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momtimesfour
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| Posted: Jan 28 2008 at 4:53pm | IP Logged
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I posted here because I'm not really looking for "how to" help yet... I'm just panicking and need to be talked down from my ledge.
For several years I put my own curriculum together - definitely more on the "schoolish" side than on the "real learning" side. Then I had switched to Sonlight. That was good, but very overwhelming - I discovered that if an instructor's guide says to do something, I feel the need to do it whether it's "extra" or not. Needless to say, combined with the actual parenting of the children and working from home, not to mention the bearing of more children, I burned out. We sent the kids to school for a year. Now that they're home, I know we just need to change how we "do school." But the thought of working up my own curriculum again is practically giving me hives. I'm not feeling up to the task of mothering or teaching and, well, what if I screw it up? (After 6 years of homeschooling, you'd think I'd be over this feeling!)
Just tell me I'm normal!
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Jan 28 2008 at 5:06pm | IP Logged
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you're normal.. and you can't screw it up in one year so badly that it's irredeemable 
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: Jan 28 2008 at 5:14pm | IP Logged
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Well, if I am normal, you are! 
No advice as I am constantly dealing with the same struggle. Just commiseration.
__________________
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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SusanJ
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| Posted: Jan 28 2008 at 8:05pm | IP Logged
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I always tell people who are panicking about curriculum and "doing it all" to read an unschooling book--preferably the most radical one you can find. John Holt, maybe? Someone here would probably have a good suggestion.
We don't plan to be radical unschoolers and I'm not suggesting that you go that route, either. But when you are feeling overwhelmed or burnt out or you've just had a bad day, month, year, you can take comfort in knowing that some people actually think this is not only a valid way to home educate but the BEST way. You might find that you love the approach, yourself, or that a little "deschooling" time would be good for your family, anyway.
But, prayers! I think it's actually pretty hard to screw up your kids. Dh and I say that every time we think about our families of origin.
Susan
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Mom to Joseph-8, Margaret-6, William-4, Gregory-2, and new little one due 11/1
Life Together
[URL=http://thejohnstonkids.blogspot.com]The Kids' Blog[/UR
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Jan 28 2008 at 8:36pm | IP Logged
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You are so very normal! Even the most confident of us have our doubts at times. My advice would be to listen to Elizabeth's conference talks. She has such a way of making you feel that everything is going to be ok.
Conference DVDs
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Anne
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| Posted: Jan 29 2008 at 6:43am | IP Logged
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You just wrote my story. We had our children in school for 18 months while I taught ps! 
Now we are HAPPILY back to HSing and I am selling the costly curriculum for much less than I paid because it just wasn't working. Around here we are just doing the basics and the fluff comes in where it can. Relax. Read a good HSing book, check out lots of books at the library for the kids and read read read! I think we all panic this time of year  I hope today is a better day!
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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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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Feeling Overwhelmed?
