Could somebody please stop me from going over to that other forum? It's the one that makes me feel totally inadequate. I'm happy to get a chapter a week done in our math book and then I read about people who use the same curriculum and finish two books a year while supplementing with another curriculum. Things like that make me panic. This is my first year and things are going pretty well. I know my son is learning and we are enjoying learning together. I start wondering when they have time to do all that. I'm only teaching one child now. I'm already trying to figure out how I can add more writing to our week. My son doesn't like to write, so I tend to avoid the battle, but I know he needs to learn to write. We use a very simple six page a week grammar lesson and a handwriting program and then I read about people who use a more rigorous grammar program and supplement with separate writing curriculum. Please reassure me that I'm doing OK.:shock:
You are doing okay!!!! PLEASE stop comparing your kids to others!!!!! Homeschooling is not a race, it's a journey. And each family's journey is different. Just because they may be going faster, doesn't mean their kids are any smarter. If you're enjoying your journey, and so are your kids....then you're doing awesome. LIFE is a process of learning, teach them to love learning, and where to find the answers when they need them. (((HUGS))) I KNOW you're doing alright. And stop visiting forums and people who make you feel bad!!1 Especially when you have this place!
You're doing just fine! Besides, how do you know those other folks are really doing what they say? Maybe they lie!!! so everybody on that forum will think their kids will be civil engineers, rocket scientists, AND physicians by the time they're 16, or computer programmers, brain surgeons, and CEOs of a major corporation by 17... Stay here where you're loved and supported!
Someone told me a long time ago that I need to have confidence in myself before anyone will have confidence in me. (This was in reference to the doctor nagging us about homeschooling and vaxes and stuff.) It's true. You have to look at YOUR family and know that you're doing what's best for YOUR family. People who go through two books a year are either (1) lying (2) using the wrong books and/or levels (3) on the road to burnout or (4) have children who genuinely like to eat math for breakfast. In any case, that's not normal, so there's no point comparing yourself to someone who lies, uses the wrong stuff, speeds ahead and burns out, or has weird kids. Everyone is good at something. If the people on those forums really have kids who are good in math, that's great. If not, I'd stay away from them, because the first 3 reasons aren't ones you need to have in your life. As long as your kids are learning and you're doing your best, you have no need to worry.
I agree with the others. I have known several families that worked at a pace like that and the kids are beyond burned out now. That isn't the point. Others work that fast and the kids don't always remember what they learned. That isn't very helpful either. Stick with us and focus on your successes!
I know families who unschool their kids up to 8 years old, at least two boys we know learned how to read at age 8 and a half. They tend to do more cultural things like music and history with lots of hands on projects. No pressure at all, they even didn;t practice work sheets. One of those boys (he did Saxon math, that is not so aggressive), was sent to ps this year for the first time. He needed some time to adjust, it took him 3 months, but now he is a straight A student. No worries - I believe you can relax. The tempo of modern education set in schools is so intense and stressfull, that it is a good idea to slow down a little. He will be there.
Thanks everybody. I actually laughed about the comments that they must be lying. Now that I think about it, I recently had a talk with my husband about getting a second science book for this year because we'll probably finish our current one in early spring. My son loves science and wants to move through it very quickly. I just realized that they may be spending extra time on subjects they or their children like best.
Dang what forum is this you're talking about? Two math curriculums and another to supplement? So they must only be doing math and nothing else right? lol!
Human nature, and our own pride in our children, makes us sometimes.. brag them up. We probably all do it LOL. Those of us with a clue, though, know our kids aren't perfect, and we adjust in RL (and hopefully in what we say) when necessary. And those that don't have a clue.. well. Some of it, too, I think is in WHY we chose to homeschool in the first place, and how much sort of.. anger we have with the 'system'. If we still feel like we have to prove something then maybe we drive our kids because we want them to be 'BETTER' than ps kids. My reasoning for pulling my dd was because ps was absolutely failing to teach her to read, and had killed her confidence in everything else. I had zero intent of turning her into a 'prodigy' (which you really can't do anyway. Either they are a prodigy or they aren't.). Still though.. I do get a little thrill knowing she can say... subtract quite well even though ps doesn't really teach that yet. Take it all with a grain of salt. Just a comment on forums... NOT ALL admins sadly want everyone on their board to get along. I was a mod on a board that treated everyone like rats under study.. I could tell horror stories, but it's enough to share with you that there ARE boards like that out there. You don't have to have a certificate of sanity to own a forum :shock: Right before I started homeschooling, the countdown to pull dd was on. My dh was the one who ultimately said, "she's not going back". I hadn't filed my paperwork yet, since I was going to wait another week, but since my state law says I have 10 days from pull date to file it, I was ok with that. I was on another board at the time, and was posting about how excited I was that we were finally beginning... and I was told (nicely but...) that I needed to put her back in and wait until a vacation. They weren't trying to be mean, but it was like getting cold water thrown in my face. It didn't matter to them that we had been talking about pulling her for a year at that point, or that every day dd was in ps was another day that she felt stupid. I felt we were on a countdown to her giving up completely, and every day mattered. There are definitely forums (not just homeschooling ones, either) that have members who feel there is only ONE way to do something. I really do think you have to shop around for the best fit for your personality! I love this board. Even when people disagree, or misunderstand each other, they still work hard to get along. :love:
I know where you are talking about I bet. Yeah, they make me feel that way sometimes too. I mean who can do 3 maths, juggle 2 histories with a separate geography, Latin and another language, like 4 different LA programs meshed together some how, and a reading list that makes my head spin let a lone the child they are teaching. Oh, and don't forget that all those kids are in about 3 sports, co-ops, have dance classes play 2 instruments and so on. Gosh I am tired from writing it! I just go there to read a few things, buy a few things and move on. I stopped comparing my child to theirs, because really can one child do all that? Then you read the siggies and they have like 6 kids doing all this stuff. Little unreal if you ask me. But that is just my opinion.
I really don't think that is the case. I have asked why so many do 2 or 3 math programs. The answer is always the same. One program doesn't cover everything, it has holes and gaps. They want to cover it all.
I think I know where you are talking about as well. I just took a week break from that forum and it really opened my eyes as to how much I was stressing just from visiting and reading that forum. Take a little vacation from that forum and see if you feel better.
Ok someone please pm me and let me know where this is. I have two places in mind. I don't want to call another place out in name here since I didn't start this thread so could you pm me please!
Wow. I don't know what the other forum is too... I looked at others when I first started homeschooling, but I only visit this one. From reading the replies, I'm glad I stayed here. People here are REAL.
http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=175542&highlight=average+child I posted this once on the WTM forum and it still stands. My average child showed me that I need to value my kids for who they are, not what they do. Remember, school is such a SMALL part of our lives.
I come from a homeschool family and I was the "slow" kid. I didn't keep pace with what my older siblings did and meet the goals my parents set out for me. I beat my self up about it for a while, but now I'm over it. The kids younger than me were mostly "unschooled." Why my parents switched tactics so drastically is a mystery to me, til this day. Now, the last batch of kids are being schooled in a more moderate fashion, I guess my folks finally hit their groove. I prefer efficient over excessive learning and while I dream of providing my kids with an expensive learning environment and lots of learning opportunities, I hope that my kids will be "ahead" because its nice to be "ahead" but I wouldn't make a big deal out of it, and I dont mind my students being "on track", "slightly behind" or "ahead."
I know where you are talking about too, I'm pretty sure. When I first started going to that place I hated going there because I felt like we were ummmm lacking in our homeschooling and that the things we chose to use were sub-par. Now?? I am confident in what we use and going there no longer bothers me. I see it that they are the ones who are insecure and not stable if they feel they need 2 maths, 3 language arts, 2+ languages, etc. If they aren't confident enough in their parenting/homeschooling to relax in their approach then it's their problem to try juggling so much and their problem when their kids revolt. I kind of like the different takes on things I get there and the diversity of people is a plus as well.
I like going there to get a different perspective. I do see more judgement there though. Maybe it is competition? I don't know, but I've been told I'm doing too much more than once by people there. I've been told that here too, but not quite as much. Ironic isn't it? Anyway, we can't go by what others think. Confidence is key. Using 2 math programs doesn't mean someone is insecure and not stable though. It could, but perhaps their child learns better using two combined approaches. Most of us combine different ways of doing things for one subject to help our children learn better even if they are not separate stand-alone curricula.
