RosieCotton Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 This week has been hard here. Do you ALL feel EVERYDAY like so amazing that 1. THIS is what you want to do and 2. WOW another day is here to teach, share, learn, and be a great role model.???? 3. I am totally positive that you could not get a better education in a private school 4. and be happier being with other kids everyday What do you do when you start to lose patience? With yourself and the whole process? What if I don't want to be a great role model and fixer of ALL today -- or everyday? Ex: Why do I have to explain this spelling rule to you again, it's been over a year and you are not getting it. Frustrated and when will this click? The first child got this right away, what's wrong? Don't get me wrong we have great moments, it just seems like we aren't having enough of them the last 2 weeks. We get out 3 nights a week for activities, plus a day on the weekends. I've scheduled in time for me and breaks for all of us. So it's not that really. I'm not sure I can put into words what I mean really. It just feels like I cannot even see the hill we are climbing. Or my desk. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 It's October. October and February are hard. For me: I deal with it by keeping on as best I can. I figure that I would have to do that in any job so homeschooling is no different. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Not generally my problem, but I am glad to have NaNo as an excuse to blow off a few subjects for a month. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 When I get like that, it's usually a sign that I need a nap. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zarabellesmom Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 This week has been hard here. Do you ALL feel EVERYDAY like so amazing that 1. THIS is what you want to do and 2. WOW another day is here to teach, share, learn, and be a great role model.???? 3. I am totally positive that you could not get a better education in a private school 4. and be happier being with other kids everyday What do you do when you start to lose patience? With yourself and the whole process? What if I don't want to be a great role model and fixer of ALL today -- or everyday? Ex: Why do I have to explain this spelling rule to you again, it's been over a year and you are not getting it. Frustrated and when will this click? The first child got this right away, what's wrong? Don't get me wrong we have great moments, it just seems like we aren't having enough of them the last 2 weeks. We get out 3 nights a week for activities, plus a day on the weekends. I've scheduled in time for me and breaks for all of us. So it's not that really. I'm not sure I can put into words what I mean really. It just feels like I cannot even see the hill we are climbing. Or my desk. OMG, it's always sunshine and rainbows here. Are you kidding? ;) Some days, weeks, a month or so are absolutely awful. It could always be worse though right?. I sometimes think about how awful it would be to send them to school and have them come home, exhausted and ready to argue with me about homework. What if it were absolute busy work with no educational value, yet still had to be done (as I so often see with my friends that have kids in school). They come home, rush through homework, you shuttle them to extra curricular activities, home, dinner, showers, in to bed. Next morning, rinse, repeat. Where is the time for family? What do I do? Change things up. What's working and what isn't? I try not to compare one child to another and different things work. Call a family meeting. Get their input and lay down the law at the same time. Everybody gives a little, everybody gets a little. Then keep on plugging away at it, a little bit a day. Also, Susan Wise Bauer has a great lecture on homeschool burnout. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 :grouphug: For me this usually passes--often with a good sleep. Is anything in life consistently positive for most people? I think all of life has moments or time periods that are difficult or discouraging or otherwise negative. That's what perseverance is about. I just move forward, trying to give myself and others grace. I'm responding with the keep on keeping on thought because it seems this is short term for you. If it continues for a long time, I'd consider that a change needs to be made and/or depression needs to be considered. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 In one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made, I sent my younger son to (private) school for two years. Now that he's back home, I don't have days like that anymore (though I used to have a whole lot of them with my older son) because I know what the alternative is like. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 We didn't do routines with school. We changed schedules to fit any given day or our whims. We also took a day off each week to (usually) go hiking. We had a lot of discussions and played a lot of board games. We watched (educational) videos and sometimes went to the (non-educational) movies (though we discussed them afterward, so perhaps they were partially educational). We related pretty much everything from a book to real life. We tried to keep learning fun, not a chore. My older two liked homeschooling and still say they are thankful we did it. My youngest decided he didn't like it and went to high school in 9th grade. Now - sophomore year of college - he tells me he learned quite a bit from it and it helped make him who he is today (a good thing). I don't think any of mine would have liked it if we had been too rigid with our expectations. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 If we have a rotten day I do change things up the next day. Yesterday was rotten. They tag teamed me all day so basically it was four hours of nonstop freak outs, whining, and complaining. So today I started the day by basically reading the riot act and then I just left them there with the work and went out to breakfast and to write for a couple of hours. You want to abuse my help? I don't really need to stick around for that. They were much better in the afternoon so we went for a hike. But other times I just push through. And other times I realign us to do something fun. Okay, bad day yesterday, we'll start with a poetry tea or some math games or something. Sometimes we just need a good experience to get over the bad ones. When it's more than a bad day... I don't know. I mean, sometimes there are rough patches. I think all you can do is do your best. It is annoying that sometimes it seems like they aren't learning what you teach or you have to repeat it. It's not that I'm not annoyed... but more like... I think you have to accept it to be in this "business." You have to be willing to say, well, that didn't work, that may not have been worth my time but then let it go. Some friends and I were laughing once about how it doesn't matter what you do - basically we're all screwing up our kids in *some* way and we just have to accept that. I think homeschooling amplifies that a bit. I think to do this you have to accept that you're likely to do some things really well but also that you're likely to really mess something up. And... that's not something you can completely prevent. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 I just do the school anyway, without the positive feels, and then when school is over I lie on my bed and read and forget about it. I don't spend much time changing things up. I've been at this long enough to know that sometimes I'm motivated and inspired and full of confidence, and sometimes I'm not - and our actual outcomes probably lie somewhere in between 'this is wondrous and life changing' and 'this was a waste of my life'. I agree with this and the situation is one reason I stick with do-the-next-thing type curricula, because I'm not always up for anything that requires me to make any decisions what so ever. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSinNS Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 My approach: have a beer, have a cry, have a bath, and move on. Some days are like that. I'm an imperfect human being. The kids are imperfect human beings. Disaster, irritability, hormones, crises, temper, and mental blocks will kick in from time to time. Same would happen if they were in school, just in the evening, and about other things. I did actually take some time off last June for that reason. I was burnt (family illness, crazy work schedules, etc) and they were tired, so we quit school a month earlier. Everyone is back on track now, more or less, and we all are still breathing, so I'd call it a win. Remember, schools have bad days too. How much do you think they get done on the day they have both gym and an assembly? Or a kid has a major meltdown and disrupts the class for an hour? Or the day of the Halloween party? It's okay if every day isn't super productive. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosieCotton Posted October 30, 2015 Author Share Posted October 30, 2015 Thanks for the advice and input, it helps to hear it and makes me feel better already. You are right, we are all imperfect beings, and our days will not be perfect. I guess it's finally hitting me that I'm not a child, and it can be rather difficult --- for me anyway --- to be around children all the time. ! And so true this is for me right here ---- "sometimes I'm motivated and inspired and full of confidence, and sometimes I'm not" which makes me then WONDER -- "either this is wondrous and life changing' OR 'this was a waste of my life". -- We will just keep trying to do the next thing and relax abit. I need a day to organize papers and find a few things, which also gets my dander up. So I'll take a teacher's workshop day. I feel bad because my K seems bored. She is reading about a third grade level so no worry there. We get her work done first then she has a few hours just to play after lunch but doesn't seem to want to play with her dollhouse, puzzles, board games, or anything. She has a huge room full of toys. She wants to watch TV or always wants me to play with her when I can't. Then she cries. Which isn't fun. When I see the activities, crafts, and curriculum my private school has going I feel she is getting short changed by me and cheated. She will join us in the afternoon and just do extra work on her own. Page after page. She did 2 -- 300 page workbooks in 2 weeks and now I see she is making letter formation mistakes that need to be corrected. Because I wasn't watching her. I don't want to her make bad habits I just have to correct. She is a strong willed creature. We are getting an iPad air in December and a Kindle or similar device so I am hoping that may open up some doors for other things she can do. For me this year is harder to juggle with her in the mix, and the struggles with my middle's attitude have been just pissing me off. Thanks for letting me vent! I guess I figured you guys were all perfect and didn't ever get mad or yell, or whatever the hell Farrar said that just had me dying of laughter cuz that's exactly how I felt this week, and so on and so on. K - I'm breathing. . . . . and laughing too. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Ha. As if... yelling is my terrible sin. I don't do it often, but yeah, I've been known to do it. And then I just have to apologize and make it right. Dear children, mommy is flawed too. Let's all be flawed together. And work on being better people. Always remember that 90% of people online are putting out their best selves. They're giving advice when what they did worked, not when what they did failed. They're sharing when it went well, not when it fell apart. They're talking about the ages they survived, not necessarily the ones they're wading through the trenches with at the moment. So... giant grain of salt. Online people is like... all our wonderful aspirational selves sometimes. Like I said, some days I just push through or even - and this is a benefit of having middle schoolers - just abandon them to their work because sometimes a day without me is just what they need to realize when they need me. But other times I find it really does help to have a mountain day (a random day off) or spend the morning playing games or taking a special field trip. One of my go to's is just change location. School at Panera is a treat. Or school in the Kogod Courtyard (the prettiest pretty place for working indoors for free). 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwilk Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 I'd just like to say I really appreciate this thread today. We've had a rough few weeks here too. I'm hoping it's just the weather change, and we'll perk back up soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKT Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Just wanted to chime in and say that I definitely have those days! What I think is most tricky about being a homeschooling parent is that you are BOTH the parent AND the educator, and sometimes the problem with your child is just a parenting issue (that you would likely still have to deal with, even if your child was in school) and sometimes the problem is strictly an educational problem (your child can't memorize her math facts). So, I think life is just messier for us because loving and learning are all muddled up into one big thing called LIFE--for us, there is no clear separation between these different spheres! I often wonder, if my kids were in school, if I would absolve myself of so many of my concerns and worries. For instance, I wonder if I would stress about math facts, etc. Would I just hand that worry off to the school and think to myself, "I don't have to worry about that; teaching math facts is the school's job. My job is just to love and to parent." But for us, ALL of it is our concern, our worry, our stress, and sometimes it feels like a heavy burden to bear. On top of that, I put a lot of pressure on myself to be this perfect role model. (Which I fail at constantly.) Every few months, I have a mini freak-out where I think, "Oh my goodness, am I just totally ruining my kids?!" But the fact is, in my heart of hearts, I know I'm doing my best, that this is the best thing for them. I'm showing up every day and doing the work; the rest I can't control. I can't control the outcome. I can only control my efforts. And on the days when I just call it all off and make everyone clean the house then watch a movie, well...at least my kids are learning how to keep house and we are spending time together watching a movie. (I completely agree with the poster who points out that there are so many "throw-away" days at school that are lost to assemblies and testing, etc. So don't fret if you need to take a week off or something. Things will be fine!) But my family is in this for the long-haul, so I try to take the long view and not stress too much about the rough patches. So far, we've always come through them. Hang in there! ETA: Oh, and some concrete ideas: When I start to lose faith in the whole process and get the feeling like, "Why am I even attempting this again?? What is the point?!" I go back and read bits of my favorite homeschooling books - TWTM and other inspiring books - and that usually helps me refocus. I often just need that reminder, that time to remind myself of our family goals and all those ideas that got us on the homeschooling path to begin with. And I also take a nap and do something FUN that makes me fall in love with my kids again. I think reconnecting with your kids and just seeing them as beloved children (NOT as students) for a day can go a long way. ::hugs:: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Princess and the Jedi Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 This week has been hard here. Do you ALL feel EVERYDAY like so amazing that 1. THIS is what you want to do and 2. WOW another day is here to teach, share, learn, and be a great role model.???? 3. I am totally positive that you could not get a better education in a private school 4. and be happier being with other kids everyday What do you do when you start to lose patience? With yourself and the whole process? What if I don't want to be a great role model and fixer of ALL today -- or everyday? Ex: Why do I have to explain this spelling rule to you again, it's been over a year and you are not getting it. Frustrated and when will this click? The first child got this right away, what's wrong? Don't get me wrong we have great moments, it just seems like we aren't having enough of them the last 2 weeks. We get out 3 nights a week for activities, plus a day on the weekends. I've scheduled in time for me and breaks for all of us. So it's not that really. I'm not sure I can put into words what I mean really. It just feels like I cannot even see the hill we are climbing. Or my desk. Let's see, to answer #1...no...#2...no#3...no...#4...maybe, but probably it would be the same. When days are rough, I declare a minimum day and plan a field trip, to somewhere I want to go, too. Or we walk to the park for PE. Or have an art hour. Or search the forum and find out that we are perfectly normal after all. Hugs and love. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamiof5 Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 It's always so reassuring to know we are not the only ones!!!! Super tough week over here as well. What do I do? Pray...a lot! I also cried this week. And did take them to a fieldtrip, even if I was emotionally drained...but the alternative was to stay home and keep being miserable. Any way you could have some time away this weekend, by yourself?? Lunch, coffee, read a book? Sometimes a couple hours by myself helps a lot... at least to start the week fresh. I think life is hard, no matter what you do...some days (or entire weeks) will be better than others. And when my kids get too whinny it's usually because of tiredness, so I try to have them get more sleep...usually that helps :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Today we're having a Friday project day to help with the October doldrums. Dd has chosen a cooking project and a science project to do. We might add more depending on how long those take but we're taking the time to really enjoy them. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Earlier this week I had a teething, sugar-high'd 5yo. Did you know 5yo's teethe? Yeah, neither did I. But they do, and those molars can be a pain. Combine with the usual whinyness and slight OCD and well..after a completely terrible science lesson I had just had it. During a nice long lunch I realized I wasn't enjoying this week, and if I wasn't, he probably wasn't, either. The material did not grab me. I couldn't make myself be excited, so I couldn't expect him to be. I reworked what we were doing. Just because the book writes the information one way doesn't mean it has to be presented that way. We took the rest of that afternoon and just did fun. I read Life Of Fred to him while he played legos. The next day we went on a field trip. We made puppets and drew. Today was all about presentations - him teaching me. We still did math (that's working well), but I just took next week and themed it with a story he really likes. Same information being presented, not the same way I had originally planned. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 OH, goodness, we all have those days and sometimes they are more like weeks or months. Last spring it was like that for a good stretch, I got through by doing the minimum and then I focused on myself and I did that all the way through half the summer, not that I didn't do anything with them but I needed to take some time for me as I had been neglected and stretched thin for too long. Things have really been great this year, I think for many reasons but a good chunk because I took that time for me so I had more to give them and I'm trying to keep up the priority of taking care of myself and doing things I want to do. However, despite the fact that things are pretty good that doesn't mean that it is perfect. My dd1 called me a jerk I think the other day and whined and cried, etc etc. I snapped on my son a bit last night- give me some space, man! I was a jerk face and lost my patience with the 3yr Wednesday during poetry time. I think however at this point that I expect it won't be perfect and we roll with it. Sometimes they won't like me. Sometimes they think I'm ruining their life and horribly unfair. I apologize, they apologize and we move on. I've just lowered my expectations a bit, we will never be perfect, there isn't some magic formula that means they will always do what they are supposed to, I will always stay perfectly calm and they will think I'm the best thing ever. I used to think if I just tried hard enough or did it right we'd never have issues, I mean I didn't consciously say it but I think there was an unspoken expectation. I gave it up. And things are good, even if they aren't perfect and I don't want or expect perfect kids. We love and snuggle and we spend time together and I pour into them, I worry less about saying things the right way and focus on my intention. I do hear quite often that I'm the best mom ever, although daddy is better because he buys them candy and I got lots of compliments on their behavior, they are good kids and I'm a good mom and that is good enough :) Take an assessment what really excites you- Some time off(even if you can just get a couple of hrs)? Do you need to cut back something(activity- extras- etc)? Do you need to add something in- something to bring some excitement- school, family or just something that sounds like fun? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 honestly, how I feel is how *I* feel. The kids may not feel frustrated or upset about anything. It is my issue. often I need an attitude adjustment. This is my job. No, I can't go get another job just b/c it sucks a lot. I have to figure out if I need to change curriculum or our schedule. Honestly, this job is boring a lot. If I leave the room they suddenly have tons of needs/questions. if I sit there all day waiting on them to ask a question it never happens. Yesterday was long. My solution? I ate a pint of caramel gelato. No regrets. Some nights I have a beer or two. Some nights I cry and swear they are going to go to co-op or private school. Then I wake up happy and ok, ready to stay home. Some nights I whine to DH for hours. He is learning that I just need to vent and won't change a thing. Some days I go to my room and lock myself in. B/c really, I am the only one feeling this way. Today I let the kids sleep. I just did not want to see them at 8am. I think it is normal to feel this way some days. I think it is ok to say things aren't working and change it up. Even drastic changes. And I believe in skipping school on a really bad day. Mine got out of writing this week. I just can't do it. I just do not care this week about writing. Oct and Feb are hard. Luckily with the holidays we have breaks coming. Make sure you take a long break. To the point you all want to get back to a schedule and school. I know I don't get out alone enough. And I am making plans for Nov and Dec to change that. hope you feel better today. Or by Monday. Don't be afraid to change things up. Or go on more field trips. Don't underestimate just being out and about with the kiddos doing something fun. You may have to drag them there, but they always have fun when it's over. ;-) And they will gripe the next time too lol. Oh, our job is hard. ((HUGS)) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 I'm not sure I can put into words what I mean really. It just feels like I cannot even see the hill we are climbing. I would continue to climb automatically, by habit. It may be necessary to go slowly when we don't see the way clearly, but I think we can still make progress in the basics. Some things are absolutely tedious. I've heard through-hikers say that, as glorious as it is on one level to do a through-hike, on another (daily, gritty) level, it is tedious. It is about the discipline, the hard work, the logistics and the follow-through. When the Big Idea gets talked about, there are dreams and aspirations. When the Big Idea is being implemented, there are blisters and bug bites and fatigue. I would say, "Keep climbing," but only you can know if that feels right for you at this time. If you climb methodically, perhaps there will be a clearer view farther on. One thing I do that really helps is to imagine that we do stop homeschooling. Okay, what now? I mentally walk through that routine -- the rushed mornings, the wearying evenings, the loss of togetherness and family goals, the lost holidays and weekends because the girls are still doing school work that must be done. I imagine us all being tied to the schools' schedules and expectations. I imagine reading all the stupid assignments and patronizing notices that come home. I imagine the hoops and rules, and try to picture myself jumping through them. That is hard for me, actually harder than just doing what I now do. I am that rebel. I try to imagine having to purchase $50 worth of school supplies, times three children, only to be told NOT to label anything with my children's names, so it can all go into the Socialist Collective Group Stash. I try to imagine having to help my children with so much time-wasting homework that teaches nothing, and to do this after the kids have been in school all day. I imagine the vocabulary, attitudes, and behaviors they might acquire at school, along with the overall worldview. I imagine the illnesses. I imagine the buses and the bus drivers. I remember school shootings and lockdowns, and realize we aren't likely to ever contend with those. I then happily carry on with what is truly working for my family. At the moment, that is homeschooling. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 So today I started the day by basically reading the riot act and then I just left them there with the work. :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: I don't know... I can only speak for my three offspring... and I can tell you, there are times when they need to be realigned. And this occasional but insidious attitude of "only Mommy pushes the homeschool train up the track day after day while we grudgingly and minimally comply" is going to leave my house. With or without a body attached. If that attitude resides in any of these dependent people, I am going to exorcise it. Mother-as-Slave-to-Education will never work here. So, sometimes, The Lectures. I never feel guilty for giving the needed corrective, anymore than I would for giving antibiotic for an infection or a cast for a broken bone. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 (edited) nm Edited December 2, 2015 by ^ 022 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosieCotton Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 Checking back in. We were blessed with a few days of not normal November weather here yesterday and today. Sunny and warm and 70's! So we have not done any school yet this week, we have been taking longs walks in the leaves, playing outside, biking and hiking. We all even climbed up on a roof for the first time to see our place at a different view and hung out for awhile. (My husband was on the ladder and helped us be safe). The kids really loved that. I made a cool curvy path in the leaves for them to bike thru, I've been baking and reading. We had a fire and roasted dogs and marshmallows. We'll start again with a fresh start, and I'll remember, at least until I forget and have to post a rant here to be reminded again, that it's normal to go thru frustrations. What we do is hard. I'm doing something I've never done before. And no one else I know is doing this. My own family hates that I'm doing this. Jimmy crack corn and I DON'T CARE! :laugh: So thank you again all for pulling my head out chaos and into a better place. I'm sorry you've had to do it twice now since I joined. :cursing: Oh well! I got our Latin wall done, it going to be super fun. I got a bunch of books on CD for the girly and ordered her a few more coloring and cut and paste type books. She got a huge princess coloring book which made her feel really special. Hopefully less tears. My husband took me out to dinner and I AM proud of what I'm doing. Even tho sometimes it stresses the crap out of me. :hurray: Some wonderful wise words posted, and I do appreciate all of you. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 :grouphug: Glad you are feeling a little bit refreshed. Some of the things you were feeling could be signs of burnout, so it is good to take rest (from school & schedule) & freshen things up. FWIW, I've been there on frustrations . . . which is why it is sometimes good to make note of the good things, the progress made, and the 'wins' when they happen. They are easier to forget than the bad days. I can laugh now at how burnt out I was on teaching 1st grade math for the third time. :laugh: (Fifth time coming up next year!) I still can't laugh on how it feels to laboriously teach a kid to read since that's still my bug-a-boo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 When I get like that, it's usually a sign that I need a nap.Or some exercise. We have many rough patches, a vise squeeze between my expectations and what's actually happening, with outside pressure and homeschool-mom feelings of inadequacy pushing from above and below, and the general happiness and productivity oozing out the open sides, peppered with my ridiculous threats to send them back to public school... Not a pretty sight. Exercise, sleep, eating well, adult time, and other self-care are important even though you may be feeling you don't have time for anything else. I took a week last week to reset. Kids did minimal work, checked in with dad in evenings. I evaluated the year so far (we were on week 13 I think), and did a big shake-up. My summer-made plans are always grander than Fall allows me. My kids were feeling pressure to, from me and school, and were grumping at each other and it was making our days miserable. Taking the week off to regroup and "adjust fire" actually probably mean we are more productive and happy in the end. Best wishes! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I just want to say that I went to public school and was a holy mess. We moved from one state to another once and then back again. More holes. My math was the worst. I hid the fact that my grammar was atrocious. Believe me, homeschool kids get one-on-one tutoring. They are far less "holy" than the average public school kid. Remember you're not teaching them what to think -- always -- you're teaching them how to think/learn/grow. I have twins. One picks stuff up academically immediately. The other is slower, but when he gets it, he gets it. I learned: don't compare kids. I had a teacher once tell me that if you stay focused on anything, stay focused on math and spelling. Hang in there. Alley 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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