I need a pep talk!

[Jamauk]

Our school year officially starts tomorrow and I'm a nervous wreck!

 

This will be our third year homeschooling. The first year (DS's 1st grade yr) I had no idea what I was doing, I was winging it and it didn't go well. We all sort of burned out after Christmas.

 

Last year (DS's 2nd grade year) I had lost all of my confidence because of my experience from the previous year and we barely did anything formal at all. I used to joke that I wasn't homeschooling I was just sanctioning truancy (it's sad, but that's truly what our year was like!)

 

This year I'm more organized, I'm more confident in my curricula choices and I'm excited to teach, BUT I'm consumed with guilt over last year and how I've let my son down.

 

I've been reading The Well Trained Mind and suddenly I feel like he's so far behind and now I've ruined him for life and no matter what I do he'll never make up that lost year that I couldn't get my act together.

 

He's starting (age wise) his 3rd grade year and I feel like I have so little time left while he's still in the grammar stage of development.

 

Someone please tell me I haven't ruined my child and that there is hope for him (and me)!

[Ria]

Oh my gosh, Jessica, you are going to have the *best* year! Seriously! You've got enough experience - both good and bad - to be able to discern if things are going the way you want them to....and, with the experience under your belt, they'll go fine. Also, the ages of your kids is fantastic. My favorite homeschool years were spent schooling kids ages 6-10. They still love to learn at that age, they appreciate their mammas, and they enjoy the simple and silly things.

 

Your curric picks look great. You are ready!

 

I am jealous. Really.

 

You will have a fantastic year, sweetie. Be sure to post, or really, even PM me, about your experiences. Some of us miss those times dearly.

 

ETA: Singapore is still my hands-down favorite math program EVER! I am thinking about doing the placement tests again just for fun...for me. Pathetic, eh? LOL!

[Ria]

PS...I wouldn't spend more than 3-4 hours on school per day. I think your plan looks like it fits that time frame. My biggest advice: relax. You are going to do just fine. :)

[Joyofsixreboot]

He is 8. He will make a complete and full recovery. :grouphug: but, shhhhh, he doesn't really have anything to recover from. Consider it your year of unschooling and move on.:grouphug:

[Jamauk]

Thank you all so much! I had a mini freak out this afternoon, but your posts and my husband's supporting words have made me feel much better.

 

You guys are awesome! :grouphug:

[HarbourLights]

Granted, I am no veteran. I've only done one year (kindergarten... hard to mess that up!) and pre-k (again... I don't even count that one!), but you will be fine! We've made some similiar choices as you have for our 1st grade year, and we are already 3 weeks in. Our days are about 2.5 hours of 'work' that I break up with lunch. Totally fine so far. Next week we start our local PPP (parent participation program thru our local school district for homeschooling families) and will be taking 2 hours/day Mon. - Thurs. It's going to be crazy busy, but the boys love it all.

 

Just take a deep breath and focus on the day your in, and not the whole picture. You'll do great!

[Tap]

Ds started home schooling in 5th grade. He wasn't behind per se but he missed major chunks of his education in 3rd grade. He really didn't have a 3rd grade year at all. It is probably the equivalent of where you are.

 

Once he was home, we got on a rhythm and he took off. He is now a sr in high school and will graduate with both his AA and High school diploma at 17yo. He is not a great test taker and gets average grades on exams unless he really, really knows the answer. (not a natural test taker) but placed in the top 97% of the nation for ACT.

 

When we were homeschooling, we found odd little holes in his education before home school. ie, In 5th grade he could draw a square and knew what one looked like but he could not tell you why it was a square (4 equal sides). The beauty of homeschooling is that you can plug in those gaps, quickly and easily (for the most part) and then just keep moving along.

 

Ds had no interest in history in middle school. We decided to put it aside until high school and then do an intensive 4 year cycle. We dabbled with history but never did the intensive WTM cycles. He concentrated on math and science instead. When he started public high school, I felt very bad for him. Honestly, he did fine. He is taking college history classes and is doing great in them. His weak history education has been wiped away and now he knows pretty much every thing that other public schooled kids know and college students too. So, much is repeated over and over in history....that is why there is the 4 year rotation. LOL

 

So, while you have had a slow start on academics you are at the perfect point to start making some great strides. Ds had a weak education going into 5th grade but you would have never known it by 7th grade.

[meggie]

All that worrying is doing nothing helpful, it's just sucking all your energy for what you should be doing. I know because I've had those exact same thoughts about my son last year when I was pregnant. And he was only 4!

 

So no more beating yourself up! Put all your focus and energy into having a fantastic year!:grouphug: