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Saturday, November 6, 2010

Homeschooling Reflections

My love hate relationship with homeschooling.


I LOVE that we don't have to be at school by 8:30am.  I HATE that we don't have to be at school by 8:30am!!   What do I mean.  Well, I love that there is NO rushing but I don't like that some days it is so hard to get started.   That some days it is 10am when we are starting our school day.  With a baby you just can't say "Ok, we are starting at 9am".  It is just not going to happen unless I have someone helping me with the baby.


I LOVE all of the time I get to spend with the kids.  I HATE all of the time I spend with the kids!!  OK, I would love to miss them a little :-)  I LOVE Co-op days so that I can miss them!


All kidding aside, I've been reflecting a lot lately.  Since I do work, I feel that I am not doing justice to the kids and my husband.   I used to read to the kids before bed every night and now I am so tired that I don't and the thing is that my husband does not take up the slack here.   Most of the time now I get the baby to sleep and let my husband get the big kids to sleep.  We used to share this job.  Once the baby goes to sleep I sit in front of the computer and get to work on my school work (answering e-mails, grading, checking on my students, doing my online office hours, working on SACS( our College is going through Accreditation).  I get my work done and go to sleep.  When I should be planning for the kids, I am working for the College, when I should be spending a little time with my husband or with the kids in the evening, I am working or just too tired to want to.....


Another reflection.   I don't feel I have enough time in the day to do everything I want to do with the kids.  So, if they went to school then I could just concentrate on the 'cool' things I want to teach them outside of school time that I don't have time now because I spend a lot of time on basics and baby and life.


Another reflection.  I am one person, trying to do the job of educating my child which usually takes 7 teachers at school.  Two full-time teachers in a Montessori classroom, the Spanish, Nature, Music, PE, and Art teacher.  These teachers get a planning period and a lunch break.   And don't get me started on the support group at school: lunch, materials makers, cleaning people, etc. etc.    


Another reflection. There are many things I will want to start doing with Andres during the day that I will not be able to do or will have to hire babysitters so I can do it.  His PT is starting to be more frequent, I can enroll him in aquatic therapy and music class (all free).  Hard to do because they are weekday mornings. 


What was I thinking.... (Don't answer that!)

I've come to the conclusion to at least one thing.  If I homeschool next year (yes, I said IF), I will be using a curriculum that tells me what to do each week with weekly support meetings like "Classical Conversations" and keep Co-op OR I will join a part-time school (2 days at school, 3 days at home).  


So, I will keep reflecting.

6 comments:

Michelle said...

I think the constant reflection is part of the package. :)
Oh boy, I understand the love hate with the time flexibility. I hate disturbing the kids when they're playing well, but then we end up rushing later or having to get things done at a time when they're tired or cranky. Good luck with whatever you decide. No matter what the choice, you'll know that you thought long and hard about it and are doing it in the best interest of your whole family.

Olives and Pickles said...

I can understand how you feel. We want to do so many things but something we have no energy or time! But having three kids it is even harder! I will really advice you to follow a curriculum, so you only have to prepare the activities(but still searching I guess)and maybe hire a baby sitter if it is posible for little baby couple of days a week while you focus 100% on the big kids.
For the positive side..you have the wonderful chance spent more time with your children..they grow so fast that you will miss these moments later on.
Lots of hugs
Your are such a good mama!
God bless

Karen said...

I love this post!! Are you talking about me????lol!!! Son muchos sentimientos encontrados aveces, verdad?? Te entiendo a la perfeccion, y eso que solo tengo 2. Recuerda siempre encomendarte al Senor, y orar Mucho... Que la madre de esos chicos es una ESPECTACULAR!!! Fue la que Dios les eligio...verdad??

Melissa said...

I totally understand this. I homeschool 4 and also work as a supervising teacher, visiting and supporting homeschool/independent study families. It is a juggling act. I have the three older kids in all day co-ops once a week and we are using more structured workbook type curriculum this year. I try to do one activity type thing a day. It is not ideal, but I am finding few things are and that is okay. I do plan to do more fun creative schooling during breaks. Good luck.

Leptir (Nataša) said...

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http://leptir-mojpribor.blogspot.com/2010/11/stylish-blogger-award.html

Aly in Va said...

As a working parent who wishes I could do more at home, I understand too. It's probably a love/hate relationship anyway you look at it. The only thing that could probably help alleviate the problem is to be independently extremely wealthy, then time/resources wouldn't be so much of an issue. Wish I was :)