I will not panic. I will not panic. I will not panic..

[MommyK]

But I WILL admit I was crushed when Birdi asked "When do I start REAL school mom?? When do I get to meet my new teacher?"

He sister said "You're IN school.. we homeschool now. Mom is your teacher." She looked crushed.

I felt like I was stealing from her.

 

Ugh.

 

The kids wanted to be up early to watch the bus come and go (everyone but Birdi (DD6, who is still sound asleep). They didn't say much, I'm sure they have mixed feelings. I can tell you I felt relief as it pulled away. Watching the same kind of crap out at the bus stop (it's literally across from our driveway).. Kids in clusters. One just standing alone off to the side . I don't want that for my kids.

 

But now the fear is setting in. Can the stuff we've been doing really be enough? It seems like there should be more. Red marks, grades, a longer day. Should I 'classroom up' a little more for Birdi's sake? I don't know what to do. I can tell the curriculum I bought her is WAY beneath her, but I'm still running through it with her just to take it slow. Maybe that's the wrong idea.

 

Thoughts?

[Jean in Newcastle]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

My only comment is that if the curriculum is too easy you should either go more in depth or speed it up or just get the next level up.

[A.J. at J.A.]

Field trips and enjoyable activities during schooltime with or without other homeschoolers converted my son to the "Homeschool is better" philosophy. It wasn't overnight, it just sort of happened over time. I remember smiling really big when DS (now 11 - we've been homeschooling him since 1st grade), said "I'm really glad we homeschool"

 

Hang in there, Mom!

 

Blessings,

Angela

[jennsmile]

Ask her what she misses. Maybe she just wants a backpack and a lunch box packed with stuff. My kids wanted to ride on the bus. Make sure she sees the bus when it passes in the afternoon. My kids would be gone from 7 till 4. And by that time we have done school and are playing. ;)

[ThisIsTheDay]

But now the fear is setting in. Can the stuff we've been doing really be enough? It seems like there should be more. Red marks, grades, a longer day. Should I 'classroom up' a little more for Birdi's sake? I don't know what to do. I can tell the curriculum I bought her is WAY beneath her, but I'm still running through it with her just to take it slow. Maybe that's the wrong idea.

 

Thoughts?

 

I agree, if it's too easy, speed things up and see if the curriculum becomes more challenging as the year goes on. Otherwise, I'd look for things to make school a bit more challenging, whether you move up, supplement, switch. But this is not a decision that you need to make quickly either. If it makes your dd happy, perhaps you can find a used classroom-style desk for her.

 

When my kids were younger, we spent lots of time having fun. No long days, but fun times with art, short family science projects, walks, playing at the park, reading aloud to them, cooking together. We'd have "Game Day" once a month, where we'd have no official school but instead spend the day playing board games, card games, etc. We'd do school work outside when possible, eat lunch on the trampoline, have beach days in the winter (turn the heat up, set out towels and umbrellas, wear bathing suits), and spend time on fun history projects (we used Story of the World). Although most down days here now are pajama days, back then, a pajama day was special; I can't remember if they were weekly or monthly, but definitely fun!

 

And then I blinked and that time was gone. Don't fear this time; embrace it, focus on the priorities, and enjoy it while it lasts!

[TranquilMind]

But I WILL admit I was crushed when Birdi asked "When do I start REAL school mom?? When do I get to meet my new teacher?"

He sister said "You're IN school.. we homeschool now. Mom is your teacher." She looked crushed.

I felt like I was stealing from her.

 

Ugh.

 

The kids wanted to be up early to watch the bus come and go (everyone but Birdi (DD6, who is still sound asleep). They didn't say much, I'm sure they have mixed feelings. I can tell you I felt relief as it pulled away. Watching the same kind of crap out at the bus stop (it's literally across from our driveway).. Kids in clusters. One just standing alone off to the side . I don't want that for my kids.

 

But now the fear is setting in. Can the stuff we've been doing really be enough? It seems like there should be more. Red marks, grades, a longer day. Should I 'classroom up' a little more for Birdi's sake? I don't know what to do. I can tell the curriculum I bought her is WAY beneath her, but I'm still running through it with her just to take it slow. Maybe that's the wrong idea.

 

Thoughts?

 

Well, my thoughts, as a Mom of teens, is that it feels more serious to you than it does to them. They are little kids. Do some fun things! Read books. Get those Geography songs and Bible songs (or whatever topic you like) and sing them while dancing around. My kids acted them out.

 

I probably did school three or four times a week and the rest of the time, let them do the work of childhood, which is to play and engage the imagination. Some days, my kids would pretend that each room of the house was a different continent, and dolls, Legos, Barbies, Magnetix and all kinds of toys would take up residence in the different "continents" during the day. I'd just leave them alone for hours to do this. I didn't interrupt seriously engaged play, ever.

 

Fast forward to ages 16 and 13. Each is working ahead years. Oldest has half college classes. Each is a straight A student. I didn't hurt them by not cramming a bunch of busywork into their days.

 

When they were 7 and up, I enrolled them in an academic co-op once a week. My oldest learned Latin from a homeschool Mom - in one hour a week - so well that she is now in class with college juniors in a 300 level class.

 

So....I say all that just to say to RELAX and enjoy your kids! All parents think they aren't doing enough to compete with the neighborhood kids going to school. Almost all parents are wrong about that. And you are doing some things better.

[Starr]

Well, my thoughts, as a Mom of teens, is that it feels more serious to you than it does to them. They are little kids. Do some fun things! Read books. Get those Geography songs and Bible songs (or whatever topic you like) and sing them while dancing around. My kids acted them out.

 

I probably did school three or four times a week and the rest of the time, let them do the work of childhood, which is to play and engage the imagination. Some days, my kids would pretend that each room of the house was a different continent, and dolls, Legos, Barbies, Magnetix and all kinds of toys would take up residence in the different "continents" during the day. I'd just leave them alone for hours to do this. I didn't interrupt seriously engaged play, ever.

 

Fast forward to ages 16 and 13. Each is working ahead years. Oldest has half college classes. Each is a straight A student. I didn't hurt them by not cramming a bunch of busywork into their days.

 

When they were 7 and up, I enrolled them in an academic co-op once a week. My oldest learned Latin from a homeschool Mom - in one hour a week - so well that she is now in class with college juniors in a 300 level class.

 

So....I say all that just to say to RELAX and enjoy your kids! All parents think they aren't doing enough to compete with the neighborhood kids going to school. Almost all parents are wrong about that. And you are doing some things better.

 

:iagree: Well said.

[LaxMom]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

My only comment is that if the curriculum is too easy you should either go more in depth or speed it up or just get the next level up.

 

:iagree:

 

And, if it makes you feel better, my 11yo asked the same things at that age. She doesn't ask anymore and is pretty ecstatic about homeschooling when she hears from her teammates about their day, need to go home after practice and do homework, etc, and she has a *very* full schedule of school work this year.

[katilac]

Ask her what she misses. Maybe she just wants a backpack and a lunch box packed with stuff. My kids wanted to ride on the bus. Make sure she sees the bus when it passes in the afternoon. My kids would be gone from 7 till 4. And by that time we have done school and are playing. ;)

 

Yep, sometimes the trappings of school fascinate kids to an amazing degree. Up till the last year or two, my kids loved buying a new backpack and lunch kit every year. No matter how seldom they were used, it was worth buying them.

 

Of course, we bought them a few weeks into the year, when all the school stuff goes on clearance! I always let them buy some cool notebooks and such as well.

 

One year, we were in a school supply store, and the kids asked what a hall pass was. They barely believed me when I told them students had to request permission to use the bathroom, and carry the hall pass. I bought one, and they spent 6 months cracking themselves up by requesting the hall pass.

 

They also went through a phase of 'walking to school' - we would leave the house, backpacks and lunch kits at hand, and walk around the block and back to our own front door. They're a little weird :D

[skeeterbug]

When my kids were younger, we spent lots of time having fun. No long days, but fun times with art, short family science projects, walks, playing at the park, reading aloud to them, cooking together. We'd have "Game Day" once a month, where we'd have no official school but instead spend the day playing board games, card games, etc. We'd do school work outside when possible, eat lunch on the trampoline, have beach days in the winter (turn the heat up, set out towels and umbrellas, wear bathing suits), and spend time on fun history projects (we used Story of the World). Although most down days here now are pajama days, back then, a pajama day was special; I can't remember if they were weekly or monthly, but definitely fun!

 

And then I blinked and that time was gone. Don't fear this time; embrace it, focus on the priorities, and enjoy it while it lasts!

 

Great ideas! I love Game Day, sounds perfect for my kids, they would love it. Lunch on the trampoline sounds fun too.

 

One year, we were in a school supply store, and the kids asked what a hall pass was. They barely believed me when I told them students had to request permission to use the bathroom, and carry the hall pass. I bought one, and they spent 6 months cracking themselves up by requesting the hall pass.

 

They also went through a phase of 'walking to school' - we would leave the house, backpacks and lunch kits at hand, and walk around the block and back to our own front door. They're a little weird :D

 

:lol::lol::lol: