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Does your head ever feel like it's going to explode with too much information?


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The older my kid's get the more I am enjoying homeschooling. I love to learn. I have huge goals for self-education that are cushioned in my goals for my kid's education. Sometimes, however, I feel like my brain is going to bust open. Like right now I have a million books I'd like to read myself, in preparation for teaching (apart from reading to prepare for their regular curriculum). I've got a stack of reading for pleasure. On top of all that I'm trying to work out a good writing plan for each one of my unique kids using the various materials I've collected over the years.

 

I know there's no easy solution. Just venting.

Edited by Rose in BC
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I with you! You are not alone! Actually I've had many a dream about trigonomotry or physics problems too! Last night I was so grumpy doing the next problems in physics I really did feel like my head would burst. Then dh comes in and says " your such a good mom". I know thats nice - but in my head I was grumbling about doing all this extra homework . . . and I didn't feel like a good mom!

 

Barb

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The older my kid's get the more I am enjoying homeschooling. I love to learn. I have huge goals for self-education that are cushioned in my goals for my kids education. Sometimes, however, I feel like my brain is going to bust open. Like right now I have a million books I'd like to read myself in preparation for teaching (apart from reading to prepare for their regular curriculum). I've got a stack of reading for pleasure. On top of all that I'm trying to work out a good writing plan for each of my unique kids using the various materials I've collected over the years.

 

I know there's no easy solution. Just venting.

 

Oh, no, I never feel that way.

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

My treadmill seems to be moving faster this year - you know, the one on which I try to learn things alongside my oldest child, so that I can keep up?

 

I just rewrote a list of basic things I need to do in each subject, so that I can be prepared. Math: read, do review lesson. Grammar: ditto. Latin: read, make flashcards, do exercises (not succeeding with this part yet - but ds is learning and I have the answer key and it's review so far). History: read, timeline, list of facts. Finish WEMming The Scarlet Letter, finish reading HOAW, finish reading the middle ages part of The Story of Christianity.

 

I wish I could have a week at home by myself with maid and cooking service, just so I could go WAY ahead in these things.

 

But this next week is "off," so I got a huge stack of craft books from the library today.

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I'm glad I'm not alone. I get overwhelmed with the books I have to read.

 

I swear, one day I'm gonna get my PhD. Probably when the 3 YO graduates, but I'll do it.

 

 

Hey, whadda you mean "after the 3 YO graduates" -- the amount of schooling we're all putting in right now alongside our students for all these years SURELY earns us SEVERAL advanced degrees! Leastways that's what I'm counting on! :tongue_smilie:

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But - I never get past the 12 grade and will have to keep doing the same subject over again (I have 3 kids, each 5 years apart). By the time I have to do this high school stuff again - I will have forgotten it:glare:. But all the TIME I put in - I should have a PHD!

 

Barb

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Thanks for your comments. It's good to know I'm in good company.

 

This afternoon I'm going to work through a plan of attack. I think I may work through some of my ideas during my long run this afternoon. I just want to figure out a way to compartmentalize my time somewhat otherwise it seems like I'm doing school every free hour, all week long. I get all my routine housework done but I never have time for the extra jobs (clean out the basement).

 

If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to hearing them.

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In my case it isn't information overload but "project management" overload. This year I've got 2 education projects, which are my high schooler's coursework and my 6 violin students. And I'm acting as "Den Mother" to my son's robotics team and my church orchestra. Everybody needs organizing! I have to anticipate and be prepared for all kinds of needs. I'm brain dead by Friday night, so I sit with a glass of wine and watch stuped SyFy shows or reruns.

 

I'm fortunate to be revisiting geometry with the same text my oldest had 2 years ago, and I'm never too daunted by literature and history. But this college prep biology is keeping my ds and me on our toes!!

 

By the way, a good friend of mine did get her PhD after homeschooling her dd through high school. She is now teaching economics full time at a local liberal arts college and is a popular teacher!

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If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to hearing them.

 

Me Too!! I'm am going nuts. 1st, 6th and 11th grade. The 11th physics and math - wow. And house work (big house). Even with the kids doing most of the upstairs - I still have most of saturday between house work and grocery shopping. . . There is absolutely NO time during the week to get housework done here and there. Worse - after battling physics and other school related tasks for most of the afternoon - I come to the kitchen to a mess! The dishes were overflowing the sink - more cups and plates then we have people! No one thinks to help. I feel bad for my 1st grader - I have no time just to have fun with him like I had with my older two!

 

Barb

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I'm not keeping up. This is the first year, ever that I have not read all of the material that my children are. Example, this weekend I typed a poetry test for my oldest. We have been going over Keats, Shelley, Byron, Wordsworth, etc. That is where my energy in English has gone. I gave my 7th grader Swiss Family Robinson with a Progeny guide. I've never read it. I typed up a test for that one as well, using Edhelper and what I had learned from grading the Progeny guide. But I feel like a fraud. Then I am reading Charlotte's Web aloud to my 2nd grader. That is just my English literature. For writing it is IEW C, which has made it easier, but you still have to go over the papers. My daughter loves to write, but is only 2nd grade so that is all hands on. I do WWE with her. For grammar, I'm grading Analytical Grammar and CLE Grammar nightly and doing FLL daily with my youngest. Good grief. English is a ton of work all by itself.

 

Then you take math: drilling facts and doing 2A with my daughter, trying to get my middle one through the fractions chapter of Chalkdust, and for the first time ever having to spend time with my oldest who has always been independent with Chalkdust Geometry...which was my worst year of math in school. I'm trying to keep up, but I'm falling behind and i can't or I can't help him.

 

I typed up two levels of South America tests for the boys this weekend, too. TOG is going quite well, but I am constantly having to study that to keep up as well. We all love it and my oldest LOVES both the history and the literature. We are falling behind on the church history. But once again, every other year I read all of their history books. I've read some, but with two levels I just can't read it all. I feel like a cheat having to use the teacher's notes.

 

Science... at least dh is doing Chemistry, but I can't give him his final quarter grade until he grades the lab reports. Trying to get my middle one to do his lab reports for General Science and actually doing those experiments.. I've never done experiments before. Co-op has done them. I hate, hate, hate experiments. I'm so glad hubby is doing the Chemistry ones. I would be lost. It is just hard because hubby is a doctor, so they go over them at night or on weekends and my nice schedule is completely off. But it is getting done.

 

Logic. I'm hoping I'm grading this correctly. I just don't have time to try and learn it. My oldest LOVES this however.

 

Spanish- Sure how SOS Spanish is ok.. I don't know Spanish, nor do I know how.

 

I REALLY hope the junior college will let him take some courses as a 10th grader. I need to start farming him out. I CANT KEEP UP!!!!

 

Chrisitne

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Thanks for your comments. It's good to know I'm in good company.

 

This afternoon I'm going to work through a plan of attack. I think I may work through some of my ideas during my long run this afternoon. I just want to figure out a way to compartmentalize my time somewhat otherwise it seems like I'm doing school every free hour, all week long. I get all my routine housework done but I never have time for the extra jobs (clean out the basement).

 

If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to hearing them.

 

Rose, Let us know what you come up with. I am a blank at any plan. It just seems that not only my days, but evenings and weekends too are school (with Saturday being house work, grocerys . . .). This is definitely a development since having a high schooler. He is now a junior and the work load on my is alot, even though I read through his literature books and history text this past summer. Physics and Math - that is the hard part. THen turning around to read my 6th graders stuff.

 

Barb

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I have a tiny, very messy house, and only one child left at home, and I still can't keep up. I don't know how the rest of you do it. We're relying on the community college, too. I got a lovely email yesterday from someone there saying not to worry, that they would look at our math and help me figure out which bits to do before their precalc, which of their courses would work best to get my son into engineering school if he still wants to do that, and how to combine those things with extensive travel. I am vastly relieved. I hope you have just as good luck with your CC.

-Nan

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This is our 9th year home schooling. We out source two classes for 15dd at a well estalished co-op this year. We also have a 5dd who is a thriving K'er.:001_smile:

 

With activities, schoolwork etc. I have to find time to have a little time for myself and other interests. I almost burned out a couple of years ago.

 

Beware!:willy_nilly:

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Oh, yes. Double yes.

 

For school: I am going through Classical Conversations with dd5 and trying to memorize the memory/mapwork/timeline with her. I am teaching her Mandarin Chinese and learning it myself at the same time, so I am constantly trying to figure out Chinese grammar, pronunciation, and I spend a lot of time on the online Chinese/English dictionary site. We are doing world geography this year and I am very weak on this subject so it's been a stretch for me. I need to start looking into Latin so that I know what I'm talking about when I try teaching past Song School Latin next year. I am constantly researching: best read-alouds, how to teach math concepts, which books I want to use next year, what other curricula I want to move onto when I'm finished with what we are currently doing.....it is neverending.

 

For home: I just read through 4 or 5 different healthy living/cookbooks and am trying to revamp my pantry and menu. Last week I learned how to make yogurt for the first time. I'm trying to figure out what vitamin supplements we need, which foods I need to buy organic, which brands won't kill us, what are the best snacks for the girls, is soy milk really bad for you? Is coffee really bad for you? What all-natural shampoo really works? Where can I find a gluten-free bread recipe that really tastes like bread?

 

And then in my free time I am reading The History of the Ancient World by SWB and I need to start Gulliver's Travels.

 

Yes, my head constantly feels like it will explode. And my oldest is only 5. :001_huh:

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For grammar, I'm grading Analytical Grammar and CLE Grammar nightly and doing FLL daily with my youngest. Good grief. English is a ton of work all by itself.

 

Put some of that grading on your student. For AG at least (it's my program, so I know! LOL), it's VERY important for the student to be in on the grading. They'll learn a lot more that way and it'll make your life easier.

 

Blessings,

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