and loving them! 

But on top of all that, we are working hard on her math facts, those darn timed tests, and she dreads it. "It's so hard!", she complains constantly. And so I'm thankful when her softball coach incorporates math facts into practice. No lie, yesterday I heard "we're going to do this 3 times, with 7 balls, so how many good throws should we have? 3x7....". Oh, and on top of that, she gets a list of spelling words to conquer each week in time for her test on Friday.

Really, we're only in 3rd grade and I feel like she has a solid hour of homework each night. Now if this little girl could get on the ball with the "Megan Stone theory", it might make things a little easier. But she has very little internal fire to take responsibility (opposite of Sidney), and she has a serious lack of effort in math. We're making progress, bit by bit. But it's a challenge many nights. And sometimes I collapse on the couch and my heart is heavy, hopeful that she's succeeding the best that she can. That we are doing at least something right. Because at the end of the day, I want our kids to know how much they are loved, and how their own actions result in their success. In the meantime, I'll keep up my nightly juggling act and hope that I can keep everything in the air and know that I'm probably not alone with our crazy circus act.