Friday, October 06, 2006

Questioning myself...

I am not having a great day today. I am feeling really detached. Not sure why. I am feeling tired and just down again. I hate feeling like this.

I am also wondering if I am doing the right thing by homeschooling. Princess is just flying through grade 4 work and will be starting grade 5 work possibly this year. It is not her I am concerned with.

I really struggled last year with keeping Mr. Hockey home or sending him to school. We decided to keep him home. I really feel this is where God has led us. I just don't know what I am doing wrong now.

We go over and over his workbook, he is not able to reain anything. We have gone over verbs and nouns, for 2 years now, and he doesn't get it. We have studied different sentences - run-on, stringy, and good ones, fragments and phrases, all that stuff and he just doesn't keep any of it in.

I am wondering if we chose the right program for him. I am not sure what to do at this point. He gets frustated and I get frustrated and it just isn't worth it. It is making me think twice about my reasons for homeschooling. Am I hearing right from God?

When we first decided to homeschool, we used workbooks with him. He had to finish 1 a month, easy, but it wasn't his thing. So for the next year, I let him tell me what he wanted to learn about and we just made up our own unit study type curriculum. It was a blast, then we had a baby. We just continued, but at a slower pace with the units. Princess started to want to do school too, so we included her in everything that we did. It was a blast, we really had a good time with it all. Then I ordered an actual unit study program that incorporated ancient history into it all. We were "living" in ancient Egypt, we celebrated Passover, we mummified things, we learned about columns and had our own "winter olympics" with a greek feast and everything afterwards. It was so much fun. Then last year, with another new baby in the house, I was feeling overwhelmed to meet those expectations from the previous year and a friend had offered to give us her kids old books. We could just erase and use them again, which we did.

The kids loved the books. They really enjoyed what they were learning and seemed to catch on quickly. We didn't get through a whole lotta them though, cause we started later in the year and we just had an awful lot of "life" happening. Hubby was in and out of jobs and our schedules were constantly changing. It was hard enough just to keep the house clean. I was at a low point in my "existence" and it showed at home.

This year, I automatically thought that we would just use the same program again. So at our local conference we ordered grade 4 and 5. Got it at a cheaper price and we were all excited to start the program. Princess is almost through her first workbook and she can do it all on her own. Very little help from me is ever needed. She is totally excelling with this work, and I am thrilled, I found her "thing". Mr. Hockey, on the other hand is really struggling with it. He enjoys doing the work, doesn't complain at all about it, but it is not sinking in. The language arts is his biggest struggle. He enjoys the reading and I can see a lot of improvement there. But the LA is too hard. Maybe there is an easier way to learn it all, without the frustration? If anyone knows, please help me!!

I am just having a rough day. I am tired, Pooky is constantly crying and wanting to sleep *on* me, not in her bed, the dog seems to have regressed in the housebreaking thing, and Cutie Pie is fighting with everyone. Huh, I wonder why I am feeling detached...and you all thought I always enjoyed this homeschooling stuff...the truth comes out!! ( I am still reminding myself that there are more 'good' days then bad though...it is the only way to stay sane!!)

9 comments:

  1. ah man that is tough! maybe getting him some extra help with LA would help? and pray pray pray God will show you!

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  2. Sorry that it feels a bit rough! I'll pray for wisdom for you in regards to your son. I struggle with my son in learning areas as well! Thinking about you, and hoping for brighter tomorrows.

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  3. I'm not sure how old your son is, but I'm guessing he is some where between seven and nine.

    You might back off a bit and just let him take it easy for awhile. Our oldest two daughters really didn't click on reading until they were eight and nine. Some children just develop a be slower. Our oldest is now 12 and she is reading at 12th grade level.

    Historically children didn't go off to school until 8 or 9. Over the last fifty years there has been a push to get children into school earlier and earlier. At first kindergarten was going to a nurturing play time, but recently academics have been pushed into younger and younder ages.

    I'd keep him busy. Give him clay to play with. Have him listen to lots of books on tape. My guess at some point he'll click and then he'll tear through the workbooks.

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  4. My son is 11 now. I think I should put nicknames and ages in the sidebar, then it is easier for people to catch on...We have struggled with him for a while in this area.

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  5. I would like to respond to what you said about "hearing right from God" by recommending some great sermons pertaining to homeschooling. You can download those mp3 files at www.baptisthomeschooling.com/resources.html

    For more about me, you can visit my blogs at:
    baptisthomeschooling.blogspot.com
    and
    liveandearn.blogspot.com

    Hope the sermons are a blessing to you!

    Janine

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  6. Awww... this is why I quit homeschooling after 2 years; it was tough and I felt like I didn't know what I was doing and I was doing my kids a disservice because maybe I wasn't teaching them what they needed to know. So back to public school they went.

    But recently, God said I have to homeschool my daughter. I think satan knows our weaknesses and he actually uses our kids against us; to make us question and doubt ourselves. I think that homeschooling really is the best thing for these kids - not sure when I'm going to yank the younger ones out of public school - since they really have very little positive influence anymore...

    sorry... got carried away. I'll pray for your situation.

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  7. Hi Ruth

    I'm sure that you made the right decision to homeschool- don't give up! Boys are usually slower in the area of language and better at maths and science. My eldest, Tim, was slow and we despaired at times. When he was 12-13 he suddenly "got" it.

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  8. I know him and I think you just can't get frustrated to his face, be patient and call when you need encouragement.

    Hang in there

    Have you done jolly phonics at all

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  9. Some children have their geniunes in other areas, not necessarily in the three "R's". How does he do at other subjects? If he does well in others, but just not in LA, then not much to worry about...I agree with Lala..perhaps special help in that area. Does he read books on his own? Or does anyone read to him? That helps alot, but isn't the solution. I pray you find it and have strength and patience while you wait.

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