battlemaiden Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Not being able to hide when I have a bad day. When I am overloaded I want to be away...and I can't. That, perhaps, is unique to my current circumstances, but it is by far my biggest struggle. What is yours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Staying motivated to get through the must-do's long enough to finish the want-to-do's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 My attitude and impatience mostly. I love learning and I love teaching my ds, but sometimes our moods don't flow together. Today we had a long discussion about free time and how blessed he his, which stemmed from my impatience with his current attitude. We figured if he were in traditional school he'd have about 2.5 hours of free time per day after chores, dinner, homework, etc. I think I scared him. :001_huh: (he survived and was nice to me the rest of the day) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 For me, it's the fact that I don't know any other homeschoolers IRL. The nearest groups are over 50 miles away and church-affiliated. I wish I could sit down with another homeschool mom, make her a cup of chamomile and just chat. I often daydream about that. Frankie is the closest online friend to me geographically. Sometimes I imagine that she is just down the road from me, instead of a border and a state away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 2 in the afternoon. I'm pooped out and there's still 6 hrs til bedtime and I still have to fix dinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YJ in AL Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Two things come to mind: Staying consistent and keeping up with everything else there is to do. Yvonne in Alabama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 For me, it's the fact that I don't know any other homeschoolers IRL. The nearest groups are over 50 miles away and church-affiliated. I wish I could sit down with another homeschool mom, make her a cup of chamomile and just chat. I often daydream about that. Frankie is the closest online friend to me geographically. Sometimes I imagine that she is just down the road from me, instead of a border and a state away. I have the same problem. If you were close to me I'd meet you for tea and talk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Life getting in the way. Sickness, dh time off, family visits, getting together with other homeschoolers, field trips, camping, scout trips etc. Keeping on schedule for high school is hard. We hsed lightly through the summer last year to finish up and we may do it again this year. Teaching elementary grades is a piece of cake now that I've been doing it so long. I'm still new at this high school gig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmy Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 getting the housework and laundry and dishes and meals done too. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusPair Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 playing teacher when i really just want to be the mommy again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Making dinner. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurad1125 Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 The hardest thing for me about homeschooling is .... me, I guess. My attitudes and personality seem to get in the way of the kind of family/home/school environment I really want to have. I'm always working on it but have such a loooooong way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlemaiden Posted November 20, 2008 Author Share Posted November 20, 2008 The hardest thing for me about homeschooling is .... me, I guess. My attitudes and personality seem to get in the way of the kind of family/home/school environment I really want to have. I'm always working on it but have such a loooooong way to go. Exactly. I look at my neighbors and think how relatively easy it is to be pleasant for the number of waking hours they spend with their kids. They *also* don't have the types of relationships with their children that I would want, but that isn't the main point. I just wish I could hide some of my faults. :glare: Jo Btw- thanks for answering. It really does help to hear how others struggle. I'm not alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyable Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Teaching an emotional dyslexic (my oldest) - it's like baptism by fire. Couldn't I have gotten my feet wet with my "easy learners" first? :tongue_smilie: That, and dealing with a wild 3yo and two other "5 and unders". I don't give them the time they deserve, by a longshot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Lately- keeping up with marking, and giving the kids the attention to their schoolwork they really need. They are doing a lot independently as one thing after another comes up for me. My motivation is flagging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imeverywoman Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Laying down the school law, not just being Mommy having to stay one step ahead- but not really being one step ahead managing all the kids needs without meeting my own seeing my kids without deep rooted friendships staying even keeled throughout the highs and lows of the day watching the years pass like sand through and hourglass admitting that we WILL NOT be able to get it all done remembering that this will all be a memory one day and making it a nice one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andie Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Laying down the school law, not just being Mommy having to stay one step ahead- but not really being one step ahead managing all the kids needs without meeting my own seeing my kids without deep rooted friendships staying even keeled throughout the highs and lows of the day watching the years pass like sand through and hourglass admitting that we WILL NOT be able to get it all done remembering that this will all be a memory one day and making it a nice one Well put! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 For me, it's the fact that I don't know any other homeschoolers IRL. The nearest groups are over 50 miles away and church-affiliated. I wish I could sit down with another homeschool mom, make her a cup of chamomile and just chat. I often daydream about that. Frankie is the closest online friend to me geographically. Sometimes I imagine that she is just down the road from me, instead of a border and a state away. I have one IRL hs friend who is close by but very busy, so we see them once every couple months. There are other secular hs'ers about, but very few and only one hs group I would love to belong to, but again it's about 30 miles away, and in Atl that's like 1000. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 I want to be a great, fun Mom. I want to be a good teacher. I want to be a good wife, I want to be a good daughter. I want the house to be clean and meals to be adequate. I feel like I need to visit my father almost every day, but I have children in pretty serious, time-consuming activities that require a lot of driving. And I am lazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Friederike in Persia Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Keeping it fun and not overpowering dc with high expectations:chillpill: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 At this minute--active children who can't keep quiet while my older more sensetive child needs quiet to do her work. Teaching a child who really needs everything adapted to meet her needs and I can not use traditional (boring) anything on her. And a lot of the materials that would work best with her I either have to create myself or cost a lot of money. Otherwise homeschooling is great!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
********* Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 The hardest part about homeschooling is... No one that in know irl, including my wonderful husband, has any idea what I do all day. I feel very alone in my journey in that regard, and not at all understood or appreciated. I struggle with that. I know that I should do everything as unto the Lord, and that I don't need recognition from men. But it is hard. Sometimes I get very disappointed that it seems no one I know even cares to ask about homeschool. I mean, of course, other than to ask when we'll put them in 'real' school. It makes me feel like people, especially my extended family and in-laws, wonder what it is that I do all day, why I don't work outside the home, how I could possibly contribute enough to my family by 'just' staying home. That just makes me feel lousy, especially when I'm feeling overwhelmed by the dishes, laundry, errands, school work, house work, cooking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverfront Headmistress Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 The kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Keeping up with correcting their work. I detest correcting work and have to force myself to do it otherwise it piles up on my desk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixpence1978 Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 I definitely miss some of the aspects of school that I just can't provide at home. For example, best friends, and silly pajama day or crazy hair day at school, and structure that I don't personally have to provide. The other thing I miss is not worrying so much. My worries that I am doing everything right are much stronger now that I homeschool. Of course I also worried when DS was in school too, but I would say I was less obsessive about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 the presumption that everyone has a "sitter" because their kids are in school/daycare and thus the world being annoyed when you take your kids everywhere with you. convincing people that you ARE too busy to go out because school work IS work and you have to actually devote time to getting it done. accepting that you can not wait until "things settle" to get back to schooling, because things never settle, the chaos that is life just rearranges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Grading papers and no days off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayle in Guatemala Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 ...the buck stops here. The sheer responsibility I feel and trying to balance that with wanting school to be fun and learning something that is a life-long pursuit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Being more interested in a subject than my kids. Sigh. Oops - I meant my kids are not as interested in a subject as I am - not that I find any subject itself more enthralling than my actual kids. Oh, heck, you know what I mean, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Finding the time and energy to *really* prepare each day/week so that I feel I'm able to give the kids my best. I still feel that I'm not homeschooling to my and our potential and that's all on me. The emotional burden of having 6 people depend on me for getting them off to a great educational start in life is staggering to me. My best never seems even close to good enough--or I'm too exhausted or torn in so many directions to GIVE my best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 This is really more of an issue for the past 7 months when DH has been working across the country and we have no family locally. My two DS are early risers, we do school and reading and projects all day, I take them to activities later in the day, supervise everything from piano practice to Cub Scout requirements to chores, take them to the store when I must go. And it's 7 days a week. Right now it feels relentless. Many of you whose DHs are gone a lot know what I mean. I recently hired a sitter to go get my hair cut, and just driving all. by. myself was such luxury! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhondabee Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 accepting that you can not wait until "things settle" to get back to schooling, because things never settle, the chaos that is life just rearranges. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Homeschooling during my husband's deployments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Being more interested in a subject than my kids. Sigh. Oops - I meant my kids are not as interested in a subject as I am - not that I find any subject itself more enthralling than my actual kids. Oh, heck, you know what I mean, right? isn't that the truth! :iagree: Or finding out their learning style isn't what you thought it was. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabrett Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 1. My dh works odd hours. He is home a lot of "school time". When he is home during school time, he thinks I am available at a whim to do what he wants me to do. 2. Cell phones~My dh also travels a lot. He calls me on his cell phone, while he is driving, to keep from being alone and board. You quessed it; during school time. 3. My 19 month old~ He cries because he wants to be up at the table getting into all the school supplies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Staying motivated to get through the must-do's long enough to finish the want-to-do's. Very nicely said. And, I agree.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Mouse Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 My lack of patience and the fact that I am too emotionally committed to the outcome to be objective sometimes. Also, the whole forest and trees thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 1. No paycheck. 2. On call all day, every day. 3. Huge responsibility. 4. Feeling like I'm alone when I have to make decisions about what to teach, etc. 5. Housework that I can't seem to get a handle on, because we're home all day messing up the house! It's endless. Get one thing clean, and the next thing falls apart... You know how it is! 6. Having people think I'm weird because I homeschool. (relatives, friends.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnetteB Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Sometimes it is the singing and humming...Spud here does all his schoolwork to the theme song of Indiana Jones. I love my big family, but a little solitude would be really nice. I used to stay up an hour or two after they all went to sleep, look in on their sleeping faces, sigh, now the 20 yo, 14 yo, and 12 yo outlast me. I wish they could pretend to be enthusiastic about all their subjects ;) My lack of energy and health issues make home education a struggle sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delighted3 Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 The hardest thing for me is to stay consistent. I love the idea of homeschooling. I love planning for homeschooling. I love planning schedules and making lesson plans. I love shopping for homeschooling. The actual doing of the homeschooling, well, I really have to work on getting done on a consistent basis. After 15 years of homeschooling, sometimes I am still better at that than others. Joy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LG Gone Wild Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 but mostly my eldest son. Everything else is no big deal but he by far is the most difficult part of homeschooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 the presumption that everyone has a "sitter" because their kids are in school/daycare and thus the world being annoyed when you take your kids everywhere with you. accepting that you can not wait until "things settle" to get back to schooling, because things never settle, the chaos that is life just rearranges. The hardest part about homeschooling is... No one that in know irl, including my wonderful husband, has any idea what I do all day. <snip> how I could possibly contribute enough to my family by 'just' staying home. Right now it feels relentless. Many of you whose DHs are gone a lot know what I mean. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 The hardest thing about homeschooling is balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekanamom Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Staying on top of three different grades (the kids don't share any courses), and getting school done at a reasonable time. Giving each child the on on one time they need without doing school until after dinner. Also keeping up with the housekeeping, shopping, meal making, and ranch/chores on top of the school schedule. And this is even with my DH and FIL helping me out whenever they can! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Of course, one of the BEST parts of homeschooling is having a dc graduate & get all kinds of scholarships & go to college where the professors appreciate how well-educated he is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlemaiden Posted November 20, 2008 Author Share Posted November 20, 2008 Of course, one of the BEST parts of homeschooling is having a dc graduate & get all kinds of scholarships & go to college where the professors appreciate how well-educated he is. I'm going to have to take your word on that one. It does help to hear. Btw**** All this time I thought that was you and your dh in the photo....sorry. :leaving: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 ...being consistent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frontier Mom Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Well, today I heard a quote but didn't get it written down fast enough. It went something like, "In order to be wise one must spend lots of time alone." Now, obviously this quote did not come from a home schooling Mom and that, in a nutshell, is what I struggle with the most. I am a loner and I love to do loner things. I like to go to the bookstore and spend all day by myself. I like to go to the grocery store by myself. I like to read by myself. I even like to occasionally go to the restroom by myself. Even though I love my dc's dearly, I feel like I am always on call from someone. About the time school is over, my dh comes in and he needs supper, conversation, etc. I just want some time alone!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSDCY Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 The hardest part for me is to deal with a bright but unmotivated kid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherE Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 wondering if I'm doing the right thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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