I am so overwhelmed at what you guys are doing! You mom’s with little ones still juggling all your duties and homeschooling are absolutely amazing. I have one senior in PS, which having evaluated his education over the years convinced me homeschooling was better. My 10 yr old son (ds, i think – so not accustomed to abbreviations), went to ps until 3rd & I pulled him this year. My 6 yr old daughter (dd, i think) has never been to school outside the home – I did pre-k with her because ours went to full day – & having seen the primary from my older son & through my friends daughter who is 4 months older than my little girls, therefore started K one yr sooner, there was NO WAY I was putting my daughter there. We sat in the cafeteria having lunch with her last year & my daughter watched aides jump & scream at the kids with whistles & bull horns (no joke) to not talk & put their heads down on table if done eating! It was pouring rain & recess was out of the question but they couldn’t talk @ lunch – kindergarteners! Then I picked her up 10 minutes after the bell one day & she was unattended by any adults with 7 other kindergarteners. I looked for an adult & called out for one & finally removed my friends daughter easily from the front of the school & promptly called her mother. DONE – none of that for me – thanks. Not to mention – my son was bringing home hours worth of homework each night for me to teach – after he sat in a window-less classroom all day, because the teacher spent all of her time working with children who were severely behind!
SORRY – I’m rambling – I’m writing because – my 10 yr old LOVES homeschooling – & is doing ok with his schoolwork…BUT he grumbles CONSTANTLY. I sometimes feel at my wits end with my once happy & (honestly over-compliant), sweet little boy that suddenly is so negative. He gripes, grumbles & corrects ALL the time. My only solace is that it does seem to translate to other activities besides schoolwork, therefore I am pushing forward. I try to come up with creative ways to make it more fun, but I’m also trying not to give in & pacify his every gripe, since I don’t want him to think he can just gripe & get his way. I have tried other things might be helping – such as having him add a positive statement after he has made a negative one. I pray that time will tell. I am brand new to this site & I am searching for the perfect curriculum. I love some of the books that are available & that I can easily view samples to see the book lists, but I am still analyzing if this will work for me. I really wish it was easier to get all of the books that Sonya S. recommends, because that is almost the only thing holding me back from my current curriculum choices. However – after reading some of the moms comments, I find comfort in the fact that you guys talk about real problems you are having. Thanks for the comments – and again – I admire you all – I don’t know how you do it! I am staying home, self employed (accounting work for the church & babysit two girls), run a few ministries @ church & teach a class @ church plus one @ co-op, and serve on the school board (yes – that was a moment of insanity that led me to run for that)! However – even all of this truly pales in comparison to watching toddlers & infants and homeschooling one or more older kiddos! I so wish I could have a day with several other homeschool moms to shadow & see how they do it! Thanks for letting me get all that out – I think I feel better! Ashley