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Isa in Michigan
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I'm interested in finding out what you consider to be your biggest homeschooling challenge. This could be having to do with academics or something different.
For example, I consider my biggest homeschooling challenge to be spending enough time with my younger children where I sufficiently meet their needs, while at the same time effectively homeschooling my school-aged children. This is my first year where I've done most of the homeschooling in the morning, instead of during nap times. Because of this, I've had to figure out ways to keep my younger children happily occupied.
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Cay Gibson
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Biggest challenge? Putting together the graduating senior's graduation portfolio...hands-down. 
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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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chicken lady
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letting go of fears that it is not working!
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lapazfarm
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Keeping the toddler and pre-schooler happy and productively occupied while schooling the olders.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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lilac hill
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I have one 13yod at home now.
Biggest challenge with her is accecpting that she prefers textbooks, with extra reading thrown in.
Our nature experiences are not walks, birding and journaling but barn work and hanging out in our barn and the horse barn.
Rather than long stretches of reading different sources and creating projects to go with them and attending event and experiences to tie it all together, she prefers to have her assignments laid out. Even if it is supplemental reading, she wants it to be a timed assignment so she knows when she is done.
When I had the 3 girls home one challenge was feeling finished for the day. I am not a late afternoon person so I had to have my "teaching time" done by late afternoon so I could concentrate on dinner and home activites. Having perky afternoon teens made getting my break difficult.
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Viv
Wife to Rick (7/83), Mom to dd#1(6/87), dd#2(1/90), and dd#3(6/94) in central PA.
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teachingmyown
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My biggest challenge is myself!  The combination of my idealism, disorganization and lack of self-discipline keeps me from diving in and sticking with a plan. We have a lot of starts and stops throughout the year. My kids are pretty compliant and eager to learn. It's all me! Part of me is still waiting for that perfect year, no pregnancy or new baby, no moving, etc. I also struggle with my natural inclination, and that of my kids, toward unschooling conflicting with my need to be "sure" that the right things are being covered.
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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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Veronica's Veil
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Trying to keep up with the housework, meals, errands, budgets, etc....WHILE HSing...the balance. Very difficult for me.
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Sarah M
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Housework. Letting go of my idea of a perfectly clean Montessori-style house. Accepting that this is REAL LIFE and that this vocation of home education and life with young children is MESSY and doesn't necessarily stay ORGANIZED or LABELED . Struggling with this, big time.
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joann10
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For me, it is trying to organize, not only schoolwork for the younger children, but activities for the two babies, and the assorted "stuff" of six teenagers.
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EmilyC
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teachingmyown wrote:
My biggest challenge is myself! The combination of my idealism, disorganization and lack of self-discipline keeps me from diving in and sticking with a plan. We have a lot of starts and stops throughout the year. My kids are pretty compliant and eager to learn. It's all me! Part of me is still waiting for that perfect year, no pregnancy or new baby, no moving, etc. I also struggle with my natural inclination, and that of my kids, toward unschooling conflicting with my need to be "sure" that the right things are being covered.
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I could have written that! I definitely agree that my biggest challenge is myself.
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Emily,
Wife to Rob since 8/98
Mom to 4:
Sarah (13) Robbie & Riley (10) Regina (nearly 3)
My secular lit-based curriculum:
Build Your Library curriculum
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amyable
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Dealing with a high needs baby and spirited 2yo. My 10yo is not far behind on the neediness/argumentative scale. There is very little we are accomplishing between arguments, tantrums, crying, and the run-of-the-mill diaper changes x2. 
Not losing my mind/temper when someone has been crying/tantrumming/in my face/arguing all day. This peace loving introvert is not dealing well! So I tend to just "let them go" when they are happily occupied somewhere, but then nothing, again, gets done.
And fear that I'm going to somehow "get in trouble" because my 10yo with undocumented learning disabilities isn't picking things up like her younger siblings.
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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of 
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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CandaceC
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For me the biggest challenge is balance in all areas of life. Cleaning the house, cooking meals, time with my husband, school, quiet time with the Lord, church...it can be overwhelming and just can NOT all be done. But I still can't accept that I can't get it all done.
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Candace - wife to David since 2000...mommy to Hannah (Feb. 2002), Emily (April 2003) and Caleb (March 2005)
His Mercy Is New
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MacBeth
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Keeping the house tidy. Keeping 11yo ds on task.
And Cay is correct. That transcript/portfolio was a chore!
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God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog 
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lilac hill
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Housework always gets away from me. Dust, dog hair, mail(I wish I had a lock for the mialbox so I could open it when I was ready to go through it so it does not end up alll over the place), and all the stuff of life ...!
In my case, I do not think it is the homeschooling, just my ability to find more interesting things to do.
When it comes to housework I am very distractable. 
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Viv
Wife to Rick (7/83), Mom to dd#1(6/87), dd#2(1/90), and dd#3(6/94) in central PA.
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stefoodie
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What Emily and Molly said.
And yes, right now, what Cay and Macbeth said as well. [sigh]
We have the housekeeping woes as well, but I don't see it as my "biggest challenge". It comes and goes :)
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stef
mom to five
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Rachel May
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I think every year the biggest challenge has been different. I've had learning to put school first, being flexible about how long a school year will take, and learning to unschool and trust during morning sickness among others. I keep trying to figure out this year's lesson. Maybe it will come in May like a final exam?
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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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nutmeg
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My biggest challenge is letting go of the traditional school setting, while not feeling overwhelmed with trying to incorporate ALL of the real learning stuff.
I have to admit, there are times I just put my hands over my ears (eyes) and refuse to see all the awesome things everyone is doing.
I'll get there, but it's been really tough lately.
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Wife to Andrew
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Noah-8 
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Mae-3 
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JoBeth in OH
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nutmeg wrote:
| I have to admit, there are times I just put my hands over my ears (eyes) and refuse to see all the awesome things everyone is doing. |
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I'm just about there. There are so many great ideas, curricula, books and methods and out there. I can't do them all. I really want to, I just can't.
And I could have written Molly's post. My idealism, disorganization and lack of self-discipline are at war with each other. I also have oldest-child perfectionism always willing to charge into the fray!
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Kristie 4
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Ditto what Molly and Emily said
I don't think I can add to it...
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Kristie in Canada
Mom to 3 boys and one spunky princess!!
A Walk in the Woods
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teachingmyown
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amyable wrote:
Not losing my mind/temper when someone has been crying/tantrumming/in my face/arguing all day. This peace loving introvert is not dealing well! So I tend to just "let them go" when they are happily occupied somewhere, but then nothing, again, gets done.
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I so know the "let them go" thing! But I would question you if "nothing" is really getting done? Maybe it is the unschooler in me, but I do see the value of my kids playing dress-up together for hours, or some coloring while others build Kapla. Yes, even watching Barbie Swan Lake, again, has its merit! It certainly has the added benefit of peace for me, much needed!
I think if you and I, and the other introvert moms, are going to survive, we need that peace and we need to see the value of that time for our kids, too, whether it is a few hours or even a few days of "nothing".
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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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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Biggest Homeschooling Challenge?
