Dry Soil

Our first day of school was like pouring water on dry soil.

I'm notorious for letting our potted plants get so dry that the water runs off rather than soaking in.  Well, that was what our first day was like.  I was trying to put something into these kids but they were so "dry" that the information ran off before it ever had a chance to soak in, even slightly.  On one child I could actually see the run-off (in the form of tears of frustration).

I know that you have to gradually add water and give it time to soak into the soil. Eventually you will increase the soil's ability to retain moisture.  But, it takes time.  I thought I was starting my kids off slowly today.  I guess not.

Planning - so tired.

Spent the past two days planning school.  bleeeh.  I'm so tired.  And ya know what I accomplished?  I have planned a grand total of .....drum roll..... four weeks for the 8yo and 12yo.  I have nothing planned for the 15yo.  Nada.

But (my favorite word), I have a template for the younger two, so I'm hoping this will go much quicker in the future.

Now, what to do with the girl who wants to spend every waking hour on the computer playing Runescape...

Not the best

I had a not-so-proud-of-myself aha moment this morning.  I was reading a homeschool thread about why homeschool parents would never consider public school for their children when I realized that I only plan to deliver a mediocre education.  I've never thought that I could give my kids an education that excelled or even matched the public schools.  I've only thought of it as different.  All of my planning takes the form of "what can we cover in a year" vs. "what is the most excellent education we can achieve in a year."  Are my kids not worthy of my best efforts?  Is homeschool just another thing to check off of my to-do list?

The Book Samaritan

One of the pros of homeschooling is individualized instruction.  It can also be a drawback when you realize that a particular curriculum item isn't going to work for your child....especially if it is the youngest child.  When something doesn't work with older siblings you can store the workbook/textbook to try it with a younger child in the future.  When it is the youngest child that the curriculum doesn't work for you are forced to deal with how to dispose of said item.

I've tried selling online.  Not a good fit for me as I'm a procrastinator and buyers understandably want their item as soon as possible.  I've tried the local used homeschool book sale.  That's discouraging because you end up having to sell it for dirt cheap.  Honestly, I would rather give it to someone who needs it rather than sell it for practically nothing.  That's where The Book Samaritan comes in.  This group of volunteers receives used homeschool materials and then disperses them to families in need for free.

This week I finally gave up on a curriculum choice that I had made four years ago.  It didn't work for child #3, so I tucked it away in the closet.  And now, it has proven not to be a good fit for her younger sister either.  I liked it, but I don't need help with reading.  It was a bit painful, but I admitted defeat, put on my big girl panties, and shipped the books off to The Book Samaritan this week.  Kind of reminds me of the Island of Misfit Toys. ; )

Shopping for School Supplies

I LOVE this time of the year.  Even though public school won't start here for quite some time (after Labor Day) the stores have already stocked their shelves with packs of notebook paper, folders, notebooks, scissors, glue sticks, lunch boxes, backpacks, etc.  As a homeschooler I have found out that we don't need many of these items to be replaced yearly which can take some of the fun out of the whole back to school time of the year.  Actually, the only items I think we may need to replenish this year are glue sticks.

I guess I was determined to participate in the fun this year, so I convinced myself to buy 8yo a cute backpack at Target recently.  And then, well, ya know, I might as well let the other girls buy a backpack too.  After all, we do use them when we go on overnighters.  I packed the girls into the car this afternoon and drug them all over town looking at each store's backpack options.  Of course, they decided to keep their first picks, but it was fun to oooh and aaaah over this year's latest back to school goodies.

Homeschooling a pre-teen

My daughter cracks me up.  One minute she's prancing around with high heel sandals and hair slicked back into a new "do" and the next she's having a 2yr old melt down over restarting math after several weeks off.  No matter how mature she looks, the little child who used to have tantrums is still in there. 

Bless her heart, she so wants to grow up.  She was a late reader and still struggles a little.  She is currently reading Mary Pope Osborne's Tales From the Odyssey and decided to check out the "real" Odyssey (Fitzgerald).  She came into my bedroom a few nights ago and questioned me about when I read it with her older sister.  She couldn't imagine how we had read it when sister was twelve.  She told me how boring it was and promptly re-shelved it.

edited 03 September 2012 to remove a keyword

Loop?

One way to tackle homeschooling is with a loop schedule.  You go through your list of subjects until say noon.  Didn't get to everything?  No problem.  When you start school the next day you just pick up where you left off.

Example:  Your list includes math, Latin, grammar, writing, and German, but you had to stop after grammar due to a doctor's appointment.  The next day you would start with writing, move on to German, and then start the loop over again with math.

This sounds wonderful and I think this would help me relax.  But (there's always a "but" right?), not one of my kids is independent.  Yes, I even have to tutor the 15 yo one-on-one.  This is more a parenting problem than an academic one.  The 15yo is, I believe, being passive aggressive.  She doesn't want to do the work (even when a written list is presented to her), so she conveniently forgets.  Suddenly it's bedtime, etc. and she has done very little of her school work.  I finally figured out that I had to tutor her in order for her to move forward.

Individually tutoring each child every day is tiring.  I enjoy working with them one-on-one.  It forms a special bond between us as we learn together, and I know exactly what they are learning.  At the same time, I feel fried by the end of the school day.  I feel used up, drained.  Consequently supper has become a hit or miss occurrence which is discouraging for Dad when he arrives home tired and hungry from a long day at work.

If I can accept the fact that we won't finish the loop every day then I think it would be a good fit for us.  It would allow me to tutor my kids without the pressure of feeling that I have to cram in x, y, and z before we can finish for the day.  Also, I would know that we are progressing, moving forward.  Maybe we won't be "on track" but at least I'll know that we are heading in the right direction.

I have to let go of the notion of being "behind."  This should be about learning not about ticking off a to-do list.

Wishful thinking for fall 2010

Sorry if it is large.  I'm still  learning.

	Mom	15yo	12yo	8yo
5:30	Awake		Asleep
6:00	Seminary
6:30
7:00			Morning Routine
7:30
8:00	Exercise/Walk
8:30
9:00	Exercise/Strength		Chores
9:30	Chores		Independent Work List
10:00		3 R’s
10:30
11:00
11:30	Lunch	Lunch
12:00		3 R’s
12:30
1:00		Content Subjects
1:30
2:00
2:30
3:00		Snack
3:30	Cook	Free OR Cook’s Helper
4:00
4:30
5:00
5:30	Supper
6:00	Scriptures
6:30	Dishes
7:00	M - FHE T W - YW T F
7:30
8:00
8:30	Bedtime

Weekly Planner Page

Today I was done.  Just done.  I've been trying to help my 15yo prepare for the pioneer trek for three months.  Last night I took the girls for a supply check, and this morning I woke up not caring about anything.  I didn't even plan supper.  It was fend for yourself.  I ate half a peanut butter and jam sandwich and then a cheese tortilla.  That's how bare the cupboards are.

The one thing I did accomplish today was to make a weekly planning sheet for the fall.

(Shaded areas before and after lunch are for school time.   We also have dr.'s appointments in the a.m.  Sat./Sun are usually full of church/family related activities.)

 Now, before you think good thoughts about me, I will admit that I did it for a very selfish purpose.  I'm tired of living my life around the plans that everyone seems to like to make for me.  I'm 46 and I have never felt in control of my life.  So, I made a realistic planning sheet that shows that I have NO time left over for all of these people and their plans.  Homeschool is a full time job for me.  I know that everyone wants just a little piece but those little pieces add up and next thing you know homeschool has been short changed (or I have).

What I wrote on Facebook last night: "Polly is going to block out my entire planner for the rest of the year. Oh, wait, I don't need to do that. Everyone else has already filled it for me. Silly me. I thought this was my life."

Yeah, I know I'm whining, but I have reached my limit. 

Twiddling My Thumbs

My girls (12 and 14) have been sewing, sewing, sewing.  I've done a little school with 8yo but mostly I've been letting her play.  With all of them busy, I've had to make myself find something constructive to do besides sitting around twiddling my thumbs.  I'm a big worry wart when I have time on my hands, so I'm trying to stay busy with cleaning the house.  When I say "clean" I really mean "declutter."  Of course the house needs to be cleaned but just a few decluttered surfaces has helped me feel better about the house.  As I look around at how much better it looks, I wonder why I don't keep up with it.  I can't seem to find a balance between homeschool and housekeeping.  It seems to be all or nothing in either direction.