NotSoObvious Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 I find myself doing this a lot! We go for a few weeks doing school every day and getting a lot done. Then, we get busy with travel or activities and go into a different mode, ala unschooling. My girls read everyday and we always manage to get in some math, so it's not like they aren't doing any "school." We travel a LOT. Just this school year we've already been to Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, New York City, and Washington DC. We are going to Canada in a week and then we'll spend all of January at the beach in CA. (My husband travels for work and we can go with him quite a bit, which is one reason we homeschool.) I struggle with feeling guilty that we don't do "school" everyday and I worry that we won't get it all done by the end of the year. My personality is such that I would just love to work through my spreadsheet, checking off items each day and staying right on schedule! On the other hand, we are having amazing experiences and I'm on top of my girls' academic needs. Just feeling torn! Do you ever feel this way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 My life is very much this way. I have beaten myself up for it for a long time but I have decided that it is just the way we are. My children are still learning a lot and in our periods of stricter schooling, we refine a lot of that knowledge. We don't travel as much as you do but would if we could afford it. I think you are giving your kids great experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Yep, totally. Except we go several months and then switch. It's the best of both worlds, I say! I do second guess myself a lot, though. I'm naturally a box checker and perfectionist and would push my kids too hard if I didn't know better... but I also see how very important their free play time truly is. Probably as they get older I'll be more strict, but for now I want to let them be kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Yes...we go through seasons of both. Coming from someone who has graduated 4 children, who can be considered " successful", I can say it has worked very well for us. I look at homeschooling as a lifestyle. I am not willy nilly about it....just seasonal. Mostly we have structured school for September, October and November up to the week of Thanksgiving...no breaks other than major emergency, or illness. Then we unschool...but do math and phonics instruction if I have a little one learning to read....otherwise the rule is...be productive....read...write...explore math daily. No screen time during school hours. Outdoor play, crafts, projects, imaginative play, daydreaming even....is allowed and encouraged. We go back to structured school the first Monday after January 1. We then continued structured school....no breaks until May. Once May comes, we get busy with gardening, traveling, getting out more, home projects etc. June, July and August are for swim team, beach visits, gardening and yard work etc. We do math daily....read tons....take our books etc. to the park or outside to the picnic table or a blanket in the grass. We study topics of interest and visit all those little rabbit trails. We always end up with more than the required number of day required and giving into the seasons of homeschooling helps me to be much more relaxed. Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 Thank you for your stories! It helps to know how others manage this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurtis75 Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 I could have written this exact post. We're actually traveling this week and for the first time I'm not stressing over schoolwork not getting done. We will probably get serious again in January but until then we're keeping the schedule light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faithr Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Melissa Wiley calls this tidal homeschooling. I have naturally fallen into this pattern too. We'd be much more schooly in the fall, then Christmas would take over, then I'd go into my winter hibernation which meant getting much more unschoolish about things, then when test time came around in the spring we'd get into test prep mode, then summer is a series of camps (my kids love doing various summer camps/VBS). It has worked for us. I have found that the kids learn a lot during that unschooly time. For my teens though, this doesn't happen because they are often taking classes in the homeschool community and they follow a regular school year routine. So enjoy it while your kids are young! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 We operate like this, too. It's really the only way for us to keep from burning out. Also, we school year-round, so homeschooling really turns into a lifestyle. We're to the point where we're doing some "school" on the weekends, because I think my kids just don't know the difference anymore. We're going through two huge lit studies right now and my kids are constantly asking to sit down with the lit studies. :glare: My oldest two kids are reading through the Narnia series and using ROAR!. The 1st grader is reading thru the Little House series and we're using Prairie Primer. :thumbup1: It's awesome when they are really excited about something. Also, I'm almost completely interest-led with our 1st grader and she seems to be right on grade level with the ps kids (we're around a lot of ps kids :tongue_smilie:). interesting... :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplain Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Melissa Wiley calls this tidal homeschooling. :iagree: I also thought of tidal homeschooling when I read the OP. Check out what Melissa Wiley has to say at this link: The Tidal Homeschooling Master List. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeaCookiesBears Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Yep, totally. Except we go several months and then switch. It's the best of both worlds, I say! Yup! I totally agree.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.