Why is homeschooling high school so hard?

[Pammy]

My dd has been homeschooled all her life, and last year she started procrastinating in math and science. I was totally overwhelmed with everything else and so I put her in a private school this year. She completed the first semester with 3 a's and 3 b's. I had to take her out due to finances and some health issues that started in Dec. I have been homeschooling again, but she absolutely hates algebra and science. She will read History, Literature, bible, language and do her work from those subjects, but she hasn't touched her Algebra book since January. She will be taking the SAT in a few weeks, as a freshman just so she can get an idea of what areas she is weak in.

I really have given up hope of homeschooling her next year. I can't take the stress of fighting with her over math anymore. To think she had a 97 in Alg. when in school, and if I were to count all her missed assignments, she would be failing. Some of my friends say just to let her retry next year. I am not in a very good school district, but I am really thinking of putting her in the fall. I may even have to enroll her in summer school for math and science.

I have taken away her computer, her phone, her extra-curricular activities to no avail. What else could I do?

[jellogirl]

What does she want? Does she want to go back to school? Is she stalling so you'll let her? Or is she just bored? Beyond a certain point, giving assignments just doesn't work longer. Maybe she's ready to grow up and take responsibility for her own education. Are you trying to do too much? Does she just not get the point of it? Why doesn't she do her work?

The answers to these questions can mean a lot. Don't be afraid to make drastic changes in your plans. Let her do a little less if she needs to or study entirely different subjects.

[Lori D.]

Sounds like your DD excels in homeschooling in the areas of her interest. How about just outsourcing the areas she doesn't care for -- the math and science? There are a variety of options:

- trade homeschooling with another homeschool mom -- you oversee another child's writing, lit., grammar, or whatever, and the other mom oversees your daughter's math and science
- BJUP or other video lesson program for the teaching component, overseen by someone else DD has to check in with weekly
- public/charter school just for those 2 classes
- homeschool co-op
- math tutor
- online course
- local community college

BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

[Mandy in TN]

Sounds like your DD excels in homeschooling in the areas of her interest. How about just outsourcing the areas she doesn't care for -- the math and science?
:iagree:My oldest is a love bug, but he hit high school and basically what came out of his mouth had very little to do with what he actually accomplished. He was all about the yes, ma'am; sure no problem. Although he didn't want to go to school, he didn't want me to hand hold and he was incapable of completing those subjects where he had no interest.

Second semester of his freshman year he began taking a couple of fun courses, art and journalism, through a tutorial. The next year he took math, journalism, and test prep (1st semester only).

This year he went to a tutor and Kumon for math. He took US history at the CC (both semesters). He is taking PC apps at the CC now. He is taking Spanish 1 and journalism at the tutorial. At home is doing chemistry (that has hardly been done), LA (no problem), rhetoric (no problem). I tried to outsource chemistry and it just didn't happen, so unless he gets on the ball this summer he will not receive a science credit this year.

Ds is not able to do math, science, and Spanish alone, but he wouldn't want me to help him either. However, the closeness that I have with my oldest comes in part from working through these issues together without blaming him for what he obviously wasn't capable of doing. I also know that the relationships that my children have with each other are because they have grown up spending so much time together. I am so thankful for being able to assist and guide him (though I haven't actually done a lot of teaching) through his own personal high school homeschool journey.

I urge you to work with your dd to find a solution that will help her work through her courses to the best of her ability. Even if that solution turns out to be in a classroom, the time spent in positive communication will be time well spent.

HTH-
Mandy

[MommyThrice]

I manage to complete the tasks I like, but what I don't enjoy gets shoved to the back burner unless I make myself do it. Human nature. I would suggest the most important thing for her to learn right now is how to make herself do something she needs to do, but doesn't want to do. She will need that skill her whole life!

With my children, that means making them to do math first thing in the morning... before anything else. I even made mine start it after their chores before breakfast. Now it is a habit and I don't even remind them. They are usually halfway through with math by breakfast, then complete it after they eat. (For me, I've learned to make my bed after breakfast. Now it's a habit & I don't skip it!)

I wish my parents had taught me how to just "do the next thing" when I was young!