laughing lioness Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 After 22 years of homeschoooling, a close relative is still griping about it, still causing mischief. What about you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbeym Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 A teenager that could care less about school and thinks it's all a waste of his time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sobeknofret Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Realizing that he's not the same kind of student as I was. I was a much better reader and loved social studies and literature. Darth Kid loves math and science, but is a reluctant reader and couldn't care less about history or geography. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Trying to schedule the right amount of work, without overkill. Remembering to add in "extras" (picture study, composer study) each week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Self doubt. As I prepare for the next school year I always wonder if I am choosing the right curriculum and am I doing the right thing. Is what I choose strong enough to build on what we learned last year? However, I am very thankful for WTM and the support of several veteran home schoolers irl who are always ready to guide, advise and listen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jelbe5 Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Great Thread! My greatest challenge has been my eldest daughter and autistic son. Eldest could have cared less; bright but unmotivated. I should have unschooled her but I lacked confidence. She is now at Community College and is doing well! (Whew!) Son with autism is a challenge because of his different abilities. But you can't beat the student:teacher ratio. Back when we looked at the special ed preschool I was invited to be his aid - for free. Uh, no thanks. We can do better at home. Youngest is a joy to homeschool. Cheerful, happy, easy going, eager to learn. Perhaps the biggest challenge has been letting go of MY picture of what homeschooling should look like and embrace my reality and the uniqueness of each of my children. It has been, and continues to be, a wonderful journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolleenCarie Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 My lack of self-discipline and consistency. I'm getting there. The first step was realizing there will always be upsets to our lives (babies and toddlers, deployments and moves, extreme weather, inconvenient housing, therapy, illness...), but that through nearly all of them, I have to keep us going, working around these obstacles, and keeping the schedule clear of fluff field trips, etc. I've learned to "Just Say No" to others' requests and my own whims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolleenCarie Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Perhaps the biggest challenge has been letting go of MY picture of what homeschooling should look like and embrace my reality and the uniqueness of each of my children. It has been, and continues to be, a wonderful journey. Yes! And then sticking to my reality without comparing to other homeschoolers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Dragging unwilling students through the day. They can't articulate what they don't like about school and when I press them, they admit they like all the subjects. They just like minecraft and movies and legos more than they like school. I wish I could send them to public school so I didn't have to cajole these little people to do things all the livelong day. It hasn't worn on me until this year--7th year into this journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartsjoy Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Getting myself to go to bed early enough to start the next day on time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Not letting the HOME distract me from the SCHOOLING. and not letting the SCHOOLING distract me from the HOME. There is always something in my face that needs to be done/filed/cooked/etc. I really love schooling so I could do all day projects etc, but I need to stop sometimes and take care of other things. That is why my dream is to have a separate place for schooling (like large area, like a separate floor with bathroom) and/or a maid/cook :laugh: . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Am I doing enough? I can't possibly teach everything awesome I see or hear about. Will it be good anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Thirteen years now, and mine still do *not* enjoy learning. I love learning, so I keep up the pressure, but the bottom line is that they *dislike* school even though they are quite capable and do their work. There's no spark there for the vast majority of subjects. And I've always worked and homeschooled, and that of course is a perpetual juggling act. I'm not about to let go of either though, and I have only 4-5 years left of homeschooling anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Finding *academic* peers for my kids. Social interaction - yes, they get that. But other homeschoolers who actually do academic work similar to them? Not a chance. I have been unable to find a family IRL with a similar homeschooling philosophy to ours. We are hopelessly outsiders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 My greatest challenge as a homeschooler is believing that I am up to the task of educating our children. Sometimes I wonder if I can really do this, if there is enough of me to nourish and sustain them year after year, if I am disciplined and smart enough to be a great teacher. I do try to be a great teacher! The children are doing fine. They are not the challenge (at least at this point). My biggest challenge is wrangling with myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Algebra. And we are just beginning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Life has been our biggest challenge in the last few years. Major distractions that suck your energy, time, and sanity. We were just getting our momentum after winter break and bam, chaos. We lost many good weeks from our spring term. In the end, I believe it will all turn out okay, will make ds a better person. But his academics have paid a price because of circumstances outside of my control. I go through phases of being really ticked about it all. I try to model stubborn tenacity, yet some days I'd rather go stare at the wall or click through Pinterest for hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Moving so often. It's a significant part of why we homeschool, but it also makes it hard. Some days I'm not sure if I have it (either the moving or the homeschooling, I'm not sure which) in me anymore, but there really isn't another choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Finding friends - Lots of homeschoolers in the area (so many), but it's cliquey and since we're not Christians it pretty much means we're on our own. Being an introvert with a partner who's always at work means some days I'm touched out by lunch. Managing my reserves with kids who always want to be right with me can be...challenging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 My biggest challenge right now is serious burnout. The last couple of years have been very eventful in our family, and not in a happy, energizing, fulfilling kind of way. I. Am. So. Tired. My biggest ongoing challenge is my atypical student. He is an anxiety-riddled, autistic, reluctant learner with vastly different levels of ability in different subjects and tasks. It can be a challenge to figure out what teaching approaches and methods to use, and then to find materials I think will work well for us, and figure out how to schedule structured, but very flexible days and weeks and lessons. I remember one year trying to figure out what to do with English lessons for a kid who wrote like a second grader but read like a college student. Keeps me on my toes. And it gets frustrating sometimes and I feel like I'm banging my head against a (petulant) wall, so I have to sit myself down and remind myself of a) how much worse it all was when he was in school, and b) how far we've come, especially in some of the non-academic areas we've been working on, like working independently, and coping with having made a mistake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Dealing with dd's 2e charactaristics. Trying to figure out which books are at her reading level but not too emotionally intense or mature for her emotional development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stayseeliz Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Dividing my time and energy between four kids and their activities. I feel like no one gets the attention they need and I'm constantly running on empty. That being said, we totally love homeschooling and couldn't imagine any other life. Sometimes I just get tired. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhschool Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Worrying about the stupid college admissions. Sometimes it sours my whole week, and colors all my planning and thinking. I forget to let DS enjoy his education, enjoy the happiness of learning and doing fun activities out of sheer love. I have to snap myself out of thinking: how can I make this look good to colleges? How do I present this so it looks good to college admissions officers? Should DS do this/choose that? How would it look to the admissions officers (extracurriculars, exams, etc.) It annoys me that I have to actually plan my life around it. I try not to let it. I let DS do the things he loves, but I do catch myself thinking: well, if he likes that, he can do x and y as well, and then it will be a nice extracurricular, instead of letting him guide the activity. Messed up, I know, but I haven't been able to escape this. It's nobody's fault but my own, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NASDAQ Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Definitely the children. Especially when they cry. Crying makes me ragey. I'm demanding and I veer towards rigid. I don't know when to let up and let go. I work myself extremely hard and think other people should approach life in the same way. I devalue things that I personally do not value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maela Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Feeling like an outsider amongst the homeschoolers in my area. Being more excited about school stuff than DD. She's very bright, but not interested in working to learn things. And I enjoyed school so much. I thought we'd have so much fun learning together, but she just wants to get it over with. I still have DS though. He asks for school at least 3x a week, and he's only three! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Organization! I tend to let papers get away and then it all becomes a big old paper tiger waiting to attack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Having obstacles like my health problems, ds's health problems, certain subjects which are difficult to teach or understand. But ds and I were just talking about how each one of those obstacles would still be there to life even if we didn't homeschool. Some of it would be outsourced and would look different and more of it would be out of our hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Our biggest challenge is coming up with enough money to buy the schoolbooks that I need for the kids. Homeschooling (*ahem* kids) can be expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jyniffrec Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Definitely the children. Especially when they cry. Crying makes me ragey. I'm demanding and I veer towards rigid. I don't know when to let up and let go. I work myself extremely hard and think other people should approach life in the same way. I devalue things that I personally do not value. I completely get this. It has gotten better as the kids have gotten older, but I still struggle with all of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 12 years in, and had to accept my son will not have friends until college and that's if he's lucky. My youngest dd went back to school because she was so lonely. it was easier when they were younger and we could attend park days with a homeschool group. I was unable to find anything for teenagers except for a small homeschool organization that offered classes. I didn't want to pay $500 per class we didn't need for my children to have company during a couple of hours each day, especially since there was really no social time unless you went to their quarterly parties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheApprentice Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Staying ahead, meaning: reading the material, grading their work, filing their work (especially for my high schooler), basically staying organized; AND, self-doubt (again, especially with my high schooler). I feel so much pressure to "get it right" with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I thought of another one. I've been stressed about preparing my son for college. We're using an accredited online school because I'm terrified I won't get his high school years right. But there is no way to prepare him for a classroom, note taking from lectures, taking tests in one class period, and having to work in groups. College is going to be sink or swim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 College is going to be sink or swim. I'm already having massive nightmares about college...mainly the financial part. I'm completely convinced that by the time my kids go, it will cost one million dollars just for one semester of college. :ohmy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 12 years in, and had to accept my son will not have friends until college and that's if he's lucky. My youngest dd went back to school because she was so lonely. it was easier when they were younger and we could attend park days with a homeschool group. I was unable to find anything for teenagers except for a small homeschool organization that offered classes. I didn't want to pay $500 per class we didn't need for my children to have company during a couple of hours each day, especially since there was really no social time unless you went to their quarterly parties. Yes, the social issue. I worried about this for years because mine mostly didn't click with people they met through our various homeschooling classes and activities. They didn't always get invited to the birthday parties and such with the kids that I had hoped they would get to know. So being involved wasn't the answer, I'm afraid. One had a good friend, but he went to public high school. Thankfully they still get together, but aren't as close as they were when they saw each other weekly. The other had a friend, but that changed somewhat for various reasons. And then in the last year or so, they really clicked with friends at church, and those friends are really their focus. They get invited to the various social events and message each other during the week. Some are in public school, some are homeschooled. All have involved parents who want their children to reach their potential, and they respect our desire for rigorous academics. Some are doing AP/dual enrollment/CLEP and some are not, but there's no pressure either way. So ultimately it resolved itself. And I'm glad of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 My oldest dd. Hoping that will work out better this year by using a virtual public school for her. Close in second is being so introverted and having to spend so much intensive time around my little people. It makes me tired. Third is juggling all that must be done and staying consistent so things don't pile up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Finding *academic* peers for my kids. Social interaction - yes, they get that. But other homeschoolers who actually do academic work similar to them? Not a chance. I have been unable to find a family IRL with a similar homeschooling philosophy to ours. We are hopelessly outsiders. I've had the same problem. We are in the middle here....not as unschooley as many we are around, but not as structured as the classical folks. We also take the summers off (3 months) so we HAVE to do school during the school year. Those with whom my kids socialize are often year -rounders or 4 day a weekers who school year round. My kids go "Hey, they won't have to do more school when they get home from this activity. They are going to the park after the meeting. It's not FAIR!" But my kids don't see that in the summer when we have more down time, those families are still getting the books out each day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenmama2 Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 My biggest difficulty is my possibly 2E eldest who is so bright and loves learning so much yet is sometimes unpredictably defiant and or utterly disinterested. This is annoying too though: I need (okay, just really prefer) to touch books before I buy them. Not to see a two-page sample online. I read reviews & use forums, but there is no substitute for flipping through the whole thing for a few minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 1. Finding math peers for dd. This year she will finally be eligible to participate in the math circle at the university (strict grade limits of 8th-12th grade). I hope some girls are involved. 2. Deciding what to do for high school---go through the testing and admissions process for the competitive math/science charter high school with the possibility of languishing on the potentially 300 student waitlist for qualified out-of-district students or homeschool?????????? Stress :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I would go w/money as the greatest challenge. I could be working and helping bring in income. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Balance Do they need more challenge or am I asking too much? Am I spending too much time with the kids or am I working too much? Is the house clean enough or should I take time from something else? Is there a way to get more done and still get some sleep? Do I need to cook dinner everyday? and lunch? and breakfast? At least I have quit worrying that I'll ruin their lives. Ds turned out great. The girls can both read and are on-track in math. They both enjoy learning and have great imaginations. I'm sure they'll turn out just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Worrying about how I'm going to feel signing the paperwork where I am promising to provide regular and efficient instruction to my son. Regular instruction is easy enough to provide, but efficient? I don't even know if that is going to be possible. But still, we have another year and a half before he has to be legally enrolled. We've made a lot of progress in the last year, so maybe he'll be ok by then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 My biggest challenge is juggling everything. In any given day it seems like I can either do a full day of school or keep up with my housework or work in the garden or do something fun with the kids. We've been more productive with our schoolwork lately, and the house is a disaster (inside and out). I've started telling dh that if he comes home to a clean house, it's because I haven't done anything truly productive that day. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicianmom Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Dawdling. Fifty minutes for 15 problems of multiplying fractions. Thirty minutes to copy 4 lines of a poem. It doesn't seem to matter how small the assignments are, dd8 will manage to stretch it out to fill all the available time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Definitely the children. Especially when they cry. Crying makes me ragey. I'm demanding and I veer towards rigid. I don't know when to let up and let go. I work myself extremely hard and think other people should approach life in the same way. I devalue things that I personally do not value. Thank you for saying this, it is so encouraging to me. I feel like such freak some days and to read that there are others out there who feel the same way makes me very relieved. Some mornings, there's not enough prayer and tea to get me through lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Currently.... The toddler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 My biggest challenge as a homeschooler is time. I'm not great at time management, but even on days when I am, it feels like there just aren't enough hours to meet everyone's needs. Yes, my older kids are able to do a lot of their work independently, but they still need me for some things, and they're both of portfolio age now, so I can't just let it go if they don't finish something. And then there's my 2yo and impending newborn. The four of them get/will get what they need, because I *have* to, either because the law requires it for the older kids' portfolios, or because toddlers and infants will make their needs known. My challenge is making sure my sweet, easygoing, middle child, the 4.5yo, gets what he needs. He's ready to learn to read and wants to learn but isn't ready to do it on his own; he needs me for that. My challenge this year is to spend even just a little focused time with him, to make sure he doesn't fall prey to middle-child syndrome and to make sure that I don't miss his adorable preschoolerness, because he's really cute and funny. Energy is another challenge for me, which goes along with time; the more tired I am, the less energy I have, and the worse I am at time management. Sometimes I just don't have the energy to do something, and it's very easy to fall into the trap of "do just the basics," so that we never get to the extras. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Have not read replies. Our greatest challenge is balancing real life experience and extracurriculars with academic/book work. IT has only gotten harder as my kids have gotten older and they have become more serious about their extras. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Finding ways for my kids to meet other kids/make friends. That is the one major thorn in my side. All extra curricular/city stuff is centered around the schools. Kids in the neighborhood spend most of their time at school. Homeschoolers are far and few in between so even that's been problematic. I love everything else about it, but that. I've mostly just had to resign myself to the fact I can't address every area/need to the extent I would like to. This. If they had more close friends we'd all be happier I think but there are hardly any homeschoolers here and the few that exist are ultra conservative and would be shocked by us ( and we are hardly wild free love hippies). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a27mom Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 For me it is the pressure to keep dh happy with homeschooling. He is just ok w/ homeschooling. His first choice would be our nice little public school in the district he grew up in. So I feel a lot of pressure to keep the house clean, make good meals, get enough hours at me work, and educate the girls well. I also don't feel like I can express frustration etc. w/ schooling, or he may say well we will enroll them in school them. I can't say well schooling is my full time job so the house etc might slide a little. I have to keep all the balls in the air, because homeschooling is top on my priority list, but last on dh's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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