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simplemama
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 11:08pm | IP Logged
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May I share my heart a little?
I posted my intro a few days ago. Basically I have a 3 yo princess and 6 month old bubby boy. I go back and forth about homeschooling but know I would at least like to for the primary years. My dh and I have 'agreed' to start her in school in 1st grade as a compromise though.
Since I am not sure if God will guide my dh to embrace homeschooling past kindgergarten as I would like (at this moment in time), I am struggling with feeling like I have to do it all now while I can. And I know that is not the way. This may be a tough question but do you think there is any hope I can still offer some of the great aspects of homeschooling, especially as layed out in Real Learning, even if our kids are in school most of the day? How can I maintain my role as primary educator if they are with some one else most of the day?
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Elizabeth
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Real Learning
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| Posted: April 14 2007 at 6:17am | IP Logged
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Welcome! We have a other members who have children in school. I think that the Real Learning approach is something you hold in your heart and it affects the way you live your life. The first premise of Real Learning has to be that you educate in a way that is God's calling for your family. For some people, that is unschooling, for some, it is a more structured homeschooling, and for others, it is school. Never, is it a wife who does not submit to the will and discernment of her husband. That can't possibly be God's plan.
That said, lots of us began with "a year at a time." Do the kindergarten year will gladness and a resolve to give it everything you have. At the end of that year, your husband may decide to do it for yet another "one more year." Or he may not. You just do your very best, pray hard, and leave the rest to God to sort out.
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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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JuliaT
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| Posted: April 14 2007 at 4:40pm | IP Logged
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I agree with Elizabeth. Take it one year at a time. During those years, pray. Your husband may change his mind as the years unfold. If he doesn't, you can defintely after-school the real learning way. My sister after-schools. She would love to homeschool but due to life's circumstances, she is not able. So she does activities through living books with my nephews on the weekends. This has worked out very nicely for them.
Blessings,
Julia
mom to 3(7,6,4)
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Juliainsk
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simplemama
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| Posted: April 14 2007 at 5:56pm | IP Logged
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Thank you both for your words of encouragment and for reminding me about being a prayerful wife while being submissive.
Julia, what types of things does your sister do after-school/weekends etc? Are the kids receptive even though they've been working in school all day?
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Nina Murphy
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| Posted: April 14 2007 at 6:06pm | IP Logged
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[QUOTE=Elizabeth] Never, is it a wife who does not submit to the will and discernment of her husband. That can't possibly be God's plan.
QUOTE]
Perfectly said!
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God bless,
~~Nina
mother of 9 on earth,
and 2 yet-to-be-met
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Nina Murphy
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| Posted: April 14 2007 at 6:18pm | IP Logged
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Simplemama,
I totally second what Elizabeth said!
On the personal front, for instance, my husband and I have prayerfully discerned and hope to be able to place our oldest two boys in a brand-new parent-run school at our FSSP parish here. It is just starting up and will be sooo small and difficult to get up and going, but will be worth it when it does, with the beautiful priests we have overseeing things and teaching religion, all the traditional devotions, classical model, etc. Because it is not funded by the diocese, it will also be costly, but it will also be more like a homeschool co-op with an implementation of a classical education, along the lines of Kolbe Academy (hopes to be  ).
BUT, having decided this does not mean that we are not a homeschooling family first and foremost and always will be. I have homeschooled since the beginning and I always will---but not right now, for us, not *everybody*. I have 8 children, 2 with special needs, and for *now*, this is a great, great blessing and opportunity for the boys.
In fact, being able to focus on only a few of the little ones' education (incl. one with some learning disorders) is going to be a relief for me....and I hope that relief will spill over on to every one else in the "atmosphere" it generates. CM is all about atmosphere. That is very important to me, and I think the mother sets it in many ways.
You are in the Spirit...you have a beautiful vision for your family....it's going to be blessed!
Be one with your husband...that's the TICKET!
(My husband, who was adamantly against schooling of any kind at all for *years*, is the one who now is really supporting and behind our little school and who even did it's website!) Things change....TRUST.
__________________
God bless,
~~Nina
mother of 9 on earth,
and 2 yet-to-be-met
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Karen T
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| Posted: April 14 2007 at 6:31pm | IP Logged
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And my husband was adamantly against homeschooling (primarily b/c of a few local families we knew) but changed his mind after oldest ds went through 5th grade in public school. Even then, he wasn't entirely on board with the homeschooling idea but agreed to let me try it for a year, and now 3 yrs later he is completely convinced and way more supportive than I ever dreamed he'd be.
So yes, just take it a year at a time, but don't feel like you have to cram so much into that one year to "prove it to your husband" that you end up burned out (or your child does)
Karen
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helene
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| Posted: April 14 2007 at 7:46pm | IP Logged
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When our first child was Kindergarten ageI was the reluctant one....but after the one year I was convinced. She was reading so much we had to remind her to stop and eat! She is still a crazy lovely bookworm and has made my job easy. Take it one year at a time, one semester at a time, one month or one moment at a time if need be. We go by way of little streams and who knows where this journey may take you (or your husband!). God bless all your efforts.
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Happy Mom to five girls (20,17,13,11and 4) and five boys (19, 15, 10, 8 and 6)
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KerryK
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| Posted: April 14 2007 at 9:01pm | IP Logged
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Hi,
I am also new around here. I am just beginning the homeschooling journey with me son (4th grade) this week. We are pulling him out of the catholic school for various reasons, but my 6 year old dd will remain there for the rest of the year. My DH was VERY opposed to homeschooling a year ago. Over time, he has come to consider, and, finally, to accept the idea as being good for our family. It has taken a lot of time, a lot of learning, and a lot of prayer...but we are now officially on our way, so it can happen!
I first read the Real Learning book last August, and it really inspired me to make the most of the time I had with me kids, even while they were in school. We've done much more reading together this year, as well as science projects, nature projects, etc. It really does begin to just permeate your life, and it becomes natural to your kids to be learning all the time.
Good luck!
__________________
Kerry
Mom to
Matthew (10)
Mary (6)
New baby Samuel 2/26/07!
and 9 angels in heaven
The Eyes of My Heart
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simplemama
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| Posted: April 14 2007 at 9:56pm | IP Logged
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It is so good to hear that most don't have an all or none type of attitude here. I was almost afraid to post this in case everyone was totally against any type of schooling other than homeschool. I think it is true that God has unique plans for each and everyone of us. And those plans are not always written in stone. So I am feeling encouraged that it is ok to just take it as it comes. I just hope that I never get to the point that I want to put my kids in school just so I can have 'my life back' as I hear so many other moms say.
Right now my dh is so against the idea he will not hardly even read or listen to much about it. he is ok with doing it for the next few years. So I am just going to back off with trying to make him learn what I have learned. He will just have to be a doubting Thomas maybe! :) Which is fine.
Only God knows how both of our hearts will evolve as time goes on.
Thank you thank you all though for all the support!
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Karen E.
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| Posted: April 15 2007 at 8:44am | IP Logged
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As a bit of encouragement ...
The year our oldest was in Kindergarten, I was convinced about homeschooling, but my husband was not. He was going through RCIA that year, but "only to listen, NOT to join the Church," he said.
Well, by the end of that school year, he not only came into the Church, but he was more than ready to start homeschooling. And he's a public school teacher. 
I agree with the others to take it one piece at a time and keep praying and trusting God to lead. Prayers for your journey!
__________________
God bless,
Karen E.
mom to three on earth, and several souls in God's care
Visit my blog, with its shockingly clever title, "Karen Edmisten."
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JuliaT
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| Posted: April 15 2007 at 4:04pm | IP Logged
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Simplemama,
My sister mostly does history, science and art with my nephew. These are the areas in which he is not educated the way my sister would like him to be educated, so she supplements. They do acivities on the weekend so it is 'fun stuff' not 'school stuff.' For science they mostly do experiments. She bought Disovering Great Artists for Art and uses those activities as well as living books on artists. For Christmas last year, I bought him Story of the World (it is a history book about Ancient Civilizations) a few living books and an activity book on Ancient Egyptians. So they can use this as well.
My nephew loves doing the activities because it's not like 'sit in your seat' school work. As I said before, it's 'fun stuff.'
Blessings,
Julia
mom to 3 (7,6,4)
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Juliainsk
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simplemama
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| Posted: April 16 2007 at 10:23pm | IP Logged
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Thanks Julia,
It helps to know that others find ways to be creative as they can. It sounds like your nephews might have more fun learning with your sister than at school! :) It's good they have that time with their mom.
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: all or none?
