JudoMom Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 I'm on my way out the door, but I'm really curious how many days a week (on average) you consider yourself successful with homeschooling (however you define homeschooling). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeghanL Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 If we have done all the planned schoolwork in a 5-day period of time (that we had planned to do) I consider ourselves successful. And since I have also been known to do school on the weekends if we didn't finish during the week, we are successful at completing the plan almost every week. Getting the schoolwork done and planned outings attended is all I use to define "successful" though. This is not the number of days my house is also spotless, laundry is done, and I've made a 3-course dinner with dessert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoforjoy Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 I'd say we usually have four successful days each week. We usually seem to have one day a week where everything just falls apart. But, I plan a four-day week (the fifth day is a much lighter workload), so we just work around that everything-falls-apart day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 We haven't started this year yet, but last year we typically were successful about 4 days a week. I can usually count on one day a week when things went wrong or just failed to even go at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 I usually only feel success one or two days a week. In reality the kids are doing well. I have set a very high bar for myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 We haven't started this year yet, but last year we typically were successful about 4 days a week. I can usually count on one day a week when things went wrong or just failed to even go at all. :iagree:I am relieved to hear a veteran home schooler say this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I'm the kind of person who is ecstatically happy if I'm not faced with actual physical pain or a horrible loss or moral dilemma. We have a bad day about once every 2 months, usually when I raise my voice. Even those are getting fewer, as I have learned to count to 10 (yes, I never ever did that before, and had to "learn" it in my 50s). So, I said 7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizabeth Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 If I did not believe I was successful in teaching my daughter I would not continue to do it. I cannot imagine anyone doing otherwise. That would be egocentric and irresponsible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 All of them. Even if we did nothing to check off the list of daily to dos, we accomplished something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth in WA Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 If I did not believe I was successful in teaching my daughter I would not continue to do it. I cannot imagine anyone doing otherwise. That would be egocentric and irresponsible. :iagree: Although, I'll admit to freaking out on average one day a week. However, as long as I believe that, rationally, I am successful in teaching my children and have some objective evidence that they are meeting the benchmarks I have set for them, I let that routine panic attack slide and keep on plugging along. But if I thought I wasn't succeeding, I'd send them to school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Oops, I answered before I read the whole thread :P I answered one, I consider the day I have off from work (and the kids have off from school) a successful day! :D:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 We school 6 days a week. I feel successful about 5 of them. :001_smile: At least once a week DS#1 has a meltdown. If it is minor, or if I handle it well I only feel a little like a failure. If it is major, or I do not handle it well......:glare: Then I remind myself that we only have one bad day a week when it used to be 3 or 4. That usually makes me feel like I am well on the road to being a real success. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Nearly every day! Hurrah for preK! It's all down hill from here, is it? :001_huh: :lol: Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Well it's easy to be successful when your only "have to" subjects are piano, reading, and read-aloud time. That said I'm successful about 4 to 5 days a week. That number will go down when we start grade 1 (youngest) and grade 2 (eldest). Because we will have more "have to" subjects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 Lately I've only been feeling successful 1 day a week, if that. Last year it was usually 2-3 days a week (they were only home for four days a week). I think it's more that my expectations might be unrealistic--it's not that I'm neglecting their education (they are doing well academically), it's just that I always think we could do better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 If I did not believe I was successful in teaching my daughter I would not continue to do it. I cannot imagine anyone doing otherwise. That would be egocentric and irresponsible. See, my expectations are so high that I *know* that I am going to fail in some aspect. I just try to rotate the failure so it doesn't all add up in one gaping hole. Now, no doubt HSing the very best option for my 3 dc. Otherwise, I agree...HSing would be a selfish endeavor. Nearly every day! Hurrah for preK! It's all down hill from here, is it? :001_huh: :lol: Rosie :grouphug::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 See, my expectations are so high that I *know* that I am going to fail in some aspect. I just try to rotate the failure so it doesn't all add up in one gaping hole. Now, no doubt HSing the very best option for my 3 dc. Otherwise, I agree...HSing would be a selfish endeavor. Exactly. I don't know whether to :lol: or :001_huh:, but that pretty much sums up some things for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Oops, I answered before I read the whole thread :P I answered one, I consider the day I have off from work (and the kids have off from school) a successful day! :D:lol: Well, she did say "however you define success. " :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Lately I've only been feeling successful 1 day a week, if that. Last year it was usually 2-3 days a week (they were only home for four days a week). I think it's more that my expectations might be unrealistic--it's not that I'm neglecting their education (they are doing well academically), it's just that I always think we could do better. I have a whole sliding scale of success criteria which I judge my days on. It goes from an ideal day to they'd-be-better-off-at-ps day. My successful day is at the "meets expectations" level of a 3 on a scale of 0-5. It is everyone making minimum progress on core skills plus me not wanting to run to the liquor store before dinner. :D a tangentially related story: I just had a discussion with my girls this morning when I put a 100 on little-one's phonics page. Bigger-one asked if that was an A+. I said, "Nope, 100 is an A. A+ is saved for when you do more than what is expected." I'm leaving room for all of us to aim higher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I think it's more that my expectations might be unrealistic--it's not that I'm neglecting their education (they are doing well academically), it's just that I always think we could do better. That's how it is for me. I'm a perfectionist (working on that) and my expectations are skewed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Exactly. I don't know whether to :lol: or :001_huh:, but that pretty much sums up some things for me. Do the first one. laugh. :lol: (Little people smell fear.) A+ is saved for when you do more than what is expected." I'm leaving room for all of us to aim higher. Exactly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I voted 4 because we usually do official school 5 days a week. I feel that we have mostly successful days, but there are a few days here and there where behavior (theirs and mine) is not what I'd like it to be, and there are days when I wonder if I teaching them the right things or if they are developing a love of learning at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenC3 Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Hmm mostly. As I sit here listening to my ds (5)teaching his little sister(3) something I did with him today, I know I'm successful. He's already retained it and is trying to teach. Wow! My dd is working a year ahead of PS so I think we are doing well enough. I even did some laundry and the dishes are almost done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Usually 4-5, since we do not do school on weekends unless it is absolutely necessary. Most weeks, we get our 5 days in without a hitch, but some weeks, we end up on errands that take too long, dr appointments, and unforseen issues (like my ds7 having to have a tooth pulled yesterday that started hurting him the night before!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I said seven, because I consider what we are doing a success. No, we don't always finish everything that I planned, but that's okay. One of my favorite quotes, though I no longer remember where I found it is, "Life is a gift, not a to do list." Nearly every day! Hurrah for preK! It's all down hill from here, is it? :001_huh: :lol: Rosie Aww, take heart. Though I sometimes miss the days when we did fun school activities together, it's a good feeling to watch your dc become an independent learner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I think we're successful at SOMETHING-and maybe even most things, every day. But there's also often at least one "not quite there". Today it was a writing assignment-DD just couldn't seem to get into it. But the rest of the morning was fine. The day before, it was recorder practice, where she just couldn't quite seem to get her breathing under control enough to have good tone and not squeak, and the more she realized she was off, the more frustrated she got. But the rest of both days went very well. The same thing happens when I teach my group classes. Usually there's one activity that doesn't work for the group (even if it's worked every time previously), or one child who is having a rough day. But, in the main, I feel like I'm quite successful. It's rare to have a "perfect" day. I've had a few, both as a group teacher and as a homeschooler, but if I were defining success based on perfect days, I'd be pretty depressed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinD Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I am successful at different things on different days. Schoolwork is generally pretty good, but if we have an extra-great school week, I am usually less than successful at putting supper on the table (I do things like forget to plug in the crockpot after I add the food). If school and food go well, there are dog-fur tumbleweeds surfing the hallway by Friday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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