Are You Doing Your Job?
Written by admin on November 19th, 2009‘Twas the thought that came to mind last night as we read on in our current nighttime read-aloud, On The Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Pa was out building “the wonderful house” for Ma and the girls. It would be a house with boughten doors and shingles. It would be a house with glass in the windows. It would be a home built with beautiful, straight, smooth boards cut by a machine.
Laura and Mary could hardly stay in the dugout long enough to do their work. But Ma made them do it.
“And I won’t have you giving your work a lick and a promise,” said Ma. So they washed every breakfast dish and put them all away. They made their bed neatly. They brushed the floor with the willow-twig broom and set the broom in its place. Then they could go.
I expect that back then watching a house with boughten doors go up would be about as exciting today as Disney dot com or a stack of twaddle-y books or magazines, or lying on the couch playing a video game. And yet Ma made Laura and Mary do their work first, and not just give it a lick and a promise either.
This business of working and homeschooling is a tedious thing. To the aforementioned, rather mindless activities that could so easily take a higher place than real work, it’s just as easy for me to say yes as it is for Michaela to beg, please. Especially when I’m tired or have not had much time for myself.
But in the end, it’s the real work that will make Michaela a real lady with a real thinking mind. And I don’t mean just a lick and a promise.
Am I doing my job?
Lynn
for you to leave a comment, but you can also e-mail me at lynn AT thehealthyhomeschool.com
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Certainly you are doing your job. Very well I might add.
Love the kid photos. We have two nannies and a billy but no babies???
I made new workbox tags you can download free from my blog. Tags include Charlotte Mason activities such as narration, nature walk, copywork, etc.
http://bit.ly/2E1pY7
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“One who is slack in his work is brother to the one who destroys”… I am *so* often convicted by this verse in Proverbs. I need to ask myself this question myself- and every day too. Am I doing my job?
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Thank you, Robin. I appreciate your comment. Also, thank you for the link to your workbox tags!
Diane, I love your thoughts on this. (Proverbs is so full of things we need!) I have to check myself regularly in this area too.
Lynn
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Great thoughts! Just what I needed today as I’m trying to get going again after a sick kids week. Cute pics too.
Janet
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wdworkman/
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Dear Lynn,
Ah, nothing like the Little House books for making us feel guilty!
In this day and age, I think just trying to do what we can, and live simply is doing our job, don’t you?
I hope, anyway!
May we all be blessed in whatever job we find to do today.
Love,
Marqueta
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I just love Ma! It takes a lot of self-discipline to do our work well and first. I am guilty myself of doing neither. This week I’ve had a sick boy and have not been feeling well myself. It is easy to feel discouraged, not knowing if I am being too easy on us or if we should plug ahead despite our illness. I appreciate this post. Have a wonderful weekend.
Jenn
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Amen! dear Lynn!
Homeschooling IS hard work. I’ve been reflecting on this lately…as in giving up some things to be about our business even more.