Days at home

Leni and Fliss have more need to spend time at home than I do. It is one of the aspects of autonomous parenting that I have found the most difficult really, in my ideal world I would be surrounded by lots of people all of the time, Leni and Fliss need a minimum of two days a week at home not doing very much. I found last winter very difficult as they were firmly in hibernation mode and I do find long tracts of time at home without adult company affect my mood badly.However, the more time I spend trying to honour their need to be at home the more I see just why they need it. They might spend three hours watching TV, then we'll have an explosion of ideas, of wanting to talk about things, of making things. Clearly this is their thinking time, time when ideas are formed and when learning happens invisibly.

During this time, they really don't want much input from me. We might exchange a few words about what is happening on the program they are watching, we might all sing along to the theme tune but if I try to 'engage' them too much I get met with grunts only. There is important brain work going on here.

So, I have spent a lot of time this year making our house a place where I really want to be. For me, having the chickens and cat, scattering craft projects and books around the house (they often want my company, but without me being active in what they are doing) make a difference. Relaxing about me sometimes watching TV while they are busy does too.

I find myself sometimes too focussed on being a 'good' autonomous educator, trying too hard and ending up feeling like a performing monkey. One of the great things about pregnancy is that it makes this impossible, my input into their education now is the odd comment (along the lines of, 'that reminds me of...'), provider of paint and paper in vast quantities, help with the computer as needed, help with impromptu making things as they come up with ideas and the usual daily science explanation for Leni (today's was condensation). I find myself thinking that this home ed stuff should be hard work, I should feel 'busy' with child related stuff when really, they do a great job of it all by themselves as long as I am available and occasionally introducing interesting stuff I've found.

Clarexxx