Chicken

Lately, I have been feeling like I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. All I can say is that I can handle stress pretty well. A little better anyway than I would have handled it less than a year ago. I kind of go with the flow. I do what I can and pretty much ...... say "oh well" to what I cannot do. I obviously tend not to commit to many things that I know I might not make it to and add it to the list of things I just want to do, and then if I don't end up going, well it really doesn't hurt anyone - except my kids if it was something I said we might be doing, they, however, have tried to use the "you promised" on me, but then I remind them that no, no I said "we might". I learned the importance of making promises to my kids or just stating that I will try to make it. Big difference, but they do try to use that on me, luckily, I remember what I do promise and what I say I might do!!!!. Even if I have to post it on a post-it note to remind myself. 

Homeschooling really has been such a joy - but I have to say that I am more busy in the run around sense, than I was before in public school. Maybe because my family who is not extremely supportive of my decision to homeschool, I feel like I have to prove to them that yes, they are involved in this, and they are involved in that, so YES, they are being socialized!!!!!!!! Really, what does it mean to be socialized. 

To me, it consists of nothing good. They have to be socialized with other kids so they can learn how to deal with bullying, or how to deal with a teacher they don't like, or eat food that they can't stand. I have had to deal with all these situations, and you know what I learned from them. That if they are bullied, you are not allowed to stand up for yourself. My daughter did this - with advise that I gave her on how to handle this certain bully - and she got in trouble. Did these people not see the bullying the other person had done for the past 1-1/2 years to my daughter, and then when I tell her to stand up for herself (and in a nice way - just matter of fact) she gets in trouble. Of course when I explained the whole situation to the school, school bus drivers, etc. they stated that nothing was on file. Well, I am not a tattle tail. I am not one to start something if I can resolve it outside of the realm of getting everyone involved. But you would think that after 1-1/2 years of being bullied in a close knit space that someone (bus drivers to be exact) should really know what is going on. But as long as my daughter wasn't making a fuss, everything went well. As soon as she stood up for herself, she was the one that got a hand lashing and had to stay after school and lost her spot on the school bus to be watched closely. OH MY GOSH. Really!!!!!!!. So am I to call and complain every time someone looks at my kid cross eyed? 

All I can say - thank the Lord that I don't have to deal with that anymore. I pray that I will be able to continue to homeschool for as long as I see fit, and as long as my kids are interested. 

School doesn't teach social skills, they teach us how to be deal with bullies (my daughter and son have a bully in each other - they are learning that skill), they don't get to learn how to make farting noises with their arms  - really, do we want our kids to do this, we don't have to learn that we are dumb if we do not measure up to the "status quo" which - sorry I tried to find a percentage of school aged kids who actually fit in the status quo and actually it is not that easy to find. 

And besides, Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it"

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁶ And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Did we have classrooms way back when. NO!!!!! Most of the learning was done in the home.

Someone once told me when I was questioning about testing and really what I should be teaching etc, she said "do you remember things you learned in school?" - I am sure we can all answer that question with a BIG FAT NOOOOO. Sure we know how to read, we now how to do our math - which I think is very important, but the rest of it - no. We really don't remember until it struck us as interesting. So I think we should let our children lead us. If they are interested, they will learn. If they have not interest, you can spend hours, days, months on the subject and you know what? - they won't remember anything. I am fully heading towards an unschooling/schooling approach. Ok, kind of contradictory, but kids need to know the basics, what is 2+2, what is the sound of B, how to read, to comprehend, but these can be taught in more ways than one and certainly there is one way that will fit into your child's way of learning. Of course at first it is touch and go, which is where I am now, but I have learned so much in just this last month that I am so amazed.

Secondly, and I think most importantly, let God lead you. He knows even more than you do. Give up the reins for a while, and just go with it. I still haven't got quite there yet, but everyday I get a little closer.

P.S. I have found teaching someone to read not the easiest of things. To me it is kind of teaching someone how to ride a bike. We all know how to do it, but how do you really explain the mechanics behind it. I started off with Hooked on Phonics and that just didn't seem to click with my daughter, so than I tried this. Something in her clicked with this program. It might be worth a shot if your in the same boat.

Reading made easy. This is amazing. I have tried way too many things, but my daughter really picked this up. When your done fiddling around with curriculums, and want to try something else, try this. Really it works.

Peace out - YO