Embracing my inner 2-year-old
I know you’ve seen them because they are UBIQUITOUS.
- NaNoWriMo (and it’s spawn, NaNoBloMo, NaNoJoMo, MumBoJumBo, HunGryHipPo, etc, etc)
- Art Everyday
- Tuesday Teatime
- Wordless Wednesday
- Thankful Thursday
- Fun Friday
- Simple Saturday? Sinful Sunday? No, that can’t be right…
- etc, etc, etc.
There are challenges! and themes! for every day of the week and every month of the year, I think.
I think they are all FABULOUS, great, wonderful ideas. I think lots of folks get a great deal out of these things–are more productive, inspired, consistent, whatever.
I love the whole idea of them. I want to do them all!
But…
I just can’t do them.
I’ve tried, I really have. I go into them with such high hopes and the best of intentions, but always, every time, inevitably and without fail (seeing a trend here?) I drop out before even a handful of days have passed.
And it has nothing to do with the merits of the challenge itself, because the same thing goes for every schedule I have ever set for myself–lesson plans, household management, meal plan, devotional…just name the wagon, I have fallen off it.
WHY?
I’m not certain, but I think I know.
I am an unschooler at heart, that’s why.
Take something that I would gladly do daily for pleasure and turn it into something I HAVE TO DO and suddenly it loses all appeal to me. I drag my feet, I stall, I make faces, make excuses, make cookies… I pull out every avoidance tactic I know and eventually I let myself fall so far behind that my only sane option is to just drop it altogether.
Is it any wonder my son loses all interest in a book when I “assign” it to him? That he loses interest in a subject as soon as I try to box it into a schedule or a time-frame? Even subjects that he would have dug into enthusiastically if I hadn’t messed it up with my misguided meddling?
Sound familiar? Yea. He sounds like me, poor thing.
He is, after all, my son, and genetics is a powerful force.
It’s not that we don’t want to work hard, or we don’t love a challenge. We do! We really do! But for the most part we want to challenge ourselves. We want to work hard because we are driven by our own internal goals, our innate curiosity, our personal obsessions. We like to do things because we we want to, not because we have to. We will work like madmen at tasks of our own choosing, but the minute that an external taskmaster rears it’s head (even if only on paper)– we balk, we fight and we stomp our metaphorical feet like a two-year-old newly asserting his individuality.
“No! I don’t want to! YOU CANT MAKE ME!“
Tsk tsk. Temper, temper. So much for NaNoBaNaNo.
Immature? Maybe.
Hopeless?Perhaps.
Different? Yes, certainly that.
But this is why God invented unschooling. (Really! It’s in the Bible somewhere, I’m sure of it……ok, maybe not.)
Anyway, it was invented for those of us with “issues.” The “strong willed” child on the proverbial playground. It was invented so we can learn without having to be told, scheduled, or neatly boxed in. So that instead of listening to external voices telling us what we should learn and when, we can listen to our own hearts as our guides.
Because really, with our inner two-year-olds making so much racket, we have no other choice.
Filed under: Random Ramblings
Hmmm, maybe that’s what is wrong with me too! LOL!!
I have such a tough time adhering to someone else’s schedule. I start out with great intentions, and things go okay at first, then it all just drifts off like a boat lost at sea…
You have inspired me and I know so many others with your wonderful ideas. Thank goodness for people like you who can help me see that it’s okay to be different and march to the tune of a different drummer. Each day I come closer to embracing what I know is right for me and my own child. It’s just hard to finally give in and let go of all the things I’d like to try because they look so good on paper. They’re just not right for us.
What on earth are you talking about???
hahahahaahaa
I’m soooo funny.
I was at the children’s museum one day, and this woman (the babe’s grandmother, I think) said “She has her own mind, today!”
And I thought “why in the world do people say that!?!… whose else could she possibly have?!”
…so…that’s what’s wrong with me!
Wow! That hits very close to home! I love the idea, but I know that it won’t work for me. . . I guess we just need to carve our own path, wherever that may lead.
This is perfect! It’s also a nice reminder for me to trust my kids internal voices! Thanks
It’s so easy to make everything in to some kind of assignment… and suck the fun right out of it. Thank goodness my daughter doesn’t hesitate to tell me, “You’re fun sucking, Mom.”
This came at a perfect time for me. I have a meeting with our local education board next week in which I have to explain what we’ve been doing for the past year. I don’t know if you are aware but the UK is undergoing lots of policy change regarding home education, and I decided to have my visit voluntarily rather than wait for when it becomes compulsory.
I am so nervous! I have been trying to put into words how forcing the kids to do some thing (I have tried) always backfires and that by sitting on my hands and letting them get on with it has worked so much better.
If you don’t mind, I would like to print this post out and keep it in my notes to refer back to when I can’t find the words for myself next week.
(And my anti spam word is PEACE!) Here’s hoping……
It IS in the bible!!!
Acts 4:13
“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”
To be fair the entire chapter explains that these UNSCHOOLED guys healed a guy and when asked about the miracle they told everyone it was because of Jesus and the “schooled” folks AKA the Sanhedrin were in a quandry as to what to do with them. ( Schooled folks sometimes feelthey must do something when everything is alright even good without intervention )
There is inference that they were arrested and imprisoned as it just would not do to have them going around doing such things like healing and helping people in Jesus’ name. (Apparently these schooled folks felt so threatened they lost their sense of right and wrong had to squelch the do-gooders who were messing with their status quo/ image of reality )
Wow, Susan!!! That’s great! I had no idea, really! Thanks!!!
Thoughtful post. I’m not a “challenge” person, but this month I’m doing an art challenge and a journaling challenge – it’s been surprisingly fun & motivating.
And I always cringe when I hear libraries and schools offering points for reading books. The book “Punished by Rewards” (Kohn) covers this topic thoroughly.
~ Tammy
I know, Tammy, I’ve been following your progress! You’ve got some great stuff going on! I’m actually jealous because I wish I could follow through better on these things.
lol, so it’s not just me! I feel better now
What a great post. Thought you were talking about me for a while there!
Have you read ‘What do I do when I want to do everything?’ by Barbara Sher. I think you would like it!
best wishes, Julie.
I don’t have trouble following my own challenges but I have a lot of trouble following through with other people’s challenges.
We have tried Think!, Unplugged!, Weekly Wrap-Up, and a couple others and I just don’t make it.
So what category do I fall into I wonder?
Barb
oh, my. I am sitting here, up late, and I did a google search on what someone else’s schedule might be because I wish I could do a schedule. I am pondering it…
but I can’t. I just can’t.
People always say that kids need a routine. What if I had a routine? would my life be more wonderful?
Do you think there is some internal flaw .. I mean… like maybe something that needs to be healed inside when you are a person who nearly implodes when attempting to follow a schedule? Lacking discipline, perhaps???
I will just continue writing myself a schedule and then I will follow it for 1 week and then I will report on which is better. (ha ha ha, could I even follow it for one day???)
Have a wonderful move!!