Homeschool Chat Part III

[weHEARTmickey]

We start Monday We are so excited!! The kids & I have been reading, playing Bananagrams, & SUMoku to prepare our brains. My Father's World, here we come!

 

[AmandaRG]

Ahhhhh! One week down, bunches to go!

I think we are getting into our groove, so it is kind of nice now. After Labor Day we will be changing our schedule again, but at least it should keep things interesting!

 

[awoogala]

Have you looked into 'workboxes' for structure for your ds? just google it, and you'll find tons of ideas. Not too hard for you to do, but lots of organization for him and a feeling of accomplishment.

that's awesome you're going to disney w/ a homeschool group!! have fun!!

as for you enjoying staying home... I'd then just enjoy your time home w/ the kids. Are they ok with this? there's nothing wrong w/ not being "joiners"... everyone has their different personalities and what feels 'right' to them.

What about the YMCA? cheaper classes or activities to do once in a while just to get out?

On another thread, someone wrote regarding a year they were home a whole lot, "a serving of friends on the side"... (I told her I was stealing that saying, because I think it's great). That sounds like all your kids need. Just a small serving. Don't worry about getting them out.

Hope it all works out well for you all

Thanks for all the good thoughts! I think it was serendipitous posting here- got really inspired to go back to homeschooling. mentioned it, and got an immediate request that i join in a brand-new co-op nearby with people we already like!
So happy to be going to disney as real homeschoolers!
Now I nee to figure out WTH I'm using this year!
Anyone ever do any unit studies on Disney/Epcot? Thinking that would be a nice beginning, since we're going in November!
Lisa

 

[MissNurse]

Well, I posted a while back about being frustrated with the school's curriculum and the fact DD wasn't learning what she should. We have had a whirlwind of changes over the last few months, and I am feeling so lost. I still deeply desire to hs my two kiddos. DH got a wonderful promotion last April, and we finally moved a couple weeks ago. We are now in a new school district (same state, though). I still cannot be a SAHM due to income and debt. We are much closer to being debt free, but I still don't know if it will be enough for me to quit. I was a school nurse, and now I am having to work 12 hr night shifts at the hospital in the new town. This was the only job I could find! The pay is great, but not the dream job by a longshot! Anywho, I agreed w/ DH to give the new schools a shot (not really another choice). The kids seem excited about new friends and new teachers. We have never hs'd, but DD still seems hopeful we'll get to in the future. Anybody else been here? I feel so guilty that I can't do this when I feel so led to do it. I guess this was just venting more than asking for advice, but if you have any advice, I'd love to hear it.

 

[AmandaRG]

Well, I posted a while back about being frustrated with the school's curriculum and the fact DD wasn't learning what she should. We have had a whirlwind of changes over the last few months, and I am feeling so lost. I still deeply desire to hs my two kiddos. DH got a wonderful promotion last April, and we finally moved a couple weeks ago. We are now in a new school district (same state, though). I still cannot be a SAHM due to income and debt. We are much closer to being debt free, but I still don't know if it will be enough for me to quit. I was a school nurse, and now I am having to work 12 hr night shifts at the hospital in the new town. This was the only job I could find! The pay is great, but not the dream job by a longshot! Anywho, I agreed w/ DH to give the new schools a shot (not really another choice). The kids seem excited about new friends and new teachers. We have never hs'd, but DD still seems hopeful we'll get to in the future. Anybody else been here? I feel so guilty that I can't do this when I feel so led to do it. I guess this was just venting more than asking for advice, but if you have any advice, I'd love to hear it.

The biggest thing I could suggest is work on your debt like crazy with the goal of staying home in mind. Cut out some of the extras for now if you can. I know it is hard with kids. We aren't making the same dents we did before our girls!

We had LOTS of debt. At one point if one of us had a raise, we found something to buy that had a payment about that amount. CRAZY!!!! I still can't believe the things we did. We worked hard on our debt for several years. No vacations except to drive to visit family (that one was hard). We maintained some of that the first couple of years the girls were born, but once they got a little older we really wanted to start building some memories. This year we have gone a little crazy with 3 big vacations, but they were some of the first we have done.

Good luck with your decisions. It isn't easy or always comfortable, but I cannot tell you how comforting it is to have the ability to stay at home with my girls. Our school system has been on the national news because they can't quit fighting with the city over money. With all of that going on I didn't have to worry about it like so many parents here.

 

[MissNurse]

The biggest thing I could suggest is work on your debt like crazy with the goal of staying home in mind. Cut out some of the extras for now if you can. I know it is hard with kids. We aren't making the same dents we did before our girls!

We had LOTS of debt. At one point if one of us had a raise, we found something to buy that had a payment about that amount. CRAZY!!!! I still can't believe the things we did. We worked hard on our debt for several years. No vacations except to drive to visit family (that one was hard). We maintained some of that the first couple of years the girls were born, but once they got a little older we really wanted to start building some memories. This year we have gone a little crazy with 3 big vacations, but they were some of the first we have done.

Good luck with your decisions. It isn't easy or always comfortable, but I cannot tell you how comforting it is to have the ability to stay at home with my girls. Our school system has been on the national news because they can't quit fighting with the city over money. With all of that going on I didn't have to worry about it like so many parents here.

Thanks for the encouragement. We have been doing Dave Ramsey's baby steps since January. We only have 3 debts left. Right now, there is not enough room to get our budget down enough to make it on DH's salary alone (not counting the debt payments). He gets bonuses, but you can't depend on them. He's a manager for a furniture store. It fluctuates all the time. I have increased my salary by 50% with this new job. Our goal in the beginning was to only have me do this until we paid off the last debt. Now I am afraid I'm stuck. We didn't go on any vacations this summer. We aren't planning any at all until we have a fully funded emergency fund. DH was not always on board with the hs'ing idea, but he had agreed to give it a try when I could stay at home. Please pray for us! I know God is leading me to this.

 

[chicagoshannon]

Thanks for the encouragement. We have been doing Dave Ramsey's baby steps since January. We only have 3 debts left. Right now, there is not enough room to get our budget down enough to make it on DH's salary alone (not counting the debt payments). He gets bonuses, but you can't depend on them. He's a manager for a furniture store. It fluctuates all the time. I have increased my salary by 50% with this new job. Our goal in the beginning was to only have me do this until we paid off the last debt. Now I am afraid I'm stuck. We didn't go on any vacations this summer. We aren't planning any at all until we have a fully funded emergency fund. DH was not always on board with the hs'ing idea, but he had agreed to give it a try when I could stay at home. Please pray for us! I know God is leading me to this.

I'll pray that it works out soon for you. Have you thought about doing a 4 day schedule with the kids on your days off? Maybe you could work fri/sat/sun/mon every other week or something after you get your debt paid off so you'd still be working 4 days per pay period. It would be tough (I've worked nights before and know it's hard to alter sleeping patterns) but doable.

 

[MissNurse]

I'll pray that it works out soon for you. Have you thought about doing a 4 day schedule with the kids on your days off? Maybe you could work fri/sat/sun/mon every other week or something after you get your debt paid off so you'd still be working 4 days per pay period. It would be tough (I've worked nights before and know it's hard to alter sleeping patterns) but doable.

Thanks for the support. I have thought about hsing on my days off, but I am afraid of stretching myself too thin (patience-wise). I tend to get moody working nights, and it's hard enough to keep it in check as it stands. I guess that I am going to give this new school a shot and wait. If it gets too bad, we can reconsider our options, I guess.

 

[jacksmomma]

I'll pray that it works out soon for you. Have you thought about doing a 4 day schedule with the kids on your days off? Maybe you could work fri/sat/sun/mon every other week or something after you get your debt paid off so you'd still be working 4 days per pay period. It would be tough (I've worked nights before and know it's hard to alter sleeping patterns) but doable.

I agree with this. I work part-time and HS DS. Our weeks look nothing like typical ones...we might have school 6 days one week and 3 the next, but it works for us. Just keep the faith, listen to God and keep praying.

 

[chris31997]

Thanks for the encouragement. We have been doing Dave Ramsey's baby steps since January. We only have 3 debts left. Right now, there is not enough room to get our budget down enough to make it on DH's salary alone (not counting the debt payments). He gets bonuses, but you can't depend on them. He's a manager for a furniture store. It fluctuates all the time. I have increased my salary by 50% with this new job. Our goal in the beginning was to only have me do this until we paid off the last debt. Now I am afraid I'm stuck. We didn't go on any vacations this summer. We aren't planning any at all until we have a fully funded emergency fund. DH was not always on board with the hs'ing idea, but he had agreed to give it a try when I could stay at home. Please pray for us! I know God is leading me to this.

Give the school and hubby time. A friend of mine flet led to homeschool also. But her hubby was not onboard with it. We talked about it for 2 years. They moved and they ended up homeschooling. 6 kids later thay are still doing it and would not change a thing. Of course, he won't admit it it was a good idea He is te stubborn one anyway.

I tell you that, with this in mind. If you are being led this way, God will move the roadblocks. There may still be some lessons for you and hubby to learn before you start. But in the long run, it is all worth it.

 

[Svhadden]

Hello! I'm new to the boards, and one of the first things I did was search for any homeschool threads lol. Glad I found this one!

We have two awesome kids (daughter, 10, and son, 5) and we've homeschooled from the start. This is my first year homeschooling TWO. Having a 5th grader and a Kindergartener is a bit of a challenge. It's a big shift to go from discussing intricate details of world history with one to phonics and "lets write your name" with the other one lol.

I absolutely love being a homeschooler, although it's challenging. For one thing, it enables us to take our Disney vacays when everyone else is back in school! Yay for no long lines!!!

Missnurse, I'm so sorry to hear of your dilemma. I think it's great that you're taking positive steps toward financial freedom. We did Crown Financial, and boy did it open our eyes! We thought we were doing OK, but we learned how much more we could be doing. It's a tough TOUGH process, but it's worth it.

I would say be patient, don't give up, and you'll get your wish to homeschool your children. Do what you have to do for your family right now, and understand that every day, every tough choice brings you closer to your goal.

 

[bellebud]

Hello! I'm new to the boards, and one of the first things I did was search for any homeschool threads lol. Glad I found this one!

We have two awesome kids (daughter, 10, and son, 5) and we've homeschooled from the start. This is my first year homeschooling TWO. Having a 5th grader and a Kindergartener is a bit of a challenge. It's a big shift to go from discussing intricate details of world history with one to phonics and "lets write your name" with the other one lol.

Welcome!

Yes, I can see the big shift you'll have this year. One good thing is that your 5th grader can do some things on her own, and maybe can read (sometimes) to your son. My dd is going into 7th and my ds is going into 5th. They do some work on their own, some w/ me (just the child and I), and some the 3 of us do together. Of course, mine are closer in age, so we're able to do some things together.

You'll find the right groove at some point, I'm sure. This will be our third year hsing, and our groove continually changes, just as I think I've got it down (lol!) But it's fun, and I wouldn't give it up for anything!

 

[Svhadden]

Thank you, bellebud, for the welcome!

Yes, we'll find our groove. Somehow, it always just gets done. Probably the most important thing *I've* learned from homeschooling is to relax. At first I was very structured and rigid...now? Not so much.

My daughter is a huge help with my son, and I often joke that she's taught him much more than I have. He'll come up to me a spout out some strange fact, and I just know that he learned that from his sister, because I sure didn't teach it to him! While I'm concerned about how high he can count, she's teaching him state capitals.

We do year round school. Basically, we start at the beginning of July, and do three weeks on, one week off. We always end up with about 4-6 weeks off between grades anyway. We've always followed this schedule, and it just works for us. Especially when we're ready to go on vacay!

Again, thanks for the welcome, and I look forward to "meeting" other ppl on this board.

 

[MiniGirl]

Whether you are new to homeschooling or new to the DIS, I just wanted to welcome you to the thread.

Miss Nurse, I agree with the PP. If you are being called to homeschool, He will clear though paths for you when the time is right. It will be at the perfect time, too.

Lisa, we love going to WDW during the school year. We are somewhat local and bought the weekday seasonal passes this year. We wouldn't go on the weekends anyway, so we were able to save quite a bit of $$ this way. I know you'll enjoy the low crowds.

So.... has anyone else gotten the e-mail from History.com classroom about the 9/11 anniversary broadcasts? I can't believe that terrible day happened 10 years ago. In some ways, it seems like it was yesterday. Will you watch the shows with your children? I ask because I am uncertain. I don't want to simply gloss over those unpleasant events in our history, but this was was so........ I don't know. Close to home maybe. (My dh is an airline pilot, and I am a former f/a. We both lost friends and co-workers in the attack.) My dds, esp. my oldest is so sensitive, and is sure to ask, "What if Daddy was on one of those planes?" She worries way too much for one so young, and I would hate for her to carry this worry every time dad leaves to go to work. KWIM? Anyway, do any of you have anything planned? How will you handle this with your younger or more sensitive children?

 

[4HOLIDAYS]

For all of you trying to make it work, hs is so worth it. I love the people my kids (ds15,ds13) are becoming.

We started 8/9 yrs ago. I am surprised my kids have done as well considering how unorganized we were. We had serious lerning challenges for my older that led us to leaving and proved challenging at times, but we are now doing high school and plan on finishing that way. My younger is at his older bother's level and will do college those last yrs instead of high school.

The best part is how close our family is. We spend so muchof our time together. No other person is raising your child. I still do not have either set of grandparent, aunt,uncle...support of homeschooling.

My older plays sports on the high school teams, they participate in SAINTS(PE group) have plenty of freinds in the neighborhood...no problems with socializing. They have a lot of interests that aren't just pay for activities.

The sacrifices some of you are making or trying to make are well worth it, so hang in ther and have faith it will work out.

There is a terrific HS convention every yr in Orlando(Gaylord Palms in 2011) over Mem Day Weekend(SWW) as well just in case you are looking for another reason to visit!

 

[bellebud]

has anyone else gotten the e-mail from History.com classroom about the 9/11 anniversary broadcasts? I can't believe that terrible day happened 10 years ago. In some ways, it seems like it was yesterday. Will you watch the shows with your children? I ask because I am uncertain. I don't want to simply gloss over those unpleasant events in our history, but this was was so........ I don't know. Close to home maybe. (My dh is an airline pilot, and I am a former f/a. We both lost friends and co-workers in the attack.) My dds, esp. my oldest is so sensitive, and is sure to ask, "What if Daddy was on one of those planes?" She worries way too much for one so young, and I would hate for her to carry this worry every time dad leaves to go to work. KWIM? Anyway, do any of you have anything planned? How will you handle this with your younger or more sensitive children?

I got the email, but I just can't bring myself to do any type of re-living that day. My sil lost her cousin (firefighter), one of my neighbors lost their 22yo daughter, and another neighbor lost her firefighter dh (she has 3 boys). We live an hour outside the city. Anyway, we're actually having our homeschool groups "Not Back to School" Family Fun Fest that day. Not on purpose, but it happened to be the day it fell on, and I feel like having a happy event on that day is meaningful in a way. We're not letting the terrorists "win"... we all grieve many, many days out of the year over 911, but we're determined to go on and live and enjoy our precious freedom that we are blessed with.

My kids (11yo and 10yo) know all about it because of the losses around us, but I don't want them studying it and getting engrossed in it, and I honestly only get extremely sad or extremely mad if I think too much about it.

I just watched the movie Remember Me with Robert Pattinson. I had NO IDEA about the ending - I just watched it because I'm "team Edward" (my 11yo dd would be so embarrassed right now - her *old* mom saying she's "team Edward" - LOL!) Anyway, I would have never, ever watched the movie had I known the ending. It was just too much. My husband came over and hugged me because I was crying, and we both said we had stomach aches from that. It's a punch in the gut. I'm so sad about it - and not about his character, but about being slapped in the face with 911, totally not expecting it. And then thinking about all the stories there are like that from 911. I hate to even start thinking about it.

Oh, hey - If you look in the back of the current Glamour magazine (I think it's Sept's issue - it's out now), at the back is a tribute to 911 people. The first article with the 2 sisters is my neighbor (her parents are my neighbor, the one sister has since moved out of their house). I'm proud to call them my neighbors and friends, and sad I never got to meet their other daughter. Take a look when you're in the grocery store.

 

[graygables]

So.... has anyone else gotten the e-mail from History.com classroom about the 9/11 anniversary broadcasts? I can't believe that terrible day happened 10 years ago. In some ways, it seems like it was yesterday. Will you watch the shows with your children? I ask because I am uncertain. I don't want to simply gloss over those unpleasant events in our history, but this was was so........ I don't know. Close to home maybe. (My dh is an airline pilot, and I am a former f/a. We both lost friends and co-workers in the attack.) My dds, esp. my oldest is so sensitive, and is sure to ask, "What if Daddy was on one of those planes?" She worries way too much for one so young, and I would hate for her to carry this worry every time dad leaves to go to work. KWIM? Anyway, do any of you have anything planned? How will you handle this with your younger or more sensitive children?

The first time we watched anything about it in detail and discussed it as a history lesson was this year when we watched "America: The Story of Us". Mine are 15 and 12. I was strongly criticized back when it happened of being "overprotective" of my children as I was vigilant about them not seeing anything about it. To this day, I am glad I protected their childhood. They are mature enough now to process it and grasp the magnitude of what happened.

I grew up in Germany and I didn't need to learn about the holocaust until I was old enough to understand. I don't know if it was my parents' rule or the rule at Dachau Camp, but I was not allowed to go into the museum part until I was 12yo and I'm glad I had been protected from those images. Until I was 12, I waited outside in a garden while the grown ups went through. I saw things like the ovens and had a gist of it, but the images would have been too much for me at a younger age.

I'm also very aware of revisionist history, which is something else DDs and I talked about during the mini-series. Having grown up overseas (albeit in the American Army), and having travelled quite a bit of the world, I have a different view of history than those who were indoctrinated in the American public school versions. That was another big reason we decided to homeschool in the first place. One of my first big lessons was during the summer of 1976 when we spent a month in the UK. The bicentennial of our "revolution" was the bicentennial of their "rebellion" and it was a whole different story. As with all stories, there is my side, your side, and the truth and, unfortunately all too often, historians often aren't very good with the last two elements. When we explore history, we try to look at it with a world view and draw our own lessons and conclusions from what we find.

 

[jacksmomma]

So.... has anyone else gotten the e-mail from History.com classroom about the 9/11 anniversary broadcasts? I can't believe that terrible day happened 10 years ago. In some ways, it seems like it was yesterday. Will you watch the shows with your children? I ask because I am uncertain. I don't want to simply gloss over those unpleasant events in our history, but this was was so........ I don't know. Close to home maybe. (My dh is an airline pilot, and I am a former f/a. We both lost friends and co-workers in the attack.) My dds, esp. my oldest is so sensitive, and is sure to ask, "What if Daddy was on one of those planes?" She worries way too much for one so young, and I would hate for her to carry this worry every time dad leaves to go to work. KWIM? Anyway, do any of you have anything planned? How will you handle this with your younger or more sensitive children?

My son is in Kindergarten so we will not be studying it and he will not see images from that awful day, but we will use it as a chance to thank our firefighters. For the past 5 years or so, on 9/11 we make baked goodies (cookies, cupcakes, homemade candies) and take them to the local firehouses. The men and women are always so happy to get the goodies and DS is thrilled to get a tour of the firehouse. At one house, I am known as "the Cookie Lady" I am sure this is not an original idea, but it gives us something positive to do and a way to look beyond ourselves on that day.

 

[AmandaRG]

If my children were older, it might be a possibility. In pre-k and K, they will not be seeing any of it.

For those that experienced loss because of it, I'm still so very sorry. It isn't something that can be fully understood without experiencing it.

I made the mistake of going to the OKC Bombing Memorial several years ago. It is a beautiful commemoration. the museum was too much for me. I won't go into details, but they did an incredible job of putting me in the moment, even though I did not live there at the time. I made a hasty exit and will not go back.

I love the idea of making treats for first responders!

 

[weHEARTmickey]

Well, we made it! This was our first to week to ever homeschool (5th & 2nd grade) I LOVE "Teaching Textbooks" for math! I LOVE "My Father's World" for geography/history, Bible study, & science. What I'm NOT LOVING is Shurley English Grammar We've spent a small fortune on curriculum this year, so I can't stand the thought of buying anything else. What do you recommend for English? I rarely use the word hate, but I really think I *hate* this English