Reality With Boys

It sounds so appealing and relatively easy!

Learning the "FUN" way!

Let me set the scene.....

Mom asks son if he wants to

spend some time in the kitchen

with her today.

"It will be fun!" 

Mom says, thinking about all the testimonies

and homeschooling articles she's read; touting

the glorious times that moms have had

with their children, creating and baking

and learning together.

Knowing his attention span is not that long,

she bakes the cupcakes ahead of time,

sets them on the counter to cool

while she lovingly arranges the frosting, 

utensils and food coloring.

When the time is right, 

she calls her son to the kitchen with

excitement in her voice; 

just knowing this will be one for the

records!

Son's eyes get wide when he spots

the icing (his favorite part), and

the food coloring looks like fun too!

He grabs the plastic knife

as mom gently reminds him

how to ice the miniature cakes.

He half-heartedly spreads

some blue icing on the

white cake top,

hands mom the knife,

and says.......

"This is too hard.  I'm done!"

And scoots out of the room

in his quick way.

Mom's left holding the knife,

realizing her attempt

at 

"Fun learning" has

been a bust, 

just like the Science experiment,

the lapbook attempt,

the fun charts and carefully

orchestrated lesson plans.  

Reality with boys is this:

"Teach me the basics - nothing else.

I've got life to live and all this extra stuff

is keeping me from the real thing!"

And off they go to their Legos, their bikes,

their guns, swords, bugs, and dogs.

And Mom just shakes her head

and reminds herself that

this is exactly how God made them.