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I could use some advice, or maybe just some reassurance, please. (m)


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So - we are trying to get back into school after the holidays, and add some things in that have been left out since having Schmooey. We were doing pretty well with what we were doing before Christmas, but with adding the new stuff in it feels like too much to me. It's probably a lack of planning on my part. However, the days just never go according to plan - there is always *something* that happens that prevents everything getting done.

 

I've been looking at K12 - their curriculum looks good, and I'm wondering if I need something a bit more "in the box" and already planned out for me. MFW is great, and if I only had one with the 1st grade curriculum this year I think we'd be good, but trying to figure out what Emma needs to do as well is hard for me. I've added in FLL (instead of Primary Language Lessons) and All About Spelling (which isn't getting done). We're trying to do Professor B math, but I'm feeling like it's not planned out enough. Math is scaring me right now.

 

When I look at how our days go, I feel like I could probably handle the baby and school, or the baby and the house - but not do all 3 well. The baby, clearly, is not optional. School should not be optional. I am having a hard time not letting the house get in the way of the school though.

 

This gets easier, right? The baby isn't even mobile yet. Ack!!!

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Oh dear, this isn't good news to me...in my mind everything was going to go smoothly and be normal after the baby comes. I thought, "surely taking the summer off and resuming in Sept will be ok because we'll be used to the baby and be on a schedule." Oy! Your post is a little too realistic, LOL!

 

Seriously, I do know kind of what you're going through, because for me it's the fatigue of this pregnancy that is preventing me from doing school, housecleaning and taking naps. I had all these things in my mind that needed to get done by the end of April in preparation for the baby and that would only compound my fatigue and my stress level.

 

I ended up taking the kids' school books and going through all of the subjects to see where we were. I knew where I wanted to be by April 30 (so that May, my due month, was free to concentrate on baby stuff and the nesting instinct I know I'm going to have). So I looked to see how feasible it would be. It turns out that we were right on track, and in some subjects (grammar and Latin) we were ahead of schedule and would be finished by mid-March. I can't tell you what a huge relief that was, just to see on paper that it wasn't as bad as my mind was telling me.

 

I do think about looking into "boxed curriculum" sometimes though, too. I just feel like I'm going to have to become someone I'm currently not - organized and scheduled - in order to make this work next year and the years following. Sometimes I think a boxed curriculum would help that. I will look forward to seeing any replies about that aspect.

 

I know this isn't much help at all. Just know you're not the only one in this boat and that I feel for you.

 

~Janna

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Breastfeeding, homeschooling, housekeeping, mothering it all gets to be too much for one person to handle sometimes. How I cope is by focusing on the essentials first, FLL, Math, Spelling, and Bible. The rest only happens if there is time after that. I also repeat to myself over and over throughout the day "Things will get better":p Just wanted you to know you are not alone.

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Hmmmmm...I've been trying to post since last night, so there might be dozens of better answers by the time this posts.

 

When we've adjusted to new little ones, I kept a mental list of the 'must do's' that kept me feeling like I wasn't going backwards. Most days, that list was a simple Math and Reading. "As long as they are doing a little reading/grammar type stuff and doing enough math problems to keep them from forgetting math, I'm good." It took us 2 1/2 years to get through the Ancients though, so I may not be the best person to offer advice.

 

I think you are totally safe dropping a spelling program for a 1st grader. I tried spelling from 1st grade on and it never seemed to have any effect until 3rd grade. I honestly think it is excess, but that's just me.

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