It's only the fifth day of our school year, and I feel like I'm failing already!

[TriciaS]

I don't know what to do.....

 

This is my first year doing Kindergarten, and my 5 year old is so wanting to learn to read and yet she doesn't want to sit still for even 5 minutes of practicing and acts like she's forgotten every letter sound.....even though she knew them cold even a month ago!   :banghead:

 

I feel like I'm not doing something right and I don't know what to do.  She can't hold a pencil well (I tried broken crayons with her yesterday, and that helped a lot, so I see progress coming), she's going through this horrible separation anxiety stage (I can't even go to the grocery store or take the dog for a walk without her because she practically hyperventilates and I feel terrible leaving her like that).  And to top it all off, I'm 11 weeks pregnant, so I'm exhausted and, for some reason, just now starting to get that lovely morning sickness feeling that I thought I had managed to avoid this time around.  

 

My 3rd grader (8), threw a giant fit during cursive practice yesterday....all she cares about is playing with her my little ponies.  She whines during all of math, so even though I have the CWP and IP for Singapore, we've hardly ever touched them because it's all I can do to get her through the workbook.  I'm afraid I'm not doing her any good by doing just the base math work, and she's sooooo smart, I feel like I should help her like math instead of hating every time I take the book out.  

I'm probably just hormonal and need to chill out, but I find myself on the verge of tears every single time I think about all the things I want to accomplish and never get done.  My husband is so supportive, but he really doesn't "get it" because all of this isn't on his shoulders and he's not here during the day to see how frustrating it gets.  I swear I feel like just switching my 3rd grader to all workbooks just so I don't have to try to get her to sit and listen to me all day.  

 

Sorry about all this jumbled mess.  If you made it through all this, and have some advice, I'd so appreciate it. 

[warneral]

I have no experience with kindergarten so I won't offer advice.

 

First off, I think you need to relax. This is coming from someone who gets really worked up, so I do understand!

 

Regarding your 8 year old, it is time to make some changes. I am working with this on my 11 year old because I realized that he manipulates me with his whining and attitude. At the same time, I realized I was pushing him with material which was just too difficult. And another time, he really needed me to support him through an overwhelming exercise since his confidence had lowered after the previous exercise. I would talk to your dd about her attitude and what you expect of her. I would monitor whether her attitude is laziness or frustration or simply a habit. From there, you can adjust when over her head, and push when she is being lazy or habitually complaining. Work on the attitude and tell her which behaviors will not work with you.

 

Hang in there mama

[PeterPan]

Have you thought of ramping up?  Start slowly and add in a couple subjects a week till you get a full load.  That way you can work out the kinks.  

 

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

:grouphug:

 

You can do this.  You can.  You don't have to do it all today, though.  Hang in there.

[Luckymama]

Have you thought of ramping up? Start slowly and add in a couple subjects a week till you get a full load. That way you can work out the kinks.

This is what we do. It seems to work well for dd and for me!

[Chrysalis Academy]

We're doing the same thing - ramp up slowly, adding subjects as you get everything else wired.

[TriciaS]

I actually did only start last week with math and the States and Capitols book for my third grader, and reading practice and just a little bit of math for my K'er.  This week I added cursive and history for my older, but maybe I'm just expecting too much after being in a free for all during the summer!  I know I'm over-reacting here a bit, I'm just wanting to do my best and I do criticize myself better than anyone else ever could.  :)

 

Thanks for the reminders to relax and take it slow.  Last year, we did a very relaxed pre-k year with my little one because I was babysitting my niece four days a week and they kept each other busy (mostly) while I schooled my older daughter.  I think I'm also making comparisons subconsciously, even though I know better, because my older daughter was writing at 3 and loved to sit and read and learn from a very early age.  My younger daughter is a whole different animal, and nothing like me at all, so I have a bit of a learning curve with her and I don't want to mess up and let her see my frustration.  She is going to need things to be fun and hands-on and I'm not like that at all!   

[Mandy in TN]

Another vote for ramping up!

 

I used CLE Learning to Read with my wiggly, little Doodle. After a couple of unproductive starts using Ordinary Parents Guide and then Preventing Academic Failure, CLE is what worked. There are flashcards that were designed for a classroom that are wonderful for little wigglers. They are large enough for child to see from a trampoline while you sit in the yard or while he bounces on a ball while you sit on the couch.

 

As far as the 8yo, My Little Pony- Friendship is Magic is too cool. I get it. Not this spring, but spring 2012- my middle ds went to the Nashville anime convention as DJ Pon3 and this summer we all went to see Equestria Girls in the theater. Maybe you can explain to her that you are like Princess Celestia and she is Twilight Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle studies friendship under the guidance of Princess Celestia and your dd studies under you. Is she showing you the same respect that Twilight Sparkle shows Princess Celestia? If not, how disappointing. <sad mane shake -I mean head shake>

 

Since she has hands instead of hooves (and since I think it unlikely that she has a pet dragon who will write for her), she must act as her own scribe. How can she write beautiful scrolls to you (like Twilight sends to Princess Celestia) explaining what all she has learned if she doesn't practice her cursive? (have you considered printing off writing sheets that have a little pony or a royal seal for her to use for writing practice?) About math, you could just tell her that she may choose one pony to stand beside her paper and help or that the ponies can only attend math class when you say that they may be used as manipulatives.

 

HTH-

Mandy

[asmall]

 

 

This is a great idea Mandy!  My girls went through this too, but with Littlest Pet Shop. When I had them add their "pets" to our school day all of a sudden they wanted to do school.

AL

[TriciaS]

Mandy, I love your ideas to integrate her toys into the day!  That might make a HUGE difference with her!

 

I decided to take the rest of the morning off and took the kids to the pool with some friends.  I'm definitely a little more relaxed now, and I think tomorrow will be a better day.  Thanks everyone for your help!   :)

[Tracy]

:grouphug:  For those of us who take summers off, this is our lot in life come fall.  The first month is always soooo hard.  My first year of homeschooling, I was advised, as OhElizabeth mentioned, to start small and slowly add in subjects.  But I knew better.  Ha!  Boy did I learn the hard way.  There were so many tears.  Now I know that it is going to be hard no matter what, but easing into school does take the bite off of it.  

 

I would not ask a K'er to sit still unless you happen to have an unusual child who can do that at that age.  There is no reason that a K'er can't learn to read by standing and jumping and hopping on letters or learn to write by using her fingers in the sandbox.  

[FO4UR]

Take some more time with just math.  

 

 

If you are frustrated that you aren't getting to IP or CWP, consider using the IP instead of the WB.  Make Friday the CWP day.  Work some of those together and then play a math game. Make Friday a nice break from m-t-w-th work.  

 

For the little one, 5-15 minutes at a time.  You can use fridge magnets for reading lessons on the stealth.  Make a game out of it.  There is plenty of time for serious work-at-the-table work later.

[RootAnn]

My oldest is a wiggler, but was especially so when she was young. We did things like run from one side of the room to the other, say the sound (or eventually, blends & words), then run back to the other side. We did phonogram flash cards while she hopped toward me. I hid them around the room & when she found them, she said the sound. We skip counted while tossing a beach ball back and forth. Keep her moving! If you have a whiteboard, consider using that as part of your work with the K'er.

 

Love the Pony ideas.

 

Good luck!  :grouphug:

[TriciaS]

Thank you all for the advice! Just to clarify, by "sitting still" I meant sitting on the floor by the whiteboard, not seated at the table in serious school mode. However, I realized in this last couple days that she fidgets more when she's struggling and not understanding. I took out the Ziggy file folder game that I bought to go with her AAR and she has solidified all the phonograms (5 of them) that were holding her back from that last blending lesson going well. She was so proud, and me too! That game book payed for itself in one day!

 

I do realize now that I need to think more outside the box with her because of her age. My older was always a "happy to sit and work" kid (until she turned 7 and realized she could fuss about it, haha), plus my older went to PS for two years and I need to get "school" out of my head and just help them learn - however that needs to happen for them.

 

I really like the idea of doing Friday as a word problem/math game day for dd8. She might like that, too! Something to work toward and look forward to.

 

And I'm thinking I see a future in doing phonograms on the trampoline, like I did with times tables for my older last year! And seriously, that Ziggy game saved me today! It made her proud and confident and gave me a way to help her have fun.

 

Thanks again for everyone's help! It's nice to have a place to go when I'm feeling defeated (and possibly hormonal, haha!).

[Mommy22alyns]

Another vote for ramping up!

 

I used CLE Learning to Read with my wiggly, little Doodle. After a couple of unproductive starts using Ordinary Parents Guide and then Preventing Academic Failure, CLE is what worked. There are flashcards that were designed for a classroom that are wonderful for little wigglers. They are large enough for child to see from a trampoline while you sit in the yard or while he bounces on a ball while you sit on the couch.

 

As far as the 8yo, My Little Pony- Friendship is Magic is too cool. I get it. Not this spring, but spring 2012- my middle ds went to the Nashville anime convention as DJ Pon3 and this summer we all went to see Equestria Girls in the theater. Maybe you can explain to her that you are like Princess Celestia and she is Twilight Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle studies friendship under the guidance of Princess Celestia and your dd studies under you. Is she showing you the same respect that Twilight Sparkle shows Princess Celestia? If not, how disappointing. <sad mane shake -I mean head shake>

 

Since she has hands instead of hooves (and since I think it unlikely that she has a pet dragon who will write for her), she must act as her own scribe. How can she write beautiful scrolls to you (like Twilight sends to Princess Celestia) explaining what all she has learned if she doesn't practice her cursive? (have you considered printing off writing sheets that have a little pony or a royal seal for her to use for writing practice?) About math, you could just tell her that she may choose one pony to stand beside her paper and help or that the ponies can only attend math class when you say that they may be used as manipulatives.

 

HTH-

Mandy

 

 

Genius!!  My third grader is into MLP right now too.  I'd relax with the 5 year old.

 

Both girls love to have a "friend" sit with them at the school table.  Right now they have Equestria Girls and an LPS.

[mamamindy]

These are great ideas!  OP - I, too, feel your pain!  And I don't think my PP hormones help either...

 

We also have utilized the "slowly ramp it up" idea, but reallllly slowly.  Truly, my goal for the first month is regular math exposure and reading together.  Of course that goal is tiny, and they often completed way more than that, but if they didn't, I didn't get down on myself, or them. :)

 

And my two oldest are so, so different.  I didn't realize that I'd have to approach everything differently with DD2.  I have more realistic expectations now, and that helps.

 

Also, we use SM as well, and I really like the Friday math ideas.  However, I had to realize that we just may not complete the IP and CWP books, and that's okay.  Focused math instruction regularly, and progress, are what's important.  

[kristi26]

I did not read all of the responses but I have some ideas for your kindergartner.  Don't make her sit still. :lol:

 

When my DD was in kindergarten, and let's face it even right now, she couldn't sit still to save her life.  If I tried to ask her questions or have her do workbook pages, she could not do it.  I made EVERYTHING into a game. Seriously.  She liked using the whiteboard, so we did that.  She would pick letters out of her wooden alphabet puzzle for "Name that sound."  She would build words by putting endings in one bag, beginnings in another, and then pulling from each.  She was willing to sound it out and then tell me if her "word" was a real word or not.  She loved listening to songs about what she was learning about (try "Between the Lions" on Youtube for a start).  She would jump from letter to letter if I put them out on the ground and spread them out.  We started by naming letter sounds, then building small words and word families.  She LOVED making patterns out of just about anything too.  You could use some of her toys for that. And lastly, we made all lessons short and took a TON of breaks.

 

HTH!