Leila voices the question, what is it about younger moms that makes them want to listen to her, and her cohort?
As if. She has a post about avoiding the February homeschooling blues that is, I tell you, balm for the soul.
Usually I get them in March, when the core of my being thinks it ought to be spring by now. (The outer layers of my being live in Minnesota.)
My burnout comes in March as well. And mine also seems highly tied to the weather. I remember reading a Hilda Van Stockum book to the kids (Friendly Gables, I think) where the protagonist starts the book out how winter had Canada in a prison of ice still on March 21.
I think it's the long winters that lead me to the burnout. Not just homeschooling, but even being a mom, sometimes. I can't easily get everyone outside for long periods of time. Obviously the baby isn't out for long and even the 2 year old doesn't last when he does go. After you've spend 30 minutes getting everyone dressed to go out, they come in after 5 minutes crying and needing help to get undressed. Not even enough time for a cup of tea to brew!
It wasn't until I had kids that I truly understood the need for spring break.
Posted by: Cathie B | 25 January 2010 at 08:40 AM
Cathie, I have learned enough to schedule an extra week off for everybody somewhere in the middle of Feb. or March. We usually take a week off around Easter -- either Holy Week or Wed-Tuesday surrounding Easter Sunday -- but I find that I, personally, need an extra week off in the winter, just as a break from the routine. I usually use it for planning next year's school work, so it's not really "vacation" for me, but it feels so nice to be concentrating on something different that it is almost like a mini vacation.
This year, taking a few weeks off for the baby's birth is going to have to suffice...
Posted by: bearing | 25 January 2010 at 08:51 AM
We have a natural mini-spring break the last week of March as we do not school on birthdays and we have two birthdays back-to-back. This year, it will be longer, I think. This year the birthdays just happen to be at the beginning of Holy Week. That would be a great time for a break!
And, when I was expecting those two, we did take about 3 weeks off for the new baby.
Posted by: Cathie B | 25 January 2010 at 02:02 PM
I love Leila's blog! Her photography is amazing and she has such wisdom from the trenches.
Posted by: Tabitha | 25 January 2010 at 02:33 PM
Thanks for this link. I've been reading through Leila's blog for the past few days. It's great!
Posted by: Kristin | 27 January 2010 at 07:51 AM