HIRED HELP…
People frequently ask me if I have help…I usually say yes; an amazing husband who helps with cooking and grocery shopping, and teenagers who watch the kids, not to mention the endless hands in the house that do chores.
Of course there is my very helpful family, especially my single sister who lives close by and my wonderful (I got the best) mother in love!!! They are my right hands...
One of my best qualities (sorry to sound conceded) is that I have no problem asking for help!!! Maybe it is the youngest kid in me… (I am the baby of 9) I have come to accept that it is my job is to give others grace by service…(or just serving me…)I also have convinced others that I am trying to save the earth, conserve energy, and help the pollution problem by asking others to help me out with carpool!!! They fall for it all the time…God Bless their generous souls. My kids even made a Mother’s Day “Carpool Mom” sign for a friend of mine who drove them everywhere!!!
Well, years ago my very poor and generous mom thought she would do me the FAVOR OF A LIFE TIME and offer to pay for my kids to go to the local Catholic School down the street. In astonishment I had to explain that first of all, Catholic School isn’t $20 a family like it was in the old days, and secondly and most importantly…I LOVE HOMESCHOOLING and I wouldn’t stop for all the money in the world!!! Yes, there are days…lots of days…that I second guess myself and wonder what in the world I am doing!!! What I was thinking!!! Wondering how much damage I am causing!!! But the best advice I can give is to talk with your spouse and decide together, WHAT IS BEST FOR YOUR FAMILY AS A WHOLE?!?! Even if you think that one would do great in the school down the street, and another would do great here…you have to remember how it will affect everyone, down to the nursing baby that will be dragged around carpool, to the toddler who won’t get to spend special time with their older siblings due to being gone all day…homework all night, etc…
Back to hired help: So, my sister, who knows and appreciates my homeschooling, suggested to my mom to send some money my way to help hire someone to come in and help me…at first we had a Sister from Nigeria, then a single mom and her daughter, then a friend(we call her Mary Poppins), now a retired homeschool mom who has decided to start a ministry to help homeschoolers for cheap!!! ($5 an hour) I have asked her on a daily basis to move in full time, but her husband won’t let her!!! She is just what I prayed for…I have the school books laid out and she sits and helps the kindergartner and the second grader. I clean and play with the one and two year old. (Really the two year old is on her lap as much as possible) We just love her and we all get so much done when she is here. She usually comes twice a week from about 8:30-10:30am.
So my advice is…pray hard for someone to help!!! Relative, neighbor, friend, god parent, etc…they are out there just waiting for you to ask. Have a list of needs, so when the old lady from mass comes up to ask if there is anything she can do for you, you can look her in the eyes and say, “yes, thank you. Can you come over and read to my two year old? How about picking up some milk for me the next time you are at the grocery store, or could you please take this to the post office for me?” Yes, I do that!!! So, when you ask me how I do it…
THIS IS WHAT I WILL SAY!!!
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Mt.7:7
"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Lk. 11:9
It is even in the bible twice to remind us!!!
THY WILL BE DONE!!!+JMJ+
This was a great post Sam!
ReplyDeleteHi Sam,
ReplyDeleteThis is just what we were talking about the other day! And just the boost to ask my local aunt who is a retired schoolteacher for help! Hmmmm. I will keep you posted :)