Near the end of an exhausting day of Driver’s Ed, a dozen teens stared wearily at the instructor.
“Cheer up,” he encouraged them. “It’s a long weekend! You’ll have three days of no school!”
The entire group scoffed at the idea. “You’re forgetting something,” they informed the instructor. “Don’t you know we’re HOME SCHOOLED!?!”
I hadn’t even realized that Victoria Day, Canada’s May holiday, was coming up. But after hearing this, I determined to give the children a holiday from both school and gardening. God is good to us, and even tells us to take rest days. What should I not imitate Him by giving my children days off on the national holidays?
From the reactions of the other students in the class, our family isn’t the only one that tends to forget about holidays. But from now on, I hope to make it a priority to give our children these days off, little islands of down-time in a busy life.
As I pondered this, I realized that I have often felt the same way. “Holiday? What holiday?” or “Sunday rest? What Sunday rest? Don’t you know I’m a MOM!?!”
I want to learn to accept the rest days I am given and to make every effort to enjoy them as God’s gifts for thanksgiving, for joy, and for health. I wish I had done this earlier in my life and had found some way of taking time off even when surrounded by little ones. Even now, I hope to be more diligent in planning to make our Sundays — holidays from God—more restful, peaceful, and focussed on Him.
This was my own lesson from high school this week, and I hope I’ve learned it well. Next Thursday I plan to tell you about the geography course we’re putting together.
God bless you all. See you, the Lord willing, on Tuesday for another Tea Time with Annie Kate to discuss how our family’s Proverbs study is going.
PS Do not forget to get your next three free volumes of the Junior Classics today. Apparently yesterday’s volumes are also still available, for those of you who missed them. Enjoy!
I am being taught the same thing by our Lord. As a mother of many young ones (six children ages 9 to 1), I never have a "day off". But I am deliberately making Sunday a more restful day. I try not to do any extra chores, I permit the children to watch more videos, I'll even sit down and spend some time reading on the porch. All of this helps me to be more refreshed and energetic the rest of the week.
I also am trying to build in more "off days" for our children. I tend to be a nose to the grindstone person to make up for hypothetical days off (which do of course happen), but I need to remember plenty of learning happens without formal school.
Laraba
We tend to follow the public school schedule during the school year and take off whatever days they are off. However, we do get some schooling done during the summer, simply because we both do better with having a set schedule.
And I was planning just a regular day with regular interruptions and happenings! Then a friend called to see if our kids could spend sometime together. I told her I was very persuadable!!
So they are dropping in shortly for some time out / visit. We usually work through public holidays, unless people want to visit, and then we take off time whenever but your post was a good reminder – to surprise my kids would be a great gift one day!
I've answered – very briefly – your comment over on my blog about my paper / information hoarding.
Thanks for visiting.
Belinda