We need a homeschool encouragement thread!

[athomemom]

I was reading another thread here and it seems that many newbies are a bit discouraged. I thought it would be nice to start a thread to encourage one another about the positives of homeschooling.

 

Do I worry that I am getting everything right? Yes, but that covers more than just schooling. I think at times we all wonder and worry. I think it is the nature of a mom.

 

However, at the end of the day, I remember that my children don't belong to me. They belong to God and I am doing my best. If I seek Him first all these things will be added....and sometimes I have to remember to take it one day at a time.

 

For example: I just moved 1,025 miles away from home. (ie my mama) Did I EVER think I would move here? Nope, not in a million years! My point? Just take it one day at a time & remember tomorrow is another day!

 

What words of encouragement can you offer?

Edited September 20, 2011 by athomemom

[Jean in Newcastle]

I am my children's best cheerleader. Sometimes the cheering is silly and positive, sometimes it is more of a kick-in-the-butt "I know you can do this, so do it" kind of a pep talk. I sometimes even get out the pom-poms and cheer them on for real, to much eye-rolling. But then every once in a while they suggest that they need me to cheer for them!

[Hedgehog]

I understand my children best, so I am the best person to teach them. I can give them an education tailored specifically to their own needs, which helps them make the most of their abilities.

[butterflymommy]

It's the little things I often appreciate the most. If my kids are sick, no big deal, they stay home-- no judgmental secretary to inform, no doctor's note required, no absences on record because we can just make it up on the weekend. I also love not having the morning rush. The memory of our nightmarish morning rushes is often enough to keep me going with homeschool, even when I'm completely discouraged.

[misidawnrn]

I love schooling in my jammies, coffee cup in hand and sitting down with my girls. Sometimes I feel like "am I doing enough, correctly, ridid enough, etc, etc, etc" and then I sit back and remember, I am teaching 1.5 kids, not 30. I can go as slow or as fast as she needs and back up and do over if I need to. I can also change what isn't working for us...like science. I didn't like the 2nd grade Abeka science although I am using most of the core curriculum so I bagged it and we are going to just read and discuss science stuff. It works for us. I also have to remember with the extra stuff that I am not trying to train my 2nd grader to be a scientist, historian, etc. I am trying to put the love of learning in her heart and open her mind to new things.

 

Most of all....when mommy gets stressed...get more coffee!

[bluechicken]

Thank you for this. It is truly needed and much appreciated.

[Melanie]

It is possible to homeschool through high school. It is even possible to do it well. :001_smile:

[FriedClams]

I'm in year 7.... and I could not love homeschooling more. I've learned that any curriculum that you use works. Some are a little better than others - but the stress of finding "perfect" is such a waste of time. Use what you bought and change only if you have to.

 

Relationships are so much more important that curriculum. Love being with your kids - farts, dawdling, pencil dropping, and all.

 

Do something special every day. Make a cool lunch - or just cut the PB&J into a star. Give them candy for memory work. Put a sticker on their math. Wake them up with hot chocolate. Make memories. It's worth being 10 minutes behind schedule. No stress here - enjoy the process and time.

 

God made you their MOM (or DAD). So there is NO ONE better to love, teach, and train them than YOU. Yes, you. You are perfect for YOUR kids. :-)

 

Do overs are great in homeschooling. Everyone loses their cool and blows it. Apologize. Hug. Then get over it. You'll do it less and less the longer you homeschool. Really. Just hug, love, and move on.

 

Take time for you. Really. Walk. Work out. Read. Shower. Something. Being a martyr never works in homeschooling. Get a sitter if you need one. Trade with a friend. Get a maid. Whatever. Take care of you. You deserve it!!!

 

And lastly, you're doing great. Really. The first few years are hard. You can do it!! You can teach your kid math. And to read. And make dinner. Smile to yourself. You are doing great. You really are. Even if your friends and neighbors and mom think you're nuts. You're not. ((hugs)) You rock. Embrace it!

[MrsBasil]

Thank you for this. It is truly needed and much appreciated.

 

:iagree:

[Shelly in IL]

We have a sophomore and a sixth grader. You can do it! My biggest concern has always been making the decision. Will I screw them up? Can we do high school well?

 

Once I've buckled down and made the decision, i have just pushed ahead. The boys are thriving and loving their lives. We are blessed to have a wonderful co-op locally, so they have the social opportunities like dances for the eldest, theater, sports and awesome lab sciences!

 

The most wisdom I can impart is to love your children. I have so been the Tiger mom for about 10years! This year I have stepped back and just been the cheerleader and they love it, because I am not being critical, i am being a loving instructor.

 

Other huge piece of advice...don't assume they can be independent too early. Sure you can give them a stack of stuff to do, and they might get it done. You can give them a video and assume they have learned the material; however, what works for us is old-fashioned teaching and interacting! I feel so badly that my eldest had to teach himself pre-algebra, and maybe didn't do such a great job. He watched the videos, but surely didn't learn as much as he could have if I just taught him! Maybe your kids are different...

 

Now with a tenth grader, he is completely independent. He's doing great, and Im so proud of him. Sixth grader is trying to be independent, and he is getting there, but just needs some subjects taught.

[Starr]

It is possible. Dd is in college this year and sometimes I wonder how it happened. :D:

[chepyl]

This is a good idea, there have been a few posts that have made me question my ability to hs through high school. I don't know if that is what we will do, but if it is best for my kids, we will.

 

I have an advanced degree and have taught at the university level (humanities/la type class). I have taken 2 years of calc, statistics, finance and plenty of accounting. I love higher level math. I struggle with science, even though I love it. I know I can do this. If I look at my resume, I know I can make it; I just need to stop doubting myself.

 

As encouragement to other new hsers....I have seen amazing things in my son in the last 2 years. He knows more history at almost 6 than I knew as a college freshman. With the method we use, he is retaining a lot! If I can get this much out of a little one, what can I do with him when he is older and more mature;)!.

[Runningmom80]

I'm in year 7.... and I could not love homeschooling more. I've learned that any curriculum that you use works. Some are a little better than others - but the stress of finding "perfect" is such a waste of time. Use what you bought and change only if you have to.

 

Relationships are so much more important that curriculum. Love being with your kids - farts, dawdling, pencil dropping, and all.

 

Do something special every day. Make a cool lunch - or just cut the PB&J into a star. Give them candy for memory work. Put a sticker on their math. Wake them up with hot chocolate. Make memories. It's worth being 10 minutes behind schedule. No stress here - enjoy the process and time.

 

God made you their MOM (or DAD). So there is NO ONE better to love, teach, and train them than YOU. Yes, you. You are perfect for YOUR kids. :-)

 

Do overs are great in homeschooling. Everyone loses their cool and blows it. Apologize. Hug. Then get over it. You'll do it less and less the longer you homeschool. Really. Just hug, love, and move on.

 

Take time for you. Really. Walk. Work out. Read. Shower. Something. Being a martyr never works in homeschooling. Get a sitter if you need one. Trade with a friend. Get a maid. Whatever. Take care of you. You deserve it!!!

 

And lastly, you're doing great. Really. The first few years are hard. You can do it!! You can teach your kid math. And to read. And make dinner. Smile to yourself. You are doing great. You really are. Even if your friends and neighbors and mom think you're nuts. You're not. ((hugs)) You rock. Embrace it!

 

I love this! Thank you! :D

[kalanamak]

Yesterday, after reading about the French Revolution, I asked kiddo if he knew what a lucky boy he was. He did, and I asked for some examples of his good fortune. After "a house" and "plenty to eat" and "a mama and a papa", he said "and I have a good teacher". Took me 5 years to hear those words, but they were sweeter for the wait.

[newlifemom]

Less is more.

 

I am working on doing certain things well in the early years. They are retaining so much.

 

My ds 9, of whom it was said he was going to be a non learner and needed to be in spec ed classes at the age of 5 is at or above grade level in every subject. He excels at memorization and is in love with wars and battles and generals. Thus, he is in love with history. :D

 

With hsing, I was able to slow down K for him a bit and let him get acclimated to a more structured environment. I was also able to speed dd 8 up and she is well above grade level. Not that it means anything, only that you can tailor it.

 

This year I have 5 kids from high school senior, to K. It can be done. :001_smile:

[ChemMommy]

This is our 13th year and God has faithfully helped us at each stage of homeschooling. I'm thrilled that I've had all of the extra time to build life-long relationships with my children.

[MelAR05]

Relationships are so much more important that curriculum. Love being with your kids - farts, dawdling, pencil dropping, and all.

 

Do something special every day. Make a cool lunch - or just cut the PB&J into a star. Give them candy for memory work. Put a sticker on their math. Wake them up with hot chocolate. Make memories. It's worth being 10 minutes behind schedule. No stress here - enjoy the process and time.

 

 

Thank you! I needed the reminder.

[elegantlion]

Yesterday, after reading about the French Revolution, I asked kiddo if he knew what a lucky boy he was. He did, and I asked for some examples of his good fortune. After "a house" and "plenty to eat" and "a mama and a papa", he said "and I have a good teacher". Took me 5 years to hear those words, but they were sweeter for the wait.

 

Wow, love it. That makes me tear up. :001_smile:

 

We're in our 8th year of homeschooling. Homeschooling an only has perks that far outweigh the cons. I have a real relationship with my son. He just turned 14 and we have the best conversations, like real meaningful ones. I had a fear years ago that teens meant pulling away and not wanting to be around your parents.

 

Homeschooling can protect your child's confidence. My ds's academic abilities are all over the board. He has a sensitive soul and the span is so much he would have required remedial work in school. I have no doubt this would have played into his self-esteem. My dh had the same issues and allowed his "stupid" thinking to dictate who he hung around, so he hung around the "stupid" people who ended up in trouble . He still struggles with feeling smart enough decades later.

 

Each morning we get up with the ability to start again, tabula rasa. I love that because there are days we utterly fail in the academics and the relationship part.

 

I don't think homeschooling is the solution for everyone, but it will never hurt to try.

[Barb_]

It's also possible to teach a child to teach herself. The best high school students are autodidacts for at least part of the day. The most successful college students know how to pull the information for themselves and see the instructor as a fortunate extra. No, I don't believe a student should be self-taught for 8 hours a day for four years, but I do believe that my job, in part, is to eventually put myself out of a job. That's my style and I'm sticking to it. :D

 

If it isn't your (general your) style, that's okay. But don't feel the need to apologize or hide if it's working.

[UnsinkableKristen]

It is possible to homeschool through high school. It is even possible to do it well. :001_smile:

 

 

Oh how I needed to hear this. I feel pretty confident teaching K-6 and even middle school. It's those high school years that give me the heebie jeebies.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

What a great thread!

 

My oldest son is an academic whiz kid and a gregarious people-person. Homeschooling him has been a challenging joy. I've never gotten over the feeling I felt the day he was born (11.5 pounds, homebirth), when he was lying on his belly beside me on the bed and fully raised himself up on his arms and smiled and winked at me! It was as if he were saying, "I'm here, and I'm extraordinary. This is gonna be fun!" He is extraordinary, and it has been fun. He talked at 5 months, walked at 8 months, read at 18 months, and just kept going forward. I love his warm and confident smile in his 15th year. He really believes he can do anything he wants, and I can't wait to see what he decides to do with the gift that is his life.

 

However, he is not why I'm grateful for homeschooling today. On my mind right now is my second-born son, who smiled late, rolled over late, and spoke not a word until after his third birthday. He potty-learned at almost 5 and learned to read at 7. He was diagnosed with ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome, but some of these diagnoses were lessened when we learned he has celiac disease. Once on a gluten-free diet, he was able to learn. We've had lots of speed bumps in his homeschooling career! And lots of scary bends in the road as he learns to find his way in a world that doesn't always accept him the way he is accepted at home. He is 13 and now fully caught up to grade level in all subjects. (happy dance!) Unfortunately, puberty is kicking his behind. I'm doing more coaching in social issues than in math these days, and he is sticking very close to me the way he did when he was an unsure little boy. It is OK for him to be a late bloomer. He'll get there. As long as there is a twinkle in those brown eyes and a smile for me when I glance his way, I know he's still alright.

 

Because of homeschooling, these two boys have never been compared academically. NEVER. We keep our homeschooling methods, curriculum, and results pretty secret IRL. #2 has never heard this speech from a schoolteacher: "Oh, you are _____'s brother! How thrilling, another genius in my class!" These two boys are total opposites, but because of homeschooling they are so, so close. They even share a room, Odd Couple-style. LOL The younger is taller than the older, but when they sit side-by-side as they often do, the younger literally leans on the older and you can tell who the leader is. #2 will follow #1 anywhere, and I know I can trust #1 son to look after him.

 

Because of homeschooling, each boy is accepted for who he is today and not for how well he fits in society's neat little boxes. As for the future, #1 son is expected to be President, Ambassador, Theologian, or Astronaut, or he knows we'll love him just as much if he decides to surprise us all and become a truck driver who reads a lot. #2 son is expected to find a career utilizing his amazing talent as an artist, but he knows we will support him all the way if he ever answers that call in the very back of that his brain to be an M.D. Or he might be a TKD instructor, or a gluten-free restaurant owner...he's the quiet, capable kind, the turtle who wins over the hare.

 

In this house, you may be who you are today and zero limits are placed on dreams. I don't think I could have nurtured that atmosphere for my opposite sons without the solitude and security of homeschooling.

 

And I'm so glad I learned this before, because #3 son has ADHD and #4 son is just like his oldest brother. LOL

Edited September 20, 2011 by Tibbie Dunbar

[GWOB]

Today I heard both "Why can't we all just speak Latin? It makes so much more sense than English", "Can we please learn Old English", and "Mom, can we learn the Runic Alphabet". (I am aware of the questionable punctuation.) You know what sparked those statements? Gerunds. This nerd momma's heart was warmed:001_wub:. Now, are we actually going to spend time learning Old English and the Runic alphabet? Maybe, if we feel like it. Because we can. Because we have that luxury. Because, while we cover all the bases, we still have time to follow our hearts and learn to love learning for learning's sake.

 

My son spent the last three weeks designing a Star Wars card game. Dh helped him design the cards on the computer. Ds assigned attack, defense, and force values to every obscure character. He spent so much time developing this game. He is 8. Because we homeschool, he had that luxury. And now the kid is interested in designing more cards. I will turn that into a computer design lesson.

 

Dd11 wants to be a writer. She loves her writing program. She gets to spend so much time just writing for the love of writing.

 

I am teaching dd4 to read. She is thrilled. Is there anything more awesome than teaching a kid to read?

 

Homeschooling is hard. Some days I want to ingest copious amounts of wine and/or rum. But to sit there and watch my kids get excited of something we are learning is just pure bliss.

 

It is a marathon, not a sprint.

[Barb_]

In this house, you may be who you are today and zero limits are placed on dreams. I don't think I could have nurtured that atmosphere for my opposite sons without the solitude and security of homeschooling.

 

What a wonderful story!

[curlylocks]

After 8+ years of homeschooling, my best advice is to listen to your heart...:001_smile:

[Critterfixer]

We are going into our third year of homeschooling. After two long years of wondering if I was going to be an abject failure at teaching my sons to read I could weep to see how persistence and patience has paid off. Today both my second graders took on Table Four in Webster's Speller (two-syllable words) and they tackled it head-on without fear. Believe you me, I was very, very, very worried by the end of first grade. It's sometimes hard as a mom to have children who don't fit the WTM early-reading format. You feel like your child should be reading Charlotte's Web at five! The truth is, children don't all develop at the same pace. Patience.

 

Another encouraging thought. I've lost count of how many narrations we have labored through, without a single fact retained. We all know what that's like. At least, I didn't think that anything was retained. Low and behold, when the next chapter in history built on the previous figure, or the name of a king was mentioned in a documentary or video, or other book, THEY GOT IT! Just because they can't regurgitate on command does not always signify a total lack of swallowing. Sometimes it takes time to digest.

[FairyMom]

I'm in year 7.... and I could not love homeschooling more. I've learned that any curriculum that you use works. Some are a little better than others - but the stress of finding "perfect" is such a waste of time. Use what you bought and change only if you have to.

Relationships are so much more important that curriculum. Love being with your kids - farts, dawdling, pencil dropping, and all.

 

Do something special every day. Make a cool lunch - or just cut the PB&J into a star. Give them candy for memory work. Put a sticker on their math. Wake them up with hot chocolate. Make memories. It's worth being 10 minutes behind schedule. No stress here - enjoy the process and time.

 

God made you their MOM (or DAD). So there is NO ONE better to love, teach, and train them than YOU. Yes, you. You are perfect for YOUR kids. :-)

 

Do overs are great in homeschooling. Everyone loses their cool and blows it. Apologize. Hug. Then get over it. You'll do it less and less the longer you homeschool. Really. Just hug, love, and move on.

 

Take time for you. Really. Walk. Work out. Read. Shower. Something. Being a martyr never works in homeschooling. Get a sitter if you need one. Trade with a friend. Get a maid. Whatever. Take care of you. You deserve it!!!

 

And lastly, you're doing great. Really. The first few years are hard. You can do it!! You can teach your kid math. And to read. And make dinner. Smile to yourself. You are doing great. You really are. Even if your friends and neighbors and mom think you're nuts. You're not. ((hugs)) You rock. Embrace it!

 

Thank you! Some of the best advice I've ever read. I'm just starting my 3rd year and only now feel like I am on semi-stable ground. :)

[GWOB]

What a great thread!

 

My oldest son is an academic whiz kid and a gregarious people-person. Homeschooling him has been a challenging joy. I've never gotten over the feeling I felt the day he was born (11.5 pounds, homebirth), when he was lying on his belly beside me on the bed and fully raised himself up on his arms and smiled and winked at me! It was as if he were saying, "I'm here, and I'm extraordinary. This is gonna be fun!" He is extraordinary, and it has been fun. He talked at 5 months, walked at 8 months, read at 18 months, and just kept going forward. I love his warm and confident smile in his 15th year. He really believes he can do anything he wants, and I can't wait to see what he decides to do with the gift that is his life.

 

However, he is not why I'm grateful for homeschooling today. On my mind right now is my second-born son, who smiled late, rolled over late, and spoke not a word until after his third birthday. He potty-learned at almost 5 and learned to read at 7. He was diagnosed with ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome, but some of these diagnoses were lessened when we learned he has celiac disease. Once on a gluten-free diet, he was able to learn. We've had lots of speed bumps in his homeschooling career! And lots of scary bends in the road as he learns to find his way in a world that doesn't always accept him the way he is accepted at home. He is 13 and now fully caught up to grade level in all subjects. (happy dance!) Unfortunately, puberty is kicking his behind. I'm doing more coaching in social issues than in math these days, and he is sticking very close to me the way he did when he was an unsure little boy. It is OK for him to be a late bloomer. He'll get there. As long as there is a twinkle in those brown eyes and a smile for me when I glance his way, I know he's still alright.

 

Because of homeschooling, these two boys have never been compared academically. NEVER. We keep our homeschooling methods, curriculum, and results pretty secret IRL. #2 has never heard this speech from a schoolteacher: "Oh, you are _____'s brother! How thrilling, another genius in my class!" These two boys are total opposites, but because of homeschooling they are so, so close. They even share a room, Odd Couple-style. LOL The younger is taller than the older, but when they sit side-by-side as they often do, the younger literally leans on the older and you can tell who the leader is. #2 will follow #1 anywhere, and I know I can trust #1 son to look after him.

 

Because of homeschooling, each boy is accepted for who he is today and not for how well he fits in society's neat little boxes. As for the future, #1 son is expected to be President, Ambassador, Theologian, or Astronaut, or he knows we'll love him just as much if he decides to surprise us all and become a truck driver who reads a lot. #2 son is expected to find a career utilizing his amazing talent as an artist, but he knows we will support him all the way if he ever answers that call in the very back of that his brain to be an M.D. Or he might be a TKD instructor, or a gluten-free restaurant owner...he's the quiet, capable kind, the turtle who wins over the hare.

 

In this house, you may be who you are today and zero limits are placed on dreams.( :001_wub:) I don't think I could have nurtured that atmosphere for my opposite sons without the solitude and security of homeschooling.

 

And I'm so glad I learned this before, because #3 son has ADHD and #4 son is just like his oldest brother. LOL

 

I love all of this, but super duper love the bolded part.

[iona]

:lurk5:

[Element]

Thank you for this thread! I am a serious newbie, just 4 weeks into our homeschooling adventure. I started lurking here in April when we made the decision to not send ds back to ps this fall. At some point, I got an account but I still rarely post since I don't really feel I have anything to offer anyone yet (although I think my lurking is up to an hour or so a day-- there's just so much to learn!) I can't imagine trying to do this without the support network the WTM forums have provided.

Thank you for this thread and thank you for everyone who posts here.

[OnTheBrink]

I started homeschooling when my oldest was in 9th grade. Homeschooling through high school can be done, and done well. My youngest is now in 9th grade and we're in this for the long haul. My youngest has never been in an institutional school setting. Both my kids have thrived academically in the homeschool setting, and my kids are as different from each other as night and day.

 

People can pontificate all they like about their their personal experiences and judgments on what everyone else is doing and how they should do it, but the bottom line is, YOU know yourself and your children best, so let the negativity roll off. Don't let strangers on the internet cause you to doubt your own abilities or your decision to educate your kids at home. Life's too short to listen to that stuff.

[RegularMom]

We've been doing this for six years or so now, and we'll keep on keeping on with it. Homeschooling has not always been a joyous part of our lives. My daughters rarely come to to table beautifully groomed and cheerfully ready for a day of learning. More often than not, they complain that they'd rather play or watch TV, but I have learned to simply bring them to the table anyway and get the work done.

 

I maintain a somewhat rigorous schedule and for them, it's work, and work is always less desirable than play. For a while, I worried that the work was too hard or too much; that maybe I needed to rethink my style, my choices, my personality, my life in its entirety. Or maybe I needed a new curriculum, a different approach, more field trips, or maybe less field trips. Maybe I was too hands on, or too hands off. Maybe I needed to get another cat. Maybe that would fix it.

 

I was always looking for that magic piece of curricula, the best teaching method, or that perfect sugar free wholesome snack food that would make the complaining stop. Because if they were complaining about having to do school work, I must be Doing It Wrong. This was supposed to be JOYOUS, right?

 

Well, it turns out, that here at my house, it ain't always joyous. In fact, I don't think we've ever been filled with joy when doing our math. But last night, after finishing up some grammar and writing work that hadn't gotten done during the morning, my 11yo said to me: "You know... I really do like this grammar program." And earlier that afternoon, while working on her history, she'd said, "On Wednesday, I'm going to look for books about this guy... and this guy too... and her too...." and she went on down the whole darn list of people in this week's assignment.

 

She wasn't beaming with joy when she said these things, and now that I've told you she said them, I'm sure she'll have an outburst of frustration over something this morning. But I've learned to listen more for those smaller moments of interest than for the louder moments of complaining.

 

And I've learned to stop comparing the inside of my homeschooling journey to the outside of everyone else's.

[at the beach]

I agree that we need many threads like this. Because homeschooling is a good thing. Can be a great thing. Not all of us need or want institutionalized settings to raise children to adulthood.

It seems that some parents who've stopped homeschooling (and sometimes that can be the right thing to do) will start discussing why homeschooling doesn't work well after a certain point (usually the point where they chose a different approach). What is that saying about ex-smokers or ex-whatever being the ones who are the most aggressively against what they did in the past? Maybe that's also true for ex-homeschoolers. :tongue_smilie:

Because really, there are many kids who come out of a regular school environment dismally educated. Homeschoolers don't have a monopoly on turning out illiterate children.

I quoted Gregory and Martine Millman in the other thread. Longtime homeschoolers. One daughter went to Brown, FWIW. Their words have always encouraged me. I will post those quotes here, too. The book is Homeschooling: A Family's Journey. Very inspiring.

"If courage means to go without fear, we were cowards, because fear has always been with us. The road has been blind and dark. We've never really known what we were doing, where it was leading, how it would turn out. It has been scary. It has been risky. We have just kept going anyway. That's how we did it and that's how anyone can do it."

"We have chosen to be free and to educate our children in freedom."

"Parents can make it easier or harder for a child to live and choose and love. Many of our social institutions, and especially schools, make it harder to live and choose and love in freedom. We homeschool so that our children will be able to live and choose and love, to seek the truth in freedom."

"Trust that no matter how implausible your formal credentials, no matter how little money you have, no matter how limited your own education may be, you can do this...provided, of course, that you choose the right metrics to measure success. If you choose as your criterion of success the development of your children as free and reasoning human beings with a devotion to the truth, and you persevere in putting their interests before your own, you will succeed."

"Always examine yourself to be sure that the choice you are making is not for yourself but for your child, so that your child will grow in freedom and truth."

 

Edited July 17, 2015 by at the beach

[SeekingHim77]

I love homeschooling! We are in our 9th year and my son is a sophmore. He is doing wonderfully. He does most of his work independently. I make the lesson plans and he follows them. He checks all his own work under my supervision and then I have him correct anything he got wrong on his own. We recheck and recorrect until he gets each answer right. What's the point of moving on if he didn't get it? He also comes to me for discussion throughout the day. We touch base between history, literature and Bible studies especially because we utilize a living book approach with these subjects so that's a large part of the feedback I get in those areas. He is also required to write an essay on each of these subjects once a week.

 

We are free to pursue his personal interest. When he struggles, I do what it takes to help him understand the material. When he kept hitting a brick wall in Algebra, I researched and bought a curriculum that looked like the perfect fit and he went from hating math to actually enjoying it. :001_smile: What public or private school teacher would have gone to those lengths?

 

When my daughter wasn't getting spelling with the normal approach, I found a curriculum that taught it differently and now she's making great progress. While I certainly agree that changing curriculum is not usually the answer-sometimes it's just what's needed.

 

Most importantly, I get to be with my kids all day long. We love each other. We read together, play together, get frustrated and make-up together. We are making wonderful memories together.

 

Last week, my daughter and I were reading a book called Hitty: Her first hundred years. It takes you through 100 years of history through the eyes of a doll. My daughter adored the book and when she found a small doll at the local thrift store, she stitched HITTY in her apron just like the doll in the book had it stitched on her chemise. The wonderful memory of reading to her on the backyard swing while she played with her Hitty in the hammock and listened will be with us always. That is just one of the wonderful memories that we'll have from homeschooling. There are so many more than I could never go into here without taking over this whole thread (not to mention the rest of my week!)! :D

 

The cry of "One more chapter, please!" which is music to this mom's ears is another great part of homeschooling.

 

As to highschool-yes it can be done and done well.:001_smile: I am so thrilled with the young man my 16 year old son is becoming. The best education comes a this age through what they dig for themselves. They truly can be self-taught with lots of imput, oversight and discussion from mom, dad, and others. I so wish I had not angsted over highschool so much! It was such a waste of time and energy. Highschool goes on much as the rest of homeschooling-just at a higher level. I don't teach Chemistry, Algebra and Geometry. There is so much wonderful curricula out there that will give your children the ability to teach themselves. We have used video courses and computer programs that teach, help correct, etc. Really science and math are the only areas most of us worry about and we have so many wonderful resources out there nowadays that there is no need to angst. We have found our rythym now and things are moving along wonderfully.

 

My biggest advice would be don't angst. Trust the Lord and your love for your children. You love them more than anyone and will do what it takes to give them the best education available to them.

 

Enjoy the time with your children. It will go by all too fast and you'll be so glad that you homeschooled-that you were a huge part of their everyday lives.

 

As I watch my children blossom into the lovely people they are becoming, I'm so thankful that they are being given the chance that I wasn't given as a child. I remember feeling like noone really knew me-that I had become just a shell trying to conform to what others wanted me to be by the time I reached highschool. My kids don't have to experience that. They get to be themselves and pursue their own interests everyday without the fear of labels. I'm thrilled so far with the fruits of homeschooling and can't wait to see what God's going to do in the future!

 

Thanks so much for this thread. It was sorely needed. :001_smile:

[UmMusa]

Post #8 brought tears to my eyes. Thank you. (for real) I'm having my morning cup contemplating Life, and this really helped.

[athomemom]

I love reading these posts. One day at a time.... :001_smile:

[Forget-Me-Not]

I'm in year 7.... and I could not love homeschooling more. I've learned that any curriculum that you use works. Some are a little better than others - but the stress of finding "perfect" is such a waste of time. Use what you bought and change only if you have to.

 

Relationships are so much more important that curriculum. Love being with your kids - farts, dawdling, pencil dropping, and all.

 

Do something special every day. Make a cool lunch - or just cut the PB&J into a star. Give them candy for memory work. Put a sticker on their math. Wake them up with hot chocolate. Make memories. It's worth being 10 minutes behind schedule. No stress here - enjoy the process and time.

 

God made you their MOM (or DAD). So there is NO ONE better to love, teach, and train them than YOU. Yes, you. You are perfect for YOUR kids. :-)

 

Do overs are great in homeschooling. Everyone loses their cool and blows it. Apologize. Hug. Then get over it. You'll do it less and less the longer you homeschool. Really. Just hug, love, and move on.

 

Take time for you. Really. Walk. Work out. Read. Shower. Something. Being a martyr never works in homeschooling. Get a sitter if you need one. Trade with a friend. Get a maid. Whatever. Take care of you. You deserve it!!!

 

And lastly, you're doing great. Really. The first few years are hard. You can do it!! You can teach your kid math. And to read. And make dinner. Smile to yourself. You are doing great. You really are. Even if your friends and neighbors and mom think you're nuts. You're not. ((hugs)) You rock. Embrace it!

 

THANK YOU for this and all the other lovely comments. I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes. I so needed this today, as I sit here panicking because my kids have decided to organize a treasure hunt and schoolwork is not getting done. . . I didn't have the heart to make them stop because they're doing something imaginative and cooperative and playing together nicely.

[happyhomemaker]

Thank you all so much for your posts!! I have had one of "those" days today and this thread has encouraged me so much.

[athomemom]

Thank you all so much for your posts!! I have had one of "those" days today and this thread has encouraged me so much.

 

Glad to hear it!:D