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Feeling discouraged :(
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This is the begining of our 2nd week of our 3rd year homeschooling. We’re new to CM style and I was so excited to get going on it. Now I’m nothing but frustrated. I feel like we aren’t getting anything done, although we are, and the kids are fighting me on this method like crazy. They don’t want to read and have always been reluctant readers. They aren’t trying their best on their copywork. And they don’t want to listen to my read alouds. Actually I shouldn’t say “they” as in “all” of them because it’s the older two that are giving me fits. both ds ages 13 and 11 are fighting me like crazy. And besides that, they are done so early (when they will actually do their work)that they have NOTHING to do afterwards and fight with each other. I am having a hard time even getting them to do their chores. I feel like a terrible mother. Does anyone have any suggestions?? I’m frustrated to tears right now. It would be so easy for me to send them to public school right now. It’s been this way for three years now.. It has to be something I’m doing wrong..
You’ve been hs-ing a lot longer than I have, but where I live we didn’t have the warm weather we usually get with summer. Instead of 3 mo of heat we had about 3 weeks of heat. We pulled my daughter out after 4th grade. I knew only too well all of the things that go on in school, I volunteered 3 days a week. It must be something in the weather right now, because my d is now 11 and not wanting to start either. It sounds like we could be from the same households. It will get better, but I can only use some of the CM stuff and gradually incorporate it. We have only been HS 1 yr, but already have some none CM patterns set that will be hard to change. I asked my d what it was that she didn’t like and she had said she basically had preconceived ideas that it would be like a regular classroom at home. So, I compromised a little. Every child learns different and as long as she is learning I am successful. I did find a chat that helped me last week when I was in tears. Maybe this will help you too. Everyone was really nice and helpful. I will keep you in my prayers, but at least know that you are not alone. It did help that we joined a local home school group, so we get field trips and gym days and can choose co op classes if we want. I have pasted the link to the chat I found. I Hope it works. It is a Christian HS chat. http://www.educationforthesoul.com/hschat/chat-popup.htm
When we began incorporating CM, I got a lot of resistance too even though I was so excited and felt like they would love this more gentle style of education. I was very discouraged– mostly I think because they didn’t share in my enthusiasm. But after much prayer (and tears!) I felt like I was to stay the course. Even though school is much better now than it has been, we still have days like you’ve described. I think it’s a “two steps forward, one step back” thing, but the more we stay on schedule and become familiar with and practice each aspect of this method the more steps forward we get to take with fewer steps back.
When things get tense in our home I try to build in a field trip, even though it’s the LAST thing I want to do. Most times this settles us down for a bit.
Be encouraged and lean on the Lord.
Keep moving forward one step at a time – it does get better. We are entering our 9th year of homeschooling. I have a 13 yr old ds, 11 yr old dd, almost 9 yr old dd, almost 7 yr old dd, and a almost 3yr old dd. We aren’t new to homschooling but am fairly new to the CM method.
When I wanted to start the CM method, we had a school meeting. I explained it to the children, what it involved and what would be expected from them. I asked them what they thought about it and they all said that it sounded good even though a few had doubts, they were willing to try.
I told them they were expected to at least give it a try and to do their best, if something wasn’t working for them then they could speak to me about it and we would try to come up with a solution that would work for both of us.
If they don’t do their best (in all subjects) then they get the opportunity to do it over again for homework later that day. They learned rather quickly to do their best the first time. This may sound harsh but I expect them (especially the 11 and 13 yr olds) to be responsible for their work and to take pride in what they do, as well as being a role model to the younger children.
Robyn
Robyn, excellent post, this is what I did and have done for some time, even with my high school daughters. The thought that they might have to do homework, or give up something they wanted to do, to repeat work was enough to make them do it right first time around. I don’t think of it as harsh, I think of it as training, and it works. I have a younger child that I am homeschooling (not my own) and it works wonders for her as well – she is learning by example. So good luck and don’t give up – but also don’t let them rule the roost – sometimes we have to teach the harder lessons. Blessings, Linda
Today was another one of those days. I woke up with AWFUL allergies so I took a benedryl and it knocked me out until about 9am. UGH!!!! I HATE sleeping in like that.. So we didn’t get school going until 10 but that’s ok. We worked on it and had some issues so I stopped and we incorporated a family meeting into our school time. I told them how excited I was to get them started on this method and how I have a lot of things I would like to do with them but I can’t add them in until they can commit to what they are to do now. My oldest has already lost his phone for the week because of his attitude with me. He straitened up though 🙂 Both boys have worked on their room today with little fighting and complaining. Oldest decided he wanted to organize some things in there a bit better so he is still in the room doing so. He’s been working on it for about 2 hours now.
Even though we didn’t start until about 10 we finished nearly everything we needed to get done. Oldest didn’t read his suppliment book though. So tomorrow. We are going to skip history and let him read that instead. The girls didn’t get science today. But we will do it tomorrow.
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