Am I the only one who has had a crazy yr & feels like they didn't accomplish much?

[Pster]

*sigh*

We had a bad year - between packing & moving & unpacking last summer (July / Aug) to dh's medical problems which continued from Sept till just this month (we missed LOTS of school days .....from me driving him to work or dr appmts or helping take care of him ....life has been crazy.... school life has been totally interrupted! Now we have to pack to move again (rental lease is up and we will be moving to another rental - which *could* also be short-term).....

I'm *trying* to school year round but - we have been doing "school-lite" for a long, long time. I think the kids are doing "ok" but.... I also know it's not where I want them to be.... kwim? And now to start packing up again to move? The thought is totally stressing me out!! Dh won't be able to help pack anything because of his back - luckily friends have offered to help.

I am, however, looking forward to going to convention so maybe that will give me some hs spark that I need at this point.

But tell me - I'm not the only one who has had a school year where you feel you were just "treading water", so to speak? Like we did school - but I'm not so sure we got ahead~:willy_nilly:

[OnTheBrink]

No, you're not the only one! My year was the same. I am hoping for a much better year!

[Michelle in TX]

Last fall, my teaching for our co-op had me busy preparing on Thursdays for two classes. Then when those responsibilities were ending 3 of my 4 kids came down with whooping cough (pertusis) which took a long time to get over. Followed by everyone getting a very bad flu! I felt like we have barely covered the basics but I do think they have learned this year but not all that I had intended. We will be light schooling through the summer to catch up and keep up the momentum. Plus, having a two year old in the mix is new for me and has derailed some of our school. I figure it is a season of life and we will figure it out as we go. I've gotten some good ideas on handling the toddler from this board. Thanks everyone for all the encouragment and ideas!

[Sue G in PA]

Oh, Pster...did I write your post? I was JUST thinking last night that I feel as if this year was a waste! Like we accomplished absolutely nothing! We dropped History mid-year, dropped Science just a few wks after that, never did a formal art program or ANY music. We were lucky to get in the core subjects for the latter half of the year. Ds10 switched math programs a month ago and we put him back to MUS Alpha to really firm up his math facts (it has worked well, but I feel like we've back-tracked!). Ds7 went on academic strike around January and I never really got him back on track (tell me he'll not be hindered for life!). Ds5 "should" have started K work already, but I've failed him, too, b/c I just didn't and don't have the energy to give to him. I thought with the new baby I'd have a renewed sense of motivation. HAH! I just want school to END and don't even want to think about schooling year-round. :001_huh: I knew our first year away from the cyber would be challenging and there would be a "learning curve", but I never realized how much different and more difficult it would be! Choosing your own curriculum is lots of fun...but it can also be the most frustrating and confusing endeavor EVER undertaken! I feel for you. I look at our year this way: It was a much-needed "breather year" after the rigors of the VA we were with. My kids DID learn this year. Whether or not I can PROVE they learned anything...I know they did. Yours did, too! Give yourself (and them!) a break...you had a busy year!

[Tracey in TX]

I feel as if we've not been particularly productive, but listed all DCs academic accomplishments since December (when we began)and was astounded. Try listing what they've learned (workbook pages or not). Even if it's not where you hoped it would be, cut yourself a break and forge ahead. How many unproductive years have we all spent in school? Homeschool would ideally be different, but we're in the process of living our lives in the midst of educating our cherubs.

[TraceyS/FL]

It's been "off kilter" most of the "year".

We were on a great groove until the inlaws showed up and camped in the driveway for 2.5 months. :glare:

Convention is this weekend, the kids have their great grandmother in town - so a few more weeks of "chaos" will reign.

THEN, back to hard work! :D

[Geo]

Many people have seasons like that. It's fortunate that life is a teacher when you can't be. It can work as a catalyst for your next season...they won't be "schooled-out". They may return with a fresh appreciation for the structure and intellectual stimulation and more than catch-up. When you do return to full studies, make sure it's not "twaddle" or busy-work that you give them. We lived in a travel trailer for 3 years while building our home(ourselves)in the Smokey Mountains. The kids helped some, but much of it they were not able to do...and mom couldn't pull off school like we had the years before. They just played in the woods, fed the chickens, picked blackberries and built forts. It was hard at the time (in all respects) but I refuse to regret it. We are deceived if we believe we are in control of life all the time.

Geo

[True Blue]

Just wanted to reassure you, your kids probably made more progress than you know. I had a horrible year of depression after my father died when my kids were your age. School-lite still did wonders. They were right where they should've been. You can't stop kids from learning. :)

[Karen sn]

I am so far behind......but I don't stress too much.
The way I see it - when I compare her to the public schooled kids of a friend of mine - we are OK. These kids are smart, but one inparticular is falling behind and lost through the cracks. The math he needed to already know in order to do his homework (basic multiplication and dividing skills in order to work with fractions and common denomonators) was completely non existant in his mind. HE is far behind because they will never give him the space to catch up and continue.....they will just keep going even though he hasn't got the basics.

So yes I am behind - because I have moved every 6 to 9 months for the last 3 years and was in nursing school for 2 of them (the Montessori school she went to for 2 years while I went to school wasn't really Montessori - thus putting us even further behind.....) and because she has dyslexic tendencies and because............

But you know what - not every kid reads at 5. Not every school of thought thought thinks they should. Someone here the other day suggested that some kids brains aren't even really ready for formal intense math until 10.

I figure that my dd has the MOST BEAUTIFUL PERFECT penmanship of ANY 10 year old I have EVER known and that is a lost art I appreciate. Not many of the kids scoring high on FCAT can read or write penmanship around here so I take pride in her skill here.

Behind - schmind. When they are 20 - can they add in their head? Can they read an old letter from 80 years ago (written in cursive)? Do they show compassion for fellow humans and other creatures? Can they differentiate between b and d FINALLY!? Do they know their local history and that of the world? And most importantly - do they love to learn new things? Do they have the ability to research information?

I used to think I was soooo far behind my homeschooling friend. Her son can read anything. But his spelling SUCKS. My dd has pretty good spelling -especially for someone who has such reading difficulties. So now I have relaxed a little. We will homeschool year round for the rest of our lives. Especially because I love Science in the Summer!

And seriously - do you really think that 100 years ago every kid could read by five? Many adults couldn't. I just feel that love of learning goes farther than the reguritated nonsense most kids are forced to spew out.

[Karen sn]

We are deceived if we believe we are in control of life all the time.

Geo

YUP!!!! And so much learning actually takes place feeding the chickens and picking blueberries. Have you studied the process of a chicken making the egg inside her? THAT my friend is phenomenal. I have new respect for chickens.