How's this for great parenting? Tonight I promised Jane that if she swept the kitchen floor I would let her pick what we had for dinner and she could make it. She choose mac and cheese and did a fabulous job! She's a keeper for sure.
Have you been asking yourself over and over again why I am homeschooling? Join the club! It has been chaotic craziness around here that last two days. This morning I shoved William out the door to purchase a new laptop with the money we got from selling our beloved Toyota Camry so the girls can work simultaneously on assignments. We have been working non-stop it seems and it feels like we are only falling further behind.
Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow is a new day. I just keep repeating this to myself. Oh, and It will only get better, or Things will slow down and even We can catch up....and possibly get ahead.
Drowning, you ask? Why yes, I reply. I've got Kate eating Poke Berries and drinking Fluoride (I've called poison control twice since Friday) while smearing sidewalk chalk into a huge mess just outside the kitchen door on the wet cement while dragging millions of grains of sand from one end of the house to the other, which I have been informed by William is the worst possible thing for our hardwood floors. Do you think I really care about the floors at this point? You are right....I don't. But to please William I ran the Swiffer over the gritty floor a zillion times while trying to coach the girls through lessons all day long. To set the record straight, he never said a word about it...I just didn't want him to. I've got Hank begging for computer time like his sisters get all day and I have Walter, sweet thing, growing like a weed, nursing constantly and still refusing solid foods.
Can someone please tell me why you let me do this to myself? Calm down, I know. It's really not so bad. It's just the first two days and I'm trying to learn a whole new system (with five kids in tow) while still trying to live my real life. Tomorrow is mutual, Saturday is Super Saturday and we have lessons to complete and submit.
Since many have asked, I will try to answer the question that I am currently asking myself. Why did I decide to homeschool? Many reasons come to mind. Truthfully, I really do like my local school here. We have nice, competent teachers and staff and great kids. The principal cares about the students and the girls were doing pretty well....except that.....Jane was coming home with an attitude that seemed to get worse each day. The fighting between siblings was increasing and I felt like I was losing my little girls to the world. I know it sounds like I am overreacting...and I might be...but by the time they got home from school at 4:00 we only had a limited amount of time to parent our children. I was asking myself questions like, "Who is Jane influenced by most at school? Does she know it's okay to just be herself and not fit in with the popular crowd? How can I improve my relationship with Jane? Why are we doing an hour of math homework after school when she's been at school for 7 hours already? Why does it seem like Jane is not being taught these concepts in the classroom? Is she not listening in class, or does she not understand and there is not time to explain? Am I going to be hot-lined (reported to Child Services) for taking my family to Oregon for Thanksgiving because they will miss too much school? Is Claire challenged by the courses she is taking? Why does Claire want to homeschool? Will I look back when they are teenagers and wish I had tried my hand at homeschooling while they were young?"
I think I'm blabbing a little too much now. It really just came down to the fact that I kept feeling like this was what our family needed right now. I can't explain it, but it seemed to always be on my mind. The ball really started rolling when William suggested homeschool for Jane before I had even breathed a word of my feelings to him.
When we finally get the hang of it....please let it be soon....I think we will all be a little more at ease and actually enjoy this homeschooling experience. As of the moment, I am not answering the phone, reading books for leisure or doing any family history.
On a positive note, Jane and Claire absolutely love their French lessons online and I can use this as a reward if they complete other assignments.
I bet you want to hear all about my poison control experience and how we sold our Camry in 5 minutes. Maybe I'll tell it tomorrow...maybe.
Have you been asking yourself over and over again why I am homeschooling? Join the club! It has been chaotic craziness around here that last two days. This morning I shoved William out the door to purchase a new laptop with the money we got from selling our beloved Toyota Camry so the girls can work simultaneously on assignments. We have been working non-stop it seems and it feels like we are only falling further behind.
Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow is a new day. I just keep repeating this to myself. Oh, and It will only get better, or Things will slow down and even We can catch up....and possibly get ahead.
Drowning, you ask? Why yes, I reply. I've got Kate eating Poke Berries and drinking Fluoride (I've called poison control twice since Friday) while smearing sidewalk chalk into a huge mess just outside the kitchen door on the wet cement while dragging millions of grains of sand from one end of the house to the other, which I have been informed by William is the worst possible thing for our hardwood floors. Do you think I really care about the floors at this point? You are right....I don't. But to please William I ran the Swiffer over the gritty floor a zillion times while trying to coach the girls through lessons all day long. To set the record straight, he never said a word about it...I just didn't want him to. I've got Hank begging for computer time like his sisters get all day and I have Walter, sweet thing, growing like a weed, nursing constantly and still refusing solid foods.
Can someone please tell me why you let me do this to myself? Calm down, I know. It's really not so bad. It's just the first two days and I'm trying to learn a whole new system (with five kids in tow) while still trying to live my real life. Tomorrow is mutual, Saturday is Super Saturday and we have lessons to complete and submit.
Since many have asked, I will try to answer the question that I am currently asking myself. Why did I decide to homeschool? Many reasons come to mind. Truthfully, I really do like my local school here. We have nice, competent teachers and staff and great kids. The principal cares about the students and the girls were doing pretty well....except that.....Jane was coming home with an attitude that seemed to get worse each day. The fighting between siblings was increasing and I felt like I was losing my little girls to the world. I know it sounds like I am overreacting...and I might be...but by the time they got home from school at 4:00 we only had a limited amount of time to parent our children. I was asking myself questions like, "Who is Jane influenced by most at school? Does she know it's okay to just be herself and not fit in with the popular crowd? How can I improve my relationship with Jane? Why are we doing an hour of math homework after school when she's been at school for 7 hours already? Why does it seem like Jane is not being taught these concepts in the classroom? Is she not listening in class, or does she not understand and there is not time to explain? Am I going to be hot-lined (reported to Child Services) for taking my family to Oregon for Thanksgiving because they will miss too much school? Is Claire challenged by the courses she is taking? Why does Claire want to homeschool? Will I look back when they are teenagers and wish I had tried my hand at homeschooling while they were young?"
I think I'm blabbing a little too much now. It really just came down to the fact that I kept feeling like this was what our family needed right now. I can't explain it, but it seemed to always be on my mind. The ball really started rolling when William suggested homeschool for Jane before I had even breathed a word of my feelings to him.
When we finally get the hang of it....please let it be soon....I think we will all be a little more at ease and actually enjoy this homeschooling experience. As of the moment, I am not answering the phone, reading books for leisure or doing any family history.
On a positive note, Jane and Claire absolutely love their French lessons online and I can use this as a reward if they complete other assignments.
I bet you want to hear all about my poison control experience and how we sold our Camry in 5 minutes. Maybe I'll tell it tomorrow...maybe.
5 comments:
I completely understand why you're homeschooling! You've inspired me to keep that option open. Your doing great!
Marie, you are doing a fantastic job...but I have to say, this is the first time I've seen misspellings in your posts and I know it's because you are FRANTIC right now. :) (for me however, I frequently have words spelled wrong).
You are doing something that I have only dared THINK about! we'll see what the future holds. Keep up your good work, at least you know your priorities are in line.
love ya!
You are a better woman than I. More power to you!
I think what you are doing is so admirable. I have toyed with the idea of homeschooling ever since Lainey was age 3 and I still have moments where I think it is best. My reasons are the same as yours. Lainey is at school more hours than she gets with me and her attitude has been changing. It scares me to see how much the outside influences affect their temperament and attitude in our home. I feel like my example and influence is so minimal [lack of quality time] compared to others that I feel powerless. I have tried to do as many activities with them as I can to help with this but it's not enough. Lainey's attitude was dramatically better when summer break came. She had been talking very disrespectful and snotty during the school year and I finally got my Lainey back just two weeks after being home! Wow, that was a wake up call that school is having a negative impact.
My friend who homeschools said she has to view success by the week and not the day. There are some days nothing gets accomplished that she planned but as long as the work was done within the week it's great.
Have your read the book "A Thomas Jefferson Education?" It converts many people to homeschooling and almost has me converted. Almost...
We'll see.....
I think what you are doing is great! Chad and I have always kept that open as an option. Our 5-year old Grady is such a creative spirit and I would hate to see it changed by his peers. So far he is doing great in his kindergarten class but I have always wondered if my kids will end up outside of the public school system someday. There really is no greater responsibility than being a parent and you are definitely walkin the walk.
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