Never let your schooling interrupt your education.

Moms Just Wanna Have Fun

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Written by contributor Amida of Journey into Unschooling.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret.

Some days, we don’t do any school-related work at all.

These aren’t planned in advanced and they aren’t penciled in on the calendar. These days are brought on by my own inspirations and happen as spontaneous as those thunderstorms in the middle of summer. I can feel it creeping up on me, just not sure when it will hit.

Maybe I’ve been leafing through some really cool craft books, or surfing a little too late into the night, and something pops out at me that I just have to make. Then out comes the sewing machine, cutting board, and the kitchen table becomes sewing central.

I embrace these moments whenever possible because they are so fleeting, and are best if acted upon immediately. If I let inspiration sit, the moment tends to pass.

And the kids?

They’re left to their own devices to come up with some activity to occupy themselves with. They see mom completely immersed in an activity that she loves. Many times, they check on my progress and even give suggestions on what else I could be making while I’m at it (there’s an ongoing list that I can’t seem to cross out fast enough).

I love these moments. It’s a great chance for me to unwind for a bit and not worry about what needs to be done, but rather, what I want to do.

Even with the whirl of the sewing machine and bits of fabric flying everywhere, I find peace. We skip school for the day and it’s okay.

Because you know, some days, Moms just wanna have fun.

What do you do for fun?

About Amida

Amida is the mom to three darn kids. She used to stress about state standards and test scores but has since come to her senses and enjoys blogging about her family's journey into unschooling.

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Comments

  1. Demetria

    Cooking! I can get creative and productive at the same time, sometimes including the kids. My son helped to make peanut butter and jelly surprise muffins a few months ago. Time well spent. We had a blast. I also consider couponing a fun way to spend time, provided it’s in the budget already. It’s fun to see what I can get for $5 using coupons…those 25 cent items really add up and I add to my stockpile or donate the goods. We like to gather things all year and see how many Operation Christmas Child boxes we can fill with all these finds. In years past, we simply couldn’t afford to fill and ship a box in the brief collection time, but gathering little by little all year and taking advantages of coupons and sales makes it possible. I love to give!

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  6. Andrea

    There are several things I enjoy doing, but the important thing here is the message, which I think is key in a joyful family life. I find that the moments when something inpirational and spontaneous arises have to be given room, and are often the times when I discover the most harmony between us. We all need a break from what we “have” to do, or what is on the agenda, and in those breaks are where creativity is found. Thanks so much for the reminder.

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  8. Tabatha

    I scrapbook! It’s so freeing for me to release my creativity onto paper. Plus, looking back through our memories of photos is relaxing and fun for me. I love knowing that something I’m doing now will last for generations.

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  10. Karina Palmer

    Yes, this is what I would like to do more of. But, just like today, I was inspired (aching) to sit down at our keyboard (no piano) and practice some songs. The toddler had to sit in my lap, and the 3.5-yr-old had to sit on the floor next to me and rub her foot up and down my leg. Then the 6-yr-old was inspired to learn how to play too…and Mom’s longing to do something for herself was once again put off for another time. I hate that I sound so frustrated about it because I realize that good things came out of me sitting down at the keyboard for a second. It’s very hard to combat those frustrating feelings when I want to write, or read, or sew, or practice piano, or exercise…
    Karina Palmer’s latest post: Lazy

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  11. Christina Pilkington

    My twins are now 5, so it’s getting easier and easier for me to take at least an hour each day to do something for me – which usually means writing, working on my website, or learning Italian. They can now occupy themselves for hours. Because we unschool, they see both more academic subjects and those less academic subjects as equal. There’s not things they “have” to do. I’ve found they get immersed in things so well sometimes that I need to remind myself not to get totally immersed in my own things for too long! It is nice, though, to take a longer period of time once in a while just for yourself.
    Christina Pilkington’s latest post: 10 Unusual Ways to Explore Geography

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  13. Jill

    I like to scrapbook or play with ribbon (I love making bows for my girls). I try to schedule free days in once in awhile. These are days I refuse to pencil in any errands or “have to be there” events. We don’t schedule anything and everyone takes time to just do what they feel like for the day. For my three year olds it means lots of time dumping out toys and imagining all sorts of things!

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