Denisemomof4 Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 I had to put my kids into school due to burnout. I have my girls home with me now. TOG always intrigued me but because of the workload I've always refused to look at it. I have a friend using year 2 and she said it's a LOT of work on her. Can you PLEASE share so I can put this to rest? I absolutely can NOT head down that burnout road again. I've always agreed with the classical method but now want to tweak it a bit. I want to enjoy more of LIFE with my girls and have lots of plans for them and I do NOT want to be too bogged down in the early years. There is ONE thing I'm certain of: We'll do core 5 SL to study cultures around the world when they're old enough - they're now 8 and almost 5. I can't find our "fit" yet. :confused::confused::confused: Thanks Denise veteran homeschooler for 8years, now newly returned and hsing 3 weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Yes, because of the ages of your children TOG is a lot more work. At the dialectic and rhetoric levels my boys work on their own and we meet for discussions a couple of times a week, but my ds5 and I take turns reading and he needs my help with projects and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in MO Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 burnout, as you've described. The past couple of years have been very difficult on me, and this past fall my husband had a health crisis (diagnosed with an enlarged heart---he's now fine!) Anyway, if I were you (which I'm not) I would tweak TOG to suit my own needs as much as possible. We use Omnibus II, and I can tell you I definitely don't do all of Omnibus! Some ladies on these boards do, and do it quite successfully, but I felt it would be too much for my and my dd's to tackle all of it. So, I pick and choose among the books to read. Try to make your programs work for you, not the other way around. And remember, your children will be fine and they'll still learn what they need to learn. Since you're getting back into homeschooling, try to schedule days off for you and the children. I haven't done it for a few months here (:() but I've learned it's necessary for all of us. The public and private schools do it at least once a month, so I decided I needed to do that, as well. Schedule a day at the park, the zoo, the science center, or just stay at home and catch up on stuff, or make popcorn and watch your favorite movie. These all help to "bust" burnout! You need to keep yourself level and sane, so do these things for yourself and your family to keep the boat afloat, so to speak! I may be sending a couple of mine to school next year. It's not what we really want to do, but after my husband's health crisis, he feels that I ought to look at going back to school and getting the master's degree that I've talked about for so long. We're not frightened about his current health right now, but he seems to feel it strongly, and we both believe it's wisdom to think ahead for our future. Plus, our homeschool group has changed, so my dd's don't have nearly as many social options as they used to. So, my oldest, who will be 16, will most likely take at least a part-time load at our local community college, and my middle daughter may go to the high school. We're not sure yet about the youngest. But---things change, and our situation has changed, so we're trying to look at the "big picture" of what's best for the whole family. Blessings to you and your family as you get back into the swing of things. Pace yourself, don't heap blame or condemnation upon yourself, and just try to take a deep breath and take one day at a time! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Hi Denise, I used TOG a couple of years ago. I really, really like the overall idea as well as the teacher notes, the literature worksheets, the discussion questions. But there was lots that I didn't use. For me, it was just too much investment of my time for *one* class -- history (although I'm well aware many count this as history, lit, geography, theology and fine arts. We didn't.) I think the only way I would use TOG would be in a co-op where I could divide the effort and prep among several different parents -- one taking lit review, one history, one a hands-on project, ect. I do have a suggestion. If you really want to see whether TOG is for you, dowload one of the samples on their site. Use it for three weeks. If everything clicks and you see that you'll find a rhythm, go for it. If not, rest assured that it's not a good fit and that there are many, many other good options. Blessings, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 I am a very organized mom who likes to plan. We tried TOG last semester and while I love the program and will probably use it for High School, we found that it was too much for K and 2nd. What we like better for this age as far as history goes is to just read good books at bedtime like the D'Aulaire biographies, the American Girl books, a lot of the recommendations that you see from Sonlight, TOG, Beautiful Feet and such but if the book doesn't click or hold interest by the second chapter we toss it and start something else that does click. I loved the ideas TOG had for composition and word study and such but it was too much--really a lot of work. So I decided to take the Notebooking route here and we use Ruth Heller's books on Grammar, make a notebook page for each part of speech as described in the books. And then I throw in pages from KISS grammar (a free online grammar program) into my dd's review book for her to work on when she wants. Bascially, I love TOG and think that it will be great for High School but for early elementary it is just more fun to follow rabbit trails and really see my children take ownership of their knowledge. Good Luck.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristineIN Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Why not just use SOTW or MFW, it's really geared towards younger children. TOG just looks overwhelming to me. Kristine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Denise, I'm in the same boat. I want to use the best curriculum, and TOG seems to be one, but I have a 3 yr old, and I, myself am borederline ADD, so it is difficult for me to use anything that is not pretty much already planned out. So, we are using SOTW. Every week we read a chapter, color the pages and take the test (not as a test, per se, but as a review and to confirm that dd6 knows what we discussed). I try to have a couple of library books or videos that pertain ot the topic to supplement/reinforce. I HAVE to keep it simple, for my sake. TOG might work when the kids are older and more independant in their work, but right now, I have a wheeled chair and I wheel myself (literally) between their 2 desks. My planning pretty much consists of "Do the next page, dear". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda in NM Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 I've used TOG, and it's a thorough program. I found it too much for us; we're much happier with Trisms (seems to have more flexibility for my 13 yos). If he were younger, I'd probably use something like MFW or WinterPromise--seems like they have the philosophy and flexibility I'd like... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 One thing not mentioned yet is the sheer number of books to buy/request/or borrow. This in itself is a big factor. Honestly if you're looking at doing a Sonlight level I'd stick with SL for the lower years if you're wanting something more than just SOTW. There's plenty of time for the big dog work of TOG later. Right now, don't rush it. I know there's the statement K to mom going around about TOG and how wonderful it is to teach yourself as you go. Doesn't sound like that's what you're looking for now. Remember what ps kids get in school regarding history and I'm sure you'll be relieved. I have TOG and we're doing it with 9th, 4th and 1st grade. The younger two could really do without it at this point knowing what they'll get next time around. You could just have the books in a basket for them to look at if you wanted to and they'd benefit from that, really. You're really just going for a vague familiarity at this young age and you can do that with just books. From your post, sounds like you shouldn't stress the decision, save TOG till later. Stephanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted February 7, 2008 Author Share Posted February 7, 2008 Thanks so much, ladies, I absolutely NEEDED that! I already have SOTW and plan to use it next year. I REALLY need to let this go now!!! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Indeed Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Have you ever read Teaching the Trivium? I would HIGHLY recommend it. Here is a link to an online article about 10 thing to do before age 10. This book and approach has really helped me. :D http://www.triviumpursuit.com/articles/ten_to_do_before_ten.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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