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teachingmyown
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| Posted: Jan 10 2006 at 1:43pm | IP Logged
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Elizabeth,
Thank you for your thoughts. Things are improving slowly. Three weeks ago, I could not read the Burnout chapter without sobbing. I can now digest it in parts and pray about it.
It really isn't about the right books or resources. I know that. I have plenty to keep my kids busy and make them brilliant!  There are some wonderful things about CHC, especially the simplicity of the lesson plans. Sydney actually really enjoys their materials. I have all the plans for K-3rd. I will look into fourth.
Today, though, I had Sydney sit down with all of her books and the MODG syllabus. We talked about which books she would like to continue with and what we could supplement with. She made a daily schedule for herself with hours of free reading time scattered with the basic subjects. With encouragement and my interest in what she has done, she is more than capable to get her work done. When she views it as something interesting to do, rather than her assigned work, she is much more willing.
The little guys just want to be busy and have me acknowledge their work. As we get back into family reading and tea times, I think everyone will relax a little.
My children do need to see me smile. I know that, I just need to get myself to that place. Your words are a great help.
If I get rid of the crease from my furrowed brow, will the wrinkles go away too? 
__________________
In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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JennGM
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| Posted: Jan 10 2006 at 1:59pm | IP Logged
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Rachel May wrote:
I've found MODG very easy and flexible, but CHC struck me as overly Catholic and confusing when I looked at it last year. Because I've watched a bunch of beautiful homeschooled Catholic teenagers burn out on their faith as a result of it being constant and overt, I've been cautious about how I present it to my kids especially through the curriculum. I try to make our faith an implicit part of everything, but explicit when it really matters. For example, for math, we don't count rosaries. Your comments here make me curious to look at CHC again.
Sorry, this is going OT. Maybe I should start a different thread. |
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Yes, please do! I observed the same things with CHC and other curriculums. You and I have similar thinking!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Cay Gibson
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teachingmyown wrote:
If I get rid of the crease from my furrowed brow, will the wrinkles go away too?
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 ROFLOL!
See there, Molly. Your sense of humor is still intact.
Everything's going to be alright. 
Just keep swimmin', swimmin', swimmin'
__________________
Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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guitarnan
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See, we're practically related! Yesterday my daughter asked me how she could get lines on her forehead like mine!!!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Willa
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I am a bit overwhelmed right now, too, Molly. When Aidan goes to the hospital it always drains me and makes me feel I am juggling too many plates. Love the idea of "starting over" and I am bookmarking this thread for myself, as well. God bless you ladies, when I was loneliest at the ER I could almost hear your comforting "voices", most of which I've never actually heard in person 
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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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JSchaaf
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This thread is exactly what I needed right now-as my life gets back to normal I'm realizing that I am burned out-not on homeschooling (because there's not been much of that these last few months!) but burned out on parenting and life in general. Like Molly, I cried my way through the burnout chapter, but am now starting to feel a little hope for the future. I don't have Real Learning right in front of me-what are the four steps to take at first? Correct me if I'm wrong:
Get outside every day
Time alone
Prayer
and I can't remember the fourth. Anyway, that's where I am right now. I'm cutting back to bare bones and giving myself a few months to recover. My two youngest (5 and 3) are going to a Mother's Morning Out program two mornings a week. Kindergarten is going ok for Anne-Catherine, but I do miss her and guess what?? even Catholic school can't prevent all the negative influences. It's the right choice for right now, but she will probably not be going back in the fall. So in June we will all be home together again-between now and then we are going to read library books, do a little math (hands on), play outside, and find a "mountain day" spot.
Wow, this got long. Certainly didn't mean to take over the thread-just wanted you to know you weren't alone!
Jennifer
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BrendaPeter
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Dear Molly,
I hesitate to write anything as everyone has written so many wonderful things that I don't want to overwhelm you. I thought I should just mention that I used MODG pretty strictly for the 1st 5 years of our homeschooling & experienced burnout as well. 2 years later, things are so much better!
I certainly can't put my finger on 1 thing but I'd like to just reinforce what so many others have said. Several things that have worked for me have been listening to more music, going for short walks with the kids, living in the moment (very important!), weekly adoration, brief prayer times throughout the day, weekly date night (at home) with my husband and read-alouds with the kids. When I am joyful, the whole house is joyful!
Looking back on MODG, I think it can be very demanding for a mom with alot of little kids, especially if you're the type who tries to cross every "t" & dot every "i". I really had to spend much more time praying & asking Our Lord what our school should look like (for our particular family) - not what I thought we should be doing. It's so hard with homeschooling - it seems like everything looks so good! I had to learn that I can't do it all & to pick just the "better" as Elizabeth mentioned.
The funny thing is that what we do now resembles what some others do - like Elizabeth & Cay. We have our morning table time. I would say that I use MODG as a "spine" and insert what I've chosen for a particular subject. I do love the way MODG does Latin so I've really held onto that. The kids still memorize the catechism & poems (at our own pace). Other than that we use some Seton workbooks (English & Religion)and secular workbooks (phonics & math). We don't do CHC, although I've used some of their products through the years. I'm a little overwhelmed by their syllabi. I feel like I'm coming out of the closet on a CM board but my kids LOVE workbooks! With workbooks, everything's there for me & since we focus on quality over quantity I find that they are learning. Tweaking curriculum was so time-consuming & took me away from the kids which didn't seem logical ! What's amazing is that now we have so much more time for things like nature study & read alouds and I'm more relaxed because my conscience is eased knowing we did the basics. Definitely not an unschooling philosophy, but this is where my comfort level is at for the moment.
So Molly, I guess my point is that there's hope for all of us! You're in my prayers!
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Blessings,
Brenda (mom to 6)
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TracyQ
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| Posted: Jan 12 2006 at 7:14pm | IP Logged
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Elizabeth wrote:
| The solution is to stop looking for perfect. |
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Wow Elizabeth! How true this is! This is EXACTLY what the Lord had been working on with me since Spring! I've learned that for ME, perfectionism can become sinful by blocking my heart from willing obedience in love for Him to accept that which He's called me to, and to do it with a joyful, grateful heart.
It's a LONG, PAINFUL process to learn this lesson, but it's SO worth it with every little success I have!
Your statement above is something I need to type out and put on my fridge, thanks!
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Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
 homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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Elizabeth
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Tracy,
My war with perfectionism has been a long one. And I've found some of the women here to be faithful warriors (and even commanders) with me. YOu might like reading a transcript of a talk I did at NACHE in 2004. It's titled "Living Books" but it morphed into a talk on perfectionism. Click on the red "4 Real" in the upper lefthand corner of this page. That will take you to the 4reallearning page. Then click on "Living Books: NACHE 2004."
__________________
Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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TracyQ
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| Posted: Jan 13 2006 at 9:22am | IP Logged
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Oh, thank you, Elizabeth! I'd forgotten about that article! I'll have to read it today, and be blessed as always when I read everything you write! 
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Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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BrendaPeter
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Thank you, Elizabeth! I can't believe I haven't read/heard that talk yet & am looking forward to reading it.
Wow, this battle with perfectionism is so common! My friend's husband says "Progress, not perfection". How true.
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Blessings,
Brenda (mom to 6)
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Willa
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| Posted: Jan 15 2006 at 6:33pm | IP Logged
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juliecinci wrote:
Prepare for the thing you want to do
Then do it
Live in the moment forgetting all else while you do it
Reminisce about it
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It's funny, Julie, this is very similar to ST Maximilian Kolbe's Preparation-Action-Conclusion in his Rule of LIfe
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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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Alcat
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| Posted: Jan 21 2006 at 9:20am | IP Logged
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Hi ladies,
What a timely topic. Thank you Elizabeth for your response, I soooo needed to hear it right now
This week we were hit by illness. All I could do for my poor sick kids was sit an read them stories I'm clapping because they loved it- what great medicine! We read "Stranger in the Woods" then we listened to a bird song CD so we could hear what the birds in the book sounded like. We read Pollyanna (Children's illiustrated classic version), played the glad game, and discussed how the author was taken out of formal school to be homeschooled because her parents thought it was too important for her to have the freedom to LIVE! Talk about real learning!!!
So while I hate having my children feel sick I was GLAD we could "start over". It's amazing what happens when "I" get out of the way!
God Bless,
Alison
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mom to ds15, dd13 ,ds11, dd8, dd6, ds4, & dd18mos
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Starting over
