17 September 2012

So How Do You Feel On a Monday Morning?

When I was a child, I’d awake on a Monday morning with a pain in my stomach. I was always reluctant to get out of bed and face the week. Five days of school stretched out ahead, and the weekend seemed so far away. I lived for Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the week was to be endured.

My children know nothing about that ‘Monday morning feeling’. Every day is good as far as they are concerned. We wake up each morning with anticipation. What adventures will we have today? Of course, we have difficult times: mothers get tired, children feel unwell, there are jobs that need doing, we have to deal with unexpected crises.  But on the whole, life is very good. And there is no such thing as that miserable ‘Monday morning feeling’ in our home.

Today is a Monday which is why I am thinking about such things. This morning, after we’d said our prayers, I asked the girls, “Do you want to run today?”

“Of course!”

“When?”

“Can we go now?”

We could. That’s the beauty of homeschooling, isn’t it? Our time is generally our own. So we changed into our running gear, and soon our feet were pounding down the bush tracks at the end of the road. While children were arriving at school for the first day of the school week, we were out experiencing the beauty of the bush.

While we were running, a man in a council vehicle arrived at the park. I imagined him asking, “Shouldn’t those children be in school?”

“We homeschool.”

READ  Unschool: Greater Things

“Then why aren’t you at home teaching them?”

I think for a moment. “We’re doing P.E.”

We weren’t really doing physical education. We were running for the sheer enjoyment of it. We’re living life, not doing school, but he wouldn’t understand.

“Good work, team!” I always say this to the girls, as we walk home after running. Satisfaction and joy flowed through our warm tired bodies. What a great feeling to begin the week with. Much better than that dreaded ‘Monday morning feeling’.

Soon we’d made hot drinks, and gathered a pile of interesting books. “What shall we do now?” So many possibilities. The week was off to a fabulous start.

So how do you feel on a Monday morning? Do you awake full of anticipation, eager to begin the week? I hope you do!

Sue Elvis

I'm an Australian blogger, podcaster, and Youtuber. I write and speak about unschooling, parenting and family life. I'm also the author of the unschooling books 'Curious Unschoolers', 'Radical Unschool Love' and ‘The Unschool Challenge’. You'll find them on Amazon!

2 Comments

  1. It sounds as though you had a good day! I used to hate Mondays when I was at work, and the first day of the new school term was always a bit brutal. Our children have missed a lot of those sorts of stresses.

    God bless, Sue:-)

    • Vicky,

      It was a good day!

      We are so fortunate doing something we really enjoy and looking forward to each new week. I remember the sinking feeling I got on Mondays, when I went to work. Yes, I hated Mondays too. I would like our children to be able to follow their passions and do the kind of work that excites them, whatever day of the week it is. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they could get up each day eager to begin their work?

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