Somebody please give me a good kick...

[Sue G in PA]

in the tail and tell me to stop moping and escaping into the world of "planning for next year". I've been stuck in a rut...since January. :glare: With the challenges of ds9 and his hospitalization and behavior difficulties at home and the effect of that on the rest of my dc (not to mention on me and dh)...I've struggled to keep school going. My ds12 is giving me serious attitude about schoolwork (b/c he wants to be in public school and b/c he is, well, 12), ds9 still has sig. behavior issues, my own SAD compounded with the situational factors had me more depressed than usual, ds8 is getting increasingly difficult to teach, etc. So, I've been escaping into a fantasy world of "next year will be better" and have been planning out next year while getting further and further behind on THIS year. :glare: I know. Not good. I just need a good kick in the tail to get moving, keep pressing forward, not let the past dictate the future, etc. It would be more helpful if anyone had a magic :chillpill: that would straighten out all the bad attitudes and fix the sibling rivalry and behavior problems. :D Anyway, thanks for allowing me to "whine". I don't think I am cut out for this homeschooling gig (or this parenting gig for that matter) and yet I know it is what is best for my kids. Or is it? :confused:

[Kim in Appalachia]

:grouphug:

 

When that has happened to me I try to reboot. I take a few days (or a week) off from normal schooling and do stuff. We go to the zoo, or on a hike, or do something different. I've even had cleaning weeks, where everyone had to help and we deep cleaned a room. Then I try and start back slowly, just doing 1 or 2 subjects (usually math and spelling), then we watch something educational (like a favorite movie :D) or I kick the kids outside. If there has been attitude issues, I find it easier to deal with when there is just 1 subject to work on.

 

I would try to avoid what was sucking my time and try hard to focus on the now. I know that can be extremely hard, but I just keep repeating words, "focus on the now!" :001_smile:

 

If I feel especially down I take a mom day. I go to the city (which is an hour drive) and go to lunch and shopping. Sometimes a day away from my crew helps me clear my head.

 

And recently, after a particularly difficult revelation which made me not want to continue with anything, I decided I had to choose between resignation or resolve. I could be resigned to my fate (in a very self-pitying kind of way), or I could resolve to attack the issues head on and face it. Resignation or resolve was my mantra for a few days.

 

Hope that was a gentle kick. :001_smile: I've been homeschooling for 12 years, so I've BTDT a lot of times.

[Sue G in PA]

Thanks for that gentle kick! I needed it! :001_smile:

[Hedgehog]

:grouphug::grouphug:

 

Have a mom day out. Call it educational research and revitalisation. I had one of these today; it was wonderful. I wandered around Waterstones for a couple of hours, and then went to Starbucks for a coffee. :D

 

Seriously though.. can I recommend you try something, if you're not already taking it: Vitamin D3? I use this for SAD and immune health, and it makes my life immeasurably better over the winter. :001_smile:

[merry gardens]

in the tail and tell me to stop moping and escaping into the world of "planning for next year". I've been stuck in a rut...since January. :glare: With the challenges of ds9 and his hospitalization and behavior difficulties at home and the effect of that on the rest of my dc (not to mention on me and dh)...I've struggled to keep school going. My ds12 is giving me serious attitude about schoolwork (b/c he wants to be in public school and b/c he is, well, 12), ds9 still has sig. behavior issues, my own SAD compounded with the situational factors had me more depressed than usual, ds8 is getting increasingly difficult to teach, etc. So, I've been escaping into a fantasy world of "next year will be better" and have been planning out next year while getting further and further behind on THIS year. :glare: I know. Not good. I just need a good kick in the tail to get moving, keep pressing forward, not let the past dictate the future, etc. It would be more helpful if anyone had a magic :chillpill: that would straighten out all the bad attitudes and fix the sibling rivalry and behavior problems. :D Anyway, thanks for allowing me to "whine". I don't think I am cut out for this homeschooling gig (or this parenting gig for that matter) and yet I know it is what is best for my kids. Or is it? :confused:

Maybe you need a kick or maybe you just need to try something else that motivates you and your children.

 

Homeschoolers don't have to wait until "next year" to try out new materials.:D If you are bored or simply not satisfied with the materials you chose for this year, you can try something different sooner than next September.

 

We're starting some new materials on Monday. It was semi-planned at the begining of the school year. I knew that some of our materials wouldn't keep us busy all year, but I didn't know exactly what we would do differently until very recently. I could hold off on starting those ideas until September, but I probably won't have the same excitement and enthusiasm next April that I have right now.

 

I certainly don't do this for every subject. Most of what we do will stay the same, but it's fun to have something new.