The Freedom of an Empty Calendar. Saying Goodbye to the Hamster Wheel of Busyness. A Blissful Schedule. Any of these could be perfect titles for what we experienced while Worldschooling in Bolivia. I seriously cannot explain how good it felt to be somewhere with no obligations on my time, whatsoever.
We stayed busy while we were away, but none of our activities were obligatory. There was no pressure to stick with something because I’d pre-paid or because of the weird FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) that attacks my common sense at the most peculiar of times. I didn’t have to cajole the children into finishing what they’d started or interrupt their backyard adventures to go sit in somebody’s air conditioning.
Life without extracurricular activities was so beautiful that I just knew our lives would be remarkably different going forward. After returning from that trip, I was completely convinced that I’d been cured of signing up for a bunch of cool kid activities and running around town (or sitting in traffic). I was looking forward to bucking the trend of living a fast & furious life, and I thought it would be fairly easy for me because I’d tasted the good life, and my family already participated in fewer activities than most families I know.
But the best laid plans of mice and men often…land you right back in the middle of a bunch of activities.
I don’t know how it happened, but we’re 14 months out from our return to the U.S., and I’m hanging on by a thread. Again.
How on earth did I get here?
I’ll tell you how.
One click at a time.
Remember that FOMO I mentioned earlier? Well, that thing slapped me in the face and set me into motion for this school year. Spending time chasing rabbit holes online is what landed me in this pit. Clicking on this link or that link, checking out the latest invaluable class, lesson, club, opportunity. All of the damage can be traced back to late night scrolls on my phone and the FOMO sucker-punch.
I’m glad that I at least had the foresight to protect some of my family’s white space, but it wasn’t good enough. We have seven weeks left in Term 3, and I’m tired. I’m tired, and the kids are indifferent. They don’t dislike any of the “outside the home” stuff we’re doing, but they’re also perfectly content to skip it. They generally don’t complain about going, nor do they ask to go.
I, on the other hand, beg myself not to go to stuff all the time. And that’s sad because we’re involved in some pretty great activities. In fact, all or our activities are awesome when considered individually. The issue is that, collectively, they’re sucking the lifeblood from me. And as they say, “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”
But I have hope.
I lay in bed at night dreaming about next school year. You know why? Because I’m super duper positively absolutely completely sure that we will be on a completely bare bones “weekly commitments” schedule. And I’m putting it down here so I can be held accountable.
I want that good life back. The slow mornings. The adventurous afternoons. The freedom. Oh, yes. The f-r-e-e-d-o-m.
They say that travel changes you, and I can attest to that. I learned how to be free while overseas, and I’m counting down the days until I get another opportunity to bring the best of Bolivia here.
Next term is a fresh slate. Give yourself permission to take a term off from all activities and see how it goes.
We have 4 terms here in Australia, in Terms 1 & 4 the kids have swimming lessons, in mid year terms we do nothing. This way I and they can recharge.
Encouraging you
Yours sounds like a good plan with room built-in for exploration and rest. Thank you for the encouragement. I love clean slates, and I’m so looking forward to next term!
I was moved to make a similar decision after reading Anthony Esolen’s book “Life Under Compulsion”. I stopped the winter swim conditioning and even went so far as to take a summer off from swim team for my two youngest. It has been wonderful for all of us.
I’ll have to check that book out. Yes! Swim team. We took this summer off as well. It was a tough decision, but it was definitely the right thing to do. The entire family had a much better summer as a result.