Answers to Questions

It's been nearly a month since graduation. Has it really been that long already?! Since then (and even some before) I have been asked the same two questions numerous times, although sometimes in different forms. In an effort to curtail the mysteries, here are my answers:

Are you going to teach this fall?
Alternate questions: So, what are your plans now? Are you looking for a job?

A reasonable question with a simple answer. HECK NO! said as a drawn out response for added emphasis -- if I were the swearing type I might even replace the heck with something less attractive. But I'm not, so I don't. In fact, I've never actually said this to anybody yet, but I've thought about it.

*And yes, I realize that "Heck no!" really doesn't work as a response to "So, what are your plans now?" but the rest of the response does...so just keep reading.

I guess I've done quite well at masking my complete aversion of the public education system over the past couple years, because people are asking this question in the first place. But really I'm always amazed to be asked this question anyhow. I guess I can blame it on our society that has come to accept moms working and sending their kids to daycare, so me following suit wouldn't surprise anyone. I imagine this question was not so common forty years ago. In any case, I am not looking for a job and although I never plan to use my degree to teach within the public schools, this is not the reason I have such a strong natural response to this question (in any form).

The truth? I believe mother's belong at home with their children. This belief is ingrained so deeply in my core that I felt strongly enough to write a research paper on this very topic when I was only a freshman in college. That's five years ago, folks! So, this is no young mother epiphany. This is just me.

I could drone on and on about how I feel the lack of mothers in the home has led to the downfall of society and moral fortitude, but I'll save that for another day. Put simply, I plan to be at home actually teaching and learning with my children, and not just when they are "school" aged. Who says "education" has to wait until age 3 or 4 (pre-school) or even age 5 (kindergarten)? Miriam and I talk, sing, dance, eat, sign, cook/bake, clean and play all day long. This is the perfect education for a 16 month old and most young mothers do these things naturally...it's just part of being a mom. But if I'm not home, I can't do these things with her. And if she's at a daycare or being watched by someone else, then someone else gets the benefit of my baby's short childhood while I miss it. Plus, Miriam won't be learning through authentic activities and experiences, nor getting all the attention she deserves.


Are you wondering what to do with all your time now?
Alternate question: Bored yet?

I want to chuckle every time I'm asked this. I usually answer a simple "no, I'm plenty busy." Meanwhile I silently think to myself, "Uh, hello?! Have you forgotten in the short 3 or 4 years since your kids were this age how active toddlers are?!" Goodness, gracious! All the child does is go, go, go! But, even more than just keeping up with Miriam, here is a list of things that am able to do with all of my "free-time" now (HA!):

• Nurturing my family and marriage
  
• Having personal scripture study
• Actually seeing Owen on a regular basis
  
• Exercising!
• Working to improve our family's provident living and self-reliance
• Bargain hunting -- including grocery deals
  
• Cooking real food (as opposed to the frozen pizzas we were eating during my student teaching -- yuck!)
  
• Keeping the dishes done and kitchen clean
• Washing the laundry AND getting it put away
• Puttering around the mansion to pick random things up and put them away(which were usually displaced by Move-Everything-Around-Miriam or Leaves-Things-Out-Owen)
• General housecleaning (dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, moping, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera)
• Working on personally-fulfilling projects (crafts, organization, blogging, etc.)
  

Get the idea? These are some of the many things that I either seriously slacked on, didn't have time to do at all or was too exhausted to even think about for the last two semesters of my undergrad education.

So, at the end of the day, know this...I don't plan on working outside our home anytime soon...and I'm plenty busy.