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MommyD
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| Posted: Jan 03 2007 at 11:00am | IP Logged
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I just finished reading Real Learning and I really found it inspirational and very intimidating. I feel like there is sooo much on my list of "things to do" I don't know where to start and we get nowhere.
Read good books
Look at art
Play outside
Math
Reading
Study a saint
Art Project
Make good food
Get/Keep house clean
Try to scrapbook (it really is important to me to try to catch up this year)
Plus outside things like sports, grocery shopping, meeting friends, doctor visits, etc.
Please, if you feel like youi are doing a good job, share some tips on where to start!!
MommyD
P.S. My kids are only 5, 4 and 1.
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: Jan 03 2007 at 11:28am | IP Logged
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I don't feel that I'm doing a good job, but we're not doing a terrible job either! 
I suggest baby steps. Start with a mental picture of your day (morning routines, naptimes, lunch, appointments, etc). Then pick one thing off the list you created above to add to your day. If you rotate through your list, maybe working on math today, a saint study tomorrow, and art projects and playdates at the end of the week, it might seem less overwhelming. OR you could pick just one or two things in general (playing outside or taking nature walks and reading good books). Try to consistently add those things to your week, and once you feel comfortable with that routine, consider adding something else.
Even though we've been doing this for years, I find that I still can't do it all, and that the many great ideas here and in Elizabeth's book can be overwhelming. We still have to pick and choose, focusing on one area for a season and then moving on to something else. Remember that a love of learning is important, and if we stress ourselves out by trying to do too much, that love is quickly squelched for us and the kids.
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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1floridamom
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Hmm...I have become comfortable with how we're doing. Is that the same thing?! 
I love Elizabeth's book and have gone back to it many times for review, refreshment, and the book lists.  We have gone in and out of phases with what we have focused our attention on, and occasionally I'll think back to times that we were doing things that I want to do again like studying art and nature books. But life is ever-changing, and it only makes sense that our focus will, too.
We've had two babies in the last two years, and we bought a house after a few years of apartment living. My husband runs his own business, which is always full of ups and downs, and his hours vary because of it. For the better part of the last two years, I feel like I've been decluttering. We had a lot of things in storage while we were in our apartment as we had moved from a large home in another state. Since we didn't expect to be in the apartment so long, things were replaced. It has been a struggle to keep up with the regular chores much less dig through the excess, with new babies and stuff coming in, but little by little we get it done.
Your ages are great for stories and playtime. Lots of walking in your neighborhood, if it's feasible, is a great way to start the nature study on a very low-key level.
Read whatever you can get your hands on and try things as they appeal to you. There are plenty of ideas that are great that we either have to skip or try and don't end up using because they don't click with us.  Sometimes we try things later, and they are a huge success.
I have kept a list of book suggestions, too, to get from the library or buy if they look like keepers. Five in a Row is a great, organized way to ease into homeschooling also.
Keep coming here for encouragement! That's my best advice. 
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Monica in FL
dh Steve, Sean (14), Ethan (13), Emily (10), Kylie (6), Ashley (5) and Lindsay (2)!
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ALmom
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| Posted: Jan 03 2007 at 6:03pm | IP Logged
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I have to smile at your question "if you feel like you are doing a good job". I don't know about anyone else, but I never feel like I'm doing a good job. There is always something I could be doing better. The key is to not let the feelings stagnate you. We care so much about our children,- after all that is why we chose to homeschool in the summary of it all. Because we care, there is always something we can do better. Be gentle with yourself, take ideas and gradually and gently work in what seems to fit your family. I think Elizabeth will be the first to say, she wrote this to share ideas and things that worked for her, to give people something else to look at besides a classroom model. I don't think she looked at it as a list of "must dos" but more as permission for us to be gentle with ourselves while striving to serve God in our homeschooling families. Each household will have its own blending of how things get done. Pray, try ideas out, discard what is too stressful or realize that this is for another time and season (maybe later) and above all be patient with yourself. We must be hitting the end of the semester or end of the year navel gazing period where we all tend to see our failures and not our successes. Take some time to really think about what has worked well for you! Then you will be in a better frame of mind to know what might be feasible to include in the future. Better not say more as I don't fit the qualifications for a response .
Janet
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JuliaT
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I have been struggling with this for a very long time. As each year goes by, I have learned a little bit more on how to get things done. The most important thing I have learned is that it is a process. You are not going to learn how to do everything that you want to get done this year. It will take a few years.
Another thing I have learned is to lower my expectations. Homeschooling and an immaculate house are not compatible, at least not at my house. I had to change what I expected of myself as far as cleaning goes. I have areas in my house that need to be cleaned every day --the kitchen and the bathroom. If I get more than that done, then I consider it an excellent day. Also, the children and I do an inspection just before supper and we put things away that aren't supposed to be on the floor or on the table, etc.
Another thing that works for me is to have a routine. Now, this doesn't work for everybody, but if I don't have a routine sketched out, then nothing gets done. I have a routine for school and after school. This has helped me a great deal.
Also, we live out in the country, so I have to schedule our extra--curricular activities very carefully. I have one full day and one night a week that I am in town. I schedule appt's, piano lessons, other classes, visiting and grocery shopping on those two days. I have discovered during the Christmas holidays that you can get an awful lot done when you are actually home :)
I would encourage you to take baby steps. For the first few weeks, just add a couple of things that seem doable. Once you have them down, then add in a few more. Baby steps are important.
I don't know whether I would say I am doing a good job, but I am doing a much better job than two years ago.
Blessings,
Julia
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Juliainsk
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marihalojen
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Looking at your list the real schooly parts are not very many, Math, Reading, Religion, Art. With a 5 year old if you did 15 minutes a day of seatwork with these 4 topics, in one hour you'd be done and ready to head for the couch or the tree in the back yard with a blanket and a book.
My two favorite bits of Charlotte Mason are (paraphrased) - Never be inside when you can be out and Short Lessons!
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~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
The Mari Hal-O-Jen
SSR = Sailing, Snorkling, Reading
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: Jan 05 2007 at 6:59am | IP Logged
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I like Jennifer's "favorite bits" above. I would also like to add that working diligently on things like math, reading and religion first thing in the morning has helped us. I found that when my kids are young, these subjects need to get done before lunch or they just don't get done. I save things like story time, art, nature study (all the really fun stuff) for later in the day.
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Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
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saintanneshs
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| Posted: Jan 09 2007 at 9:28am | IP Logged
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MommyD,
I try to do it all, just not ALL in the same day! Having a schedule helps me to keep up with it all, and I constantly remind myself that we're all a "work in progress!"
And no, I don't always feel like I'm doing a good job, but that's when dh reminds me that I'm doing the best job that I can and HE THINKS I'm doing great. 
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Kristine
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Leonie
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We also do the seasons thing - we do more nature study in autumn and spring, more art and poetry in winter - so we don't do it all but we do most - over the course of a year!
There are times when we do more cooking and times when meals are very simple. Times when I set aside blocks for real cleaning and the other seasons when we just keep down clutter and do the minimum.
I tend to plan my year in blocks and seasons and do a few things in depth and the other things ( even housework and cooking) bevome more simple for that season.
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Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
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1floridamom
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| Posted: Jan 09 2007 at 6:52pm | IP Logged
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Leonie, I love this perspective. It's exactly what I needed today.
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Monica in FL
dh Steve, Sean (14), Ethan (13), Emily (10), Kylie (6), Ashley (5) and Lindsay (2)!
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Lorri
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Instead of focusing on all the things you feel you need to do, examine your day or week and list the things you already do. I bet you already are keeping your house reasonably clean and your family fed. Then pick one or two things you want to add in and find time for them during the week. Are you already doing school with your oldest? If so, just pick one day to read an age appropriate biography of a saint. Another day do a craft project. After a couple of more weeks, add a little more in.
I only have school 4 days a week. On Friday we do all the extra fun stuff - picture study, music appreciation/learning hymns, drawing lessons and crafts. My children play outside everyday, we take a walk at least once a week. They collect nature to bring home and study. I keep a nature journal of my own and encourage but don't require them to draw and label their findings as well. My 6 yo is good at identifying leaves with the field guide.
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Lorri
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The Mac and Cheese Chronicles
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julia s.
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I like all the advice above, the only thing I would add in is keep a journal/small notebook of what you do during the day and any ideas you might have. I wish I had done this from the beginning. I find this more useful then a planner (although that can help too  ). Sometimes I think I'm not getting anything done and then I look at what I did and say "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that." Also, it keeps you accountable when you see it in black and white.
Finally, I find that if I don't over plan then God has enough room to provide me with His guidance. Pray.
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julia
married to love of her life
with ds12 ds8 ds3 and ds1
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mariB
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I keep a blank plain spiral notebook by the computer. Daily Mass readings and a decade of the Rosary and a read aloud are what we start the day out with. Interestingly enough when I write down what we accomplish as the job gets done my list at the end of the day is longer than when I write out the to do list. I also love to bump to the next day what we haven't completed and it usually gets done at the end of the week. My highschooler is enrolled with Seton but always participates with activiites at the beginning of the day!
God is so good. He will direct your paths.
marianne
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almamater
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| Posted: Jan 13 2007 at 10:37pm | IP Logged
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MommyD wrote:
I just finished reading Real Learning and I really found it inspirational and very intimidating. I feel like there is sooo much on my list of "things to do" I don't know where to start and we get nowhere.
Read good books
Look at art
Play outside
Math
Reading
Study a saint
Art Project
Make good food
Get/Keep house clean
Try to scrapbook (it really is important to me to try to catch up this year)
Plus outside things like sports, grocery shopping, meeting friends, doctor visits, etc.
Please, if you feel like youi are doing a good job, share some tips on where to start!!
MommyD
P.S. My kids are only 5, 4 and 1. |
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MommyD,
Your children are young! I think you can easily combine items on your list to simplify the demands. If you choose only books that are well-illustrated you will cover reading and art. (Of course, there are plenty of wonderful books about art for children that would be beneficial as well.) I don't think one can overestimate the value of choosing books with the highest standard of art regardless of the style.
Then, if you choose a well written, beautifully illustrated book about a saint you can check reading, art and saint study off your list! Saint study can easily move into the craft table with saint coloring books or sheets,saint spoons, or some other simple craft using a print out picture of a saint.
You might even let your children make a holy card scrapbook of sorts using cast offs or simpler versions of your scrapbooking supplies so that someday you might all share a hobby!
As far as meals, I find our best eating occurs when I meal plan and shop for the whole week on Saturday. Otherwise, I make frequent trips to the market during the week and often find myself short of time to make the meal I was dreaming of. Today, dh and I planned the meals for the week. He enjoys cooking and planning, too, so we plan together when time allows. As an unexpected bonus on this very rainy day, he did the grocery shopping while I stayed home and stripped the Christmas decos and cleaned up the house. 
All of this said, I wouldn't say I am "doing a good job" at all of this, but getting much better than I used to be, for sure. The plan is very fluid as the children grow and have new needs and abilities, as the busy seasons ebb and flow, as health dictates, and, well, life happens. We just keep doing our best and, when I fall behind or fail in some way I follow my dh's advice: Pull yourself together and press on!
Hope that helps a little. Elizabeth has anew blogwith the nitty gritty details of her daily life, interwtining schooling and housework, outside activities, nursing a baby and everything else. It might interest you read a few of her posts.
__________________
~jennifer in tx
mommy of ds(11),dd(8),dd(6), dd(3),& ds (6/08)
Soul of the Home
Soulful Learning
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Getting it all in
