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Just Sharing Thoughts From a Confused Mind :)
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I have been so confused lately about methods, good books, living books, character studies, habit training, history rotations, science curricula, etc., etc. Now, I have come full circle and realized that all I have accoplished is making my life chaotic and stressed. I have read too many ideas, tried too many new things, and wasted so much of my time that I could have been spending with my family, helping others, or in God’s Word. I have made a new resolution to stop looking for new or better things! I am going to use the things I have and not google one more curriculum! I am going to stick to the SCM curriculum guide as much as possible (after all, that is where I end up every time I look for something new and wonderful to use). And I am going to enjoy teaching my children!
Thank all of you for answering questions when I have asked them, and for being a great help to me! I hope my experience will be and example for others NOT to follow! 🙂
Amanda, I was certainly where you were once upon a time. I don’t know why it took so long for me to see that I was spending so much time trying to pick the best that I missed the whole point of what I was wanting to do and little schooling got done. The money that is wasted doing that is also something that I regret – I think we all sometimes forget that simple is best and to go with our own feelings and not listen to every person who says different. Once I started with the CM method I had many people say I shouldn’t, that it was lacking blah, blah blah…and had I listened I may have gone off the path again – fortunately by then I was more comfortable in what I was doing and how well it worked, that it did not bother me. For my daughter’s high school years I have done an eclectic mix of methods, however it is heavy in the CM method and even though they do science courses from a textbook, they read living science books as well. My own feeling is, it has to fit your own individual family and no matter who tells you different, you know your family best – so with prayer and many mistakes I am finally comfortable. I am glad you have found your niche early – remember the post you have written and read it each time you feel like you are heading into chaos again. Bless you.
Thanks for sharing. I have been there done that! We are tired of looking too. It’s draining; time, money, emontionally and spritually. I always come back here also. Okay. I’m not looking anymore. I needed this gentle reminder.
Oh, I wish I could edit my misspelled words!!! 🙂
I’m glad I’m not alone. And I am going to copy and paste this in my wordpad so that I can read it when I am feeling the need to surf the web. Thanks for that great tip, missingtheshire 🙂
Cindie,
Thanks for always being such a good encourager 😉
Amanda
Amanda
I am not completely new to the CM method, but to this forum I am brand new. I love, love, love the 106 Days of Creation, Boys of the Pyramids, The Proverbs Study and a few other awesome resources.
I agree whole heartedly with what you are saying. We do go through a charter that covers much of our children’s materials (but certainly not everything) and we have tried so many different publishers, ideas, methods, etc. that I am totally burned out. Of course my kids would have been happy with whatever I had chosen, it was me that was like a kid in a candy shop.
It’s true that when you first begin hsing that you may not know where to start and you receive ideas from friends/acquaintances, but if you’re like me you want to explore EVERYTHING yourself. Wow, has that go me into trouble with my kids, especially my oldest. He has recently just asked me if we could please finish some of the things we have started. He’s 11 and knows better than I. Sometimes I absolutely have to ask and listen to those I’m trying to guide and take what they say (mostly the 11 yo) into consideration. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t let him decide for me what I feel is best, but I do ask for input from him and let him know that he has a voice in this process.
Right now we tackle science and social studies in two week increments, at my son’s request. He felt we just get into something and then have to switch gears and in those subjects he wants to spend more time and not feel rushed. At first we did 2 days/science, 3 days/social studies, but that was a nightmare as well. The two week time frame is much better and we accomplish more. Personally, I feel more freedom to increase our field trips this way.
Anyhow, reading this post reminded me of myself so much. For us it has all been a process of learning. You don’t know what you don’t know and then when you know it becomes your knowledge/experience. All of the experience I have now I’m glad I have, personally. There are some things you just can’t learn from other people’s mistakes, unfortunately. Even if someone had told me about the pitfalls of being a curriculum junkie, I probably wouldn’t have listened anyway.
The truth for me is this: Everything is interesting and sounds great, but the reality of that is chaos and frustration.
Just my 2 cents. BTW, this is by far the best hsing forum with honesty and genuine help for real people with real kids. Thanks to all who contribute.
My3boys,
You are so right! I never thought about the fact that I now have so much first hand experience with a huge assortment of curricula! 🙂 LOL!! It is also true that I just HAD to touch it, use it, and see what I thought about it before I decided what was going to work for us. I guess I should not feel quite so bad about trying so much, but just be determined that now that I have tried so much and found what IS working, that I will stay put for now.
Thanks for you 2 cents 🙂 And yes, this is a great forum!!
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