Learning when to say "No"

This boy has no trouble saying no.

I have a couple of friends who work and have children. They are good people. They don't home school and around this time of year I expect a phone call if they are feeling brave, or an email if they aren't. It is because the holidays are here and they are looking for child care for their children. I didn't mind when we were in the school system, and I am very sympathetic, as I was once a working mother too.

Home educating has made me a better person in a lot of ways. I take more time to be pleasant to people, I am more tolerant of the views of others and I am more questioning than I used to be. However, we aren't actually taking the holidays right now, why would we? It makes no sense to fight for space with the masses at the park/ leisure centre/ farm and I really don't want to have other schooled children here when we are trying to get on with our stuff, which probably makes me rather selfish, and not a shining beacon of kindness.

Do I say this when the parents call/ mail? No, I do not. I feel guilty that here am I spending every day with my own offspring, and they are panicking about where on earth to put theirs for the next two weeks. I remind myself that we chose this way of life, and that the biggest sacrifice has been the extra income and then when they do call, I hear the buttock clenching panic in their voices that I may say no this time, and I feel mean.

As a result of this I have three days over the next week that I can write off any educational activities happening on, because I have agreed to take the children. I only have myself to blame, as I have perfectly good reasons to say I can't help, but I seem to find it hard to do so. I need to educate myself on how to say No. I don't see me learning this lesson any time soon......