Ok, here's the deal...I started homeschooling my 15 and13 year old boys this year. This came after 3 years of battling the PS over bullying issues,to no avail. Anyway, this school year has passed so quickly it seems,and I don't feel like we've done enough. We've had times when we didn't do much at all. Have I totally messed up? Can I make up for lost time? Now, my oldest is talking about wanting to go to PS next school year, and I'm freaking out, thinking...if he goes, and doesn't do well on a placement test, it will reflect poorly on me. He didn't do well on the TAKS testing in PS, EVER. He failed it every year, and they passed him to the next grade anyway. I'm just sweating it, thinking how I haven't done enough, I didn't push them enough, I wasn't prepared enough. Someone please tell me I haven't ruined them
Relax.. you did FINE!!! We all have that "we are failing our kids" feelings!! You are doing the best for your kids, and yes you can make up for lost time. Remember homeschooled kids don't require 8-9 hours a day of instruction! Here is the philosophy I have come up with on why I'm homeschooling.. and what my goals are. I don't care if we miss something in history or science.. as long as my kids know how to read well, figure out math in daily life and if they want to know or need to know something they know how to find the answers.. even if it means learning something way above their heads and spending a lifetime researching that one thing. (((hugs)))
You haven't ruined your kids. (((( )))) The way I scheduled school was like this............DISCLAIMER: Of course this what worked for me, it is not engraved in stone, if someone does not do it like me does not mean they are doing it wrong, this is just worked for me and me only, no judgements on what others are doing, this worked for me. I bought the curriculum for the particular grade level and we were required to do 172 days per years, averaging 4 hours per day. 1. I looked at each book, 2. Divided the # of pages with the # of days we were required to do per year 3. And that is how many pages we must accomplish each day in order to complete the mission and stay on track. I had to do it that way to make sure in my own mind that I was doing everything required for my ds' for that particular school year. Of course there were some days that I was sick and didn't feel like doing school that day so I would do school from the couch but we always got it done. For me, I need structure and my own perceived self-discipline otherwise things will be too chaotic for me. (((( )))) You will be surpised just how well your kids will do. It's just the fear of the unknown. They will do well, give yourself a pat on the back, put your feet up, enjoy some iced tea with lime and bask in the feeling you and your kids accomplished a lot.
okay first of all you spent a year with your teens, that in itself stops you from failure! Secondly,--- mission accomplished they learned with out fear! Third--- dont worry about the placement tests! Some people dont do welll on them. My ds scored 4 years behind on his placement test and turned otu in Advanced classes once they had class in session! There are things that stress kids out on them, so no worries on that one okay? Fourthly--- Your kids probably learned more than they would have in PS at those ages as they tend to do more socialising in class than learning.. if I remember right. I see more kids with homework because they do not do work in class than anything else. So be happy you have given them a year to regroup, to rebuild and strengthen the joy of learning in thier hearts! They will be better off for it regardless as to what any test scores say! GOOD JOB MOM!
I'm in Texas, so I'm not required to keep certain records, or attend a certain number of days and so forth. It's up to me. And to be honest, I'm a little ADD myself, and I can go to the dining room to get their math book, and end up dusting the furniture LOL, which leads to vacuuming, which leads to rearranging the bookshelf You get the idea. If I had to keep records and stuff of that nature, it might be a little more helpful, because I would be held accountable. Whereas, I'm accountable to myself, doesn't help me much. My DH wants a "school at home" type atmosphere. Where me and the boys enjoy sitting on the patio, with their laptops, or workbooks, whatever I wanna do that day. So, he can sometimes make me feel like I'm not doing it "right". He doesn't mean it that way, but it comes across that way. I see things this way....if my kiddos can do math, read well and spell correctly, do I really care if they know what makes the light come on, or about every battle ever fought, if that is not their interest. We touch on history and science, but nothing too indepth. This coming up school year I will be more prepared, because I have the time to research a curriculum, last year we had intentions of the boys going to PS and 2 days into the school year we pulled them out. So I kind of dove into this blindly. Over all I've enjoyed this year, it's been very interesting. The battles have been less. We used to fight with my oldest one every morning to go to school, he missed so many days it wasn't funny. He HATED school. And if nothing else, this year has been a year to regroup, and to reflect. I'm having one of those days, as I'm sure many of you have had, where I'm not exactly feeling like "SUPER HOMESCHOOL MOM". Thanks for all your support and kind words. It's nice to know I'm not alone
mammas boys, you are great! I think that part of homeschooling and housework at the same time haha! I get the books out, set them up and then forget to call him to get started. This morning he is watchhing the mAgnificent 7 while creating with lego.. We have been studying the California Missions so I told him to look at the adobe buildings the way the bricks are set up, we want our Mission San Jose to look like this! I made it school! School starts in 6 minutes here but he is learning! plus he is learning about hwo movies were done back in the day... education is all around you! Math will be set up in a minute along with English and History.
:lol: I love this comment. I think it's true there are many parents out there that wouldn't make it through a year with their teens at home!
Being that this was your first year.. you did exactly what many do for their first year.... they DESCHOOL... it's a process of getting over the whole "school looks like school" thing, regroup, find their way etc. We just finished up our 3rd year.. and guess what.. we have had to deschool ourselves from homeschooling a few times! Your view of education is pretty close to mine
I think you did a wonderful job with the boys and they will do just find. Find out what works for you all and go from there. Looks like the boys learned alot and you did a wonderful job teaching. Hang in there.
This is your first year. You can't expect to "correct" all the crap they've picked up from the PS in just one year! Give them time...and LOVE...and lots of patience. I've heard a gal that reviews portfolios say that she would hear again and again moms say in your position, "We didn't get much school work done, but I got my kid back!" That's much more important!
MommasBoys, I felt like that bringing my boys home in December. For my oldest, it was coming back home. I felt like I totally screwed up his 2nd and 3rd grade years. Now, I'm feeling better and trying to fill in the gaps that I can see. But this is one of the beauties of homeschooling: You and your children set the pace for learning and NOT the public school system. One thing that has helped us is the recent implementation of a weekly goals sheet. I take each subject that each of my boys is working on and set out what they are to accomplish on a weekly and daily basis. If they collect a checkmark for each subject for each day, they get to stay up a bit later and if everything (except the friday spelling test) gets done by dinner time on Thursday, they each get a really late bedtime for their respective age. It gives me a sense of order (I'm prone to being scatterbrained, too) and them a real sense of accomplishment to see all the red checkmarks on their goals sheet. The other ladies are so right about you surviving a year with your teens. I'm curious, though, as to what curriculum you're using?
Or at least they don't think they would! I think if they took their teens home and spent some time with them they would find out that teens are not so bad. I love em! HA! My own that is! Gonna miss the homeschool time with them when they graduate, but they will still be around!
There's the clincher!!! We are spending time with our kids. I know that there's plenty of kids that are NOT being homeschooled that do very well BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS SPEND TIME WITH THEM when they ARE home. To me, it's probably one of the most important things to invest into a child!
We've hs'd for 3 years (ds is 12) and one of the HUGE reasons was bullying. If you did nothing the first year you protected them from that! IMHO bullying is more destructive than we know, it does not "toughen" kids up and prepare them for real life- it does real, awful damage and my heart breaks for kids who have to get up in the morning and think of the terror and fear they have to face each day. As far as homeschooling- you will figure out what your kids need to learn. Don't panic! I didn't feel good about what we were doing until this year- my son and I got into a rhythm, I figured out how/what he enjoys learning and just didn't worry about the other stuff. It takes a long time to get out of the public school mentality- I'm not totally there yet but it gets better all the time. Jane
I posted a similar message 2 yrs ago We are nearing the end of our 3rd homeschooling year and I finally feel like we are getting somewhere! It does take a while to get into your own groove and "undo" what school did to them. Those feelings of failure are a lot less these days, but they do come back now and then. Its just a part of being a concerned parent! Try to relax and remember that we have all felt this way, keep plugging along:love:
I am also finishing up our first year...but next year will be a first also as I am keeping both boys home. I made some mistakes, and I definitely get they whole dh aspect. He want's me to be able to quantify everything. I am struggling to relax about writing and history...the subjects that I love and I can't understand why ds doesn't. I know I can get this kid interested...but it does take so much try and fail. (we did great on the greek gods...and actually the Roman wars are doing fairly well.) We have spent a lot of time on figuring out exactly what is causing his problems...how is his brain wired and how can we get around that? THAT has been worthwhile. We laugh about how he cannot remember names...(which really impacts vocabulary in EVERY subject) although he does pretty well with Greek gods and ancient weapons. "well mom, it is easy to remember if I am interested in it." (NO DUH!!) Keep on plugging. You can't stop your child from learning...
