Too much? Not enough? Finding balance

[AppleGreen]

I have giving a lot of thought to this the past couple of days as we start looking toward fall and our schedule falls into place. I am really trying hard to figure out what the balance of activities outside our home looks like. Last year my two bigs participated in a class a very good friend did out of her home one day a week from 9-1:30. It was a Waldorf inspired class w/ about 10 children total. We also participated in a Science co-op that we have been doing for about 3 years w/ 5-6 families for 12 weeks each semester. They occasionally did a Friday class at the above named friend's farm, about 1x/month in the Spring. Our Science class is starting earlier and taking a longer portion of the day, basically making it difficult to accomplish much of our school that day.

 

So, I am looking toward next year and stressing big time, which I am prone to do anyway. I am really feeling a lot of stress about getting our school completed. I am having a tough time figuring out what the balance is between being out of the house and thinking about what to give up. My kids have made it very clear they do not want to give up the class w/ my friend. They don't really want to give up co-op, but my son said that was the one he would ditch if he had to pick one.

 

I guess I feel like co-op is our core group of families and to a big extent my homeschool social outlet and I am hesitant to give it up. They will only regularly see one, maybe two of the families from co-op if we give that up. The other class is different kids and a drop off program and while we do community activities as a group they are not families I would probably choose. The co-op families very intentionally came together, so they are all families I feel a connection to (not to mention we have know each other for 6 years or so). However, b/c it is a co-op I have to teach and prepare for my weeks (as well as lead a little something for the little littles, I think it works out to about 6 or 7 weeks of the 12 b/c we have 5 families going into this year).

 

My friend is planning on doing regular monthly field trips 1 Friday a month, as well as a Friday at their farm, so if we dropped co-op we could participate in those activities if we wanted, however keeping co-op would make those not an option. Adding field trips was one of the things I put on my list for next year, so that is a plus.

 

AGGG! I know this is long and so rambly...sorry! I think I know the answer, but I don't want to give something up and then regret it. But when I think about how I want my homeschool to look and my memories with my children, it doesn't include me running all over town. I definitely don't do some of the things I want to do b/c I feel like the days we are home we need to get the school stuff done. I know my kids are young, but I do feel like being out of the house too much makes it really hard to settle into a routine and makes for a grumpy mom. My oldest may or may not have some learning quirks with reading and spelling, so it is important those subjects are done regularly. I think I have pretty realistic expectations as far as work load etc. for my kids and their ages, but I am definitely the one of our group who does the most, so it is hard for my to gauge. (Like several of my friends do no history, we are a history loving family so we make time for that. Or the don't do any regular spelling) Maybe I feel stressed b/c I do do a lot and I should just scale back on subjects, then we wouldn't have to give anything up (that's mostly rhetorical, realistically that's not an option) Agg, I just don't know, but I need to make some decisions soon! :confused:

 

If you made it this far you definitely deserve a gold star! :001_smile: What do your outside commitments look like? How do you determine what is enough or too much for your kids? Oh and I should mention my two dds did dance last year in the late afternoon one day a week, so we will probably do one physical extra like that.

[Jean in Newcastle]

We do 100% of academic things at home. Each of the kids has done a sports activity out of the home in the afternoons or evenings.

 

It sounds like you are leaning towards dropping co-op.

[AppleGreen]

Thanks for your thoughts Jean. I appreciate it!

 

Maybe I should have put this on the K-8 board?

[whitestavern]

I am struggling with this as well. In the past we've ended up overextending ourselves, and that's just stressful and not fun. Since I homeschool, I tend to think of outside activities as social opportunities and the more the better, right?:glare:

 

Last year dd did girl scouts, CCD, golf, softball, Irish step dancing, an American Girl club, a baking/cake decorating club, a nature class, a drawing class and a science class. They were not all at the same time, but she always had at least 3 things going on per week. DS had less opportunities, but still did scouts, CCD, the classes and golf and baseball. We've done piano in the past and dd wants to start that up again this year.

 

There are so many wonderful opportunities it's difficult for me to prioritize which ones we should do. I'm thinking 2 at a time is what we should go with, but which two? The scouts programs stink here IMO so that would be easy to drop, but it's also the only link my kids have with public schooled kids who live in our town. Sports are important for physical fitness as well as teambuilding. The clubs are what the kids enjoy the most, and then there are the educational opportunities/classes. Sigh...I look forward to hearing other responses because I just can't figure it out.

[AppleGreen]

 

There are so many wonderful opportunities it's difficult for me to prioritize which ones we should do.

 

Exactly! And I always tell new homeschooling families...you can't do it all! We have a pretty amazing homeschool community w/ a couple of coops and oodles of classes. It is so easy to be caught in the trap of doing all these great activities that you forget the school part of homeschool. (and I realize that for some people all of those activities are the school aspect, I'm just a I need to be home to school kind of girl!)

[Guest Cindie2dds]

We do 100% of academic things at home. Each of the kids has done a sports activity out of the home in the afternoons or evenings.

 

This is what we do. We even backed off music outside the home for the fall. No stressing, Apple. :grouphug:

[ChristusG]

I'm contemplating our schedule too. My kids like to be home. I don't like to feel like I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I don't like feeling like school is rushed and we are not getting things accomplished. So I'm leaning towards the fact that less is more. Kids don't always need to be engaged in something. They need time to be free, imagine, create their own things to do, etc. At least that's how I feel. My girls love their down time at home. The other day the library was having Free Movie Friday and were showing Toy Story 2. My girls love Toy Story, but still opted to just stay home and play together in the playroom LOL.

 

Last year we did a homeschool group on Wednesdays from 10 Am - 2 PM. I'm debating on whether to keep this or not. Someone we know is starting an American Girl club and I may put DD in that. We attend church on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. And I'd really like to put DD in an art class. But that's it. If DD chose anything else, such as dance or soccer, we'd drop the art class. I don't want to do a lot at once.