So here's a short little post about who I am and what I hope to share in this blog.
I'm a wife to my ex-military husband who now works as a contractor. He's a hottie.
I'm a mother to four rambunctious children, ages 3 to 12.
I'm a mother to four rambunctious children, ages 3 to 12.
I am a gardener, a musician, and a lover of history.
I have recently returned to homeschooling my children after a break where I was following my own educational goals. I am so glad to be teaching my children again! Now that there are no babies in the house, our homeschooling day goes a little more smoothly.
A Little More about What I Want to Do ...
I have always been fascinated by learning about the old ways of doing things. There have been many wonderful innovations during the 20th century, and I love that life is so much easier and that less people die from disease and household accidents. But I also think that we have lost some things of value along the way. As new generations grow up and have children, more and more women are leaving home and entering the workforce. They have less time for cooking and taking care of the home. Children are leaving the home far younger than ever before to spend their days in daycare and schools under the care of professionals rather than family members.
These changes fly in the face of the way things had been done for most of recorded western history. And I'm not saying that different is bad. But many changes come at a price. And we have forgotten so much of what was once common knowledge. Sometimes, it is assumed that we would naturally only adopt change when it is better for us. But what about packaged convenience foods, or fast food? It is becoming increasingly evident that these types of foods are inferior fuels for our bodies. Here in the United States, we have access to some of the most abundant food sources in the world, and too many of us are in the habit of picking up foods that could rob us of our health. Why? Because it tastes good, maybe we grew up eating it so we think of it as harmless, or because it is quick to cook when we are tired after a hard day at work.This is only one example. There are many ways in which are lives are quite different than they were 100 years ago, particularly from the perspective of a woman.
I intend to use this blog as a platform to explore the differences that our culture has gone through over the years. Many of my ideas will be drawn from classical children's stories, textbooks, and household manuals. I will sometimes try a more traditional ways of doing things in order to get a taste for what the lives of our foremothers were like, and to test the difference for myself. What are the benefits of doing things the modern way? What are the drawbacks? I will also be sharing ideas for homeschooling on a budget, and many learning games and tools that are easy to make with common materials.
So come on in, have a look around. I hope that the things I write here will be of interest to others who wonder about the changes that have happened through the years. Perhaps in some ways, my efforts may contribute to a more well-rounded cultural awareness of the footsteps that we follow and the extraordinary lives of the women who have led the way.
