| Author | |
LLMom
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 19 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 995
|
| Posted: March 19 2005 at 10:47am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
I wasn't sure where to put this. We are finishing up our 10th year of homeschooling. I have always been very relaxed, CM type but the last few years have been very difficult with having some many babies. I now have 7 from newborn to 9th grade age. I find that I am just plain worn out from a real lifestyle of learning. I am tired of writing plans,keeping records, I am tired of little ones interrupting read a loud time, narrations, hands on projects etc. (There is only so much nap time) I am tired of the children whining even if I have gone to the trouble of making something more interesting or hands on. It doesn't seem to matter whether it is a workbook or a diction--- to them it is all work and they just want to get through it and get on with their stuff. So, this coming year, I am going to go with a canned curriculum for the first time. I hope its not a mistake but I want someone to plan for me. I want to add in living books and hands on stuff when I am able but I am tired of it all. Does anyone ever get this way? I think it is the demand of all of the various age differences and my one special needs child. My children are just far enough apart that they really can't work on the same level in many subjects except history, science, art, etc.
__________________
Lisa
For veteran & former homeschool moms
homeschooling ideas
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
lilac hill
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 15 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 643
|
| Posted: March 19 2005 at 12:04pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Lisa,
I have no words of wisdom, my homeschooling demands are far less than yours, but you do have my prayers.
I have used a combination of homeschooling styles.
When providing elder care in the past, I appreciated having the less "Mom hands on stuff" for the days when my schedule spun out of control. I also appreciated not having to decide everything. I felt as if I had too many decisions already.With the elder care I felt as if I was on a cycle of burn out and recovery for at least 2 years. BTW Elizabeth's words on burnout contributed to my recovery, every time even though I did not implement her exact program of study the attitudes passed on really helped.. Rick and I read them together.
When we began homeschooling 6 years ago an experienced homeschooler told me to write down, with my husband, why we homeschooled. She said I would need it later, and of course she was right, we needed the focus.
Does changing to a purchased curriculum change the reason you homeschool?
Prayerfully, Viv
__________________
Viv
Wife to Rick (7/83), Mom to dd#1(6/87), dd#2(1/90), and dd#3(6/94) in central PA.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
materdei7
Forum Pro
Joined: Feb 16 2005
Location: Washington
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 149
|
| Posted: March 19 2005 at 1:23pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Lisa,
I shall keep you in prayer as you decern this part of your schooling needs. I have gone through many changes, adjustments,and burn-outs in the over 11 years of homeschooling, and can tell you in all honesty :I am not an expert!" But, the one thing I have learned is that these are normal situations; we probably have all experienced, no matter how many things life has in store for each of us. This time of the year is always the burn-out time for me  , and if you have a new little one, sleep is like gold right about now. I started out doing lots of hands-on projects with my oldest at the start homeschooling, even took in other homeschooling children in a co-op....then went to a canned program, a few years of this, tried another to fine tune that ...had more of my own to teach with each
passing year....
then Laura Burquist,and then CM. Each has it's time and place for my journey with the children as I hope to place them on the path to heaven.....that is my goal.
For homeschooling is ,for the majority of the time, a great joy! I enjoy the family chaos at times and at other times when we are sick  or tired or dealing with other stresses it can seem like a thorn that it penetrating the heart  ...Prayer and Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament at your church may be helpful....then listen for a answer....Our Divine Savior is there to help you whatever you decide to do for your family. Even though I do not know you personally, I support your decision and pray for you and your family. Congratulations on your new arrival and may God reward you!
Warmly,
Kathleen
__________________
Kathleen, mother of five on earth, three in heaven.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
materdei7
Forum Pro
Joined: Feb 16 2005
Location: Washington
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 149
|
| Posted: March 19 2005 at 1:33pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Lisa, Also check out the thread WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE?,
just beneath this thread, and read the piece by Elizabeth. It is a touching piece that I think we can all relate to.
Blessings and St. Joseph, protector and guardian of the family, Pray for us!
Kathleen
__________________
Kathleen, mother of five on earth, three in heaven.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Willa
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 28 2005
Location: California
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3881
|
| Posted: March 19 2005 at 10:36pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Dear Lisa,
I'm a mum to 7 too, and we are just finishing our 11th year homeschooling. Plus, I have a special needs child too. For the reasons you describe I go back and forth from more-structured to more-real-learning. Right now I'm just trying to swing back to more-real-learning.
What I find is that when we are doing more real-learning, more seems to slide and everything "feels" more chaotic. And the kids sometimes do complain and when I've really TRIED to make it interesting, their negativity really hurts. But on the other hand, when I go to structured, we end up with a get-it-done, compartmentalized "work/play" mentality and that's conducive to burnout too.
I haven't found the answer unless that IS the answer -- to try different things at different times in life and mostly, focus on trying to meet the needs of the kids and the family without sacrificing your own peace of mind and joy. I used to feel so unstable and disorganized because I'd switch from one "mode" to another and sometimes I still feel that way, but I'm starting to see that this could also be a healthy rhythm in homeschooling, at least for some people. My oldest is just graduating after 11 years of this cycling and I can see how both the more structured times and the more relaxed times have helped him develop. But honestly, I do think the more relaxed times, when they "work", are better. It's just that they don't always seem to be "working" because I'm not forcing the pace and there are times when it doesn't seem like anything is happening at all.
I like Viv's idea of having a Plan B for days when you just need to deal with life. And as Kathleen says, prayer and adoration are a big help for re-focusing on your original vision.
One compromise I've sometimes tried is having 2 or 3 subjects be fairly structured and "canned", like perhaps math and a foreign language, and then be more flexible on the rest of the subjects. Then I can feel we are progressing in certain key areas while not giving up rabbit trails and delight-directed learning altogether.
__________________
AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
BrendaPeter
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 28 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 981
|
| Posted: March 20 2005 at 2:31pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hi Lisa,
I have 6 children, 10 1/2 down to 4 1/2 months. Presently we're in the process of selling our current house & building a new one. It's amazing to think that God is calling our family to homeschool in the midst of all that!
I just hope I can help in some way. A few thoughts came to me that I wanted to share. 1st of all, have you read "A Mother's Rule of Life"? I'm not done with it myself but I think there are some very good ideas in it, especially the idea of a schedule which incorporates the priorities (like prayer) in the proper order.
We've been homeschooling for 6 years and have gone from MODG & the classical curriculum and have slowly added CM. These days I find myself adding in a workbook here & there. I just recently bought my 2 oldest an English workbook from Seton & they & I love it!! My kids don't always appreciate my efforts like yours, so that makes the workbook thing even funnier.
I also want to mention that my closest friend has 8 children, 11 1/2 & under, and she has always used Seton. She spends absolutely no time looking into this curriculum or that curriculum. She just follows Seton & is so happy that they do it for her! Her kids are doing very well in school and are very happy overall. This has been good for me to see 1st hand.
So, at the moment, the kids are doing all the basics in the morning in more of a "traditional" way. They do math (MUS), latin (Latin Christiana), spelling, sometimes dictation, handwriting/copywork, drawing, memory work (latin, poetry, catechism) and grammar (workbook). Our afternoons are more CM in style. That's when we'll do science, which we lapbook very slowly, and history, which we put into a book of centuries. I figure those are the subjects that we can have fun with.
I've learned during these past 6 years that every mom has a certain style and that things go more smoothly when mom goes with that style. In our house, we need to do science & history in a more fun way so that mom doesn't suffer from burnout. I've also learned that there is a "discipline" to certain things that sometimes just need to be done (that's our morning work). Things also depend sometimes on the child & the sex of the child. My oldest 2 are boys & they tend to be more sloppy in the writing area - in both grammar & in handwriting itself. I've had to really consciously work on that with them. I'm not a school teacher by profession and I let alot slip through the cracks with my oldest 2 that we're trying to "fix" at this later stage.
Before I digress too much, my main thought is that you really have to do what works for your family - & that may be a "canned curriculum" for a little while or maybe longer. Just keep praying & God will make things clear.
Blessings,
Brenda (3 boys, 3 girls)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: too tired for Real learning
