Help! I'm making both of us miserable!

[monalisa]

I'll jump on the "she's five" bandwagon too...

 

It might not make you feel better, but you've just described my dd8 to a t. I'm hoping it gets better someday, before 18!

 

FWIW, I regret not making both 1st and 2nd grade more gentle, CM'ish, vs. the classical drill approach. 3rd grade is going to be different.

[Chris in VA]

Have you reached 20 yet? :D;)

 

Some buzzwords for you--

Short, informal, hands-on, manipulative-based, fun, relaxed, done in jammies and in your big bed, unlined paper, lots of smiles, no pressure, great read alouds (here you can go up a level, but don't forget picture books as they are hard to get back to once you reach 1st grade).

 

She'd be Pre-K around here.

[Critterfixer]

FWIW, I regret not making both 1st and 2nd grade more gentle, CM'ish, vs. the classical drill approach. 3rd grade is going to be different.

 

CM looked challenging to me. Although I do think I would like to spend more time doing nature study. I remember my father taking me through the parks and woods with my brothers and sisters and teaching us the names of all the trees, their leaf shapes, where we would expect to find them and quizzing us on their Latin names.

We are starting on plants this month, but I do think nature study could be done full time, no matter what level you are at.

I think there is a sense that CM is very relaxed, without much emphasis on formal school, but that is not the impression I get from reading her writings on education.

[MrsJewelsRae]

At that age we cut out words and pictures from flyers and magazines and pasted them in our notebook, we drew on the windows with window markers to practice phonics and spelling, played Scrabble, played "hangman" on the sidewalk, fooled around on starfall and peepandthebigwideworld.com , and read lots and lots of books- both well worn picture books as well as classics. We had lots of fun and they learned SO much! Both my kids were ahead in reading and ds was quite ahead in math, they both love to read and devour books. Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with letting things slide a bit and trying a different way.

[Alphabetika]

She's five.

She's five.

She's five.

 

Be gentle now and you will reap the benefits later.

[Marie in Oh]

Most of us were. I cringe when I think about it actually. I too am about to have my 6th 5 year old, and I will say there is a rare 5 yo who can do sit down school. With my wiggly ones we learned lots while doing jumping jacks, rolling a ball, summersaults, etc. It is hard. We think we are homeschooling so we have to create a school environment. Really what we need to do is uncreate a school environment. My thought is if she is still like this when she is 10, then it is time to do something about it. At 5, I would hand her a notebook and let her chase the squirrel in the yard. Check out books about squirrels, etc. You are fine, she is fine. It will be fine.

[Quiver0f10]

OK - I hope 20 more people tell me to relax, that she's only 5! (it'll probably take that many for it to sink in)

 

But I seriously fear that if I stick to 5, 10 or even 15 minutes a subject, we'll get nothing accomplished. She's a master at frittering away the time. Would you honestly pack away the page half-done and say that's all for the day? We'll finish it tomorrow?

 

And I know what she'll do - the moment I say we're putting it away, she'll come to herself and tell me she WANTS to do it - so then we're playing a game. If I say, no - time is up - she's in tears. If I allow her another 5 minutes, she'll probably fritter that away as well...

 

So when and how do I get off of THAT merry-go-round?

 

or what if she acts like she doesn't care and goes to play, and then it takes all week to finish one page, cuz everyday she plays away her 5 or 10 minutes? Do you think she'd eventually come around and say to herself, 'I want to do this?' and focus? She is sharp and does get bored if things are too easy.

 

Thanks for all replies!

 

 

Ok, I will join in. She is 5! You have years to get stuff done LOL. I would pack away the page. At 5 we don't do much workbook pages. Most of what we do it oral and I keep it to 5-10 minutes a subject.

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

My firstborn is at this age as well and exactly the same. It's a difficult adjustment for me to make as well. While some people have mentioned that in their areas she would be in preK - where I grew up, depending what time of the school year it was, she could have been in 1st (I turned six in the last quarter of grade 1). It was the same when DH started school so the different expectations are quite a new thing for both of us.

[boscopup]

FWIW, I regret not making both 1st and 2nd grade more gentle, CM'ish, vs. the classical drill approach. 3rd grade is going to be different.

 

I'm using WTM recommendations, for the most part, for 1st grade, and we really don't have any drill? :confused: It's actually pretty gentle in those early years.