Dianne-TX Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 We've been homeschooling since my ds was in K. He is now 8 1/2. DD is 6. I'm needing to hear from those that have BTDT. Now that you are at this stage, is there anything that you realize you should have done that you did not do? If you were relaxed in your approach in younger years (i.e.. just did the "basics" and enjoyed learning), are you finding that now you were naive in your approach and wish you had been more rigorous? If you were always rigorous and structured, have you found it paid off or do you wish you had been more relaxed? :) I would love to glean some wisdom and learn from your experience. I don't want to wake up one day and be hit in the face and realize it's too late. Thanks for sharing. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmomto5 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 I have 4 more to go:) I think we always look back and wish we had done a few things different. I wish I had been more strict with the memorization. I always had good intentions but it seem to slip. I still have 2 grammar stage kiddos so I am trying to do better with them. Also I wish I had found a history program that I stuck with. I jumped around a lot looking for the perfect one. What happened is it didn't get done as thorough as it should have. Read to them more! Most of all... enjoy them!!! It goes quickly:) Lora in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 We were very relaxed when the dc were younger but easily transitioned into more structured; in fact, both dds began taking classes at the community college when they were 14ish, with no problems at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caraway Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yvonne Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 (edited) There have been some great threads on this topic. Here are some of the ones I've seen, but I hope people will post more ideas. High School Parents--looking back what would your ideal be for 7th/8th grade? To all you people with 8th graders (or there abouts) If you used the WTM during the elementary years... Not exactly what you asked, but similar: Which subject would you spend more time on, if you could do it again? What do you think is the most important thing that you taught your child.......Academic wise? Character wise? Edited June 16, 2009 by yvonne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda in NM Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 I wish I'd found Charlotte Mason sooner...I wish we'd spent more time when younger with nature study...I'm glad we did a lot of hands-on crafts in history study--the swords were always great fun. I wish we'd moved out of New Mexico sooner so that my son could have beneftied from better sports instruction in his passion--hockey, but we're going home to Michigan now, so my husband will be happy and my son will follow his dream...and I'll be closer to 'home' myself...I wish we'd spent more time where I grew up, exploring the tidal pools. You can spend days at a tidal pool...don't worry about the grammar and spelling--they will come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 I'll check out the previous threads that were posted. We, too, have found CM and am really confident in it, actually. But, I confess, I sometimes wonder if I'm being "naive" and that it's not enough. I've always read and heard that the "serious" stuff will come and to enjoy this time. I appreciate the re-affirmation from those that have BTDT. I will stick with the memorization too. We do scripture memorization and poetry from IEW. Yay!!!! I'm glad I can continue feeling like we're on the right track. :) And, yes, time has already gone by fast, so I know the rest will too. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 For what it's worth, I am super, super glad that I was as relaxed as I was. Yes, I could have been more efficient about some things, and I could have emphasized some things more, but in general, I think I have far fewer regrets this way than if I hadn't been as relaxed. We did have school hours (7-2) and we stuck to them pretty well, and I was very careful about the math. I'm glad I did that. But other than that, we were pretty relaxed and so far, it hasn't been a problem (one just dropped off at college, on entering high school). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 (edited) I graduated one last year, and the other will be in 9th grade in the fall. If I could do it all over again, I would be less concerned about "getting it all done". I would take more time for just relaxing and enjoying each other -- picnics, lunch with dad, etc.,and I would work in a LOT more fun-but-still-educational field trips, crafts, movies/television programs, and books. Edited June 16, 2009 by ereks mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 I'm with Nan. I was super relaxed and am really glad I was. Relaxed has meant different things at different stages. In the early years it meant games instead of workbooks, lots of read alouds and crafts and field trips and exploring in general. I introduced more formal work little by little. In middle school it meant still reading aloud, exploring the world and doing projects, but it meant also structured school time and written assignments. In high school it meant still reading aloud, projects and exploring, but also tailoring formal academic subjects to their interests whenever possible. It meant that they became more in charge of the direction of their education. I was just looking through my boxes of old homeschool "stuff" such as my journals, their work and projects. I can remember fretting over their writing, at the horrible spelling and the silly things they insisted on doing as part of their work. My oldest, when he was 9 years old, insisted on making a newspaper out of his assignments, and giving writing credit to his stuffed animals. There were even graphs, a la Calvin and Hobbes, showing my ratings from the week! It made me crazy -- he was 9 years old for heaven's sake and he should be capable of a simple book report!! But it was so sweet and so creative and by golly he did learn how to write a serious essay with correct spelling by high school. I'm glad I didn't drill the creativity out of him, that I kept my worries and frustrations to myself and was patient enough to let him mature into formal school work. It's rather like the moral from Tortoise and Hare -- slow and steady is the key! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrison_B Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 My BTDT, First, I wish I took my sons out earlier from school. They completed 4th/2nd grade in a private school. In the beginning, I structured their day based on a typical school day. It didn't last long. Frustration and boredom set in. I've spent 4 years researching so many curriculums and methods, and in the end I learned just "to be". If I had to do everything over, I would do more read-alouds, more field trips, more hands-on activites, and less workbooks. I would expose them more to speaking activities and more creative writing. I do wish I knew about Classical Writing sooner. Mainly, I would laugh more and be less critical. Enjoy your little ones because before you know it - they grow up! Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moni Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 We focused all skills, using content as a tool to develop the skills. :seeya: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Moni - I was just thinking about you and you popped back up again GRIN. Would you be willing to explain how you homeschool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moni Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 (edited) Moni - I was just thinking about you and you popped back up again GRIN. Would you be willing to explain how you homeschool? Hi Nan :seeya: I'm picking up on your radar vibes here. ;) Sure, I'm willing to explain, but.........that's kind of a Big Question. I'll try to come back and tackle it. Edited June 23, 2009 by Moni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Mine are only 13 and 15, but I feel it all slipping away so rapidly now! I suspect we might be more "relaxed highschoolers" as the next few years go on...but still, looking back, I wish I had worried less, and gone and had more fun with them- more field trips, and more games, and more creative activities. I am glad we established a routine and got through lots of things, but I don't think it takes many hours a day to cover what needs to be covered in terms of bookwork, and that leaves a lot of time for other things. I spent a lot of my other times researching and reading about homeschooling...rather obsessively...and in retrospect, now that I have computer addicted teenagers (and we do manage it and set limits, but still), I dont think I set a very good example of managing computer time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 I never regretted not having more structure. We were relaxed and still are to some extent. AS they got older, there was more structure. However, I certainly don't regret delaying grammar a bit or not fretting over calculations. I tried drill for a short while and they utterly frustrated my children. They are all at least cometent in math and none dread it. The youngest is most likely gifted in math and has a unique way of using her fingers for certain calculations if she is doing them manually. I recognized that she was a mathy kid and didn't stress. Occasionally I worried about things like geography but I have realized that DD15 has been on 4 continents, seen one more, travelled to most states and both Canada and Mexico and we watch lots of geography shows. She knows her geography. I also learned that while you need to address some skills like reading and math by a certain time, proficiency in writing and for some, in spelling, takes longer. My middle had spelling down in the 20% on standardized tests for years, then around puberty, they started inching up. This year, she scored 80%. Is she a wonderful speller- no- but she has improved tremendously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Ok :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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