Investing in The Future

One of the things I'm glad I don't miss by being a working mom is putting my daughter to bed. I love nursing her one last time before I put her down, I love how cute she looks half asleep in her milk coma before I lay her down and wrap her in a blanket, and, most of all, I love reading to her before she goes to sleep. I had a fairly tumultuous childhood, but one of the most pleasant memories I have is of my parents and siblings reading to me before bed. I think I began reading early on because I was read to as a baby, and I think I was reading far above my reading level because of that, as well.

So now that I have my own daughter, I hope to give her the same advantage. I'm making it a point to read to her and begin to teach her things while I play with her. I realize that I love being able to teach my daughter and show her things that are so normal to me but so new to her, and because of this, I'm considering homeschooling. Of course, I've got years before I'll have to begin anything formal, but I like the idea of weighing the pros and cons now.

I myself am a graduate of 12 years of public school and 4 years of a private college. I loved school as a girl, but always felt frustrated with the speed (or lack thereof) at which things were taught; it seemed things always had to be reviewed over and over again for the students that couldn't grasp concepts as quickly. I don't mean to say that these students should be given the time to learn at the speed they need to, but as a student who could understand things more quickly, I was easily bored and frustrated, making school less enjoyable than it could have been. I also think, having been given more freedom to choose subjects of study, I may have found things that interest me more quickly and been able to delve into them more thoroughly at an earlier age. Instead, it wasn't until college when I really began to study subjects that I loved (the sciences).

Of course, today I felt was an excellent day to mention this consideration of mine to my mother. She, too, was a working mother, and feels in no way responsible for her decision to work while I was young; she had to work, she would always tell me. I, on the other hand, am perfectly comfortable living a more modest lifestyle if it means raising children that will become Godly adults. I hope and pray that when the time comes to start formal schooling for BabyGirl (and any subsequent munchkins we may produce), I'll be able to stay home and teach them. If that is the case, I can only hope I have the will power to take the criticism I will receive from family and friends; I think my mom's criticism is only the beginning.