60-day returns • free shipping on USA orders $129+
Just really struggling this year
- This topic has 18 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 8 months ago by
.
- Posts
Our homeschool has just been really struggling this year – and I really can’t fully pin-point the reasons. This is our 3rd year homeschooling – and I can’t say that the other years were “smooth” – but this year has just been horrible.
Just a reminder – my kids right now are Delta (8yob), Echo (6yog), Foxtrot (3yog), Golf (20mog).
Now – this last month (about 5 weeks) we haven’t done much at all. My dh has been home sick until a couple of days ago… and I was diagnosed with mono a week ago and have felt totally horrible. I declared “spring break” this week. I must admit that the kids have been watching a lot more TV… sigh.
But besides that (ie, even before that)- it seems like we do math (together), copywork, about another 2 topics – and that is about all I can handle. The other topics might be history/geography, devotion, the violin practice – but not all of them. We haven’t done picture study for ages (never got it going well at all this year) – partly because our printer needs toner and all the colours are messed up. Science has gone by the wayside. what is nature study? Reading??? we are partway through the book we started from first term – and I doubt the kids remember any of it anymore. I think some of the stuff is happening so rarely, the kids don’t remember what happened earlier.
And yes – I did a bit of looking at the Robinson Curriculum (RC) and A2…. because I get to feeling like if they were more independant then the days I’m not working well, they will still learn more – but really those curriculums come down really to being a booklist… the RC methods go very against CM methods, and I’m not sure I agree with them. Delta might be able to do some more independant work – but I’m not sure his reading abilities are where they should be.
I also worry – Delta will be 9 next year – in theory Grade 4 (so in theory Year 4…) – which is a time when people tend to add in more – as well as more independance is often expected. We are partway through Level B of RS math (in theory a grade 1 math, but some of it would be more than grade 1) – I don’t know how his reading compares, and sometimes I wonder if he remembers anything else he has learned. He can’t spell at all (“mom, how do you spell ‘to'”?) and doesn’t write if he doesn’t have to. He can tell you almost anything you would like to know about Planets (guess that Astronomy unit we did 2 years ago stuck…) and he has earned a lot of cub badges…. and he is showing signs of being a lot more responsible…
Echo is just 6 and is doing grade 1 – but most of it is the same as Delta. She can read fairly well… I’m guessing a grade 2 level? – she reads similar to Delta, but not quite as well. She is doing the same math right now. But she bucks and fights the whole thing right now.
I feel bad about subjects we’ve dropped. They liked science, and loved the few experiments we did. Well – they both liked the experiments. Delta liked all of science, Echo complained about the rest of it.
I’m just trying to figure out how I can get a “flow” going….
anyway – enough whining I guess for now.
Sometimes life just interrupts. If you are ready to swing back in then maybe you just need some inspiration. When I start feeling like I’m losing steam or things are lagging I like to read some inspirational books about homeschooling. I reread one of Charlotte Mason’s volumes, or maybe surf through the SCM site. I heartily recommend Educating the WholeHearted Child by the Clarksons.
It sounds like you know what to do, you just need to remind yourself why you do it. Also, if you have let a lot go just focus on one thig at a time. Decide to commit to doing math, copywork, and one read aloud each day. Pick a fun book. Do that for two solid weeks. Then add one more thing. Then another. One focus at a time, added a new one only when the last one has stuck in your routine. That is how i began to do a CM education. A little bit each day adds up fast.
You can do it!
Tara
Hang in there! Sometimes, when I’m really struggling with being “sick and tired” we do like Tara suggested. We focus on 2 or 3 things for a week or two, then add another, then another and within a short while we’re back up to where I want to be. Being sick knocks you down, hard. And having husbands home sure messes with your schedule!
When I’m REALLY sick we do some reading (if I’m able) and lots of video school. Not my first pick but sometimes that’s all I can do. I try to use “educational” movies – they’ve watched a lot of Bill Nye, Magic School Bus, Mythbusters, Leap Frog, Popular Mechanics for Kids, Liberty Kids, etc. A lot of them we own (purchased because we know I get sick) and some we watch online (YouTube, Netflix or Sqooltube). Often the library will have stuff. Audio books (online or from the libray are another option) as are sites like ClassicsforKids (composer study).
I like to use modified workboxes as well. As my boys have gotten older, they’ve been able to do a lot more. For example, my 11-year-olds will do the following without me every day – personal scripture study, Latin, copywork, cursive writing, math drill worksheet, read an assigned science or history book, and piano practice. This year they’ll also add typing. My 8-year-old has personal scripture, Explode the Code, handwriting practice (in a workbook), copywork, math drill sheet and piano. Even on my sickest days they can get these done and then we do whatever else we can.
Give yourself a bit of time to recover. Develop a plan for what you want to do. Then slowly implement it. Slow and steady wins the race!
Heather
I agree with Tecrz1. Start with two or three basics. Add more in gradually. Decide what is important for the rest of the year and don’t worry too much about the rest just yet. I’ve had to re-evaluate lately and decide what I was doing because I felt we had to, and what we really need to accomplish. Your priorities might be different for each child — for example, your priorities with Delta might be math and reading this term. Don’t worry about spelling. If it bothers you how often he asks you to spell something, maybe you could consider getting him a child’s pictionary (I had one I loved when I was little that I loved for the beautiful pictures). Or you could post common words somewhere he can see them frequently when he’s writing. If they’re watching tv more, try to make it educational — watch language or science lessons online, or find other age appropriate movies such as bible stories or documentaries to watch. Even Veggie Tales can offer some character building lessons. Other than that — enjoy some great lit for awhile. Worry about the rest as you get into a good routine and see some progress with the basics.
These posts have good advice, so I think all I can add is to remember that your children are still relatively young, so you have plenty of time to add in more subjects and finish things, even for your oldest. Now is the time to build habits and encourage a love for learning, so it’s not just about the quantity of books and subjects you complete in a year.
Take care of yourself first and let the kids learn how to help you in times of need. They’ll learn that their “job” in the family is to help out according to their abilities.
I’m with Sue. Your kids are relatively young. You haven’t ruined them for life. You have been sick – that alone colors the whole year (ask me how I know), even if the whole year wasn’t as bad as right now. Plus just taking care of 4 kids that young may be more than you can handle being sick.
Try to get the basics done(if you are really up to that) – them doing some reading(for the readers), a bit of writing (copywork?), and a bit of math. That alone, with mono is a lot. If you really can’t handle that, then declare it summer vacation. You could always start a bit earlier in the fall that usual if you felt you had to make it up – or not.
Go easy on yourself, this is just a season. It will pass. There is always next year to have it turn out like you had in mind. Praying for you today.
I agree…they’re so young. I know some moms consider anything outside of the 3 R’s gravy at this age. My first does pretty well w/the 3 R’s, but I truly don’t think she remembers much of anything other than that from her early years (your eldest’s age and even older). I wasn’t doing much CM style except short lessons and quality lit. and I don’t think she remembers hardly any history or science… and we weren’t doing picture study, composer study, nature study, etc. yet. But she now does fine and works well independently.
With all you have going on, I wouldn’t feel bad just doing the 3 R’s and adding in some educational videos for some of the other subjects until you’re up to getting a routine going. Maybe find some ways to encourage your 9yo in gaining more and more independence. Praying you’ll allow yourself some grace while sick and hope you feel better soon! Blessings, Gina
So true what Gina said. They’re so young and will not remember much history that is read or anything. Learning to read and write is hard work enough, plus patiently training their habits is a full time job! Anything extra is great, but don’t feel bad if you don’t do it all. Go easy on yourself, especially if you’re not feeling well.
On a side note regarding your 8 year old, just remember that spelling is not as important right now, and it will progress when you get to the age of incorporating dictation like Spelling Wisdom. My 12 year old who struggles with spelling is doing so much better because of these exercises. But he wasn’t ready for this until a few months ago. His reading needed improving first. So look at the BIG picture. I recommend Sonya’s new post about Frog and Toad…so true!!
Blessings!
Do you have middle school/high school/college kids at your church who may be willing to come over once or twice a week to run a subject for you? We have had a cousin in high school who loves art come once a week in the summer to do an art lesson and we didn’t even pay her b/c her parents were working and she didn’t have to be alone all day. We have a college friend who does laundry at our house and has dinner with us in exchange for Spanish and piano lessons sometimes. I forget if you are one of the girls on here that lives way out in the boonies! If not, see if you can exchange some services with somebody-it always excites my kids to have a new teacher around, even if they are only 15!
Thanks everyone… I will continue to take it easy. I know my kids are still young – it just gets to feeling like nothing is happening… but as I said, I’ve seen great strives in my son with helpfullness, independance, and in general working hard. That is worth a lot.
I’m not in the boonies – but my husband works nights and sleeps during the day, and then is getting ready for work in the early evening… so nobody else in the house!
Just wanted to say that we are back on track with a light schedule – at least it worked out ok today. We did scripture mastery, math, copywork. At one point I put on some of our German songs while I was waiting for my son (bathroom I think?)- so they sang some of them. We did a very short violin practice (about 5 minutes each) – and my older 2 picked something to draw from “Draw Write Now” while I worked for a few minutes with my 3yo on reading.
They had their swim lessons, this evening we had Family Home Evening (a short weekly devotional), and my son “buddy-read” a book with me before bead. I didn’t get any reading in with my 6yo though.
I also realized (just a few minutes ago) that the kids have about 35 more math lessons in the year… and we have to the end of June before we have to do our reporting for the year. That is about 14 more weeks… so even if we only managed to do 3 a week we should be able to be finished ok by the time I have to do the reports. I was trying to figure out what to say if it was incomplete – but it shouldn’t be a problem, even if we have to do a bunch of games on some area (we do RS)
Hi Suzukimom, I just wanted to tell you a couple of things that really help me to stay “on track” even when I don’t feel up to doing anything. I have a board permanently hanging on the wall where I write the kids assignments. I write EVERYTHING on this board… even such things as “read one library book” or “Sketch Tuesday drawing” or reminders to practice their Bible verses. Because I am visual and I operate best by having a checklist mentality, this helps to keep ME going. And, let’s be honest, it’s me who drives what is happening so it’s important that I’m able to function. On the weekend, I spend a lot of time planning out their “school” for the week. I talked to my husband about this four years ago and we agreed that I need part of Saturday to sit in the bedroom with the door closed and work uninterrupted for a few hours. I cannot stress to you how much this helped our schooling. I write everything out in a lesson planner book for each kid. Nothing fancy, just books from the Target dollar area. So, in the morning, while the kids are doing after breakfast chores, I copy it straight from my book onto the board. As I said, this helps me, and it also helps them to see what they have to do. Even if they can’t read yet, they start to recognize certain words. My 3 year old even does this.
Also, a big thing that helped me a couple of years ago was to realize that doing SOMETHING is better than doing NOTHING. So, for instance, we just started the JMW Turner picture study kit from SCM. In the past, I would not have started for a couple of months because I would want to make sure I had lots of books about Turner, some art activities about Turner, a video, and a planned museum excursion. Eventually I would realize this just wasn’t going to happen and we would never even do the picture study. But, with my new “something is better than nothing” philosophy, I simply got out the picture, showed it to the kids, we narrated it, and I hung it on the wall. I found that I was getting paralyzed by my need to have everything really full and rich and all together…. so my kids were suffering because they weren’t really getting anything.
Just keep going, day by day, doing things one step at a time. And, if you’re like me, maybe you just need to be more disciplined. I know that was my problem for many years. I have been homeschooling for 14 years, have graduated one, so I think I can speak from experience. Like others said, your kids are so young. Don’t feel that everything is ESSENTIAL right now. In my humble opinion, the only thing that is essential at this age is that they become strong readers. Once they can read, the world of self education is open to them and your job becomes much simpler.
I came here to post a similar situation. For the first time in three years, I feel like giving up and sending my kids to private school (public schools are not an option in our area).
I sat down with my kids and they were picking on each other and when I started to read the Bible story, my 5yr. old started complaining. Then my 2 year old crowded in and started crying when he wasn’t allowed to sit between my 7 yr. old and me.
Now they are all crying and whining and I just want to send them to school down the street right now! Very sad for me because I love having my kids home and learning with them. I am no longer sick but still struggling.
pslively
this is me. I want to do so many rich involved things that sometimes we end up not doing anything. I paralyze myself because I have too much planned.To the OP: your dc will be fine. Just focus on reading, writing and math for now.
Thanks everyone…
mtmama – if you can get a copy of the official homeschool cartoons (or something like that) – I have “Lies Homeschooling mom’s Believe” which has pictures from it…. I think the authors name is something like Todd Wilson…
Anyway – there is 2 cartoons your post made me think of…. (this is roughly what they said)
1st – 2 moms talking together. The one is crying, saying “It was just awful! The kids were screaming and fighting and Johnny was crying so hard he threw up!” 2nd mom – “There, there, it will be ok. Maybe you could start school with Bible time”. 1st mom – “That was Bible Time!!!”
2nd – Mom talking to Dad. “I can’t take it anymore, I think we should put the kids in school”. Dad – “ok – public or private?” Mom – “BOARDING!”
- The topic ‘Just really struggling this year’ is closed to new replies.