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Jess
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| Posted: May 06 2009 at 7:35pm | IP Logged
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when your children ask to have different kinds of lessons (that they see a lot of their friends doing) that your family can't afford right now and probably won't be able to for a long time?
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God bless,
Jess
+JMJ+
wife to dh('96)
mama to dd(13), dd(11), ds(9), dd(6), and dd (2), and baby girl born Sept 14!
star cottage
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guitarnan
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| Posted: May 06 2009 at 8:32pm | IP Logged
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We're military homeschoolers too. Sometimes it is very hard to hold things together when Dad is gone or his schedule is unpredicatable, and all these difficulties are yours to handle.
You know, dealing with a deployment is plenty for now. I'm sure that if you gently explain to the older children that with Dad gone and money needed for basic things like food and clothing and a new baby, they will understand, at least a little.
One thing I've been kicking around for my own dd (who wants to go to all kinds of activities this summer) is an "at home" camp where she and I can focus for a few hours each day on, say, sewing or cooking projects...this will be hard for me, because I get distracted, but giving her the gift of my time is about all I can do this summer. (She wants a purebred dog...not likely right now...!!!)
Another low cost idea for summer would be either to check some videos out of the library that teach the things your children would like to learn, or to do a week of just-fun stuff, like visiting a different park in your area every weekday for a couple of hours. (We did this last time we lived in this area and the kids had a blast...and boy, did they nap!) Another summer when dh was deployed, we went to a different free military museum in Hampton Roads, VA, every other Saturday.
You may not be able to afford weekly lessons all year round - and you aren't alone in that, by any means - but you can think up some special things that you can manage and do for your children.
{{{hugs}}} I sure know how you feel!
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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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Anne
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| Posted: May 07 2009 at 5:47am | IP Logged
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Nancy,
What great advice.  Like Jess, we too struggle with the kids wanting to have it all. I am going to really think about the home camp idea. I will be watching other responses as well.
Blessings,
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Anne in TN
WIFE to Brett (91)
MOM to Rebecca(97), Catherine (99), Grace (99), Stephen (00) & 2 Angels in Heaven.
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stellamaris
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| Posted: May 07 2009 at 6:08am | IP Logged
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What about trading skills with other moms in your same situation? For example, perhaps another mom can give your daughter music lessons and you can give her child cooking or French lessons (whatever your special knowledge is). In our local parish, we have often "traded" in this way. One year my dd's friend's mother taught a book club, and I taught an ancient history class. It was fun for the girls and met the need for an "outside" class and also a little social interaction, while contributing directly to our academic program. It's kind of a mini-co-op! I found that including one or two friends in the class made me more accountable, the class more interesting, and provided what my 12 yr old dd was really looking for-an opportunity to get together with her friends! You could do this without the trade aspect, too, by just organizing your own little class.
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In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to  dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
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Topic: how do you deal with...
