This is a difficult topic to discuss, and I respect other mom’s opinions and feelings regarding the need or no need to have time away from their kids. However, I believe that the most the time we spend with them, the easiest it is to integrate them to our own activities.

My 4yo is able to join me in most of my adult activities, which is a blessing for a single unschooling mama like me. This makes me not longing for adult time, since it’s in fact what I have most of the time anyways.

I see this is a cycle: the most I spend with my kid, the easiest it becomes to be with him and have his cooperation. As I know I have his cooperation, I dare to bring him to events and activities I like. As a result, we spend more time together and I can have more “me time” without the detachment part. Hope this makes sense

There was a beautiful article in The Mother magazine a few years ago about this subject by Jeanine Parvatti Baker- she does not use the term “attachment” because she says that is proper parenting- only referring to “detached” parenting

I feel the same way. I am not saying I am constantly sweetness and light- there is nothing special in my ability to be with my children constantly (the longest I have been away from my nearly 5 year old son is a day when he came to London with his Dad and I have never ever been away from my daughter of 11 months)- I resent the implication when a mother says that she is not able to stay with her children all the time when there is a discussion about homeschooling.

I am going to have an AP meeting at my house on this subject, I feel uncomfortable with the term “me-time”. My mother-in-law in Japan started using it. I think it always refers to lack- laways wanting, we are bound to suffer.

Lots of love,
Emma x