"I’d Rather be Dumb…"

I let out a sigh and started looking out the window daydreaming about how it would be if I just had two or three children and no little ones around. I never said anything to anyone out loud, but I thought of all the hours of uninterrupted schoolwork that we could get done, the great unit studies and crafts that we could do, and the great wealth of knowledge that my children could have.

“Mommy,” Ryan called out, and his voice brought me back to reality. “I’d rather be dumb and have Earlie than be very smart and not have him.” His words hit me like a ton of bricks.

It occurred to me to make sure I kept my priorities the way they should be.

Toddlers and babies take naps, and we can schedule subjects that demand complete attention for those times.

We may not take all the field trips that we’d like, due to the sheer hassle of getting six young children ready, but it causes us to spend more relaxed time at home instead of rushing about.

We spend more time reading out loud when there is a newborn who needs lots of nursing and cuddling.

True, we may get fewer “projects” done, but my children are developing into real servants who like to help their siblings. Aren’t our children our ultimate “projects” anyway? The joy that the little ones bring to us far surpasses any craft or science project or field trip.

As for Ryan, he got his pencil back and finished his math. He has tested very well and gone on far above “grade level” in most subjects.

As I thought about his words that day, I realized that I have a very wise little boy who has a lot to teach his mother.