It is hard to get out the public school mentality. We have been homeschooling for a year. We still believe in studying, giving weekly tests, grades, and having almost full days of school, and we probably aren't going to change that. However, when we take educational field trips, I always feel like that puts us behind, because we weren't sitting at home and doing traditional school work. Then I try to make up for the day that we lost. It's hard to remember that most of the field trips are educational, and they are days well spent. It's also hard to remember that we can always do school on the weekends, or in the afternoons. We do some of our lessons on the couch, but I had the boys do most of their assignments at the table. I have just recently relaxed enough to allow them to do their workbooks and assignments anywhere that is comfortable for them, like the floor. We also just started taking school work to the park on Fridays, but still, I always feel like we are behind, or have to do extra work during the week, to make up for half a day of school on Fridays. It's hard to think of life skills as part of homeschool too.
It is very hard, even when your kids have never been to a public school, if you have it's something that is engrained into you. I have been doing this 7 years, my oldest was in PS for K and 1st before we began our journey. My littles have always been home. When we started it was easier on him if we sort of followed what he was used to... so we did. I have sort of stuck with it, but at the same time I have relaxed a lot. If we don't get to something oh well, tomorrow is another day. We school year around. If we don't finish something by our official year end in May, then we continue it over the summer and into the fall if we need to.
One suggestion is when you plan out your year to plan in time for field trips and such, this way you will not feel behind. I plan my year on a 4 day schedule this way I have built in time for co-op and field trips. I also try to only plan 32-34 weeks if possible, giving us some additional wiggle room.
I know how you feel, but that's OK! We stick pretty much with the traditional "school" way of doing things. We are part of a large co-op, so the classes we do there are tested and graded. I haven't been assigning grades for the subjects we do at home but will start next year because my twins will be in 9th grade. Keep in mind that most public school classrooms never complete an entire textbook! I try to keep my kids on a schedule, but it does not always work out. They have studied in the car, on the back porch, by the pool, on the floor, lying in bed, at night, on the weekend.... That is the beauty of home schooling! For every homeschooling family, there will be a different way to educate! The "school" way just works for us and my husband prefers it that way. But, we are 4 years out of public school now, and each year we relax more and more! DS and DD love it and have no desire to go back! So, relax, have fun and enjoy! There is no right or wrong way to homeschool!
It is hard to change our thinking. I went through a real struggle for a couple of years and part of it was due to the fact that my son does not like learning like in a school. He went to private/public schools until 7th grade so he knows what it is like. He would have let go very easily. I, however, couldn't let go at all. When people told me certain things about how they homeschooled, I was shocked sometimes. I read that some didn't test. What?! are they crazy? Now, I see that it is perfectly Ok not to test if you don't want to do that. I don't test my son. Another person said she didn't use "curriculum" except for math. What? However, I have come to realize that a lot of learning can take place without a textbook. Well, you get the point. Anyway all that to say, you are normal. We (or at least most of us) have unnecessary fears about this adventure called homeschooling. If you love your kids, you will do fine. I know that sounds like a cliche, but I believe that is the key. I think the only way to really mess up is to put education in front of relationships. Ok, I suppose there are other ways to mess up, but I hope you understand where I am coming from.
We unschooled the first two years and did a relaxed CM this year and I STILL find that PS way of thinking creeping in sometimes. I SEE that unschooling and CM works for us. I SEE my kids learning. I SEE that my kids know some AMAZING things I didn't know at their ages. But after having something ingrained in you for so long... I was also going to suggest that you schedule and plan your field trips in your lesson plans. Leave a blank day every couple of weeks or once a month to just take a field trip or a nature walk or volunteer somewhere. They will learn things you can't teach at a table with a textbook
I always try to remember how public school frequently had days off for teacher - work days, conferences, holidays, inclement weather days, summers, and the Catholic school took off all of those plus Holy Days. I also remember that we had 50 minute classes - but we never started straight away. And so often the teacher taught the lesson and then gave us 30 mins to work on the assignment. If we finished early...we wouldn't go directly to the next lesson or class, we just had spare time. We had field trips. We had days the teacher would toss in a movie (we always knew our french teacher's pms cycle based on that ) We had sports that got us out of class if we had to travel. The list of wasted time in Ps just goes on and on. Having a full day in homeschool is worth worlds more than even a typical full day without the extra stuff in Ps.
I haven't started HSing yet, but I feel a lot of pressure for my children to be at the same level or even ahead of their PS peers... I guess to prove to myself and anyone who could judge me that what I'm doing is "better" than if my kids were in a traditional classroom. It's just a flaw of mine that I hope will gradually change. I'm nervous that I'm going to have a very difficult first year (beginning this fall) if I don't get over it.
One thing I have come to realize in the last 13 years: My students generally come to me out of public school, and the longer they were in it, the further behind MY curriculum they are! The longer they stay with me, the further ahead they get, compared to their PS peers.
From a former MN public school teacher, I want to encourage you that you can accomplish WAY more with your child than the best PS teacher in the world could simply because of the ratio of teacher to students (among other factors). There are assemblies, lines, school bus safety, fundraisers, dealing with friend drama, the counselor, bully surveys, waiting to get a question answered, being moved along before being able to finish, bathroom and water fountain lines, and on and on! You are not behind!! The fact that you FINSH any kid of curriculum would attest to that. I never remember getting my students front to back in any math book etc (there just isn't time in a PS setting with 25-30 kids at varying levels). I would encourage you to have fun with your kiddos and remember that life is the best classroom. Your child will learn more about science in the garden then they ever will from a textbook (and yet there is importance in the book too).
This is what a very wonderful person told me .... "If public school didn't work for your children, what makes you think public school at home will work for them?" That started helping me realize that I want them, esp. in their early years, to enjoy learning. It also helps that I have access to 2 educators that are home school advocates! They help me with milestones that children are required to reach in each grade in the state that helps me to feel more secure in my homeschooling... HEY !!! That's a good idea... Look up what milestones are reached in each grade level and then you can check your progress with your children ) Then you can have more fun homeschooling esp if you see that your kids are way for ahead ))
