I need to vent

[tracikay3]

Ugh,

I have just "finished" our first official year of homeschooling my ds5. I have a ds3 and another ds on the way, due in October. Is it normal to feel like you are constantly behind and have to tweak your program every 5 minutes. I am very happy with the curriculum choices I have made, everything is working out well. It's my son's attitude that is getting me down. I have him home regarding his activity level (just below a nuclear bomb) and the fact that he is very bright. I can't get him to focus on one thing for one second lately. Is it the weather, a growth spurt, the alignment of mercury and venus? He has about a million questions a day on a million different subjects. Do I drop my plans and delight direct? Am I ok with that?

I have just finished my planning for our next 3 week block of "schooling" and I don't want to implement any of it. I feel like I just get myself organized and it all goes to heck.

I love the WTM, it's how I would have liked to be educated, i can't even begin to tell you how much my sons (yes even the 3 year old) loved the unit on egypt. It was homeschooling magic to introduce this to them.

I have been getting bogged down on the details of the WTM Ancients, has anyone tried History Odyssey for the younger crowd? I am toying with the idea, but again this just seems like one more thing I need to change my plans for.

Am I just being really crabby? Is this pregnancy related? :tongue_smilie:

[momsuz123]

Awww. :grouphug:. I feel for you, I do. I just finished my first year too, and I am not pregnant. One thing I learned a lot from my active dd, is to change things up, a lot. It looks like a have a ton of curriculum, I have a few of certain subjects so I can changed things up when needed. For example, today my older dd said she was struggling with her math lately. Not really, I know this was her little sign to change things up - so we did Beast Academy today - she did it with so much enthusiasm, it was great.

With my other active dd, we do a lot of games, a lot. Board games, dice games, card games. I have been amazed how much she is learning with games.

Hope this helps, I guess I am saying maybe a little change might help both of you. Good luck.

[PentecostalMom]

Short and sweet (not intending to be rude but I need to get dinner). You are a new homschooler, he is a five-year-old boy, you are pregnant, you have a preschooler. Relax. Take a break. Teach him the basics in everyday life and don't stress. Read them books, print coloring pages if you want to give them something to do.

 

Read them science books, let them look at leaves, bugs, sticks, lizards, flowers. Whatever you have around. Nature walks. Let them watch educational movies, LeapFrof DVD's are fantastic for letters and numbers.

 

Most of all RELAX. He's only five, you have a lot going on. It will be okay.

[heart'sjoy]

I felt I had to regroup multiple times a day. In order to regroup I had to narrow my top priorities.

 

Things that helped.

-Pick one or two things to work on everyday or even twice a day in little 5-10 minute blocks. Usually reading, writing,or math.

 

-School year round taking only 2-3 week breaks where needed. Usually holidays or family visits. This made the missed school due to unavoidables negligible and lowered my stress level tremendously.

 

-Make working side by side on chores, dishes, sorting laundry, a daily skill. I did some of this. I pushed too hard to make them independent in chores rather than enjoying doing it together.

 

-When starting school back after more than 3 days off, we would start at 1/2 to 1/3 pace and build back up. I kept reminding myself, I'm training habits of self discipline that will last longer and have longer lasting results than any knowledge I can pour into them.

 

:grouphug: and :grouphug:

 

By working on the basics for several years, having a goal like TWTM method in sight, and adding in baby steps as God allows, we've come a lot further than I would have ever imagined.

[Alicia64]

Short and sweet (not intending to be rude but I need to get dinner). You are a new homschooler, he is a five-year-old boy, you are pregnant, you have a preschooler. Relax. Take a break. Teach him the basics in everyday life and don't stress. Read them books, print coloring pages if you want to give them something to do.

 

Read them science books, let them look at leaves, bugs, sticks, lizards, flowers. Whatever you have around. Nature walks. Let them watch educational movies, LeapFrof DVD's are fantastic for letters and numbers.

 

Most of all RELAX. He's only five, you have a lot going on. It will be okay.

 

:iagree: I only wish my boys could return to that age and I could chill out and just focus on lots of reading aloud, park dates, library time etc.

Kindergarten is not the year to be stressed. I remember being scared too, but that's our public school system at work: teaching Kinders is practically like doing brain surgery, don't ya know.

 

Silly.

 

Alley

[readinmom]

I know it might be overwhelming, but breathe...take a deep breath. Remember that you don't have to do every single thing to be successful. I planned and planned, planned some more, only to abandon one thing for another countless times. We've all been there.

 

You're taking on extraordinary responsibilities right now. Remember to take time for yourself, also. Congratulations on your first year! It sounds like it was a hit!

[GoVanGogh]

I think it is a little known fact (or the subject not talked about...) that the first year of homeschooling is awful! The doubts... Trying to figure out your teaching style while figuring out the child's learning style... Figuring out what grade/ability level the child is out... Trying to get a schedule worked out... All the while being questioned about your decision and having to defend yourself when you feel like you don't have your act together... (Okay, the last part is totally my flashback moment. :lol:)

We are on year six now and I can tell you --- it gets easier!

I think I changed curriculum and approaches 3 times the first year before I landed on what works for us. (A mix of Latin-Centered Curriculum, Well-Trained Mind and Ambleside.)

 

I have him home regarding his activity level (just below a nuclear bomb) and the fact that he is very bright. I can't get him to focus on one thing for one second lately. Is it the weather, a growth spurt, the alignment of mercury and venus? He has about a million questions a day on a million different subjects. Do I drop my plans and delight direct? Am I ok with that?

You totally described my son!

Ten years later and my OB still comments on how active DS was in the womb! He was seven weeks premature. I still remember all the NICU doctors and nurses saying they had never seen such an active preemie. He has never slowed down.

Anyway. I sometimes drop my plans and let DS go off exploring on his own. I can generally tell the night before when he is ramping up, trying to learn something on his own. I know now to let him stay up late to work on it, sleep in in the morning then let him get up on his own and work all day on the project.

I started doing my lessons plans as Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, etc., instead of Tuesday, May 29th. This way, I don't lose the lesson - it easily slides over to the next day. I plan six terms and know how many days per term we need for our school year and plan accordingly. I leave lots of wiggle room for self-study and/or rabbit trails.

[pitterpatter]

DD just turned five a couple of weeks ago. We will be using History Odyssey: Ancients this fall? (Are you currently using SOTW?) It is structured a lot like SOTW but allows you the option of using various/different spines. We will be using The Usborne Encyclopedia of the Ancient World for our spine. Then, we will use a lot of picture books, early readers, etc. for the rest of the text. I have history slated three times a week. One day, we will read from Usborne, copy a short dictionary definition for a related word and then draw a picture of it (or something else mentioned in the text). Day two, we will complete map work and read several picture books on the topic. Day three, we will complete a project.

 

History Odyssey has a great sample online. Maybe check it out and really read through it and picture how it might work for your family. I chose it because I like the approach and text better than SOTW. The maps are included and nicer too.

[*Michelle*]

Hee hee. Click on my blog link. My son's attitude is great and I'm still second-guessing everything.

 

He'll be five in August. We've also got a 3 year old, 20 month old, and another due in two weeks.

 

I'm moving in the opposite direction. My plans for kindergarten started on a very grand scale. Slowly, slowly, I've whittled them down to reading, writing, math, and religion. I've gone from an intricate schedule to what I came up with today: schooling year-round and taking breaks whenever we need them, dropping any type of lesson planning and just focusing on doing school for a set time each day and not worrying about how fast or slow he progresses.

 

At least I'm getting the kinks worked out now. :tongue_smilie:

[librarymama]

 

I'm moving in the opposite direction. My plans for kindergarten started on a very grand scale. Slowly, slowly, I've whittled them down to reading, writing, math, and religion. I've gone from an intricate schedule to what I came up with today: schooling year-round and taking breaks whenever we need them, dropping any type of lesson planning and just focusing on doing school for a set time each day and not worrying about how fast or slow he progresses.

 

 

 

:iagree: I could have written this myself!

 

I have cut way back. No more planning lessons and I'm letting his interests guide us. We are plowing through stacks of library books on all kinds of topics. He's got a couple of phonics workbooks he is working in at his own pace as well.

 

The only more planned curriculum I am using is math (Singapore 1A) and I am keeping that up because he loves math so much and the lessons are simple and planned out for me via the HIG.

 

Anyway, I figure next year for 1st we will try again with a more scheduled curriculum.

[ErinE]

I have an older DD who just turned 6. Although I wanted to do more with her, I heeded the wise advice of moms far more experienced than me and focused only on reading, writing, and math. We did nature studies, art projects, science demonstrations, and read-alouds, but I didn't pre-plan these activities.

 

Especially with a younger sibling and being pregnant, I'd advice you to relax a bit. You have 15+ years of schooling until your son graduates from high school. He's not "behind."

Edited May 30, 2012 by ErinE

[BakersDozen]

Slowly, slowly, I've whittled them down to reading, writing, math, and religion. I've gone from an intricate schedule to what I came up with today: schooling year-round and taking breaks whenever we need them, dropping any type of lesson planning and just focusing on doing school for a set time each day and not worrying about how fast or slow he progresses.

 

:iagree: These younger years are the time to relax, focus on the basics and have FUN! All too soon their schedules will be packed with the other subjects; for now, complete the foundational stuff and enjoy having the majority of your day/time free. How I wish I'd not stressed so much or tried to do so much when my older dc were little.

[LillyMama]

I have an older DD who just turned 6. Although I wanted to do more with her, I heeded the wise advice of moms far more experienced than me and focused only on reading, writing, and math. We did nature studies, art projects, science demonstrations, and read-alouds, but I didn't pre-plan these activities.

 

Especially with a younger sibling and being pregnant, I'd advice you to relax a bit. You have 15+ years of schooling until your son graduates from high school. He's not "behind."

 

:iagree::iagree:

 

But I didn't agree when my oldest was 5. :D I tried it all. But even TWTM encourages a lot of things to wait until they are 6. It's hard to wait, but, having a son who is almost 7, I can tell you that things will get better with yours in the next two years. Either than or you'll get really good about wrangling him. My son still has a hard time focusing and sitting for long times, but it's MUCH better. My daughter is now 5 and she's taken over where he left off. :glare:

[lindsrae]

I struggle feeling overwhelmed, worrying I'm not doing enough, worrying my children will get behind...but try to enjoy. Don't worry so much about curriculum!

[happycc]

You have a 5yrs old son. There is no way my active son who is now 18yrs old would have been able to follow TWTM curriculum or any curriculum for that matter. I have a daughter who is 8yrs old who is just now able to work through a curriculum like First Language Lessons and WWE and is actually making sense and retaining the information.

 

Just focus on reading and math now.

Get him reading using OPGTR and math use Right Start A or something like that and play games. Short and simple lessons first. THen slowly add on.

 

Writing doesn't have to come until 6yr-7yrs old.

 

All the rest it will come on its own once he starts reading. Do lots of trips to the library and read lots of books of all sorts. Lay in bed in night and just talk about anything -what they did during the day, what book he liked and why, what his favorite character on tv and why?, what the last book was about etc

 

Right now is just exposing him to everything. Take him out on a lot of field trips to the post office (letter writing), fire station (fire safety), police station, zoos (reading a map)etc. Bookstores. Let him go in the backyard and make yucky things with the mud (components of mud). Do chores with him, cook and bake. (I tell them to pick up 10 or twenty seven pieces of garbage and place in bag. That's counting. Estimating. Cleaning and organizing the house is sorting and develops great math skills. (Sorting clothes, silverware)

 

As he gets older he will be able to organize everything he has been exposed to and make sense of it all.

 

I thought I was needing to catch my 8yrs old daughter up as it was her first year homeschooling and she was in a very abusive/neglected home up until she was 3.5yrs old. She simply wasn;t ready for any of the academics until this Spring something just clicked. She is moving pretty quickly now. She did go to preschool and K and 1st grade but it was all a blur to her. She didn;t retain much. In one year this year she went from not knowing her days of the weeks to now knowing multiple digit multiplication! She made up two years of school in one year.

 

So just relax and enjoy them now. Read and play. Make a fort. Have a tea party. Play with some playdough. Reenact some historical stuff /stories with stuff animals and dress ups. Have him make up costumes. Draw. Sing.

 

Gosh I sound like an unschooler but I am really not. I do believe in the value of play for the younger kids. Oh heck even in the older kids and adults like me!