Homeschooling during stressful times

Both of our children have some amount of special needs, but it’s our youngest (going on 6) right now that has life in more of upheaval mode. We have a 3-day trip at the end of the month to go meet with specialists to discuss testing options for her medical issues. The testing process alone is going to require several appointments, fairly substantial medical travel etc… which will be disruptive enough. But, then depending on the results of the tests, she’ll be facing major surgery, and could end up with a colostomy or cecostomy.

So suffice it to say, we are facing a lot of upheaval and uncertainty in at least the next 6 months, and possibly beyond. We are just in complete homeschool survival mode right now, the only thing getting done with any amount of consistency is math, reading and copywork. And, I know that at only 8 & 5 (currently), that’s really okay. I do know that. But… I guess I struggle with the ideology of pedagogy, and feeling like I need to be doing it all, if that makes any sense?

I keep trying to “plan” things for our school, based on ideology, not reality. Like, I was going to do Bible, math, reading, copywork, and a rotating schedule of picture/hymn/music/poem study daily, then Outdoor Secrets two days a week, Canadian history the other two days, nature study on Friday… but it just doesn’t happen. Because one day we’re at the doctor, another day we’re at swimming lessons (which doubles as an OT therapy thing for both kids), another day we get math done but nothing else, because our daughter has a huge blow out during lessons, that requires I stop and bathe her etc… or her belly’s hurting, so she really needs cuddles on the couch with a hot pack more than she needs a phonics lesson, or she’s lost it in a meltdown and I’m dealing with that (she also has ASD). Hehe, God is certainly trying his best to teach this Type-A controller, to LET GO.

And so I find myself in a place of need a reality check on what we can realistically hope to get done. I did ditch the math and reading curriculum. I instead bought a subscription for both kids to Reading Eggs and Math Seeds. I have them do a lesson from each (Reading Eggspress for my son), each day on the computer. Something I swore I would NEVER do (computer based learning). But, it’s working – phonics lessons was a challenge for my daughter, and math was a struggle for my son. They’re now happy as can be doing their “games”. I just reinforce with reading practice, math games etc…

But now, I need help to let go of the rest of it. Tell me it’s okay, and they’re not going to end up emotionally/academically scarred if we don’t get picture or music or hymn study done. Tell me I can let go of the shiny curriculum that includes science and social studies that is so tempting and has so many nice ideas and features that I like, things that would be fun to do… that ultimately are going to largely be left undone, or leave me feeling like we’re behind. Tell me that we can do nothing more than just read a book that interests us, whether it’s science or social studies, and that we can just talk about it. That maybe today we’ll read about weather, and tomorrow we’ll read animal poetry. Next week we might read a biography of Ben Franklin, and the week after that about China. That we don’t need to do hands on projects, and spend a lot of time finding library books, or writing assignments or intricate drawings. That we don’t need to turn every topic we’re interested in, into “something” big, which is something I struggle with, I confess. I love to plan. So… I might decide we’re going to read Little House on the Prairie. But… then I’m turning it into a big unit study with projects and this and that. I guess maybe because deep down, I still doubt that reading is enough? I haven’t lost my publicly schooled training of needing visual proof of the learning?

At any rate, I appreciate your time, and I would value any input, on what realistic plans could/should look like for these ages, given circumstances.