Not feeling excited for next year

[woolybear]

We start our school year late Aug/early September. I have everything ready to go. Mostly it is just things carrying over from last year, either continuing or doing the next level. I need a few things like a spelling program and maybe times tales.

 

The problem is that I'm not excited. I'm not looking forward to this like I usually do. I'm thinking maybe I need to add in something new or maybe our core should be something new. So, I'm looking for suggestions.

 

Here's some general info;

Ds is 12, will be 13 late fall. He is a strong reader, but not writer. I really want to move him this year to feeling more comfortable and confident with writing. Part of that will be working on spelling, as he doesn't feel like he can spell.

 

He is not able to work as independently as I would like. I think this is the year when I will work on that with him as well.

 

Generally, I would say I lean to a CMish approach. Some hands on is good too.

History wise, we were back at ancients and he was excited to do that time period, but I also feel like we never get to the middle ages and beyond because he loves ancients so much.So maybe we need a year of going all the way through time to the present?

 

So, things I'm considering:

Task cards

Trail guide to learning

??there was a new program I think that pretty much covered everything. Can anyone help me with the name. Lol , sorry that's a ridiculously vague question.

Something else??

Ideas......

[OneStepAtATime]

What if you started with maybe 6 weeks of interest led material in areas that haven't been studied yet or not studied in detail?  Like still do math every day but spin writing and reading and history and science off of something he has an interest in that he hasn't really done much with yet?

 

Also I am a bit confused.  Have you actually covered the Middle Ages yet?  You say you are back at Ancients as if you left Ancients and returned but then you say you feel that you never get to the middle ages.  What HAS he covered with regards to history?

 

On a side note, IEW has a Middle Ages writing course.  Maybe when you get to the Middle Ages again you could incorporate that to help improve his writing.

[woolybear]

We did a little of the middle ages, but not really covered it. So, last year had a lot of family issues(largely around my father being very sick). There were a lot of gaps in our homeschooling time. I felt I needed something clearly laid out to follow.  I picked Sonlight G in March. I talked to ds and he was super excited to study ancient history. So, I could just continue with that. That is the most logical idea. I may do that but need to find some way to get excited myself again. Maybe just a side thing to add in.

 

[OneStepAtATime]

Oh, that makes sense.  Sorry you had such a tough year.   :grouphug: 

 

If he is pumped about continuing Ancients, I wouldn't mess with that.  I agree, maybe you need something on the side, though, to reinvigorate your interest.

 

Hey, what about something just for you?  Is there anything you want to learn about just for you?  If your son wants to tag along, fine, but make it about something that matters to you.  Is there maybe even an outside class you could take?  I find that my energy for homeschooling improves when I am also doing things of interest to me, too.  I realize time is precious but taking care of you, physically, mentally and emotionally, is definitely worth the extra time.  Plus, you are modeling for your child that learning never stops and people can choose to learn for fun.

[8filltheheart]

What does he love?  Is there any subject that he would enjoy exploring?

[Sahamamama]

I think that for a student who is 12-going-on-13, I wouldn't try to find something that excites me and then get him on board with it. Instead, I think I'd show him some options, talk about what he'd like to study, and let him pick out some things. Find something that excites your son, and let his excitement be contagious to you. HTH.

[woolybear]

I think I need to have a talk with him. I also like the idea of doing something for me.

[ScoutTN]

Are there any webinars in the WTMA offerings which might be inspiring and helpful for you? Some encouragement and vision for mom seems to be in order. Refresh yourself so that you are more euqipped to me the upcoming challneges.

[FriedClams]

For a strong reader, I would consider Sonlight's Core W. It's a full year of World History - so he'll get some ancients in there. It's very solid. We used it last year and my kids really enjoyed it. It might be a great transition for him to see he enjoys other time periods. With the writing - we did a LOT of history summaries last year as well as most of The Elegant Essay. I wasn't wowed by TEE, but it wasn't a huge workload and might be a good starting point for mechanics. This year my oldest will be taking a Landry Academy writing class. I am excited about having another opinion and some "non mom imposed" deadlines. There are a number of online writing classes that might be worth looking into.

[...................]

I think Maybe not all kids are like this but there is absolutely nothing I could do for schoolwork that would make my son excited. Nothing.

 

My son is excited about many things: programming, joining BotBall club, Math Club, swim team, reading books he likes...he even likes his math tutor and always talks about how helpful she is.

 

He will have moments of interest throughout the day and school year but really I just think your beginning assumption is probably not realistic.

 

Do you and your son have other hobbies? I myself am joining a women's bible study and hoping to get back to masters swimming as well as biking around and helping out at church. My kids are my priority but ...I think at some point it's ok for me not to get my fulfillment from homeschooling.

[woolybear]

Calming Tea--I'm not sure what beginning assumption you are talking about. I said I wasn't excited. Sure, I would like him to be, but I don't expect that nor was that what I was talking about.

 

I'm just not feeling that "I can't wait to get started" feeling I've had in the past.

 

As I'm writing that I remember what I used to that I really got excited over and that was making a list of books to read. I think I will do that. I really look forward to our read aloud.

[MerryAtHope]

 

As I'm writing that I remember what I used to that I really got excited over and that was making a list of books to read. I think I will do that. I really look forward to our read aloud.

 

I was just going to suggest picking some read-alouds that really interest you! I find that usually gets me interested, even if there are subjects or things I'm not looking forward too. I know we'll enjoy read-aloud time!

[...................]

I guess what I'm getting at, is, as a teenager his education starts to be his own life, his own enjoyment or lack thereof. Though being involved and glad to have the opportunity to have a close relationship with your teen is a blessing, what I'm trying to say is, it's not really the same thing as homeschooling little ones.

 

It's exciting to get started when one is doing all the school (or most) with the kids and doing their little projects and planning the supplies they need and how you'll interact with them, etc, and for young children your life is so closely intertwined with theirs that there is a healthy sense in which what you do for and with them is truly exciting!

 

But as your son matures, and I think this is even stronger for boys, they will and should begin to have their own things, even and including their education becomes their own and it's merely your job to encourage, or enforce as necessary...it's natural for you to feel less excited about starting school since it'll be less and less of your thing and more and more of his thing, with the end goal of it not being your thing at all.

 

😊

[woolybear]

Ah, I understand now. Good point.

 

[Tanikit]

Maybe you just need to see homeschooling a bit like that "falling in love feeling" that eventually disappears in every relationship, settling into a more mature kind of love - so maybe its ok not to be really excited to get started as long as you are still doing a good job and getting your child well educated. Maybe that is part of maturing in the job as home educator. 

 

Then again, maybe you need to have a proper holiday from homeschooling and also from the planning involved in the homeschooling - sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder. Do you ever have a chance to NOT think about homeschooling at all? 

 

Finally it sounds like you have had a rough year of things and whatever you are dealing with may also be affecting how you feel about the homeschooling and perhaps just life in general. Perhaps give yourself some space to deal with the after effects of whatever has been happening this year and allow yourself not to be excited if something else is crowding out that excitement.

 

I hope you can find something that will make the homeschooling more exciting for you, but otherwise see this as another phase of life. 

 

[SeekingHim77]

I can empathize. After 13 years I still love homeschooling. I love researching, looking at new curriculum and planning it all out. However, now that I'm down to homeschooling one teenager, the actual homeschooling is just not as exciting. Like Calming Tea mentioned teens are doing more of their own thing and we aren't as much a part of it as we used to be. Also, it feels like there's less freedom to most of us because we are now thinking about preparing for high school, college, etc. Most of us don't feel the freedom to be as interest led and go on bunny trails like we did in the elementary years.

 

I'm kind of feeling the same way. We school year round so we've already started our new school books but I just don't feel very excited about any of it. I keep thinking about changing our plans but am not sure if that will help of if it's just me.