A post about teaching the children

So - when you have a huge life change - like say...

moving from one state in the middle of the country to another state at one of the ends

You get a little side tracked from day to day life. I have been so busy with the move and the houses and sort of well

surviving

That I feel like I am finally getting back to what is most important

My KIDS

I am blessed to be a stay at home Mom. I genuinely like staying home and while I will one day, possibly, maybe, depending on where life takes me, teach again. For now, I stay home.

Now - remind me because I will go OFF on my soapbox about being "THAT Mom" as well as my soapbox about the stay at home Mom VS working Mom "debate".

I will not step onto either one of those soapboxes at this moment because - hey - I need to spread out my blogging material where I can.

Anyway - I digress

As usual

Long story short - I stay home - I like it. Period.

Soooo - Husband and I have been talking a lot about teaching our kids. This is a competitive world that we live in and every time I turn around I am being tempted to drop hundreds of dollars (times 3 for me) on

pianotennisviolinswimguitarsoccertromboneadvancedcompetitivewrestling....

lessons

(You get my point)

Now don't get me wrong - I see the value of these things and I am willing to pay for them when called for but Husband and I are also realizing something

There is A LOT that we can teach them. A LOT!

I do not have to sign my son up for cooking lessons - I am teaching him how to cook every time I make cookies and let him help.

I do not have to sign my kids up for fitness classes - I can go out back and play with them.

I do not have to sign my daughter up for beginning piano. I can read basic music and follow an elementary piano book and grind my teeth while watching my life slowly pass before my eyes every bit as well as the piano teacher can.

Will there come a day when I need a more advanced piano teacher for her - maybe. But especially starting them - we can teach them.

Now - I am not a perfect parent and I do not pretend to tell you how to parent. The reason that I feel compelled to tell you this (beside from the fact that it is filling up a blog post) is this is my blog. Mostly I just try to remember this time in my life. I will not lie to you dear readers - if you have made it this far into the post you know that I will go to great lengths for a laugh but that is not the reason for this long winded post.

I think that there is so much that we can learn from one another in this community of parenting. I am constantly seeing or hearing things that other parents are doing and reminding myself to try that so here goes - try this.......

Tomorrow - teach your children something. Slow down and teach them. Show them how to do something that they don't know how to do.

Now some of you might say, "psshhh Holly - I am constantly teaching my kids all the time. Heck we just wrapped up our advanced studies in Latin as our bedtime story." But some of you will look back over this day and you will remember pick up and drop off and activities and playdates and telling them to do their homework and brush their teeth but

Did you teach them anything?

Try it tomorrow - slow down and show them how to do something. Even if it is as simple as how to start a load of laundry or where a stamp should go on a letter.

Slow down and try it - it is like broccoli with cheese - I promise you will like it.