New Mindset?

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  • January 19, 2009 at 7:52 pm
    liddle5
    Member

    I just joined this forum today, mainly seeking some encouragement. Hopefully I’ll have some words to offer as well! I have read a few of the posts, and already I don’t feel so alone in my frustrations…thank you!

    I have 3 children, 7, 4 and 2. I have been so frustrated with homeschooling lately that today I was almost ready to call it quits. It doesn’t have to be like that, right? I’ve been teaching my daughter for 2 1/2 years, and she really likes being homeschooled. But I feel like a horrible teacher. I live in an area where there are not many homeschooling families, so I am constantly hearing about what her friends in public school are doing. Then I find myself frantically comparing her education to theirs, worried that we are not “keeping up”. I think my biggest problem is that I have never known anything other than public school, so even though I know that homeschooling should be different, I still keep comparing. Then I just get frustrated.

    Last summer, I found the SCM website and decided to teach from many of the suggested books/material. I really like it, but I guess (and I don’t mean this is a derogatory way, because I love the CM method–I’m just being honest) that I need someone to tell me it’s okay to trust this way of teaching, because everything I’ve ever known has been so different!

    For the last two years I used “boxed” curriculum, and my daughter was so bored with all the worksheets!!! She learns so much from games and being outside. That’s why I thought this method would be great for us. Perhaps I’ve been “trained” all my life to think that school should not be fun, and that’s why I am having this problem??!

    I don’t know if this makes sense, but I welcome any advice or help on this. I know I have to stop making comparisons. She will learn what she needs in time, right? Help!

    January 19, 2009 at 8:22 pm
    Misty
    Participant

    Welcome first off and breath!!

    I was there 2 years ago. I found this ‘wonderful’ website and couldn’t get enough of it but also came from a school system and couldn’t find how they would learn without the “books” (or system per say). My children (10, 9, 7, 4.5, 2, & due) HATED school all because of the “workbooks” everything was a new page. How borning is that, I mean I didn’t like that why would they?

    Then I just started as you say you have doing a bit here and bit there with the idea’s here untill all my old material was GONE! We had a grand time burning it all. Then I just had to let that go. (easier said then done somedays) and trust in everyone here. They give such great advice and I have read many a many post on how there kids are doing now in highschool or even college with this approach. I also so my children enjoying not dreading science, history, literature, and things like picture study (who thought I’d ever teach or even talk about pictures??LOL).

    So TRY to not compare remember just as ever school teaches different, ever teacher (even with the same books) will teach different and if you are seeing such a spark in your childrens learning as you said then why question what’s oviously working!!

    Prayfully seek the Lords help in giving you comfort with this and look to him for guidance where you need it. He always provides (remember not always the way you want but the way He needs you to).

    You are not alone! We all struggle at times with this in one way or another. Trust yourself! I will keep you in my prayers!

    Blessings

    Misty

    January 20, 2009 at 10:44 pm
    CindyS
    Participant

    Oh, I do know! Even after…wow, 15 years of homeschooling, I still need to continue to pray and ask God to release me from my heathen philosophy of education (as I have come to call it). It is so easy to let those ways creep back in. But my experience has shown me that Charlotte’s methods have a way of instilling in our children such a curiousity and joy of learning. As I watch my older ones in college, I see that it is really paying off because there is nothing they can’t grasp if they have a real desire to learn it. They have an attitude that says, “There has to be a way to do this, so I’m going to find out how…” I will say also that it has done the same in me since we’ve been teaching our children this way :). I never wondered about the things I wonder about now.

    I have a child sitting here next to me right this moment that is seeing how many ways he can fold a piece of paper and still make it fly. Yes, he is supposed to be cleaning the living room….But I will tell you, it really is okay to trust this way of educating :). It’s real learning, not artificial ‘get it memorized for the test’ learning. And as you pray, you will see how God is guiding your children into opportunities that are tailor-made for them, according to their gifts.

    I like what Misty said about doing a little bit here and there until she felt comfortable with the cm approach. Your children are still so little that you have a wonderful opportunity to experiment with cm methods and discover so much. I’m excited for you!

    Misty, I’m laughing…did you REALLY burn your curriculum?!

    I do pray for the moms on this forum, and I will add you to my list!

    Blessings,

    Cindy

    January 20, 2009 at 11:42 pm
    Misty
    Participant

    Cindy,

    YES we did really burn it!~ It was a wonderful feeling of letting go to the “paper” idea!

    Misty

    January 23, 2009 at 4:15 am
    liddle5
    Member

    Thanks so much for the insight and encouragement. It really does help so much to not feel so alone in my struggles and to know that what I am trying to do will be okay! I’m still so new at this, so I doubt myself quite a bit.

    I also appreciate the spiritual encouragement, for I did feel God’s leading to this method of teaching. I know that He is completely faithful to give wisdom as I continue to seek His guidance!

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