Years ago when I was homeschooling four small children, my brother and his wife came to visit. As a childless couple they were full of enthusiasm and patience to be the best Aunt and Uncle their American nephews and nieces had. And they were. They took them to the cinema and spent as much money at the concession stand as at the ticket counter, my children tasted AMC hotdogs, nachos and popcorn for the first time with their English relatives. They stopped at every drive through for spur of the moment snacks, anything ranging from French fries to a slurpee. They painted their faces for Halloween (and just for fun) then took them to several neighbourhoods to trick or treat. They allowed them to keep ALL the candy! They played endless games of Monopoly, Pretty Princess and Guess Who? They bought dozens of do-nuts for Sunday breakfast. And you should have seen the pumpkins they carved!
During their visit I taught the children during the morning hours while the stellar relatives recuperated. On the last day of their stay my sister-in-law said to me,
“When you move back to England,” even back then I had one foot on the plane home, “you’ll send them to school won’t you?”
I looked at her and thought, she has absolutely no idea what homeschooling is all about! I think she had diagnosed me as insane; someone who voluntarily worked in a continuous romper room. I said,
“No! I don’t homeschool because of the sub standard school system here, I don’t think it’s any better in England. I do it because…” and I stopped. She didn’t want to hear my religious convictions, she didn’t want to hear about family values and needing to be there for all my children’s firsts. All she knew was that she had been around them for seven days and that was enough for any sane woman.
They left amid tears and the satisfaction that they had been the best Aunt and Uncle any child could hope for. I was never able to live up to their high standards of unadulterated fun and apparently unlimited stamina with my children. However I consoled myself with the thought that my future may include a nephew or niece of my very own and with it the opportunity to steal the title of “Best Aunt” for a few days!
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
No comments so far!
Leave a Comment