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I quit.

BlsdMama

By BlsdMama,
in K-8 Curriculum Board

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BlsdMama

BlsdMama

Posted
Posted

Ten years in and I can say I've DEEPLY enjoyed homeschooling. I've thoroughly enjoyed my CM, TWTM, TOG, eclectic blend of homeschooling.

 

And today, I throw in the towel. I'm going to textbooks for a year. I desperately need this. :P

 

We moved eight children cross country, have five children ages six and under, and really, with the baby already being six months old, don't we secretly suspect (know?) that there will be a pregnancy this next school year? I'm taking a break.

 

I'm fairly certain the guilt will kill me. But I'm quite certain the planning would definitely do me in.

 

Now, ya'all may go back to your regularly scheduled programming.

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Pam L.

Pam L.

Posted
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:glare:

 

You certainly have had quite the year. I admire your determination to do what is best for your family as you are busy with your precious children.

 

I think it is far better to maybe take a time of doing textbooks than the stress of preparing/planning lessons at a time when you need such a break.

 

I hope you will find interesting materials which are easy to use for your family!

 

Blessings,

Pam

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KrissiK

KrissiK

Posted
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:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

Save guilt for sin, mama and break open those textbooks with joy and contentment!!

 

I love that! And I agree wholeheartedly! No matter what tools you use to teach, your children will be receiving an excellent education because it is from you.

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I.Dup.

I.Dup.

Posted
Posted
:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

Save guilt for sin, mama and break open those textbooks with joy and contentment!!

 

Love this! And I'm so glad to see an update, the last I heard was when you were going through so much horrible stuff with the beginning of your last pregnancy, so glad your baby is here and healthy!!! :iagree:

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Homeschooling6

Homeschooling6

Posted
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:iagree: agreeing with the others. Textbooks are not as dry and boring as everyone makes them out to be ;). We used them for two years and my kids enjoyed them. We have lots of books at our house that they read as well. I didn't feel guilty and my children survived the textbook years :).

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Mommyfaithe

Mommyfaithe

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:iagree: agreeing with the others. Textbooks are not as dry and boring as everyone makes them out to be ;). We used them for two years and my kids enjoyed them. We have lots of books at our house that they read as well. I didn't feel guilty and my children survived the textbook years :).

 

You know what?? We love our textbooks! I am a CM mom with workbook textbook kids. I leave the good literature for bedtime and reading time.

 

Take care of yourself and don't worry about school. You may be happily surprised with your textbooks. I recommend CLE for Reading, LA and Math...History and Science??? I recommend Magic schoolbus videos for the youngers and Apologia for the biggers. I am not sure about hx.

 

Faithe

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Pam Wilhelm

Pam Wilhelm

Posted
Posted

I'm right there with you! While I've moved away from WTM some years ago.... we are now looking at something even more "school-ish". I've been looking over Oak Meadows stuff lately and wondering what it would be like if I didn't have to create Lesson Plans, etc.... and had it all laid out for me.... at least more so then what I have been doing.

 

Good Luck and enjoy the freedom! :grouphug:

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BlsdMama

BlsdMama

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:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

Save guilt for sin, mama and break open those textbooks with joy and contentment!!

LOL! Thank you all.

 

I've been torturing myself for a good part of yesterday and today. Then, ready to throw in the towel and order textbooks... Well, you'll smile so I'll tell you!

 

First I got a phone call from a local mama I hardly know (met twice at the library) inviting us over for a BBQ. Three other families are coming. All three have one thing in common... Classical education.

 

What amazing timing, lol.

 

Then, I called a friend who has known me for a good ten years - before we were homeschooling and through our entire homeschooling career. And she's honest, always a good trait in a friend! And she said, "You won't be happy." And you know what? She's right. She's incredibly, incredibly right.

 

Then another, online friend, told me what her husband said to HER last night - "You chose a path, now follow it, no more floundering."

 

Did David look at Goliath and say, "Whoa baby! He's big... Walk away little David, walk away." Nope.

 

I think I need to lower my expectations, stop comparing... Mostly because if I see one more blog where the mother of two makes an entire textbook reconstructed from grocery bags with almost lifelike artistic drawing and handsewn binding, I'll vomit. A mother of eight shouldn't look at those blogs. Nor should she go through, in her mind, all of the fun things she did with her oldest in 1st grade when she had a 6yo and a 2yo. :lol:

 

I just need to sit down and do the planning.

 

Thank you all SO much for the encouragement and the sympathy and the willing ear. I know I won't be happy going to textbooks. It will still require me to put in time teaching, correcting, et cetera. It was temporary "grass is greener" itis. I'm better now. I needed to vent a little.

 

I *am* going to tweak. I'm going to simplify the books we're reading. I'm going to draw out my lesson plans and give them to each of the oldest three along with check boxes AND I'm going to get a boxed preschool curriculum so I can feel like I'm doing fun things with my littles to alleviate the guilt!

 

 

 

 

I think I needed permission to QUIT before I had the strength to continue on!

Edited by BlsdMama
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BlsdMama

BlsdMama

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Love this! And I'm so glad to see an update, the last I heard was when you were going through so much horrible stuff with the beginning of your last pregnancy, so glad your baby is here and healthy!!! :iagree:

 

 

Ella's pregnancy (and first three months of life) were a complete nightmare. This might have contributed to being overwhelmed! :iagree:

 

Thank you for the good thoughts. She is doing beautifully and is healthy and strong and lovely! (Finally!) And we're very, very grateful to have her!

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KellyinPA

KellyinPA

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Ah, doesn't it just feel good to have a "plan"? :001_smile: Good for you. You know what's best for your kids. If you had to go to textbooks for a season, it certainly won't harm them so please don't feel guilty about it. If you can tweak things a little to suit everyone, so much the better. I too remember the issues you had during this pregnancy. So happy that baby is here and all is well.

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Lostinabook

Lostinabook

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I think I need to lower my expectations, stop comparing... Mostly because if I see one more blog where the mother of two makes an entire textbook reconstructed from grocery bags with almost lifelike artistic drawing and handsewn binding, I'll vomit. A mother of eight shouldn't look at those blogs.

 

I'm a mother of two & *I* don't look at those blogs!!

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PollyOR

PollyOR

Posted
Posted

Giving myself permission to quit gives me a sense a relief which in turns gives me the energy to continue on the path. Sounds like it worked for you too.

 

I don't know which part of the state you live in but here in the Willamette Valley we school around the weather. I do very little school during the summer and try to take advantage of the good weather through October. It seems that the rains settle in from November until February. We'll have some sunny days then. But, the rains don't completely let up until after July 4th. The start of summer this year has been cooler than in years past.

 

I hope you are adjusting well. I grew up in FL and came here from CT. The first few winters were a little difficult but I've grown to love it here. I hope you all will too. :)

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BlsdMama

BlsdMama

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I don't know which part of the state you live in but here in the Willamette Valley we school around the weather. I do very little school during the summer and try to take advantage of the good weather through October.

 

I hope you are adjusting well. I grew up in FL and came here from CT. :)

 

Hm... Well, we must be close as we're in the valley as well. ;) We were here in February, wrote home about it, took pictures, couldn't BELIEVE the weather and how nice it was. Then about April-ish it began to rain, lol. Told the family & the friends that it's not so bad. I didn't understand why everyone makes such a big deal about such light rain. Then in May I said, "Well, you have to live with the rain but it lets up later in the day." By the second week of June I thought I was going to lose my mind because did it ever NOT rain a day in Oregon? :P

 

*Now* the weather is amazing. I can see why people are willing to put up with five months of rain. It's so incredibly beautiful. The kids are in the Slip 'n Slide as we speak. And you bring up a good point... I might *not* want to jump into school right away. In Iowa we started in July, the second week because the humidity was so awful we just stayed inside to be out of the stickiness!

 

I see you have a 14yo dd. I don't suppose you're part of Heritage Girls?

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BlsdMama

BlsdMama

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After this year you'll never have to buy another book. :lol:

 

You know that thought DID actually occur to me. Just drop $3K on Tapestry's books for the four year plan and I'd be set..... How exactly do I explain my budget to my DH for this year? ;)

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