Name: Teach Them Diligently (Branson)
Start: 2025-05-15T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-17T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Branson, MO

Tagged: combining ages, OT History Study

This topic has 10 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 10 months ago by Blessed with seven.

Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

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June 7, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Blessed with seven
Member
Okay…as you know I have been agonizing over how to do all this, considering Sonlight 6 & 7 but realizing I really want to start w/ Creation, OT History before going into Ancient History. I already own Living Book Curriculum for 1st grade, which I was going to use w/ my 7 & 10 year olds…well…everything except the phonics stuff or anything to “young” for them. I liked it because it starts w/ OT study and Early American History.
Do you think I could use the Genesis guide from this sight w/ what I already have, having my older girls also study Early AM History, maybe using a BF guide or something to give us all the same History studies. I love the looks of the Genesis/AE guide from SCM, have looked at the sample many times!! Loves the books it schedules it. The LBC guide will then also give me a weekly schedule for how to incorporate picture study (when I figure out the best way to do that w/ everyone) and nature study etc…
Kim
Wife to Clayton for 18 years, mother to dd14, dd13, ds10, dd7, dd4, ds2 and baby 3 months
Thank you all for your help…I must admit that this sight has the friendliest people..you can just tell. I am so frustrated trying to figure out what I want to do and everyone here has been very “gentle” w/ me..ha! Thank you!
June 7, 2008 at 11:19 pm
CindyS
Participant
Hi Kim,
I have not looked at LBC, nor the Genesis guide from this site. So, taking what I have to say with a grain of salt, it would concern me to try to run on two paths at once. It seems like you may want to choose one and go with it. Since you already have the LBC guide, would it make sense to beef it up for your older ones with some heavier reading versus trying to satisfy the goals of another guide?
Could you just choose some older student resources from SCM that correlate to the LBC guide? Is it that the questions in the LBC guide seem too easy for your older ones? Remember that the only difference between a hard question and an easy question is the way it’s asked (well, not always, but I’m sure you know what I mean). Am I asking too many questions???? 😉
This next is just a couple of thoughts that may or may not be helpful. Forgive me if this does not apply (though if you have never struggled with this I want your autograph!!! 🙂 🙂 )I believe that many of us could claim the “Queenship” for trying to do it all. I know for myself that I have gotten caught in the trap of wanting to do one thing, seeing another that I am attracted to and trying to mesh both (or more). In the end, I am burned out, the children have not had consistent schooling, and I am tempted to toss it all out for something else. God showed me that I was homeschooling in fear. It is overwhelming; the homeschool market has exploded with providers and we moms take the hit for trying to do the very best for our children.
I think one thing I would recommend is Sonya’s planning book. It is as close to anything I have seen that encourages us to really take a look at where our children are and where they are going. Coupled with prayer and your husband’s counsel, I think you will have victory and peace.
It is so encouraging to see how you are wanting the very, very best for your children. It will help spur the rest of us to pursue excellence like you are!
Blessings,
Cindy
June 7, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Blessed with seven
Member
Hi Cindy,
Thank you for your post. Yes..I am trying to do the “best” curriculum and end up getting nothing done. I admittedly have not been seeking the Lord on this and am homeschooling in fear, very true!
I think I am searching out of guilt also…my kids watch too much tv. I am truly, truly, wanting this to change. I don’t let them watch tv all day but once a day, when I am “needing” a break. A lot of my struggling has been because I don’t really have a plan or schedule so..now…that time has gone by and my older girls are getting close to High School age I am panicking, again! Always something to panic about I guess!
Never too many questions, it helps me sort through what I want to do!
I imagine I could beef up the LBC guide for my older two, just now sure how to do that. I do want to just stick w/ one guide BUT then I do feel like I am limiting myself when there are so many wonderful things out there. BUT…all those wonderful things end up paralyzing me and I get to nothing. I think I am missing all the helpful elements of this sight. To me I worry about being able to find the right books, for older children, for the right time period I am studying.
I think Sonya’s planning book would be wonderful, along with the CM organizer! See..I want to do the OT study, the Doctrine Study etc…for the older girls. I also printed out the stuff for the Bible memorization.
Wow…I do feel burned out but I haven’t been doing much but trying to figure out what to use…ha! If I were burned out because we have been doing a lot of school and doing lots of reading aloud, nature study, picture study…I would feel better about being “burned out” ha!
I am worried about keeping records now, I just see where I have gone wrong, I have been at this for 6 years and love the idea of a CM Education but I honestly feel inadequate to do it. I sometimes wonder if my personality just won’t mesh with that. I am unorganized so a “guide” helps me get things done.
Wow…okay..I am done! Thanks so much for your post. Sometimes I want to just hire someone to help me figure this out..like I could afford that ha!
Blessings,
Kim
June 8, 2008 at 12:31 am
CindyS
Participant
Kim, you are so tenderhearted. Are you schooling now or trying to plan for next year? You identified a spot to start…a schedule. Don’t feel guilty about the tv. That is the last thing you should do at this point. Do you have heavy requirements for record keeping? (We do, so I can empathize with anyone else that may.)
You are where I have been. It’s so easy to get caught up in the planning and never get to the ‘doing.’ For me it was a sign of guilt, as you say, but also discontent…”If I can do thus and such, things will be easier…” So, back to my comment about the schedule, if I may be so bold. God calls us to redeem the time. If you had a schedule that included routines and chores and you worked that for the next month, I think a lot of this other stuff would dissipate (sp?). What thinkest thou?
Cindy
June 8, 2008 at 3:51 am
Blessed with seven
Member
Yes..I would imagine a schedule is where I should start! Bold is good, thank you! I had already thought of starting small and adding as I get one thing as a habit, work on another. The last 2 months the kids have been sick, then they got better, then they got sick. We are usually pretty healthy, I was very cautious of not getting out too much w/ the kids during the winter, especially with the baby. Then…everyone has been getting sick, even the baby so..it has been exhausting.
I am planning for now, not next year, as we homeschool year round. I have some extra $ coming in that I can use for “school” stuff..so..get extra anxious that I spend it right.
Kim
June 9, 2008 at 12:20 pm
csmamma
Participant
Hi Kim,
I hope you don’t mind me adding by two cents in here. First off I have to say that as I read your posts, I can so relate. You have a new baby in the house, right? No wonder your stressed, overwhelmed and feel unorganized (if you don’t mind me being so bold)- you’re still adjusting! I may be stepping out on a limb here- but have you thought of just setting everything aside for a time (maybe the summer) and just relax and enjoy your darling children? I know this is easier said than done when you just want to figure out “what to do”. As Cindy mentioned above a daily routine is a great place to start. When our baby was about 3 months old, I felt like everything was falling apart – I had absolutely no routine to our day – the kids were cranky, I was cranky. I was trying to plan, plan, plan and I only became more “un” organized. Does that make sense? So…… I set EVERYTHING aside – just to set up a general schedule for our day such as…
breakfast/cleanup
pray/cuddle/read
chores
Play outdoors together
Lunch/cleanup
Kids free time – mom down time
More cuddle, read or play (as long as we were “together”)
Afternoon chores
Help with Dinner
Family time with Dad
Though that was just an example – it is literally like something we did for nearly two months without homeschool or trying to plan for it. When I came back to the plate, I was so refreshed and renewed – not to mention the relationship I built with my boys and my new baby. I’m sure as you take some time to rest, pray and put God first – everything else will fall into place. Matthew 6:33 “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and EVERYTHING else will be added unto you” I have a feeling that you are just trying to “survive” right now – as I too have been there but God wants to cause you to “thrive” as well as your darling children. For “He has given you EVERYTHING pertaining to Life and Godliness”. Wish I could give you a big hug!
Heather
P.S. Have you heard of the Maxwells- Managers of their homes? Their ministry is to large homeschooling families. The website is http://www.titus2.com – in case you’re interested.
June 9, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Blessed with seven
Member
Please be bold and THANK YOU! I have a hard time “setting things aside”. I really do! The sad thing is…by not doing that I am getting “crankier” as are the kids. My son, who is 10, has really struggled w/ learning to read, he is just now “getting it” and so I want to keep going. He is “behind” in Math, my fault…too many curriculum changes.
So..a lot of my wanting to “get going” is because I feel like I have spent more time trying to “find” the “right” curriculum and less time “doing it”, if that makes sense.
You know…my son, well..all my kids…, need to be read aloud to, by me. My older daughters will read to them but I long to read to my younger ones and I don’t do it.
Now I am sick…I always seem to get sick when I need to slow down..ha! Take a break and relax.
I could spend this time “reading” w/ my son, he really just needs lots of practice and I believe he would take off.
Thank you all for being bold and being honest. I don’t “talk” to many groups about my struggle w/ my son and learning to read etc..but this is a big thing on my mind. I feel “safe” w/ this group of people.
Thank you for listening!!
Kim
June 10, 2008 at 12:58 am
CindyS
Participant
Kim,
I know the quandry of needing to hit the pause button, but having a little one that wants so much to read (and feels like they should have been reading ‘years’ ago). I would say, if God has this son on your heart, that you could just work on that as you also work on your routines. As we moms pray for direction, God lets us see clearly the needs of our children. Could it be that God has brought you to this point just so that you could see a need in your child that is waving its hand, saying, “Over here! Over here!!”?
Heather is so right, enjoy your new little one. I don’t need to tell you how quickly it passes. God sees your heart and all will be worked out in his timing. He has a plan for your children and, thankfully, we cannot thwart that as long as we are pointing them to the One who holds their future.
AND TAKE SOME TIME TO GET WELL!!!
Praying for you,
Cindy
June 10, 2008 at 5:01 am
Blessed with seven
Member
Thank you for praying! I think I need to take time w/ my son for sure. I appreciate you guys taking this time with me!
Kim
June 10, 2008 at 12:58 pm
csmamma
Participant
Hi Kim,
Cindy beat me to it ;). I should have clarified that during our scheduled reading time, I too worked with my ds on his reading. He was (and still is) in the process of learning to read and I knew that we couldn’t take time off from this. Also my oldest son had to keep working on his math. Like you, I changed math curriculums so much with him in the early years that it ended up putting him behind. He usually worked on it right after lunch. We also continued to do readalouds together in the afternoons and before bed with dh. That was pretty much it as far as school goes during that “time-off”. I hope that makes sense.
I have to tell you also that I thought of you and prayed for you yesterday. I was outside with my 3 boys and 4 more children came over to visit. As I sat there watching them, I counted 1..2..3..4..5..6..7.. ( all between the ages of 9 months and 13) and I thought of Kim 🙂 I thanked the Lord for her 7 blessings and prayed that He would give her peace, rest and trust in Him. I also thought to myself that I am in no way suited to try to give advice to someone who is blessed with 7. 🙂 LOL
I will pray for you, though, and pray that the Lord restores you to health and that you prosper in spirit, soul and body.
May your children rise and call YOU blessed.
Humbly,
Heather
June 10, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Blessed with seven
Member
Thank you so much Cindy and Heather! Heather, when I read “May your children rise and call YOU blessed” I cried…wow..thank you both so much for your support.
I wish I felt this way because I had been doing soooo much school and we just need a break! I wish that were the case…I end up feeling guilty when we don’t get so much done then I try to plan a “catch up year”..ha! Wow..that just doesn’t work.
You know how the Bible talks about people who are “tossed about”, “wishy washy”..not an exact quote obviously. Well..I am “tossed about” by curriculums, which one is better, will this one work with this child. Then…the CM ideas..wow..this hit home..”YES..this is what I want” When I started this HS journed in 2002 (I think), I started w/ Abeka workbooks because everyone around here does the “workbook” thing, except one other family…they are doing MFW.
It did NOT take me long to figure out the workbook thing was NOT what I wanted but I didn’t know how to do anything else..I feel like I have spent the last SEVERAL years trying to figure out what to do.
The kids are not used to being read aloud to, which makes me sad. Then…I have a hard time getting started because I want to start NOW and they are not ready to listen NOW. I really need to just start slowly but keep it moving ahead.
I have one son that really likes to create problems when we are trying to read or whatever and I really let that rule me, he has been a handful for me. He, more than anyone, really needs some structure and needs to be read to, needs to really focus on improving his reading. Now..my 4 year old wants to “do school”. So..I just really need simple, but then I think “this is too simple” and I try “more” and can’t get to anything!
Oh…thank you all so much for praying! As you have read…I NEED IT..HA! I am feeling “ready” to get going. I feel like I have either been pregnant and grumpy or had a little baby to figure in and I have not handled all that very well..as far as keeping our schedule and getting school done.
Please…I hope this does not sound like I am complaining about my children, there is NO DOUBT in my mind that I am blessed by the LORD!!! I am so grateful for all of my children and my baby in my 40’s! I am feeling OLD! Ha!! The Lord gave me a beautiful healthy baby when I really thought we were done having children so..HE is in control I just wish I relied more on HIM w/ my school..I seem to take that over and run w/ it and make a mess of it!
Thank you ladies so much, I will be praying for you also!
Kim