When Life Throws You a Curve Ball

Life doesn’t come with a pause button. Neither does homeschooling.

There are times when life throws you a curve ball, which in turn, throws a wrench into your homeschooling schedule.

Such was our week last week. Our world was thrown a bit off kilter. I was left feeling out of sorts and unable to focus. Between lengthy phone calls, tears and a mounting to-do list, our intense homeschooling routine fell by the wayside. Instead, copious amounts of reading and letter writing took place and impromptu craft projects were the order of the day {or week!}.

My children busied themselves with creating pots, vases and plates out of dirt and water. They spent hours sculpting each piece and set them out in the sun to harden. For three days, they labored and then on the fourth, they eagerly asked if they could paint.

I threw down a plastic tablecloth on the driveway, filled an empty egg carton with different colored paints and grabbed some sponge paint brushes. My only instruction was, “Have fun!”

All day they painted.

When they felt like each piece of pottery had reached mastery, they ran inside eager for me to come out and see. They were glowing with pride.

Then, it hit me. When it comes down to it, I don’t need fancy curriculum. I don’t have to plan out all of our fun. I don’t always have to know in advance what all of our projects will be. I can’t predict what they will enjoy next week or what life will throw at us. I don’t have to!

By me simply allowing them to be children and unleash their childlike imaginations, they came up with their own masterpieces. And as a result, I believe, were far more proud of what they had done than if I had been the one to suggest it.

My only word of caution in all of this: Do make sure your children are wearing clothes you don’t mind getting ruined. Oops!