On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 19:58:17 GMT, Dawn Lawson
wrote:



Marie wrote:
Hot meals, I have. Enjoyable children, *I* think so! I guess I do too
much with the kids to spend too much time doing other things. (I
homeschool and the kids are the main part of my life)

Ok, here I was talking about hobbies, all the extra things being
talked about like sewing and woodworking.

You made quite a sweeping statement that no one with similar commitments
has a spotless house. I've been pondering this, as I know literally
dozens of families that do, AND they do things like make most of their
own clothing, food (bread, canning, butchering, etc) AND are very
involved in community and such. I'm finding it very interesting to try
to pinpoint the difference between these families (where i'm guessing
the average number of kids is 4 or 5) and families I am reading about
here where there's *one* child and a SAH parent, and the household so
frazzled it seems ok to walk past animal waste because it's too
difficult to manage to clean it up. (Ok that's not said commonly, but
at least two people have posted just that)

Ok I can't imagine walking past animal waste! I don't remember anyone
saying that, I will have to look on google for that one.

I'm curious because I find the first group to be a calm, warm, loving
group, with welcoming homes, and a commitment to quality workmanship. I
find the second group to be frazzled and harried and generally
struggling to keep one disaster or another at bay. There's clearly some
fundamental difference between the SAHM and the communities in both
groups.

Double fence the garden area, with about a six foot gap if you can, the
kids can play around in the gap, the cows can't get near the garden.
And garden in raised beds, and the kids can play in the garden too.
(plus you get more yeild for the area gardened)

Our landlord at the time will not let us do anything to the fencing or
yard. (I can't even pull up the ugly buggy bushes beside the house)

I'm not even talking about "me" time. I'm talking about doing all the
things people say you have to stop doing when there are kids, because
there isn't time in the day.
So. Now I'm curious. Again. ;-)

I have been talking about "me" time, hobbies. That's what I thought
you were talking about. What do people say should be stopped because
of having kids? Housework? Hobbies?

WHAT are the more important things that you spend your time on?
I wonder if I *don't* do them, or if I do them *as well* as all the
other things I do, ditto for the first group I mentioned...

I teach the kids, I do work with them, we do do some housework
together, and for now my toddler is taking up the biggest part of my
time. I cook one or two meals a day, I go out in the yard and play
with the kids. Just, most of my time is spent on and with the kids. I
try to give each child some time alone with me.
Marie