Classical Education and the feeling of failure (CC, long - sorry)

[Hedgehog]

There are times in life when I really wonder why I keep trying to do something that in some ways seems to be so difficult.

 

I completely believe that homeschooling is right for our family, for so many reasons. I feel the Lord has led us to it, for starters; it also gives me lots of time with my DC and my relationships with them are really good - totally happy about that side of things. Additionally, as DH does contract work and changes jobs a lot, we have moved 8 times in 12 years and are facing yet another move in the New Year, so both DH and I believe that homeschooling gives our DC a much more stable educational experience, rather than school hopping. If this next planned move goes ahead, DD11 would have been in 6 places of education by now. It's hard enough changing ballet schools.

 

But I am so disheartened. Please be gentle with me, I really don't need any flames right now, or lots of criticism. I'm struggling.

 

When we were unschooling/educating autonomously, I never felt the kind of panic I have at the moment - my DC were learning a little of this and that, and generally ok with our lifestyle, and I, because I knew of no other way, believed we were doing just fine.

 

Fast forward to a year ago, and I discovered TWTM and Classical Education. I read around the subject of Classical Education and read and re-read my then 2 editions of TWTM. It totally fit with my way of thinking, made complete sense. I felt I could teach this, and teach it well. DH is absolutely on board too. But in practice? I'm failing miserably. I make a great schedule, all according to how long I know things take for DC to do, and we never keep it. I even recently pared down what we were doing, cutting out all the "extra" subjects, not even worrying about specifically doing History or Science but letting DDs read it (we do have loads of books, and they love to read) but we are STILL not getting it all done. I have this terrible feeling that I am short-changing my DC, and not giving them an even half-decent education.

 

After my DDs ballet exams in December, they will be quitting ballet for at least a year, and apart from DH and DS doing ice-hockey together one evening a week (and that's only as long as we have an ice rink within reach), there will be no activities to ferry them to and fro. Driving exhausts me. There are a bunch of other things going on in my life at the moment which are causing stress too - pressure on DH from the church to be more active, sorting our stuff out for moving, getting our house ready to rent out, my semi-toxic extended family, parts of my relationship with DH, etc. The Dr diagnosed me with cyclic burnout, which basically means that I overdo it on a regular basis, and become cripplingly tired until my body recoups and then I start the cycle all over again. I NEED to cut down, simplify, de-stress. In fact the Dr was quite blunt with me and told me that if I carried on with this level of stress I would end up with a heart attack before I was 50yo :blink: not a pleasant prospect.

 

Please encourage me. I need to believe that this too shall pass. That it is possible for me to do this whole Classical Education thing - if not perfectly now, then certainly better in the future. Intellectually I know I can do it, but life is so getting me down. Please, give me a boost. I crave your prayers and/or good wishes today.

 

ETA: I just suddenly thought, that maybe people are reading this and thinking that I am knocking Classical Education or even SWB. Not at all. To quote a phrase used about another subject.. this is a user failure, not a method failure! Please don't misunderstand!!

Edited November 7, 2010 by Hedgehog

[mcconnellboys]

And good wishes you have, my friend. Hoping your holidays are restful and your New Year more hopeful....

[RootAnn]

:grouphug:

 

Something to consider: Have your older three kids, DH, and yourself make lists of things that have been positive and/or they have enjoyed (learning) over the last year/six months/whatever. IMO, it is amazing the boost this can give you -- especially for the laughs that some of the things on the list cause.

 

You won't be able to give the DC a good education if you're burnt out - or, heaven forbid, dead from a heart attack. :chillpill: Rest, recoup.

 

I've really gotten a lot out of SWB's "Independent Work" audio thingy. It talks about what the kids should be able to do on their own, at what ages, and how to get them there if they aren't.

 

My thoughts & prayers are with you during this tough time.

[Halcyon]

Sometimes finding out about new things can cause so much stress, and cause you to question everything you'd done up until that point. It's like when you only have one recipe to make bread, and you're totally fine with it, and then someone brings you a bread recipe book, and you're like "OMGOSH THIS IS BREAD??? I HAD NO IDEA! What was I THINKING even calling my my poor, pathetic lump of grain BREAD!" :)

 

My suggestion is to change slowly. Incorporate small changes, like maybe in math. Keep everything else the same. When you feel that particular change has integrated itself into your life, then maybe add another change, like writing.

 

Good luck.

[MerryAtHope]

Have you considered a loop schedule? Let's say you have 8 subjects but routinely only get to 6 of them. So day 1, maybe you get things 1-6 done. Day 2, do 7-8, and start back with 1 and see how far you get--maybe 1-4. Day 3, do things 5-8, and 1-2. Day 4, things 3-8, etc...

 

You may have things you want to do daily--you can start with your daily subjects & put the rest of the subjects on a loop.

 

I did a loop-type schedule for awhile to make sure things got rotated. Or, you can plan on some subjects for only 2-3 days a week too, or even 1X a week, depending on what it is.

 

Another thing that has really helped us is a workbox system. I have pictures & a description on my blog. It's like a 3-D schedule--the kids see exactly what needs to be done by what drawers/boxes I schedule for that day, they know what's next, how far they are in their day, etc... It's really helped to keep all of us on track.

 

(((Hugs))) Hang in there! Merry :-)

[Capt_Uhura]

You said you found WTM a year ago? This is my 3rd year HSing and I'm just now feeling that I almost, not quite there yet, have this whole Classical education thing rolling. I think it would be hard to go from unschooling to 100% classical in a year. I would look at the parts of WTM that really hit home for you and just do those parts for now. Once those are cemented and part of the routine, ie not causing any stress to get done, add something else. This year I just knew Spanish wouldn't get done nor would latin. My focus is writing across the curriculum.....get our history cycle rolling (put both my kids in Ancients even though my 10yr old had already done about half of it and knows a good bit on his own) and getting science done on a regular basis. IT's now week 9 of the school year and we're just now getting it all moving forward. We put our house on the market in March, had all these showings and keeping the house clean, then had to close on that house, move everything into storage and live in a hotel, then we finally moved in Aug 16 just 2 weeks before school started. Talk about stress. I've yet to have any decompression time and I'm feeling the strain. I'm taking the whole week of Thanksgiving off no matter how far behind we are....I need the break and sounds like you do to! :grouphug:

 

My favorite card: If you feel like you're at the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on. Of course it's not the same w/out seeing the cute drawing that went with it.

Edited November 7, 2010 by Capt_Uhura

[ElizabethB]

:grouphug:

 

My daughter has lived in 8 different houses, my son in 5.

 

We are just now getting settled from our summer move.

 

It takes a while to get settled.

 

You can do it.

 

Do you have good strategies for the 2 year old? If not, I would start a help, I have a 2 year old thread.

:grouphug::grouphug:

[Hedgehog]

Thank you so much for the support and comfort. Feeling a little less panicked.

 

I'm mulling over your ideas, too. :001_smile:

[Roxy Roller]

:grouphug: and prayers have been sent!

[shanvan]

ENCORAGING! :grouphug: ENCOURAGING! :grouphug:Consider yourself encouraged!

 

What I think I would encourage you to do is take some time off (after dealing with moving) and just do educational things with the kids and let them read. Do not think about solving any of the things you are stressing about. Just enjoy the next couple of weeks. Take some walks, cook with your kids, read aloud, just enjoy. Then when a couple of weeks have gone by and you've begun to relax, you can start to think about how to handle the things that are bothering you. You can keep the kids reading or busy helping around the house while you think through your new approach to school and life in general. If you do take time off and when you are ready to start school again, start slowly with one or two subjects at a time. Take a good look at what your children can handle independently.

 

I have been right where you are, so I'm speaking form personal experience. My health got so bad (partly because of stress) that I was wondering if I might have to consider school, or at least an online curriculum. I had to take the time off. We did it and we are back on track and I am feeling much better.

 

When I get to feeling upset and burnt out it really helps me to increase my time reading scripture and pray about the issues. Then I like to write down all the issues that are bothering me. I won't think about them all at once, but just pray about and think about one or two at a time--for a day, maybe two. I think about how God wants me to handle them. I feel much better when I have a plan, especially after I've sought the Lord.

 

A few other things....

 

1. After 8 years, we STILL have difficulty fitting in everything I plan for the day. I have learned (mostly) not to let it bother me too much. When I feel like I'm not accomplishing anything, I start keeping a log of what we did each day. It ends up being more than I realized.

 

2. I have ditched 'the schedule'. I love creating schedules, but something in me just rebels when it comes time to follow one. Instead I keep a list of subjects I want to cover with each child. I also don't do every subject every day, and I'm sure to list the work DC can do independently. They each have a list in the front of their assignment books that tells them which subjects to do on their own on and which days of the week I want them done.

 

3. No matter what is not finished school ends at a certain point for us--usually 3 or 4 (but we start late in the morning).

 

4. Forget being more active at church. You obviously feel a calling from God to homeschool and you need your energy at home right now. When your kids are grown there will be time to help at church. I also think you are spot on about limiting outside activities for a while. I had to do this about 2 years ago. After about 6 months I was able to start thinking about activities again.

 

5. I have toxic, drain the life out of you family members. I do whatever I can to limit contact. In the past I've just opted not to be in contact with certain family members for a while. It was a huge relief not to be dealing with all their stress.

 

6. Several friends and I have discussed that 'terrible feeling that I am short-changing my DC, and not giving them an even half-decent education'. I don't think there are many homeschooling moms who haven't felt that way. A couple of my friends believe this is Satan's attempt to discourage moms who are trying to follow God's calling--that maybe something to think about. Satan really doesn't like it when we listen to God.

 

It just seems to me that you need some peace right now. I think you need to get it before you even consider how to revamp your homeschool. Thank God for your doctor! He is right! I hope some of what I have written encourages you in some way. I have been there and it can get better.

 

Shannon

 

[PB&J's Mom]

I read this quote yesterday and it helped me so much! I, too, am a planner and feel like a failure when I cannot execute my wonderfully perfect plan!! :glare:I hope this helps you,too!

"The great difficulty in providing your children with a classical and Christian education is similar to the difficulty that water has in running uphill. I have sought to encourage those engaged in this task with the observation that all of us are trying to provide an education that none of us received. And so the first difficulty in doing this is recognizing the impossibility of it. After that, everything is easy.

Of course, what is not possible for men is possible with God, and so we must begin this admittedly difficult task by trusting in him completely. The real issue is whether God has called us to it. If He has, then He will make a way. If He has not, then we would not please Him by pursuing it, whether it was easy or difficult" Doug Wilson

 

As much as I try to do everything, and be everything as their teacher, I also know that if they learn NOTHING more from history than memorizing the CC timeline, they have FAR exceeded my education! If they have a love for learning, they CAN learn anything I did not have time to teach them!

 

I hope this helps a little!

[Hedgehog]

Feeling encouraged, and considerably better this morning. DH is also happier that I'm not being so hard on myself, which must be a good thing. :001_smile:

 

It's good to know I'm not alone, anyway. Not knowing any other Classical Education homeschoolers IRL, I'm often doubtful that I'm doing things "right" - or well enough, and I read TWTM and lots of threads on here to try and see my way through what is, at the moment at least, like a foggy maze. I don't get any encouragement from the homeschoolers I know, as they are almost all autonomously homeschooling and don't "get" Classical Education at all. My family is another matter entirely - sort of the other way about, but still unsupportive. I get the feeling they think I'm crazy to even attempt it.

 

So for anyone who's reading this post today, please consider yourself personally thanked, even if you only occasionally post on these forums. Perhaps without realising it, you help people like me all the time. I must have already read hundreds of threads and there's always something good to know, something new, something relevant. Even when it's just something funny, it will make me smile and lift my spirits which moves me onwards again.

 

It might be raining outside - but today is a good day! :thumbup1:

[Carol in Cal.]

When you start anything new, it takes a while to find a rhythm, to have it come naturally to you. That's why oldtimers always seem to recommend starting homeschooling with just one or two subjects, and getting very comfortable with them, and THEN adding others in, little by little, to gradually build up a routine.

 

It sounds like you were a really good unschooler, so I want to encourage you to bring some of those skills to your classical homeschooling. Can you set up a book basket for history? Can you implement book discussions for literature? Can you smile a little more, and push aside school for field trips twice a month?

 

This is not an all or nothing proposition. And it's a marathon, not a sprint!

 

:grouphug:

[Capt_Uhura]

Hedgehog - have you listened to SWB"s MP3 titled "The Joy of Classical Education?" It's only $0.99. She really makes you feel like you can do it.

[Tammyla]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

I encourage you to keep going and allow yourself some room for flexibility. Use a mix of what ever methods, books, schedules or no schedules work for you and your family. If you need to drop or add something to find your balance, do it. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

[i.love.lucy]

Feeling encouraged, and considerably better this morning. DH is also happier that I'm not being so hard on myself, which must be a good thing. :001_smile:

 

It's good to know I'm not alone, anyway. Not knowing any other Classical Education homeschoolers IRL, I'm often doubtful that I'm doing things "right" - or well enough, and I read TWTM and lots of threads on here to try and see my way through what is, at the moment at least, like a foggy maze. I don't get any encouragement from the homeschoolers I know, as they are almost all autonomously homeschooling and don't "get" Classical Education at all. My family is another matter entirely - sort of the other way about, but still unsupportive. I get the feeling they think I'm crazy to even attempt it.

 

So for anyone who's reading this post today, please consider yourself personally thanked, even if you only occasionally post on these forums. Perhaps without realising it, you help people like me all the time. I must have already read hundreds of threads and there's always something good to know, something new, something relevant. Even when it's just something funny, it will make me smile and lift my spirits which moves me onwards again.

 

It might be raining outside - but today is a good day! :thumbup1:

:grouphug::hurray:

We're all in this together!

 

I am finding that I think I spend too long on each subject. I attended a training thingy this weekend where she talked about setting a timer and going at the subject full on for like 15 minutes. When that's done, you are done. I can see this for sure for my Ker, but my 5th grader needs more time for a topic. But I do think I spend too much time that is unfocused on math and lang arts which makes us disorganized and fumbling through history, latin, etc. So that's my goal this week. Not a total revamping, just getting a timer and spending no more than 30 minutes per subject. I hope to get through a lot this week doing this way. If we feel like that's too rushed, I will move to a loop schedule.

 

Hope it's a good week for you!!!

[Mandy in TN]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

I think I am probably more eclectic than classical, so what I am saying comes from that mentality. I love TWTM, but it is a buffet not a check list. Don't try to do it all and what you do use modify it to fit your family.

 

I agree with the previous poster who said about the "'terrible feeling that I am short-changing my DC, and not giving them an even half-decent education'. I don't think there are many homeschooling moms who haven't felt that way." I would be shocked and concerned if you never felt like there was more or something different that you should be doing!

 

Mandy

 

[G5052]

I gave up custom, mom-planned curriculum about four years ago now, and we've never looked back. We also don't do everything every day, and as they've gotten older, I've gone to paid classes where I felt that it would too time-consuming for me to get up to speed and keep them motivated. We basically have given up doing anything more than a couple of overnight trips this year, but it has kept the academic level up.

 

We also don't go anywhere two days a week if I can help it, and limit our outside activities to big-bang-for-the-buck ones. I say "no" a lot. This week I turned down a teen field trip that would have been interesting but would have taken a full day and $ that I really don't have this month. I just didn't see that it would give me the payback in terms of academic content and the corresponding financial sacrifices I would have had to make.

 

And not that this is everything, but their test scores are steller, actually better than my mom-planned days.

[justasque]

I have found that there is a rhythm to our year. In late August, we are all excited and begin a rigorous schedule. Things are hard in the beginning because all the curricula expect a higher skill level, but by mid-October we are cruising. THEN Halloween hits (for which there are always elaborate costumes to make), spinning wildly towards Thanksgiving (decorations, dinner, travel), by which time it's way past time to start prepping for Christmas (travel, shopping, making gifts, and so on). If there is a dance performance in there for the holidays, there is costume-altering/making, extra practices, new shoes to fit and sew, and so on.

 

I have learned that between the Thanksgiving season and New Year's, I need to expect very little, school-wise, and focus on the work of the season. We do easy math, play games, make cookies, make cards, etc., and take our learning from those activities. For little-uns, I might make up a math workbook containing the "fun" chapters - symmetry, fractions, etc. so that it's easy and quick. We read, perhaps seasonal things. We create, perhaps decorations or cards or food.

 

If we are making gifts and dancing and singing we are learning all kinds of things, AND we are putting our family first in our lives. THEN, when the new year hits, we are NOT burned out - we've been refreshed by our break and can hit the books hard again in the winter. By Easter, we're feeling stressed again - the nice weather is calling us outside, there are end-of-year performances and such to prepare for, and we go "minimal" again.

 

By understanding this rhythm, I can plan for it. If I try to hit the books hard through the T'giving-New Years period, I am stressed and burnt out, as are my kids, and things don't go well. If I allow us to cut back to the basics - easy math, reading *something*, writing *something*, then we end up happy and bonded and thriving, and ready to "do school" during the winter. As the kids get older, of course we keep more "school work" during the lighter season, but the rhythm is still there. Your kids are still young - go easy on yourself.

 

If you throw in moving or other stressful things, again, expect to slack off during these times. There is learning going on still! Keep up your reading (bedtime and/or for pleasure) and non-stressful math, and let the rest go a bit and your kiddos are likely to do just fine. Don't underestimate the importance of a strong family life is just as important for your kiddos.

[AKMsMom]

I have felt like this too. We rarely get everything done each day. But when I look back over what we have done at the end of the week, month, year. I am always surprised and encouraged.

 

Give yourself and your family sometime. I know it is hard (really hard sometimes), but try not to feel bad for doing something God has called you to do and you know is best for your family. "...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

 

Prayers and :grouphug:

[elegantlion]

Have you read The Latin-Centered Curriculum? You can read an excerpt here. When we switched to classical ed LCC made classical seem doable to me. Even if you don't follow the recommendations completely it can help you prioritize what is important to classical ed. I read WTM completely after I had read LCC, WTM would have felt overwhelming to me if I had not.

[AngelBee]

:grouphug: Coming from unschooling myself, I think that is a BIG part of feeling like a failure. Not that unschooling is bad, but the shift in thinking from being an unschooler to a classical family is HUGE, scary, and overwhelming at times.

 

Praying for you.

[Coffeetime]

You said you found WTM a year ago? This is my 3rd year HSing and I'm just now feeling that I almost, not quite there yet, have this whole Classical education thing rolling. I think it would be hard to go from unschooling to 100% classical in a year. I would look at the parts of WTM that really hit home for you and just do those parts for now. Once those are cemented and part of the routine, ie not causing any stress to get done, add something else.

:iagree:

[rlugbill]

Sorry about your situation. Sounds difficult. I'd like to be supportive.

 

Here is a suggestion. Cut back on what you do. Delegate.

 

Having the children take more responsibility is good for them. They can clean, take care of the 2 yr. old, and take responsibility for their own learning. This isn't shirking your responsibilities. It is ultimately beneficial for the children to learn to do these things themselves.

 

I would cut back on outside activities. One or two days/week max.

 

And have the children mainly do their homeschooling on their own, with the older ones helping the younger ones as needed. You can do some reading aloud, but otherwise, get them in a routine with curriculum they can do on their own mostly.

 

Children need structure and a routine. Once they get into the routine, things will go smoothly. Part of the routine is doing chores around the house. This will help teach them a good work ethic.

 

It may seem easier at first just to do these things yourself, but in the long run, it will pay off and they will learn to do the household chores. This is for their own benefit.

 

Change your job description from being the one who does everything to being the one who supervises the others who do the actual work. Move from being the employee to being the boss of the household.

 

Then, you will feel less stressed. And your children will get the benefit of learning to be hard workers who can take charge of their own educations. That will be a blessing for the whole family.

 

Best wishes.

[Carol in Cal.]

On the subject of short lessons vs. big, unfocussed clumps of LA and math time: I have found it helpful to break up math and LA into little, separate subjects. Math subjects include teaching, homework, facts practice, and (for littles) calendar and number line work. LA includes reading, vocabulary, editing, literature discussion, literary elements, creative writing, Writing Strands, spelling, grammar, and sometimes Scrabble. We didn't do all of these every day, reinforcing that they were separate subjects.

 

It's a mind game, to be sure, but an effective one. Much easier to do 6 little subjects than one endless big one.

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

Have you read The Latin-Centered Curriculum? You can read an excerpt here. When we switched to classical ed LCC made classical seem doable to me. Even if you don't follow the recommendations completely it can help you prioritize what is important to classical ed. I read WTM completely after I had read LCC, WTM would have felt overwhelming to me if I had not.

:iagree:

[Hedgehogs4]

first of all, you are NOT failing. there is so much right about homeschooling, that no matter what you think you are or are not accomplishing, a LOT of good is going on there, whether you realize it or not.

 

second thing--classical educators can easily give the appearance of having it all together and being able to schedule everything and get it all done. i am kind of like you...i try and try to schedule, but it NEVER gets all done. i gave up on feeling like a failure though, because that was only making matters worse. finally getting that through my head has made this the absolute BEST year yet. i will share a couple of things that have helped, but they have TAKEN TIME, so slowly, slowly you go and give yourself points for every inch of progress.

 

 

i have a structure to my day, albeit fluid. the kids know what they need to get done and i try to do things about the same every day. planning ahead is not as important for me as seizing the topic we're on at a given point and chewing on it for a while. it's like a good meal--if i like the food and i take my time eating it with good friends, and it's decently healthy, then it's an overall healthier experience than if i stress about what others say i should be eating with whom because of its nutritional value and social acceptance. kwim?

 

another thing i did was to STOP reading TWTM for a while. you probably know very well what is in it. it is a guide, not a law. find your groove and what works for you with that as the guiding principle. reduce yourself to the basics, and then once you have the routine of those down, then add in one new thing at a time, and once you get the hang of that, add another. if you were reasonably happy as an unschooler, i can only imagine that taking this up all at once is like trying to cram a square peg into a tiny round hole.

 

last thing i'll say here: a VERY wise friend of mine who has hsed 7 amazing children with such grace and discipline once told me, "if you have one good day of school a week, it's been a good week." that doesn't mean that you only schooled one day that week, but rather that you schooled every day and only came out on top once. :001_huh: i'm inclined to agree with her now that i've been doing this for 5 years, and have been trying to use a classical approach since the git-go.

 

 

[Hedgehog]

I've been reading this post over the last week or so and processing the suggestions you've made. Sorry it's taken a while to get down to answering properly.. there's still a lot going on in my life.. but we are getting there I think..

 

:grouphug:

 

Something to consider: Have your older three kids, DH, and yourself make lists of things that have been positive and/or they have enjoyed (learning) over the last year/six months/whatever. IMO, it is amazing the boost this can give you -- especially for the laughs that some of the things on the list cause.

 

Thanks for this suggestion. They came up with some good stuff that I'd forgotten we'd even done! It was encouraging!

 

I've really gotten a lot out of SWB's "Independent Work" audio thingy. It talks about what the kids should be able to do on their own, at what ages, and how to get them there if they aren't.

 

I still need to find this and check it out. I'm assuming it's on the Peace Hill Press website? Or is it on youtube?

[Hedgehog]

Sometimes finding out about new things can cause so much stress, and cause you to question everything you'd done up until that point. It's like when you only have one recipe to make bread, and you're totally fine with it, and then someone brings you a bread recipe book, and you're like "OMGOSH THIS IS BREAD??? I HAD NO IDEA! What was I THINKING even calling my my poor, pathetic lump of grain BREAD!" :)

 

My suggestion is to change slowly. Incorporate small changes, like maybe in math. Keep everything else the same. When you feel that particular change has integrated itself into your life, then maybe add another change, like writing.

 

Good luck.

 

:lol: you are so right. I am not good at big, quick changes. I like change, but only as long as it comes slowly! I've been gradually increasing the amount of schoolwork we do each day, over the last week or so, and it's nowhere near as overwhelming as jumping straight in with both feet. That so burns me out!

[Hedgehog]

Have you considered a loop schedule? Let's say you have 8 subjects but routinely only get to 6 of them. So day 1, maybe you get things 1-6 done. Day 2, do 7-8, and start back with 1 and see how far you get--maybe 1-4. Day 3, do things 5-8, and 1-2. Day 4, things 3-8, etc...

 

You may have things you want to do daily--you can start with your daily subjects & put the rest of the subjects on a loop.

 

I did a loop-type schedule for awhile to make sure things got rotated. Or, you can plan on some subjects for only 2-3 days a week too, or even 1X a week, depending on what it is.

 

Another thing that has really helped us is a workbox system. I have pictures & a description on my blog. It's like a 3-D schedule--the kids see exactly what needs to be done by what drawers/boxes I schedule for that day, they know what's next, how far they are in their day, etc... It's really helped to keep all of us on track.

 

(((Hugs))) Hang in there! Merry :-)

 

The loop schedule idea sounds really good - if I was actually trying to do more than the bare minimum (English and Math)! It's definitely an idea I'm going to hold onto for a month or so's time when we're moved and things are settled down with less extra activities. I think my problem was that although I was ONLY scheduling the basics, I still wasn't getting even that done and it was so disheartening. But I have to say that it is improving slowly now.

 

I'm sort of using a workbox/filing system of sorts (thanks for the suggestion :) ) in that I prepare my DDs work for the next day (put out what books/papers they need and in some cases I've cut workbooks up, but they're still in subject folders as opposed to day/date folders. I'm finding that's working quite well at the moment. Having read your post I did some reading up about filing and workboxes and I might move more into that way of organising things as I go on.

[Hedgehog]

You said you found WTM a year ago? This is my 3rd year HSing and I'm just now feeling that I almost, not quite there yet, have this whole Classical education thing rolling. I think it would be hard to go from unschooling to 100% classical in a year. I would look at the parts of WTM that really hit home for you and just do those parts for now. Once those are cemented and part of the routine, ie not causing any stress to get done, add something else. This year I just knew Spanish wouldn't get done nor would latin. My focus is writing across the curriculum.....get our history cycle rolling (put both my kids in Ancients even though my 10yr old had already done about half of it and knows a good bit on his own) and getting science done on a regular basis. IT's now week 9 of the school year and we're just now getting it all moving forward. We put our house on the market in March, had all these showings and keeping the house clean, then had to close on that house, move everything into storage and live in a hotel, then we finally moved in Aug 16 just 2 weeks before school started. Talk about stress. I've yet to have any decompression time and I'm feeling the strain. I'm taking the whole week of Thanksgiving off no matter how far behind we are....I need the break and sounds like you do to! :grouphug:

 

My favorite card: If you feel like you're at the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on. Of course it's not the same w/out seeing the cute drawing that went with it.

 

Thank you for this! :001_smile: It's very encouraging to know that other people have taken time to settle into Classical Education too! In many ways it seems quite the opposite end of the spectrum to unschooling and I'm still not sure why I've done such a big U turn from one to the other. I feel that we, too, need a big break - but not from schoolwork, since for some time we haven't hardly done any. It's more a break from all the other stresses in life but I suppose that is rather a tall order. Life is, after all, what happens when you are planning other things. ;)

 

I NEED that card!!! Is it online somewhere?!

[Hedgehog]

:grouphug:

 

My daughter has lived in 8 different houses, my son in 5.

 

We are just now getting settled from our summer move.

 

It takes a while to get settled.

 

You can do it.

 

Do you have good strategies for the 2 year old? If not, I would start a help, I have a 2 year old thread.

:grouphug::grouphug:

 

Doesn't moving just take time and effort and energy, never mind money!

 

Tbh my 2yo isn't too bad.. and you know, it seems that when we are being more organised and doing more schoolwork/getting the housework done some, she is eager to join in and thus so much easier to entertain. I do love babies and toddlers but they are hard work!

[silliness7]

There are times in life when I really wonder why I keep trying to do something that in some ways seems to be so difficult.

 

I completely believe that homeschooling is right for our family, for so many reasons. I feel the Lord has led us to it, for starters; it also gives me lots of time with my DC and my relationships with them are really good - totally happy about that side of things. Additionally, as DH does contract work and changes jobs a lot, we have moved 8 times in 12 years and are facing yet another move in the New Year, so both DH and I believe that homeschooling gives our DC a much more stable educational experience, rather than school hopping. If this next planned move goes ahead, DD11 would have been in 6 places of education by now. It's hard enough changing ballet schools.

 

But I am so disheartened. Please be gentle with me, I really don't need any flames right now, or lots of criticism. I'm struggling.

 

When we were unschooling/educating autonomously, I never felt the kind of panic I have at the moment - my DC were learning a little of this and that, and generally ok with our lifestyle, and I, because I knew of no other way, believed we were doing just fine.

 

Fast forward to a year ago, and I discovered TWTM and Classical Education. I read around the subject of Classical Education and read and re-read my then 2 editions of TWTM. It totally fit with my way of thinking, made complete sense. I felt I could teach this, and teach it well. DH is absolutely on board too. But in practice? I'm failing miserably. I make a great schedule, all according to how long I know things take for DC to do, and we never keep it. I even recently pared down what we were doing, cutting out all the "extra" subjects, not even worrying about specifically doing History or Science but letting DDs read it (we do have loads of books, and they love to read) but we are STILL not getting it all done. I have this terrible feeling that I am short-changing my DC, and not giving them an even half-decent education.

 

After my DDs ballet exams in December, they will be quitting ballet for at least a year, and apart from DH and DS doing ice-hockey together one evening a week (and that's only as long as we have an ice rink within reach), there will be no activities to ferry them to and fro. Driving exhausts me. There are a bunch of other things going on in my life at the moment which are causing stress too - pressure on DH from the church to be more active, sorting our stuff out for moving, getting our house ready to rent out, my semi-toxic extended family, parts of my relationship with DH, etc. The Dr diagnosed me with cyclic burnout, which basically means that I overdo it on a regular basis, and become cripplingly tired until my body recoups and then I start the cycle all over again. I NEED to cut down, simplify, de-stress. In fact the Dr was quite blunt with me and told me that if I carried on with this level of stress I would end up with a heart attack before I was 50yo :blink: not a pleasant prospect.

 

Please encourage me. I need to believe that this too shall pass. That it is possible for me to do this whole Classical Education thing - if not perfectly now, then certainly better in the future. Intellectually I know I can do it, but life is so getting me down. Please, give me a boost. I crave your prayers and/or good wishes today.

 

ETA: I just suddenly thought, that maybe people are reading this and thinking that I am knocking Classical Education or even SWB. Not at all. To quote a phrase used about another subject.. this is a user failure, not a method failure! Please don't misunderstand!!

 

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I go through bad times too but all that moving around would really stress me out too. Wow! :grouphug:

Because of your moving around I think homeschooling is the best option for your kids and, though, it won't be perfect (none of our homeschools are perfect) it can still be wonderful!

 

I recommend taking a deep breath, telling everyone to shove off (needy family, needy church, etc.) and regrouping.

 

Make a list of independent work for each dc. You have 4 in school? Then I would schedule 9-10:30 with the youngest, 10:30 - 12:00 with the next youngest, 12:30 - 2:00 with the next one and 2:00 - 3:30 with the last one. You have 1 1/2 hours to correct/instruct/discuss. Do the most important things first, then see what's getting left out or if you have extra time left over even. See where you can combine. You could save 30 min. in your day if you shave 15 min. off of everyone's schedule and turn it into a 30 min. "class" with everyone.

 

Maybe not everyone needs 1 1/2 hours. My 6yo and 8yo need 1 hour alone each but then are in "class" for 2 hours. My 10yo needs 1 1/2 hours plus the 2 hour "class". My 12yo needs about 2 hours 4 days per week and my 13yo must get by with 2 hours 1 day a week. But this works O.K. for him. Anyway, if you schedule it out like that you can then see who needs more and less time and meanwhile they are working like little beavers on their independent work.

 

Sometimes a special situation will arise that throws your time accounting off. I try to budget for the "most" time that is needed and then have breathing room on days when it's not needed. Otherwise if one particular lesson is going to be ornery you could just skip something else in order to get it to fit without whacking out the schedule.

 

I obviously don't know the specifics of what is not working and making you feel overwhelmed. I could be way off base. I apologize. I just wanted to maybe give you a practical lift as well as :grouphug:. Hope things start looking up for you.

[Hedgehog]

ENCORAGING! :grouphug: ENCOURAGING! :grouphug:Consider yourself encouraged!

 

What I think I would encourage you to do is take some time off (after dealing with moving) and just do educational things with the kids and let them read. Do not think about solving any of the things you are stressing about. Just enjoy the next couple of weeks. Take some walks, cook with your kids, read aloud, just enjoy. Then when a couple of weeks have gone by and you've begun to relax, you can start to think about how to handle the things that are bothering you. You can keep the kids reading or busy helping around the house while you think through your new approach to school and life in general. If you do take time off and when you are ready to start school again, start slowly with one or two subjects at a time. Take a good look at what your children can handle independently.

 

Thank you :001_smile: Good advice. Once we've got moved, I am DEFINITELY taking a week's break to just :chillpill: :D

 

My DDs are pretty good at working independently, which is really helpful. They usually need me to start them off, but then they complete the work alone.

 

I have been right where you are, so I'm speaking form personal experience. My health got so bad (partly because of stress) that I was wondering if I might have to consider school, or at least an online curriculum. I had to take the time off. We did it and we are back on track and I am feeling much better.

 

When I get to feeling upset and burnt out it really helps me to increase my time reading scripture and pray about the issues. Then I like to write down all the issues that are bothering me. I won't think about them all at once, but just pray about and think about one or two at a time--for a day, maybe two. I think about how God wants me to handle them. I feel much better when I have a plan, especially after I've sought the Lord.

 

I have certainly considered PS, particularly for DS. But I KNOW he is best off at home whichever way I look at it.

 

I really needed your mention of getting back to the Scriptures and praying. How many times do I need something like this in my life for me to learn that I must ALWAYS seek God! Not just when I'm in a fix, but every day!

 

A few other things....

 

1. After 8 years, we STILL have difficulty fitting in everything I plan for the day. I have learned (mostly) not to let it bother me too much. When I feel like I'm not accomplishing anything, I start keeping a log of what we did each day. It ends up being more than I realized.

 

2. I have ditched 'the schedule'. I love creating schedules, but something in me just rebels when it comes time to follow one. Instead I keep a list of subjects I want to cover with each child. I also don't do every subject every day, and I'm sure to list the work DC can do independently. They each have a list in the front of their assignment books that tells them which subjects to do on their own on and which days of the week I want them done.

 

I think I'm going to keep my schedule for now. It provides me with a framework and even if we don't do things exactly when I planned, it still gives me a list of what I want to get done on any given day. I do get a sense of satisfaction out of knowing that we "kept the schedule today" or at least most of it.

 

3. No matter what is not finished school ends at a certain point for us--usually 3 or 4 (but we start late in the morning).

 

4. Forget being more active at church. You obviously feel a calling from God to homeschool and you need your energy at home right now. When your kids are grown there will be time to help at church. I also think you are spot on about limiting outside activities for a while. I had to do this about 2 years ago. After about 6 months I was able to start thinking about activities again.

 

DH and I have discussed this so much following this thread. We have decided that when we move, we are not going to accept church duties at whatever church we attend. (We hope they'll be ok with this.) We do indeed feel a calling to homeschool - I to do it, and DH supports it 100%, if indirectly - and that, because it concerns the DC, must always come before anyone else. Believe me, I will be glad not to have the stress of ballet all the time. We are over there practising or for lessons more days of the week than not and it's a 20-30min drive each way. :svengo:

 

5. I have toxic, drain the life out of you family members. I do whatever I can to limit contact. In the past I've just opted not to be in contact with certain family members for a while. It was a huge relief not to be dealing with all their stress.

 

This is definitely something I need to address. I keep meaning to post a thread about it because I would really appreciate some other, impartial views on it. I know that if we never saw any of my family again, DH would be delighted. :001_unsure:

 

6. Several friends and I have discussed that terrible feeling that I am short-changing my DC, and not giving them an even half-decent education'. I don't think there are many homeschooling moms who haven't felt that way. A couple of my friends believe this is Satan's attempt to discourage moms who are trying to follow God's calling--that maybe something to think about. Satan really doesn't like it when we listen to God.

 

It just seems to me that you need some peace right now. I think you need to get it before you even consider how to revamp your homeschool. Thank God for your doctor! He is right! I hope some of what I have written encourages you in some way. I have been there and it can get better.

 

Shannon

 

It did encourage me greatly! Thank you!

[Hedgehog]

I read this quote yesterday and it helped me so much! I' date=' too, am a planner and feel like a failure when I cannot execute my wonderfully perfect plan!! :glare:I hope this helps you,too!

"The great difficulty in providing your children with a classical and Christian education is similar to the difficulty that water has in running uphill. I have sought to encourage those engaged in this task with the observation that all of us are trying to provide an education that none of us received. And so the first difficulty in doing this is recognizing the impossibility of it. After that, everything is easy.

Of course, what is not possible for men is possible with God, and so we must begin this admittedly difficult task by trusting in him completely. The real issue is whether God has called us to it. If He has, then He will make a way. If He has not, then we would not please Him by pursuing it, whether it was easy or difficult" Doug Wilson

 

As much as I try to do everything, and be everything as their teacher, I also know that if they learn NOTHING more from history than memorizing the CC timeline, they have FAR exceeded my education! If they have a love for learning, they CAN learn anything I did not have time to teach them!

 

I hope this helps a little![/quote']

 

Well isn't that the truth - if God is for us, who can be against us? His will be done.

 

And also, that I am certainly trying to give my DC an education that I never had. I guess it's not too hard to see that I learned no grammar at school. Before doing grammar with DD11, I just about knew the difference between a verb and a noun :001_huh: Whoever chose the curriculum for my school did its students a great disservice.

 

One of the things that does make me very happy in our H-Sing is the fact that without the influence of other kids, my DC are enthusiastic and cheerful about learning. It is so sad to see so many children of my personal acquaintance always saying how "bored" they are in school or really in learning anything, anywhere. We get a little of it at church, in Sunday School; and a little of it at ballet, but obviously not enough to affect my DC, for which I am glad. I want them to be enthusiastic, curious, inquisitive kids and I'm pretty sure they are. I certainly get a million and one questions every day, especially from my DS, who wants to know how the names and functions of EVERYTHING he sees, and how EVERYTHING works. It's tiring, although in a good way!!

[joyfulmomSDG]

Just a quick thought...we seem to operate well with focusing on Math and LA and the rest seems to be sort of "fun stuff." I would recommend getting into a really good schedule with those for a couple of weeks or so, and then begin to add more. After all the trial-and-error I went through with my now 9th grader from 4th up, it seems like that is how it has worked out for us. There were some years when I literally felt that we hadn't done much of anything. We have been all over the board with educational style (due to my ignorance - I just saw a program and gave it a shot. If it wasn't working out we dropped it and found something else.) Despite this, she has consistently tested really high in our required yearly standardized tests. I seriously don't know how?!?! A few years back, I read through TWTM and loved the methodology but knew I couldn't put that much time into planning etc... I just had to be realistic about our family situation and spreading myself too thin.

 

Soooo...I guess we are considered "eclectic" more so than classical. You can see all the different curric we use in my signature, but many things are only once or twice a week. Math and LA are daily. (My 9th grader is on her own schedule but it basically applies to her too) I now use TOG (Tapestry of Grace) for Lit and History and have my 1st and 9th on the same history cycle just for ease even though my 1st grader basically skipped Ancients. He'll get it again and again so I'm not too concerned. Honestly, they seem to get most of the learning just from the reading assignments. They retain so much it's amazing! I check out a bizillion books from the library and let them read read read. I seriously had 105 items checked out recently and they read most of them in a couple of days. I love the library!!

 

Also, I find that I tend to over-complicate things by trying to squeeze too much into a day...then we don't get everything done...then I feel like I failed...repeat...repeat... It's a bad cycle!

 

Could you consider a streamlined curric. that provided the lesson plans for you? Maybe your older ones could be a little more independent with planning their day? I know TOG is big on incorporating them into scheduling so they begin to be able to manage their time and meet deadlines.

 

Sorry for the long rambling post, but I hope this may help in some way. It's not easy - for any of us I would venture to say! Remind yourself of the reasons WHY you homeschool and be encouraged to persevere!

[Hedgehog]

When you start anything new, it takes a while to find a rhythm, to have it come naturally to you. That's why oldtimers always seem to recommend starting homeschooling with just one or two subjects, and getting very comfortable with them, and THEN adding others in, little by little, to gradually build up a routine.

 

It sounds like you were a really good unschooler, so I want to encourage you to bring some of those skills to your classical homeschooling. Can you set up a book basket for history? Can you implement book discussions for literature? Can you smile a little more, and push aside school for field trips twice a month?

 

This is not an all or nothing proposition. And it's a marathon, not a sprint.

 

I encourage you to keep going and allow yourself some room for flexibility. Use a mix of what ever methods, books, schedules or no schedules work for you and your family. If you need to drop or add something to find your balance, do it. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

 

I'm not sure whether I was a "really good unschooler".. more like, a very hands off one, and my DC learned sort of by accident. DD9 taught herself to read (a fact that continues to intrigue me..) but now has no knowledge of phonics. Something that we're trying to do remedial work on regularly.

 

But certainly the relaxed nature of unschooling would be good to have in order to find where my DCs interests lie. I'm sure they would appreciate it. You know.. with my DC.. it's hard NOT to smile and laugh :001_smile: children really are such a tonic when you're feeling low.

 

Coming from unschooling myself, I think that is a BIG part of feeling like a failure. Not that unschooling is bad, but the shift in thinking from being an unschooler to a classical family is HUGE, scary, and overwhelming at times.

 

:iagree: I hope that one day, I will stop beating myself up over not figuring out sooner that we need to be more focussed in our learning. Perhaps when I see my DC not so far behind what most others seem to be doing, I won't feel so guilty about the unsuitable choices I made when they were younger.

[Hedgehog]

Hedgehog - have you listened to SWB"s MP3 titled "The Joy of Classical Education?" It's only $0.99. She really makes you feel like you can do it.

 

I haven't yet, but I do mean to. (Anything that makes me feel like I can do it has got to be good!)

 

Have you read The Latin-Centered Curriculum? You can read an excerpt here. When we switched to classical ed LCC made classical seem doable to me. Even if you don't follow the recommendations completely it can help you prioritize what is important to classical ed. I read WTM completely after I had read LCC, WTM would have felt overwhelming to me if I had not.

 

Again no, not yet. I have seen that mentioned before and intended to check it out, but then forgot the name and couldn't find the thread.. you know how it goes.. so thanks for the recommendation. The Latin Centred Curriculum. :auto:

[Hedgehog]

:grouphug::hurray:

We're all in this together!

 

I am finding that I think I spend too long on each subject. I attended a training thingy this weekend where she talked about setting a timer and going at the subject full on for like 15 minutes. When that's done, you are done. I can see this for sure for my Ker, but my 5th grader needs more time for a topic. But I do think I spend too much time that is unfocused on math and lang arts which makes us disorganized and fumbling through history, latin, etc. So that's my goal this week. Not a total revamping, just getting a timer and spending no more than 30 minutes per subject. I hope to get through a lot this week doing this way. If we feel like that's too rushed, I will move to a loop schedule.

 

Hope it's a good week for you!!!

 

It was certainly a much better week than the ones that preceded it, thank you!

 

DS5 would definitely benefit from 15min chunks. He might manage more, as his attention span is quite good, but 15mins is probably optimum. For my older DDs, they're apt to work alone on most things after starting off with me, but even so, I'm seeing that they are completing most of their subjects (or subject sections) in 30mins. The exception is Math. I give them an hour altogether, which comprises a read through of the lesson with me, the timed fact tests, and then they complete the math problems by themselves. Tbh, DD11 can usually do all that in 45mins, but DD9 takes a little longer. If they finish before the hour is up, they get an extra break :001_smile:

 

It's certainly a good idea to limit the amount of time spent (and my timer is my friend :D ). More time allowed doesn't necessarily mean that more work is done overall.

[ElizabethB]

DD9 taught herself to read (a fact that continues to intrigue me..) but now has no knowledge of phonics. Something that we're trying to do remedial work on regularly.

 

 

She could try my online phonics lessons, they are especially developed for older children and adults. That would free up a bit more time for you to work on other things!

[dovrar]

We also use a workbox type system. However, instead of boxes, we have pockets (like old school library book pockets) glued on the inside of a manilla folder. Each pocket holds a notecard (the length is cut down a bit) with a subject and a time limitation on one end and the word "done" on the other end. Once a subject is done (or our time runs out) it is flipped over and the kids and I can see the progress we've made. Also,if they need to work on their own, they can choose one of the subjects they don't need my help with while I'm occupied.

 

Oh, and I LOVE timers :D

[Annabel Lee]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

You're not failing, and they're probably better off with half-done classical homeschooling than ps, if your elem. ps is anything like mine. I agree w/ PPs to focus first on mastering how to get done math & LA. If you've fallen behind on something that's very repetive year after year (like grammar, for ex.), you could try just putting them in their age-grade level and take it slow at first. Abe skipped most of FLL3 and he's fine, because there's so much review. I wouldn't try that with most maths or WWE, although the WWE hardback textbook has placement tests if you think they could just jump up a level. History will still be there when you get to it.

 

Online or DVD classes are OK, and there are some very good classical ones: Lone Pine Classical School, Memoria Press Online, Veritas Press, and I know there are others out there. It's very hard to do it all, especially when you're still figuring out *how* to do it. This is my 3rd year doing WTM and I just barely feel like I've got it figured out, and we must have too much on our schedules b/c we never get one day's worth done in 1 day. Of course, whenever I do think I've got it figured out, a new question comes up.

 

Take care of you or you'll be less efficient. Get enough sleep and water, and exercise if you can squeeze that in. I've found that when I try to adhere strictly to my perception of WTM, our homeschool becomes less fun, creative, and enjoyable. That's not at all what SWB intended. Do fun things in addition to, incorporated with, or sometimes instead of the usual. Check out people's blogs in their signatures, some of the gals around here do some really neat things. They've made me reflect on ways school can be more engaging.

 

If you don't already have SWB's audio lectures, all of them, you should listen to them ASAP. They clear things up and answer many questions. I've got some daily check-box schedules I made that remind me exactly what ea. dc needs to be doing for narrations (how many sentences/paragraphs, how much help or independence, how frequently). I made the font color green for anything they can do independently; I told them "Green is for GO do it yourself!". Lmk if you'd like to see them, if you think that would help.

Edited November 15, 2010 by Annabel Lee

[8filltheheart]

I didn't read the other replies, so I apologize if someone has already mentioned this.

 

I can completely relate to the two spectrums that you allude to.......relaxed and classical. But, it does not have to be an either/or. You can step back and evaluate your values and pick and choose what you see as the main benefit of each and take ownership of those aspects. Make them the foundation which the rest are built upon.

 

For example, I am VERY relaxed with my younger kids. I absolutely would never even consider a WTM approach with them. It just isn't me. I couldn't teach that way. I would hate ever minute of a lifestyle that attempted to embrace that philosophy.

 

However, my older kids have tended to have a pretty classical high school education. Even there, however, we detour and take courses that fit their interests and needs.

 

I have been burned out more than once and have had yrs where continuing homeschooling is truly the equivalent of a job that I barely endure. (this yr is one of them) The key to my being able to push forward and continue mentally is that the educational philosophy/vision is mine. If I were attempting to replicate someone else's and constantly felt the need to reassess in terms of meeting their pre-determined definitions, I would cave.

 

FWIW.......when life is rough, I focus on my older kids and do the bare minimum with the younger kids. I am absolutely the polar opposite of leaving the older kids to educate themselves and focusing on the younger ones. I find it much easier to catch the younger kids up if I am confident that my older kids are on target with their needed goals/objectives.

[Annabel Lee]

The key to my being able to push forward and continue mentally is that the educational philosophy/vision is mine. If I were attempting to replicate someone else's and constantly felt the need to reassess in terms of meeting their pre-determined definitions, I would cave.

 

THANK YOU for this gem!

[HootOwl]

You expressed so many of the same frustrations and concerns that I feel, so I just wanted to let you know you are not the only one out there feeling this way!

 

We, too, have moved a LOT over the last few years---5 different houses (in different states) in 5 years---yikes! I have realized that moving takes a tremendous toll on my ability to focus and be proactive about lesson planning and follow-through. Whether you're planning and packing for a move or unpacking and organizing after a move, there are several weeks that are "lost" (at least for me) in our homeschooling world. THEN, there's the mental and emotional exhaustion of adjusting afterwards, and that interferes with my focus on schooling. I've been so disappointed to see that we are accomplishing so little of what I had originally wanted when I first read TWTM eight years ago. What I've had to do instead is realize that I'm still providing a better education for my kids than they would get in school. My husband is constantly reminding me that there is more to educating our children than "book learning", and he's right!

 

What's has helped me this past year, is going back to TWTM, reading it again, and looking where my kids are now to make a new "plan" to get us back on track. Especially since my oldest child is in the logic stage this year, I really wanted to "kick it up a notch" and focus on the skills that TWTM recommended at this stage instead of just the content. I keep telling myself that it's never too late to get back on track---some people don't even start homeschooling until their kids are in middle school or high school---so we start anew.

 

It's helped me to choose 1 or 2 things each year (or quarter/semester, etc.) as new goals. This past year it was Latin. I've tried Latin 2-3 times over the past years and never was able to stick with it. Well, this year, it's my kids' favorite subject, and we are right on schedule!

 

I think it also takes a while to find the RIGHT curriculum for your children AND for you. So much of my frustration over the years has been trying to implement "hands-on" subjects like science and art when I'm not a "hands-on" teacher. Instead of throwing in the towel when I can't use a program with all the bells and whistles, I try instead to find a program that is easier for me to use. While I still believe that science is best when it includes a lot of experiements and activities, I've reconciled myself to accepting more of a text-book curriculum here to make it easier for us to get science "done". And surprise! Both my kids love their science texts this year!

 

I just want to encourage you to hang in there and keep re-thinking at times what is most important for you to accomplish and giving yourself permission to change directions when you need to, AND to take breaks when you need them. All of us have times where we feel inadequate, but we just need to remember that we are our kids' best teachers and that all things in life---school included---have its seasons of rise and fall. We just have to hang in there through them.

 

Wishing you lots of blessings for a great school year!

Edited November 17, 2010 by HootOwl

[catz]

If I were attempting to replicate someone else's and constantly felt the need to reassess in terms of meeting their pre-determined definitions, I would cave.

 

 

Great quote! Any time the dogma of the philosophy you're trying to follow gets in the way of your happiness, sanity, your kids love of learning or changes some aspect of life for the worse, it's time to modify!

 

At our house, extracurricular like music and dance are HUGE. I think it's so easy to underestimate the value of these activities in terms of creativity, work ethic, team work, working with a mentor, deadlines, follow through, etc ... If participation in some of these activites that means we don't get to things like Latin, that's ok. We do latin roots, we do lots of historical and cultural outings, and we always have broad read alouds going to fill holes. If embracing some of your old unschooling self, helps you, then absolutely do it. Your oldest is 11 right? So you still have lots of time to get to a high school rigor level. Go easy on yourself and give it time. Pick your core "must do" things and add in slowly from there.

 

If you must move again, do a couple months of unschooling. Let the kids be in charge of packing and unpacking all the books and see what they rediscover! :grouphug: