It's been
about 6 months since I last blogged. So much has gone on this year, but this
last six months has been absolutely jammed.
I did end up doing a very light, abbreviated version of school for the
kids. We also spent quite a lot of time running in the sprinkler, swinging on
the swing set, visiting the library, and doing a lot of art projects. There were also a lot more movies than I
allow during the school year. Summer is our wet season in the waaaay south, and
it rains like clockwork every afternoon, if not all day. We would get outside while the weather would
allow, but we had to entertain ourselves indoors a lot. Raise your hand if you
know how hard it is to keep a three and four year old inside 24/7. Bless your
heart, I feel your pain. ;) But in all seriousness, while it was a challenge,
it was also a lot of fun.
Fall
arrived (on the calendar anyhow) and
with it, the official start of school. While I have been using Sonlight K
loosely for my four year-old, I have been doing all sorts of things with my
baby (well, she's three but she is my baby). Like I mentioned in the
previous post, I ordered a Letter of the Week curriculum for her. She flew
through that so fast she was finished with it by the end of the first quarter.
Honestly, I was thrilled and horrified. I love that she is so bright, but I was really frustrated that I'd picked the "wrong" curriculum again, and that she was finished with it already.
But wait;
isn't this homeschool thing about making the choice that is best for your
individual child? My kids have loved their school time, and they don't
seem to think I made the wrong choice. Little Girl loved every minute of
her LOTW curriculum, she just mastered it much more quickly than I had
anticipated. So, where did this "wrong" label come from? Oh, yeah. Me.
There is this huge pressure out there to make sure we do it all just
right and, if we are honest with ourselves, we will own up to our own role in
it. I have never once had someone
question my curriculum choice, or if Big Girl and Little Girl are learning
enough. I have never had anyone tell me I am a failure as a mother or a parent
because I homeschool. No one has ever said that my kids have to learn faster or
more than the homeschool families on the Internet forums. There is a little
competition on some of those forums, but I really think it is our own faults.
We lay that guilt trip and that pressure on ourselves. Once we realize that,
there is this beautiful freedom to be had.
So once
we have that freedom, what do we do with it? You make the choice that is best
for your family. You do it thoughtfully, and reasonably, and you walk in the
freedom that you are their parent and you know how they will learn better than
anyone else in the world. Other than
Jesus, of course. ;)
I want to
share some tips for planning your school year and choosing curriculum.
Hopefully it will help you as much as it is helping me.
1:
First step in planning and choosing: Don't!
I don't
mean don't pick anything at all, of course, but I do mean don't think you have
to plan and pick everything for the whole year at once. Who said you have to buy all your work in
August? Yes, it's exciting and those curriculum companies are so good at
calling you right up and helping you pick everything you "need",
but just don't. When you buy everything
at once you feel like you have everything you need AND that you you have to fit
it all in. I don't have to tell you that
your child is unique and special and marches to the beat of their own
drum. Just plan the first quarter, and
see how it goes. You will have to
adjust the plan, and that's okay!!
2:
Be Honest with Yourself!
Take a
really good look at how your family functions.
How does your day unfold? Are you
the kind of family that likes to rise and shine early in the morning, or would
you sooner blow someone up for talking to you before you've had your coffee? Do
your little ones like to get out and run off their energy a bit before you start
your lessons, or do you find that if you don't start right away you'll never
get their attention back? What kind of
climate do you live in? Is it so hot in the afternoon that you can't play
outside after 10 am? Is it too cold to
play outside until 3 pm and you have to keep everyone indoors until then? How
long can your kids sit still without getting the fidgets? Do they like
workbooks, or would they rather you read to them all day long? Do crafts make the lesson sink in or does
music? Maybe it's videos or computer
games that make the concept stick. Chances are, you've already been organizing
your day in the way that is best for your family. If you struggle to function
before ten, and your little ones really really love to watch Peg+Cat on PBS,
why on earth would you pick to organize your school day to start at 8 and
require you to teach math concepts before the caffeine has wakened your brain?
Start when it's best for everyone. You're homeschooling: you can do that. :) If your little one loves writing in
workbooks, like mine do, then feel good about using a workbook based
curriculum. If they thrive on unit
studies, awesome! Pick that. Do what your family loves, and own it.
3:
Be realistic!
When
considering what you are going to do that year, consider what you can
realistically accomplish. If you are on
a very tight budget, understand that you might not be able to do field trips to
the zoo and the aquarium, buy a cupboard full of art supplies, and still afford
a bookcase full of reading material. But
you could visit a local farm, the fire station, and the local historian
instead, buy a few really good art staples, and become best friends with the
public Librarian. You'd be surprised at the books you can get your hands on for
free. Also, be realistic in how much you
can accomplish in one year. Be flexible with your kids and yourself. See step one: If you plan a little bit at a
time, you will have a much better grasp on this. I also have to stress that you don't make
lofty goals just because you are certain that you can rise to the
occasion. You probably could do it for
awhile, but you will wear yourself out. Just be realistic, stretching
yourselves just a little at a time. You can accomplish so much if you just keep
taking small steps.
I hope that saves you a little bit of trauma and drama. What kind of tips or questions do you have?
