Who Is It About?

Thursday is Granny School Day

 

The kids think it's about them. About them getting a chance to have their own time with Granny, K, and Grandad. About field trips and special projects and rough housing. And about planning to eat only their favourite meals.

Granny thinks it's about her. About interacting with them and their authentic selves. About being a part of this major job of schooling them and bringing them up right. About carving away some time to deliberately create memories.

I think it's about me! About me having a period of time each week where I am alone. About working through my endless to-do list and also sitting quietly and reading while eating lunch. About having the time to replenish my spirit, take a deep breath and be prepared to enjoy them again for another week.

No Answer

 

People who know me are aware that I don't often answer the phone. I have even been accused a time or two of screening my calls. So I want to explain why I don't answer.

 

A. Usually between the hours of 9-12p.m. I am teaching. It's a busy thing to do. There are explanations to give, questions to ask and answer, work to correct and kids to listen to. If I answer the phone we lose momentum. They do not stay on task. They wander away or get stuck on a question or start talking to each other, or go grab a guinea pig...the possibilities are endless. If a classroom teacher left the kids waiting while she took a personal call it would be rude!

 

B. From 12-1p.m. we are making and eating lunch together. The three of us actively working in the kitchen, then sitting down together and looking at each other and chatting while we eat. It's fun. Answering the phone would be rude.

 

C. From 1-3p.m. we are either doing errands or we are playing. It isn't possible for me to chat while we're doing errands because I'm driving with the music playing too loud (it's A who always wants the music so loud btw) or interacting with people at stores. I don't like talking on the phone at the registers...It's rude!

And if we're at home playing then I'm engaged with that. Maybe we're building a castle and we need to plan the layout. Maybe we're going through old toys and we need to discuss 'keep' versus 'toss'. Perhaps they're explaining to me why they drew/painted/wrote/built what they did. Yesterday after reading about the Goth warriors who sacked Rome they went and found their LEGO mini-figs that were barbarians and had weapons similar to what we had seen in their history book. Their play is a major part of their learning. To ignore them would be rude!

 

D. At 3p.m. the neighbours get home from school. And usually my two are waiting at the window hoping they'll be allowed to come over and play. At this point my work is usually done. So feel free to call. And if I can hear you on speaker phone over the sound of happy playing children and pots/pans/mixers clanging while I start dinner.....I'll be glad to chat. At least until......

 

E. About 5:30p.m. when my hubby comes home and we're soon at the table eating. I can't answer the phone while we're eating....it would be rude.

 

F. By 7p.m. we've finished eating and I'm in the kitchen tidying up and my hubby is chatting with me at the kitchen island. After ignoring his calls all day it's our first real chance to talk....I can't answer the phone....that would be rude.

 

G. Our goal is to get the kids ready for bed around 8p.m. So factor in bathtime (can't hear the phone over the water), and then story time (we're reading the Narnia series right now-chapter 11 of The Magician's Nephew). I can't ditch storytime for the phone....what kind of message would that send!?

 

H. Here's where there's a window where I'm likely to answer the phone...between 9p.m. and 10p.m. That's your best bet.