Spinning Plates

Sometimes a circus has an act called “Plate spinners.” The performers take a thin stick, balance a glass bowl or plate on top, and spin the dinnerware to keep it aloft. The trick works by gyroscopic force, and it’s the same principle that keeps a toy top in motion. If the movement slows down too much, the plate comes off, and crashes to the ground. The entertainer needs to move the stick at regular intervals to maintain the momentum. For a show, multiple plates are spun, and watching the person race around to keep everything in the air, without faltering, is the excitement. This performance piece has been part of a juggling bag of tricks for a long time. People did this in China two thousand years ago. From the medieval era in Europe, there are hand-drawn pictures of people spinning plates. In the early years of American television, it was a popular act to feature.

For those watching, it seemed impossible. How could they do that? Well, the jugglers trained and practiced. Someone showed them minor adjustments in what to do to make the ridiculous feat a reality. A slight movement here, how you pay attention there, and it was possible to achieve balance.

Most people can feel like they are spinning multiple plates during different seasons of their lives. Mothering, homeschooling, and, add in, working is that way all the time. There is always something to do, always some plate needing attention. In the past to be more efficient, I read tons of ‘organizing your life articles’ or books. Many times, the advice was ‘stick with one thing until the job is complete, and don’t move on.’

Blink blink.

Yeah, right. My other plates would come crashing down. I didn’t have the luxury of spending days on one thing. There must be a way to do this.

Hi, my name is Michelle, and I’ve been a mother for twenty-five years. We are completing our sixteenth year of homeschooling this spring (2020). I’ve also been working on writing a book. I’m familiar with virtual porcelain juggling.

I have had days where the homeschooling part was fantastic. We did a lab, knocked off a ton of individual work, or an outstanding art project was completed, or perhaps a living room history reenactment took place. The children were engaged, and the information had a better chance of sticking in their brain. However, the house was falling apart, clean underwear status for all was iffy, and/or dinner might have been sandwiches and an apple. Sometimes, I’ve spent the day getting the laundry caught up, the house got organized, and looking decent but I may have put on “Finding Nemo” and called it oceanography for the science part of the day. (Using movies to reinforce concepts is not wrong, do it as a supplement. Substituting it for a lesson regularly is not ideal.) And I’ve had magical weeks. Schoolwork clicked along beautifully, my students understood their math lessons right away, the house was presentable, nay, close to immaculate, I squeaked in precious writing time for my novel, and everyone had clean clothes in their dressers. Well, I can say from experience, some family member or friend would inevitably pick that week to complain why don’t I call/visit/go out with them more often. Sigh.

For some of you, homeschooling is a new adventure you selected, and you need some ideas to get started. Maybe you have been teaching from home for some time and, like me in the past, are searching to make things more efficient. For some, this was thrust upon you with no warning, no personal desire to do this, and you feel like you’re drowning. “This is impossible,” has become a mantra. I’m here to help with some tips and tricks I have learned over the past decade and a half. Like the circus entertainers, you may need a tweak here and there with what you’re already doing to make a job easier. For some, you may need to revamp something that is challenging you, and that’s okay. With some systems in place, those magical days, or weeks where all the plates are happily spinning away can happen. A word of warning, even with advice, don’t expect perfect balance every day across all categories. You will frustrate yourself and burn out faster than the popularity of dance moves from Fortnight.

Add a comment below with any topics or concerns you would like to see addressed on this blog. Please share this to let others know I’m here to assist.

At the risk of calling to mind a young Zac Efron, bouncing around a gym in a red track suit, we’re all in this together. You can do this, and you and your family can thrive. Hang with me, and I’ll help you get those plates going. Thanks for reading.