going CM all the way–please help

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  • September 30, 2010 at 2:50 am
    art
    Participant

    Ok, so here’s the thing. I need life to be simpler. I have wanted to have school the CM way for a long time. I haven’t gotten there, but I need to now. 

    I’m just not sure what to do. I feel overwhelmed. I had bought Sonlight for this year, but I’m trying to list it for sale on their website now, and I think that will take off some pressure. I hadn’t really started using it, because it stressed me out looking at the instructor guide. I know better than to think that someone else’s book choices and lesson plans were for us.

    So now I want to put more trust in the CM methods. I think the kids really need it, and I’m drowning just trying to have school.

    My husband is an airline pilot, and we’ve been changing bases this last few months and not finding a place to live and commuting on top of being a pilot-which we never wanted and didn’t choose. He was an instructor for an airline, but a few years ago, they had to make them go fly full time or loose their jobs.

    Anyway, with Daddy gone a lot (he has always been very involved in the teaching at our house and we miss that) I’m going crazy. I need to go CM all the way. My husband and I have read large portions of Charlotte’s original books, and he’s all for it. In fact, he’d rather start some Charlotte Mason homeschool business helping others than ever fly again. So I have his total support. But I feel like I don’t know what to do.

    I guess I just need encouragement. And maybe a few prayers.

    Thanks ladies!

    Angela

    September 30, 2010 at 3:57 am
    suzukimom
    Participant

    Hi Angela!

    You didn’t mention how old your kids are, how long you have homeschooled, etc…

    First bit of advice I have is to breathe!  You can do this.

    Have you gotten the “Planning your Charlotte Mason Education” (hm, do I have the name right tonight?) from this site?  It does a lot to help you on figuring out your basic plan, from long term down to daily.

    Other options are to start with a CM curriculum program that someone else has setup and modifying it to fit your family.  Some options are:

    the free Simply Charlotte Mason curriculum guide on this website,

    Ambleside Online  – also free

    http://www.milestonesacademy.com – also free

    and there are others….  tanglewood (I think?) or “Old Fashioned Education” come to mind.  

    Many of these are excellent – but you need to do what will fit your famliy….   I used Milestones Academy for my base.

     

    I’m pretty sure that there are articles on this site on how to get started with your CM….  They are great.

    Hope this helps a bit!

     

    Moderator’s Note: Unfortunately we had to remove the link to Ambleside Online. They have requested that links to them be posted only with their permission. You should be able to Google them easily.

    September 30, 2010 at 6:56 am
    thehauserfamily
    Member

    I know how you feel somewhat.  My hubby is gone a bit (military) and I have to do school, house and kids on my own.  I have ages 7, 4, 2, and 10 mo twins.  It can get a bit crazy around here at times. 

    I planned a cur this year based on what my son needed to work on more, some of which was CM based. Then, I found this site and realized that we needed to be doing a lot more and frankly my brain was hurting.  Once I got it all figured out and some of the books came in the mail I felt more at ease.  I am still doing some of our previous selectons even though the history on this site is more applealing to me.  I just couldn’t switch everything. I found this site organized in a way that I understood more and the selections to be the most versitile.

    Just start with the grades you need.  List out what you want each to learn and then find what will work for you based on the recomendations.  Some of the sonlight books might work for to use as readers or extras.  I would hang on to them until you decide what books you will use and then you can just sell what you don’t use or the teachers guide.

    September 30, 2010 at 1:35 pm
    art
    Participant

    Thanks for the replies. My kids are 12 (next week), 9 and 8 (next month). I also have a 17 yr old that graduated last year and is doing college. I have homeschooled forever. None of the kids have ever gone to school. With my graduate, we used textbooks mostly. He is so smart and know so much that it has taken me a long time to decide not to use any. For high school for him we did do it more like Charlotte Mason. He had math and science texts-Apologia and Math U See or Jacob’s. But for everything else he just read literature and wrote about it, and did so great.

    So I’m not sure why this is so hard for me. I think these three kids have me stumped.

    In the past 5 years I’ve had mono and consequent lasting fatigue and brain fog, a miscarriage, a husband turned into a full time pilot, had him commute off and on to be a flight instructor temporarily, moved a couple times and in the process of trying to find a place now in another state and commuting again, food allergies come up for 2/3 of our family (different ones for everyone), living out of boxes because we thought we were moving a few weeks ago and didn’t, etc.

    All these things have left the younger three way behind where they should be. Nothing I’ve done seems to get them going. I really feel CM will do it. I just feel so tired.

    I got “Planning your CM Education” a few days ago. I have looked through it and can’t wait to have time to do it. I think tomorrow, I’ll have some time. I have decided this year I want the kids to do like a world awareness year. Geography and cultures from around the world. We have the Eastern Hemisphere Sonlight package, but I’m wondering if they’re all too young for it. I’m sure at least 2 of them are.

    We have Science under control. Today, I’m expecting Math U See to come for all three to give them the foundation they’re all lacking. Two of them don’t love to listen to the books I choose. They prefer picture books. Especially the 9 yr old. My 12 yr old loves everything we read. Even  more if it’s about countries or people from other places. They haven’t had much experience narrating at all. They HATE it. I have them draw a lot instead of telling. That’s better, but not great.

    I guess it’s mostly the narrating that’s got me bothered. How long does it take for them to get it or not hate it? We have had so much negative stuff, I hate to have them do something they can’t seem to stand. I don’t want you to think I’m a wimpy parent that just gives them what they want. I’m not, but if they’re in a terrible mood or I have to force them, they won’t learn anyway.

    Sorry to go on. 

    Thanks for the help,

    Angela

    September 30, 2010 at 2:30 pm
    Michaela
    Participant

    Hi Angela, I’m sorry you are going through such a tough time.  I don’t have much advice, I just wanted to let you know that I will be praying for you today.  And, acutally, I’m sure I was praying for you last night.  God put it on my heart to pray for some ladies here last night, even though I didn’t know which ones. 🙂

    I would say to go through the “Planning your CM Education” book.  When I did it gave me clarity and brought all the swirling ideas in my head into focus.

    Also, just try to add one new thing at a time.  That’s been hard for me, but it really helps things go more smoothly, and it makes them more enjoyable when you get to them.

    Isaiah 40:31 “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

    September 30, 2010 at 8:19 pm
    crazy4boys
    Participant

    For narration I made these bookmarks.  I keep them in all the books we are reading so that I remember to ask them to narrate, and it has lots of different ideas so it’s not always the same.  Their favorite questions right now are “What is one thing you will always remember about _____?” and “How would you have done ______ differently?”  (We’re studying the American Revolution so there is a lot they would do differently, on both sides!)

    For science narration I have the Alien Scientist visit.  It’s really just me and I use a silly voice to ask them questions.  I always misunderstand what they say and mispronounce words so they have to correct me.  I also give “false” information and they jump in to correct that as well.

    For history you could try a Wacky Professor or Historian from Another Planet or whatever.

    These “strange visitors” only make an appearance every few weeks.  The rest of the time they do regular narrations.  We started out narrating stories – that seemed to make the transition smoother.  

    Heather

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