With that being said, I have felt exhausted this summer. The Spring semester was so full and busy that by the time June came, I was quite ready for a full summer break. But with days that quickly add up, I feel the need to do something for James. We bought a pool so he could swim everyday. But he wants someone to swim with. He has a box of Legos. But needs someone to play with. He has games. Needs someone for that too. The need for interaction is huge. And I am overwhelmed with it right now. I feel like I have to entertain him and keep him busy. Especially if I don't want him to waste his time on the computer or watching TV. It is a lot of work. If he had siblings or if we lived in a neighborhood, I wouldn't feel this way. He would have built-in playmates and friends. I could feel really good about keeping the computer and TV off during the day. And I would. Music would be allowed all the time though. And just about any genre too.
Even doing academics at home, James needs me to be there. Math is a conversation. I am working on teaching him to do the math worksheets quietly and then we can discuss them together. He doesn't want to do it that way. I'd like to get us to this point so that while he is doing his workbook stuff, I can check our calendar, get other things ready for him, write a blog post. Get a cup of coffee. Perhaps pee. Alone. Without him looking for me and talking to me through the door once he realizes where I am.
It is an awesome responsibility to be everything to him. I am his Mother, his teacher, his character-builder. I am his biggest cheerleader and sometimes his worst critic (I am sad to say). I worry about humility and work ethic. He has no competition at home unless my husband and I create it for him. Perhaps that is why he likes the "do the opposite" game so much. My husband will say, "Do NOT take your dishes to the kitchen!" Don't you dare!" And James will walk right over to the table with the biggest grin and take all his dishes to the kitchen.
One of my secret weapons has been to invite or "kidnap" my friend's kids and bring them home with me for an afternoon for free play or some (super fun) planned activity. It's actually Heaven for me. James plays to his heart's content and I can get quite a lot done or....read a good book. Uninterrupted. For a while. I actually feel recharged when the kids go home. I need to do that more often.
I love him. All of him. He made me a Mommy. Gave me purpose. He softened my heart and opened it up.
Challenges of homeschooling an only child
And another mom of an only so wonderfully stated:
There is frustratingly little out there about homeschooling an only child. I have to chime in and disagree that we "only child" moms don't have time management struggles. I grew up in a very large family so I am thoroughly aware of the dynamic of that. My own family's dynamic is vastly different and surprisingly challenging as I [and my husband] am my child's only built-in playmate. It can be extremely time challenging to maintain a relationship with your husband , plan lessons, plan meals, feed everyone, keep the laundry done, attempt to keep the housework done, teach, and do all the basic things that a mom of any family must do plus play, entertain, plan play dates (which then involve transporting one child or another and craving out a blocking of your time) as opposed to just saying, "Go play with your sister while I finish x,y and z." Especially if your only child is very energetic and loves socializing. Even finding time for dates with your husband can be challenging (in my family, from time to time, I can remember, there was always an older sibling=free babysitting). So I would love to see more written BY only child moms who have struggles with some of these tensions.
