OT: severe lack of implementation

I’he been having the same struggle this year. I think starting small making sure a few things get fond would be a great start. I also think that really committing myself to my plan helps too.

This is a big issue for me and one of the main reasons I’m looking at MFW for next year.  I am discovering that even though it might not be fully cm or I may not be fully sold on all the books (there is still plenty of room for adding more living books from their book basket lists and other resources), my boys will be much better off (and I won’t be as stressed) following a laid out plan. Especially where I work part time, I don’t have the time or energy to really sort out all the day-to – day details.  I’ll try it for a year and decided how I feel about it after that.  

I am a researcher, too.  And a planner.  But implementation is difficult at times for me, too.  At times, I have to literally make myself “do” what I planned.  I usually have way too many things planned for one subject/topic and have to force myself to narrow it down to just use the one that I like best.  That is really hard when there are sooo many great programs/books to use. Add that to the fact that you feel like you are losing time with your kiddos.  Mine are getting big and I’m feeling the pressure.

For instance, let’s say science….I have a co-op that may offer science for my dc, but instead of just using that for the year, I add in (on the fly) a class that comes up somewhere else or a book I want us to read or short unit study I think would be great to do at this time of year.  I feel like I can add those things in because we are homeschoolers and that we have time, but the reality is…is just messes things up.  OR. I can’t seem to manage it all OR I can’t see the beauty in variation, but instead feel regret in what we didn’t accomplish in what I’d already planned.

Knowing that about myself, I should plan less in our homeschool and let those outside things come as they do, which if I know us, they will.  I fool myself into thinking that I won’t do a field trip our homeschool group sets up, which is just not true. 

I think I see what others are accomplishing and think that we should too. Or we over-plan because we think we can.  I have so many plans for next year and way too many supplies that I need to get rid of.  I don’t like that guilty feeling of not accomplishing or using what we have, so I need to minimize big time!

I think our family does a lot outside the home in comparison to others and thinking that we can do some of the great ideas I glean from others is just not possible.  I need to be okay with that.

So, yes, I completely understand and I feel I plan too much as well.  I probably do that to make sure it’s all covered, but in the end, makes me crazy!

Oh, and I mentioned Unit Studies in my post…I hate them and am not good at doing them.  I just passed off some to someone else because I’m never going to use them.

I like to have a lot of supplies because it’s makes things more easier when we need them, but at the same time, the additional supplies can be paralyzing to look at. 

I totally get it and need to be “brutal” in getting rid of some stuff and not over-planning. 

I don’t know if this is helping you at all, Jenni, or if we’re sharing our struggle with “stuff” and not the doing of the “stuff”.  Hmmmm….Sometimes I have to start fresh, clean the storage area, gain perspectives, take a real break, discipline myself in my morning routine (if that is off, the day may be off) and get back to a good schedule.  Sometimes I think that for myself it’s how I have my schedule set up…if it’s on the fridge, I forget about it, if it’s on the counter and we check off what we’ve done, etc., makes me feel like we’re working through what we’ve planned.  Anyhow, I do know how you feel and have to work at that sometimes too.

So glad you posted that link — since it was just bumped a month ago, I remember it (now that I see it)! Anabetica’s post…the second post on the first page?…is just so wonderfully insightful and encouraging.

I am my own worst enemy most of the time, honestly. One thing I can say with certainty, for me at least, is that I have a tendency toward what Jenni expressed and I really need to watch myself, know myself. 

My most “successful” periods of time over the years for getting done those academic plans are when there is a definite flow/routine to our days (not time slots, but just the overall flowing sequence of the day), coupled with some planning like what is described in the SCM’s Planning book and a listing of family and independent work that *my kids can readily see*. 

The other thing…and maybe this is seen as a tangent… is that when the household things have a similar structure (basic meal plan and cleaning/tidying routines — nothing fancy! we’re talking simple here) then *I* am a much happier person and can enjoy my children sooo much more. Then I feel like I can enjoy the book, look into their beautiful faces instead of thinking about the weight I feel of things that need to get done, wander off the path and enjoy it, etc. 

I overplan as well.  I have a long list of resources I want to get to and recently have been realizing how little I should do in a CM education!  I’m trying to back off our plans a bit so my DC can make connections with what they learn.  

I also spend too much time looking ahead…It’s so fun to curriculum browse and organize books for the next year.  When I actually go to HS my DC, it doesn’t always live up to my ideals of HSing.  My DC complain and get rowdy instead of listening intently (like I imagine they will).  Our lessons are constantly interrupted by phone calls, DH needing me to find something at the last minute, illnesses, etc.  The reality of HSing is hard work!  I’m also a “schedule-holic”.  There a running joke in our family about how many HS schedules we’ve had for the year.  Ideally we are supposed to change our scedule with the new term…I change ours every week or two.  Granted, they aren’t big changes, but it takes quite a bit of time to type a pretty new schedule up.  Time I could be spending on much more needed tasks (like housework, laundry, or just reading a book).

One thing I’ve done to help get it all done is have a must-do list: phonics, math, literature, scripture memory, SCM history guide, and narration.  Then I have our “must get to a few times a week” list: science, Latin, lanuage arts.  After that, I try to add at least one “fun” topic: nature study, picture study, art, poetry, etc.  Then when interruptions happen, I feel like we’ve still accomplished a lot.  The 2nd helpful thing has been to let go of getting it all done.  I used to dread science, but then I gave myself “permission” to skip over parts I didn’t want to do.  If there is a very involved science experiment or notebooking page and I’m too tired to get it started, it’s okay for me to skip it!  Now, I don’t dread pulling out our science book and it actually gets done.  

I’ve also been re-reading how to implement CM’s methods.  So often I make them more complicated then they need to be.  Picture study doesn’t have to be about adding in related art projects, biographies of the artist, or a long detailed coversation about what everything in the picture means.  Nature study doesn’t have to involve lots of field guides and art supplies.  Yet I tend to think we need all the extras for it to be carried out.  By re-reading what it “should” be, I have been able to simplify our day quite a bit.  I’m still working at this!