Should I Be Answering Phone Calls While Our Homeschool Is In Session?
As September rolls in we are heavy in preparation for school. Most of the kids around us went back to school two weeks ago but as a home-schooler I have the luxury to start later in the year, allowing us to completely enjoy the warmth of summer til the end.
But, it is now September 2 and our home school starts next week! I have spent most of last week rearranging the bookshelves making sure the school books are separated from the leisure books, purchasing additional books we need for the start of the new school year and restocking the every day supplies of pens, pencils, notebooks and paper, establishing school hours and informing those around me and so on.
While this is an every year process for me something came to my attention that caught me off guard this year, comments from some of my friends and families! With school starting I need to be sure my kids are mentally prepared and I as well and in so doing have been sharing our school hours with friends and family so they are aware that I won't be available by phone or computer during those times. In years past simply telling them hasn't prevented the frequent calls for what they feel is important so this year I plan to turn my phone off and have started letting people know this.
This is in my opinion the only solution to have an uninterrupted school session, and honestly folks it's only four hours but those closest to me seem to be frustrated that I am not putting them before my kids??? What is up with that?
First and foremost I am a parent placing everyone else on second place, regardless. Second I am a homeschooler and my children's education is completely my responsibility. How would I be serving them if I sit on the phone every day during school hours? I love my friends and family but I feel like they are missing the point that I am now a mother to my own and need to care for them first.
I don't expect them to understand my role as a homeschooler since all of them chose or are choosing public school as their child's education. This alone only aids their mindset that the morning hours are the best time to chat cause all the kids are at school, but they keep forgetting I'm the teacher!
Am I wrong in just choosing to turn off my phone? I did tell people it would be off so they won't worry or become anxious when I don't pick up but their responses are saying telling me they are appalled that I would even think of it. What do you think?
Syndicate
AddThis
As the teacher and the mother in your household it is completely acceptable for you to turn off your phone during these few hours. Kids of course come first and your closest family can wait. They make you wait to talk to them as they head off to work everyday don't they? I am sure that a few hours a day is not that much to ask. You have every right to put a hold on the rest of your family and give these few hours to be totally devoted to your kids and their education. So I am voting NO it is NOT wrong!
A homeschool environment is the child's classroom. Do you think your kids would be receiving the correct attention in school if their teacher kept chatting on the phone, even if it was in the hall or during quiet reading?
I think your family and friends need to know and understand that very thing. If they fail wait and call you after school hours then they have either have no respect for you or you have failed to follow through with your request for them not to call. Either way, start today and refuse those calls until after you are done. It's the right choice to make.
I agree perfectly that phone, email or anything that distracts you can be switched off or discarded without any second thoughts.
Is a phone something that we cannot really live without? Can the calling person not leave a voice message? And when you specifically tell people that you are not available on phone for a specific time period, they can always call you at other times when you are available.
And of course there can be urgency or some emergency moment, but it also depends on how you communicate to the caller that whether the call 'could have been' avoided at that time, or not. This factor alone can encourage positive results.
Regards
Vinish