Tell me I'm not the only one...

[m0mmaBuck]

who has kids who do not enjoy school? I am always reading things glowing posts about how people can't get their kids to stop reading or take a break from school. You know, the kids who put in extra time... non-school time... working on projects and following rabbit trails. I don't have those kids. I am jealous of those who do. Tell me I'm not alone.

[bagel270]

You're not alone. :laugh: Mine usually speed through their work to beg for a movie.

[Ruby Rose]

Your not alone.

[m0mmaBuck]

Thank you. That makes me feel better. Truly.

[AK_Mom4]

Mine whines, rolls her eyes, complains its all "stupid" and races thru her work so she can play My Little Pony.

 

Does that help?

[fraidycat]

You are not alone. It is a constant battle of beg, plead, threaten, cajole, encourage to get school done around here. My kids don't find it fun, I don't find it fun, it's just something we have to do. ALL of us.

[Lisa in SC]

You are so not alone. My older ds would almost rather staple his head to the carpet than do anything resembling any approximation of school. To say that he's not looking forward to Monday would be an understatement of comic proportion.

[SunnyDays]

No, you're definitely not the only one. DS loves to spend time on things that are *his* idea.... which usually means video games. Occasionally, it may include writing something of his choosing, computer programming, reading certain books, etc. which may be somewhat educational. But most days... getting him to do his *assigned* work is quite the exercise in perseverance.

[KrissiK]

Uh.... you are not alone. Those stories about cuddling on the couch, reading wonderful books about..... history or science or whatever.... and having long wonderful discussions. I've never told one of those stories. In our house it's more like.... "The law says you have to go to school. So, you can either do it here and be done in half a day, or go to regular school and be there all day. Which would you rather choose?" Invariably they choose homeschooling. My kids would rather play. Doing school is like a 3-ring circus. Although they do like history a lot. So, that's not a problem. But the rest of it.... it's not that they hate it and are miserable. THey'd just rather be playing.

[thebacabunch]

Every once in awhile we have a glowing moment of homeschool bliss. The kids are enjoying. Usually it is a fight every.single.day.

[mom31257]

My kids don't love school, either. They do it because know they have to, but they'd rather be doing their own thing. They do seem to enjoy certain things here and there.

[m0mmaBuck]

I always feel like I am doing something wrong, but it never seems to matter whether we are playing math games, pouring over workbooks, listening to Jim Weiss read SOTW, reading "fun" books, or building the pyramids out of Legos.... They would rather be somewhere... anywhere... other than here. Yet there is wailing and gnashing of teeth whenever public school is brought up as an option. It's so disheartening some days, and as I stare into the last few hours of Christmas break before we head back to the grind tomorrow, I needed to know that I'm not alone. Thank you!

[UmMusa]

Not alone.

[Mom-2-7]

This thread makes me feel so much better!

 

I truly thought I was a bad homeschool mom because I can probably count on one hand the number of blissful moments we've had. I figure it's a good day if no one cries.

[jujsky]

When I figured out how much time we were spending outside the house doing extra curricular things, I told my kids we had to think about things we could cut. "School!" they both said.

 

You're not alone. My kids like doing some of their school work, but it's rare that they ask to do any of it. I have to make them. The only thing DS will do is read in his spare time. We have to tell DD to read.

[readinmom]

You are not alone...

 

Both ds march to the beat of their own drummer. Dd is the exact opposite.

[Sisyphus]

Right there with ya.

 

Oldest has been taking a few classes since middle school at the ps, this dire warning of what school is like has served to motivate them a bit, but otherwise- no one is begging for school work. As opposed to going to a brick and mortar school? Sure. For fun, because I'm just such an awesome educator and motivator? Uh....no. Not in the 11 years we've been at at, anyway.

 

I love this thread, by the way!

[Catwoman]

Are you telling me that all homeschooling families aren't like those perfect families on the cover of the Sonlight catalog, cuddling on the couch together for hours every day, smiling and laughing and paying perfect attention, while Mom happily reads them wonderful literature? :confused:

 

I. Am. Shocked. :eek:

 

And very happy, too, because we're not one of those families, either.

[m0mmaBuck]

My kids will sit and snuggle and let me read to them.... but heaven forbid I ask them to recall anything that was read because apparently the sound of my voice induces some sort of brain fog that keeps them from comprehending spoken word.

[jelbe5]

Not alone at all. I have spent the last 12 years trying to transform homeschooling with my eldest. I tried so many different approaches with her - Lit based, textbooks, student directed, units, etc. etc. She fought me every step of the way. She is now transitioning to the local community college and is thriving. I am delighted and relieved. I have no regrets; I wish our experience had been a bit different, but she is who she is.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Uh.... you are not alone. Those stories about cuddling on the couch, reading wonderful books about..... history or science or whatever.... and having long wonderful discussions. I've never told one of those stories. In our house it's more like.... "The law says you have to go to school. So, you can either do it here and be done in half a day, or go to regular school and be there all day. Which would you rather choose?" Invariably they choose homeschooling.....

I give almost that exact speech weekly. " You must do school. You pick where." They don't want me to read to them, they don't want to do projects and crafts, they don't want to do field trips. They want to hang with their friends...sigh.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Once in a blue moon with purple stripes and mustard polka dots... We can get through a single subject without fighting.

 

One wants to live on her ipod (that she just lost again for using a forbidden website) and the other will do anything; lego, electronics, lincoln logs, or anything else.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Mine got through phases where they tolerate it well. Older one does fine but the younger one goes on hate it kicks.

[TheApprentice]

You need to be educated, right. You want to go to college, right. You want a job, right. Yeah, it's stuff that needs to happen. Once in a blue moon, they may enjoy something.

 

Yeah, you are not alone.

[jillian]

I use mini m&ms to bribe her sometimes. she hates anything "hard" but i know she can do the work she just doesn't want to. she'd prefer to play. i put one m&m on the table next to her. if she gets off task severely i move it. she does it again i move it again and if she acts up again i take it away. after that she knows better because she will lose other stuff, ipad, tv, etc

[Tammyla]

"It doesn't have to be fun...it just has to be done." That was our school motto when ds was 8 :smash: .

 

 

My oldest has always been more compliant, while ds is a born negotiator (possibly a politician :scared: ).

[Tess in the Burbs]

Oh heck no! My ds hated it when he learned to read, hates it now. Everyone once in awhile I hear a positive comment but at this point it's his life mission to complain loudly about school for all to hear!

 

I basically had to get seriously mean about it. Daddy's job is this. Mommy's job is this. YOUR job is to learn. At 18 you can leave and go support yourself. Until then you do your job and eat your veggies. :-)

[Clarkd]

One of my kids would sit at the table for hours and work. One hates anything resembling math. One hates learning anything hard (ice skating, swimming, reading, writing, using a FORK!). The other is unpredictable, mostly likes it but gets bored easily. Also, my two girls would much rather go to "real" school....they have never been, but I fear I may one day have to send them.

[Lisbeth]

I have one who says "school is stupid." He is 5. He is very smart, and things come easily to him, but his motivation is just awful.

[TammyinTN]

We go through seasons...some we like, some not so much....including me. I'm dreading Monday to be honest. I've enjoyed our 3 week break.

[Wheres Toto]

Not alone, at all.

 

My dd will SAY she wants to do school but her idea of school is stickers and play-doh. I don't do much with her, only about 30 minutes total of math, phonics and handwriting, and she'll suddenly "forget" how to hold the pencil or her fingers are just too weak so she drops it.

 

My son only does school because I had him sign a set of rules for playing computer and it included "must finish school work with arguing". I did also institute a No Computer at all until 4pm rule so I didn't have to worry about him rushing through his work or constantly hear "am I done yet?".

 

I also never had those kids snuggling to listen to read alouds. Neither of them can sit still for 5 seconds at a time and both seem more visual than auditory. They seem incapable of following along with a read aloud (I can relate because I am the same way even now). When I read to ds in bed at night (I read the first chapter of whatever book he's reading, then hand it over to him to read the rest to himself) he closes his eyes in order to listen.

[dsmith]

My son hates school! He will get into certain subjects, or enjoys whatever books we may be reading, but overall hates anything that seems like school work. I try not to read homeschooling blogs. They are just too depressing, lol. If I had a homeschooling blog it would be about the battle to get math done, or the fight about finishing a report. I could add pictures of an angry-faced kid throwing his books off the couch, which happened not too long ago. :glare:

[Julie Smith]

It's not unusual that one of my boys like one subject some of the time.

 

We have worked a bunch on attitude. So they (most of the time) don't complain about school. For a time Eldest really had a hard time if he had to write a sentence. Stomping to his room, pouting... For awhile the writing part of school was writing a sentence of about 4 words with an acceptable attitude.

 

Now they think it's okay. Or as Youngest said, "School is okay. It's sort of something you have to do - like going poo. It's only really annoying if you have to do it when you are into a good game, or want to play, or ... ".

 

(He did go on some more comparing school to going poo. But I will spare you that comparison.)

 

Eldest is looking forward to getting beast academy for his math.

 

Eldest was complaining yesterday about having to read for about 20 minutes from a book of his choosing, from a series he is enjoying. In his words, "I'm just not in a reading mood". Oh the face he made, it was hard not to laugh. Mind you last week he had happily read for 30 minutes non stop to finish a book. :p The problem is if he reads only when he wants he might only read 30 minutes every week or two. Then since he isn't reading much he wouldn't make much progress in his favorite series, which would mean he would read even less.... So nope. Read (almost) every day he must.

[Gentlemommy]

Nope, not alone. We are a "git 'er done" kinda family when it comes to school. Don't get me wrong, we have cool experiences that we learn from, and those are fun...but typically school is the 3 R's and history.

[DragonFaerie]

Some days DS will get up in the right frame of mind and get to work on school without any problem. But even on those days, he will invariably fizzle out long before the work is finished. Most days I have to push and prod and redirect and refocus him constantly. All.day.long. It's exhausting. We're actually changing to a loop schedule next week because I got tired of school taking until 4 and 5 in the afternoon (even with starting by 8:00!). I'm wary, though, because I know just how little he can manage to get done. We may be doing 4th grade 'til he's 14 at this rate. Ugh!

[mom2scouts]

Oh, it's not all happy times here. My 4th grade son complains about math and language arts every single day. Reading history or literature books or having me read to him makes him happy, but he'd give up everything else about school. I can't leave the room or he'll lose focus and he just wants to finish school so he can have computer time.

[kewb]

My kids do school because they have to do it. I am sure both of my kids wish laying on the couch staring into space is a subject they could take.

Some days are good days and as a pp stated-I consider it a successful day if no one cries.

[Forget-Me-Not]

My oldest pretty much views it as a gateway to screen time :D But he will occasionally surprise me and I'm constantly amazed at what he absorbs, even whilst complaining (there was the time he practically gave his sister a dissertation on irregular plurals after she said "snowmans". Oh, and I got it for pluralizing Pokemon with an S, LOL).

 

My middle kid is more self-limiting on the screen time and likes to spend her time writing and drawing.

[Pink and Green Mom]

You are not alone. If I can make it past 1 pm without sending my husband an email entitled "sigh" or "argh" it has been a good day. Mine have absolutely no interest in doing anything but the bare minimum - no intellectual curiosity whatsoever.

[2_girls_mommy]

Nope you are not alone. Mine love being read to. They love reading books and making art projects and sometimes even science journals because the content is so exciting. They do like learning. But they don't like the have to subjects..

 

Getting through the daily morning work that has to be done to get to the fun stuff: latin, math, spelling, handwriting, etc. is not fun. It varies between me telling 8 yr old to sit down and focus 18 million times a day and the 10 yr old staring into space and making 3 hrs of school last 10 to all out rude talking to me sometimes....

 

The glowing days are there where everything goes perfectly occasionally. I love those days. But mostly in reality, like most kids (I think,) they have to be prodded through the grind to get to the good stuff. And then we don't have as much time for the good stuff because they took so long slogging through the daily grind.

 

Speaking of which, it is day 1 in our 2nd semester. DD10 hasn't finished her latin review and dd8 has only finished latin and nothing else and it is going on 3;00 pm... They have had lunch and a read aloud chapter and are jumping on the trampoline to get the wiggles out and we shall get back to it.

[Guest]

Mine go along with the program, but they certainly don't beg for extra work. My least-favorite time of the entire year is right now - coming off of Christmas break. NOBODY wants to get with the program - not me, not my dd in B&M school, not the boys. Heck, even the dog doesn't want to go back to his regular routine. It's cold and dark and it was SO nice sleeping in a little bit and poking around with coffee and pjs.

[momtokea]

Great thread! This is the most inspirational thread on homeschooling I have ever read. I feel normal now.

[jenL]

School is a battle here as well. We may start off the day going well (the first 15-30 minutes), and then it's usually downhill in a tuck with the trees careening by! My boys would rather play Legos or Playmobil or something else they've made up, play a computer or dsi game, or watch something on Netflix (only of their choosing, of course!).

 

This morning, ds2 stated he wanted to do school (we're not set to restart until Monday). I thought I'd relish the opportunity. As soon as I pulled out PP, he declared, "NO! I don't want that kind of school! I want a video game!" What?! We don't use video games for school!!! We didn't do school today...

 

I am not looking forward to Monday at. all. I wish implementing school was easy for us like it is in other families, but it's just not.

[speedmom4]

I LOVE this thread. My kids rejoice when someone is so sick in the house we can't do school! There are days when they read a book that is assigned for school that they actually like but many days we just get. it. done. They don't hate school but they definitely don't love it. I feel the same way many days. I always feel a sense of accomplishment when we are finished for the day but I can't say I enjoy sitting through the fourth time I've heard a fourth grader read Ralph S. Mouse or having to remind someone that handwriting does count, even if you are in high school!

 

God Bless,

Elise in NC

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

We have moments of school time bliss, where we ARE sitting on the couch reading an interesting book that we are all enjoying. Those moments are rare and beautiful. They mostly enjoy science and the poetry portion of MCT. The rest of the time is spent whining and trying to get out of doing school, trying to get me to agree to screen time in exchange for them doing school, and generally fooling around. Rabbit trails don't happen because they usually just want to be finished with whatever topic we are learning about so they can go to their room and play.

[kalanamak]

My kids will sit and snuggle and let me read to them.... but heaven forbid I ask them to recall anything that was read because apparently the sound of my voice induces some sort of brain fog that keeps them from comprehending spoken word.

 

 

My kid hates school, but the above would make me livid. Kiddo, however, doesn't snuggle, he assembled LEGOS, and I ask questions every few minutes and if he has "fog" in his brain, he'd have to put down the LEGOS. So, he stays on top of things.

[JenC3]

Hmm they love art and projects and games and field trips.

They will listen attentively to SOTW in the car.

They do love read alouds.

Dd Loves science and does it on her own, unbidden and extra work.

 

They tolerate everything else. I say the same thing: do school here or all day somewhe else. Ds says he want to play all day which means build Legos all.day.long.

 

They will watch all kinds of educational videos;)

 

Our break ended today, but all we did was math and read alouds:)

[m0mmaBuck]

Today I decided to ease the haters back into school slowly. We spent most of the morning playing games like S'Math, Safari Game, ABC Scrabble, regular Scrabble, and Ruckus. They wrote and/or typed thank you notes for their Christmas gifts. They drew pictures to send to their cousins in their thank you notes. And we started our unit on the Human Body with some reading and "experiments." DD6 told me that she kind of liked school today. She doesn't ever want to do a math curriculum again because she can just practice counting and adding/subtracting cards instead. It makes me secretly and somewhat passive agressively happy that I get to go to work and DH has to be the curriculum-wielding bad man tomorrow.

[Reya]

School vs video games? Video games win, every time.

[5wolfcubs]

School vs video games? Video games win, every time.

Right. Like washing dishes vs WTM board... :nopity: