ONLY day three! :(

[Joyfullyblessed]

Only day three and I am already thinking of putting my son in public school.

 

I don't know what is happening. We had a great first day, and then yesterday was really rough, and today has already begun that way too. We are actually taking a breather from one another and we were only 15 minutes into the school day. :(

 

Goodness, I feel so bad about this. I just want to cry!

 

I know I probably sound pretty pathetic right about now to most of you. I mean, I can't even handle a first grader! Ugh... what am I doing wrong???

 

Does anyone else feel this way? It seems that everything we learned last year has been forgotten. Everything.

 

Oh well, it will get better and I know that public school is not the answer really. Thanks for letting me vent a little. I am going back to try again now.

[Night Elf]

Only day three and I am already thinking of putting my son in public school.

 

Take a deep breath. It's only been 3 days. And it sounds like you took the summer off?

 

I don't know what is happening. We had a great first day, and then yesterday was really rough, and today has already begun that way too. We are actually taking a breather from one another and we were only 15 minutes into the school day. :(

 

Getting back into a groove is not always smooth sailing. I hear of many homeschooling moms who introduce just a couple of subjects the first week, add on to the next week, etc.

 

It seems that everything we learned last year has been forgotten. Everything.

 

Then you know to start out with reviewing. I don't know what materials you are using, and I may not even be familiar with them anyway, but if you took off a considerable amount of time, it may have been too much. It's not an uncommon thing.

 

:grouphug:

[Snickerdoodle]

Did you ease back into it or did you go full honcho the first day? I think with such a young one probably best to start with one subject and add others in gradually over the course of a month or so.

 

OR better still, school year round and then the expectation that work is to be done is just a part of life.

 

:grouphug:

[lmrich]

:grouphug: My experience is that day 1 is awesome. Days 2 - 20 you will pull your hair out.

 

It gets better. Take care of yourself so you are not prone to losing your patience. Of course if you figure out how to do that, let me know!

[unsinkable]

:grouphug:

 

deep breaths! You're OK!

 

Can you try short lessons interspersed with alone work with breaks?

 

When I had littles, I had a list of "Alone Work." Stuff that needed to be done but they could 100% do on their own. If I needed a break, out came the "alone work." I was very close by (at the table or in the room) but they did it on their own.

 

For breaks, I'd encourage physical stuff...which my 1st grade boys loved...and then free time. So they could go outside and swing or run or whatever for 10 minutes, then do whatever they wanted. They usually stuck with running around like maniacs. :D

 

One more hug: :grouphug:

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

:grouphug: My experience is that day 1 is awesome. Days 2 - 20 you will pull your hair out.

 

It gets better. Take care of yourself so you are not prone to losing your patience. Of course if you figure out how to do that, let me know!

 

:iagree:

 

Deep, deep breaths and DO NOT let them see you stressed. Stay as calm as possible and avoid saying what you're thinking (especially about public school) out loud. Go to your room and scream into a pillow for a few seconds if necessary. :D

 

If the crew sees the captain is in trouble, mutiny is almost certain. They need to get into a routine and know you are serious about school in order to get in line and stay there. :gnorsi:

 

You can do it! :grouphug:

[NanceXToo]

Aw. The first couple of weeks can be tough, til things fall back into place and you're back into a routine and you've done plenty of review so the kid isn't in a panic that s/he doesn't know anything you're talking about and so on. Hang in there. Cut back a little bit if need be. Or think of a way to make something a bit more hands-on/fun, so neither of you get overwhelmed, especially in the first week or two.

[Karen in CO]

My brother teaches high school math and every year laments about how little the kids know - even kids that did well the year before. They just forget stuff over the summer.

 

When we finished at the end of June, my dd LOVED long division. When we started at the beginning of July, she couldn't remember how to do it. SHe kept putting the numbers in the wrong places.

 

What you are going through is perfectsly normal. Relax.

 

I began my year this year the first week of August and we now have 7 days of school done counting field trips. I try to take it slow because I hate running my enthusiasm into the brick wall of my kids' love for summer. We aren't even planning to do full days until September. Right now we're happy to read some poetry, take a nature walk, do some math and read something. Tough schedule, but we're only getting to that 3 days a week. We kind of roll into the school year. It still doesn't get dark until well after bedtime so the kids are up too late and and sleep-in in the mornings.

 

Sorry, I'm rambling. Relax. give yourself a break. Take it easy on your son. Add in some board games and skip some workbooks. Take a field trip. Do your math lesson on the sidewalk in chalk at the park. You can't forget about the relationship. Part of your job is to keep your son's natural desire for learning intact. Another part is to find joy in what you do.

 

My best advice for this age is to make sure you are creating a school that you would want your child to attend.

[specialmama]

:iagree: Just chill. Take it easy. Totally normal. Remember WHY you are doing this, and take time to snuggle and read together, play together, go on a hike, enjoy each other's company.

[JudoMom]

I found the oldest/first child to be the hardest to homeschool. Not only were they a new student, I was a new teacher. The younger boys have always watched their older brother(s) do school, so they assume it's just something we do. The oldest didn't have that, so it was more difficult.

 

Alphabet Pam reminded me several times that they do want to please me and they aren't forgetting stuff on purpose to torture me. Just remind them with a smile and move on, she says. He wants you to be proud of him. This can still be difficult for me, but it makes a world of difference when I remember it.

[Miss Marple]

Hey, give yourself a break! This is new for both of you. A six year old boy will find the first day of school fun because it is something new (therefore exciting), but when he realizes this is the way life is going to be...well, it is natural that he be a bit uncooperative. This, too, shall pass. Just be consistent, do short lessons with lots of variety, and remember that doing first grade at home means a very short day of school! Don't try to emulate the public schools (all day school). You'll accomplish everything you need to do in just a couple of hours at the most.

 

Before school begins for the day, "throw him a bone" (that's what we always called it). Tell him about a fun plan you have (trip to town, ice cream, etc. whatever he loves) but he has to get his school done first. My boys always "fell" for that! Sometimes the event was some errand I needed to run, but I would add something in it for the boys (Sonic drink, etc.) - so I accomplished several things at once.

 

You have successfully potty trained him - you can do this too! It's just another "training" time. Few of them come out of the womb with a cooperative personality :-).

[Joyfullyblessed]

Wow, thank you all SOOO much for your responses! I have taken my :chillpill:, and we are both doing better already.

 

Bless his heart, he came downstairs soon after needing our "breather" and said "sorry for how I acted mom". Then proceeded to tell me how he loves school and that he was trying his best, really.

 

Well, that softened my heart and I knew that I need to just take it easy and be more understanding. :001_wub:

 

Now he is doing his handwriting while belting out "This Little Light of Mine". :D This reminds me of what I would be missing if I did actually send him to public school. Besides the fact, they probably wouldn't even allow him to be singing that song there. :glare:

 

We have started out easier than what I had planned and will be adding in more subjects in a few weeks. However, I am still trying so hard to get in the 4 1/2 hours daily. I need to let go of that because I am intending to do year round school this year which gives us more opportunity to take it easy on days when it is needed badly.

 

I really want to homeschool and feel very led to be doing so for my son. I think that I let other public & private school teachers influence me a bit much. Seems I know so many of them! One public school teacher was telling me how the kids really don't do much review at all when starting back and it works out fine. :blink: Sounded strange to me, but I figured that meant I had to be doing something wrong.

 

I mean, I am seeing that my son and I are DEFINITELY going to have to do review from last year before really moving onto new stuff too soon. I don't know how the public schools do it without hardly any review.

 

Also, my sister is a private school teacher and she is always letting me know what her son (who is in first grade also at the private school) is learning. :001_huh: It seems soooo far beyond what I am teaching my son right now! I let it scare me into believing that what I am doing is not enough.

 

Anyway, I am so grateful for each of your responses. :thumbup: We are going to take it easy, one day at a time, and really focus on enjoying learning. I just need to realize that being extremely wiggly, talking LOTS or singing all the time is just part of who my son is right now. He is a great little boy though and I want to treasure this time with him.

 

Thanks for the reminders of why I am doing this for him. Have a wonderful day everyone! :001_smile:

[Tess in the Burbs]

we always ease into school. the basics week one. add in history/science week two and full on by week three. And every year I have to figure out when to add in a break. We are on week 2 day 3 here and today I got it right and everything is smooth sailing.

 

It's hard to begin. hang in there. Know when to take a break or a week off :-)

[Jean in Newcastle]

1st grade? You don't need to fill up 4 1/2 hours. At that age, they are practicing counting, phonics, science, etc. all the time - at the grocery store, outside etc. Do your seatwork and short lessons every day and then spend the day exploring with him. Some of that exploring will be while he helps you with the chores - sing songs while working, recite poetry, make up silly rhymes. Some of that exploring will be while you are running errands - play "I spy", sound out the words on signs, explain how the dry cleaners cleans the clothes. . . Some of that exploring will be while outside - examine that cool bug he's found under the rock, show him the blackberries that are ripe on the side of the road. . . You will be learning together in a way that is so much more fuller in some ways than at the public school.

[Homeschooling Hannah]

Take a deep breath!!!

Don't do it.

I did that last year and regreted it. I put my son in public school for a month. I wanted him back and we are homeschooling again this year.

[hornblower]

1st grade? You don't need to fill up 4 1/2 hours.

 

:iagree:

 

Remember - homeschooling does not have to be school at home & school at home does not have to follow the school schedule.

 

What's that quote - it's a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself. There is lots of time. :)

[simka2]

You should read my spanking thread :) NO seriously...that meltdown took place on day 4! I will say this...since the major meltdown....no issues! Two wonderful days :)

[specialmama]

:iagree: Honestly, 4.5 hours is overkill. You can do it all in 1.5 hours at that age. If you feel you *must* do 4.5 hours for some sort of reporting to your state authorities, then count in washroom time, standing in line time (at least 20 min a day), lunch time, snack time, making bed time, playing inside time, playing outside time, playing with you time, playing with a friend time, nap time, daydreaming time, etc. Seriously. Don't go overboard with 4.5 hours. 1.5 hours total from a 24 hour period. So like, 10 minutes of handwriting, an hour break. 10 minutes of play, 10 minutes of reading. Sprinkle 10 minute sessions here and there all day long. Yes, seriously.

[Mimm]

Day three for us too. Day one went ok. We got done early, people were fairly happy, nothing major. Day two was full of tears. My seven year old flipped out about handwriting and spend half an hour doing two lines. Nine year old freaked out about filling out an outline for SOTW4, even when I told her the answers and gave her the book to look things up in AND told her that she didn't have to have exactly what was written in the book. I mean seriously? I don't know how much more flexible I can be. The outline is sitting here right now, still only partially filled out, crumbled up and torn in half and taped back together. :001_huh:

 

Last night I told them we needed to work on our attitudes, me included, and we needed to view difficulties and opportunities to learn and if everything was easy we would never grow, blah blah blah. I might as well have been talking to the air. Today was a bunch of bickering over... well, everything. Part of me feels like something is wrong that Imogen didn't get around to grammar today and Genevieve's history test is still sitting here half finished but we did have a drawing lesson. But they love art and I love art so we do art every day. And honestly, after all the friction of our day, we needed the relaxation.