a blurb about homeschool

homeschooling has been a good experience this year.  we're not done yet of course, but we do have great incentive to finish asap ... water park!!  we are equally excited for that.


besides the academic development, we're learning a lot about each other.  many days have been tough, but the daily communication, patience, and respect that is required for such a thing has brought our relationship to a whole new level.  if he were in school, he'd be building this with his teacher and with other kids ... which isn't bad, but me loving my kid so much, I'm just glad its with me this year.  next year might be a different story ... not the loving my kid part, but you know ...


we do school work M-F ... that's the plan anyway.  it seems whenever hubby is around, there is a tendency that schoolwork gets pushed to the side because something else comes up - errands to run, a spontaneous special trip, or whatever.  but that's the beauty of homeschool I suppose.  we missed yesterday, so Saturday schoolwork it is.  but even if we didn't miss it, I have no problem doing work on the weekends.  if you only have 2 hours a work a day, then we probably SHOULD do it on the weekends anyway!


I give Sam multiple "warnings" that school time is starting soon.  he needs this constant heads up to mentally prep for it ... half the time this seems to work.  the other half, I get lots of whining "I don't wanna!"  "schoolwork is boring!"  haven't found a cure for that.  I did not go to school to become a teacher, I don't have lots of tricks or special projects to do, I am close to clueless on adding fun to work.  I am very much a by-the-book person, so unfortunately for Sam, this is more like how I teach, using mostly workbooks.


I can easily to get discouraged because there are many blogs and websites dedicated to crafts, projects, experiments, etc to do every single day.  it seems more people are "unschooling" their kids, and it leaves me to wonder if that's better.  sometimes I can see where/when it is, but I always come back to reading, writing, and arithmatic.

I try to limit my reading time to those blogs ... no offense of course.


luckily for everyone I'm not a complete idiot - hahaha - and we do have craft time and take trips to the zoo, but overall, its the workbooks .... but you know what, it works.  this kid is SMART!


I am actually typing this in-between helping Sam with his work ... so apparently I need to vent, just not to him.
it HAS been a good experience, and I mean that.  it's very awesome to be able to watch him grow this way.  and even with the very difficult days, I'd still recommend parents try homeschooling.  its still worth it ... just don't read my blog to tell you how to do it!

1 comment:

Morgan said...

I'm still very much figuring out how to homeschool, but I love the process, too. And, I'm totally with you on sticking to the basics and adding in the fun stuff, too. Unschooling is definitely not for us. I love the classical education model and have mostly been doing that. What are you guys thinking for school next year?

Oh, and Finley has definitely been following that stereo-type. She's such a little talker!