Stated An Opinion.

And got some great comments on my Facebook status.  Well, that’s the way it goes when you state your opinion in a somewhat judgemental manner, I suppose.  I’m not sorry I said it.

 

This is what I said:

 

Suddenly so mad I could spit nails. Not sure why this topic is so angering to me, but today it is! Babies should not be in daycare for the social development!!!! Babies should be with their mommas if at all possible! Babies do not NEED social development unless that social development is bonding with immediate family and friends! Daycare is a necessary evil in my opinion! Daycare is for mommas who HAVE TO work.

 

It was the heat of the moment.  It was exasperation at an imperfect world where a friend (actually the very first sitter my oldest two girls ever had) has to work to keep a roof over her baby’s head.  He has to go to daycare.  Another comment on her status talked about him getting “good social development” while there.  If you are really interested in all that was said on my post above you can find the comments HERE.  (You might have to be my friend on Facebook to see it though.)

 

The conversation spread to other things – public school, organized sports, scouts, Sunday school and the like.  I said I wasn’t fond of any of them and that I preferred not to use / participate in them.  Nor did I necessarily want my children to participate either!  And so, I thought I’d think on it a little more and I’d post some of my beliefs and opinions and such here on my blog.

 

Maybe I haven’t thought all these things through, and that’s okay.  I haven’t arrived; I’m on a journey and I’m learning.  That’s why I appreciated the Facebook conversation so much.  I was given a chance to look at the daycare issue from other perspectives.  I went to college to be a daycare worker / director, but I may have lost that perspective over the years.

 

So here’s some things that, at this point, I believe to be true and right and good . . . . . .

 

Whenever possible, children should be at home, with Mom.

Home schooling is the better option, for so many reasons.

I do not like age segregated events, classes or programs.

I believe the Body of Christ needs to look out for the widows and fatherless in our world today.  Being part of that body, I need to do my part too.

I think it is bad for children to be with primarily their peer group for hours a day / week.

I believe that children need lots of socialization, just of a different kind than most think.

 

The Facebook conversation today tempered my heated comment and attitude.  There are good reasons for daycares / day homes.  I understand that.  I know that they learn good things there.  I know that there are child care providers that love their jobs and the children in their care.  I get that it can be a ministry for the orphans and widows.  It’s not ideal!  Not in my opinion.

 

And who knows, these beliefs, these opinions of mine may radically change!  And I’ll have to eat my words!  (A very unpleasant meal, every. single. time.)  I may find myself in such a situation where I need to put my children in “public” care.  I will have to re-evaluate my firm position at that point.  It won’t be easy then.  As I’m sure it is not for those moms who have to work to keep food on the table, clothes on their backs and roofs over their heads!  But for the grace of God, I would be there too!

 

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

We’re Just Different. It’s Okay. Number 2.

We drive a school bus; this is our personal vehicle, our main mode of transportation.  It’s a short bus, with a wheelchair lift in it.  It has bus seats and seat belts.  It has a bench / shelf that we use for storage, for changing diapers, for a table for schoolwork.  I love my bus. 

The motor needs some work and it can’t go very fast, but I love my bus.  I have 6 infant / child car seats in the front two bench seats.  It is a little crowded and kind of a pain in the butt, but we are safe.  I’d love to install a third bench seat but for now the back bus seat is enough to carry extra people with us. 

Our bus is such a blessing.  It is ours; the loan is paid in full.  We can use this bus to transport larger numbers of people in relative comfort.  The tall can move around with ease and have many places to put long legs.  I can purchase a months worth of groceries and fit them all in my vehicle.  And let me tell you that feeding our crew requires a lot of groceries in a month.

I love my bus and do not want to give it up.  My husband has asked me a number of times if I’d like him to find us something else that would be easier to park, better on fuel, less bulky, more “mainstream”.  And I always tell him, no thanks.  He’s welcome to do / have work done on the motor (even change the motor to a better one); he’s welcome to paint it and do the body work needed (some rust).

The other day a lady told me that she hit my bus while she was backing up in our yard.  I just shrugged it off after making sure she was not hurt and that her vehicle was unmarred.  She really couldn’t hurt my bus.  It’s big and strong.  I hit a cement barricade one day when I was backing out of a parking spot.  There was no mark on my bumper.  My bus can take the incidental abuse that happens from day to day and is no worse for wear.

I love my bus.

 

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

We’re Just Different. It’s Okay. Number 1.

My family tends to (naturally) run at a "late" schedule in comparison to the rest of the world.  We go to bed late - kids in bed by 8:30 but not asleep until at least an hour later, and J and I at midnight or later. And we wake later - 8 or 9 and then we start our day. 

 

We don’t eat breakfast at breakfast time.  It’s usually closer to 10 or 11 AM before we are eating our cereal.  So that means lunch is around 2 or later.  And supper is at “bedtime” around 7 or 8 PM.  So that means bedtime is shifted too.  See?  I am just going to have to learn to be okay with it.  (That sentence was hard to type.  I hope it wasn’t too hard to follow.)

 

Now we have been living like this for a while.  And I am just now getting my mind wrapped around it.  Like 8 years.  So silly.

 

I am giving myself permission to live this way.  There is nothing wrong with living this way.  I homeschool our children so we don’t have to conform to an earlier bedtime, etc because we can “do” school whenever we want.  My husband’s job is WEIRD in comparison to a lot of jobs out there.  He is often leaving for work at weird hours of the day – 4 (AM or PM), 7 (AM or PM) – and getting home at 11 (usually PM) or 3 in the afternoon.  So when a lot of moms would be getting up at 7 or earlier to get kids off to school, I don’t have to.  I can get up later and let my children get up later (and stay up later) than a lot of other families can.

 

When I think about it, I really like this.  There is freedom in realizing who you and your family really are.  And accepting who you are.

 

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,