Try, Try Again

Here it is March 6, 2014, and school (homeschooling that is) is halfway over. I am sure I wouldn't call our first year a failure - yet, NO - not a failure, but a learning experience, a work in progress.

I don't know about you, but I think I have changed curriculums at least 3 times. I had a mishmash of curriculum from the homeschool curriculum sale, Ebay, etc. I started using the books, decided I didn't like them, tried something else, decided I didn't like them, and finally I picked up what I originally started with, and maybe not really liking it, but going to stick with it for the rest of the year. Probably more to say that I actually did it. The bad part, is that it is March, and I am only 1/3of the way through history and science. Science I do actually like, Apologia - wish I stuck with it from the beginning. I just thought it was a little over my little 6 year old's head, but .... onward march we go with it. I am in search of a new program for next year, something that is a little more structured. Being new to this, I really need to follow a schedule, or will go off in tangents that really don't end up anywhere. See, I am a book fanatic, and believe becoming what I know a lot of you are too (yes, I read your blogs) curriculum junkies. :) So, I see something, especially through the homeschool sales on FB, or on Ebay, and I just buy. I need to stop because I probably won't use most of it as I haven't quite decided on what to do for next year.

I have decided that I like the Charlotte Mason/Classical approach and many have said My Father's World which is a combination of both. I was hoping to find one program that would work best for both, unfortunately with my daughter going into 1st and my son going into 4th - it really isn't going to work until the following year with many of them the "all-in-one curriculums" I have been looking at. I am sure I can tweak it to fit, but this year I feel most of what I am teaching is over her head, I really want to be at her level next year. It is hard to keep her focused and engaged, and again, just like all of us, we really want to instill the "love" of learning and not just the "learning".

Another issue this year has posed is the eyeballs from people you see from "the school", or from family members. and them all inquisitively asking, "How is it going? - Do you like it?" At first, I would hesitate for a minute and just smile and say yes, trying to find our groove that is all. I guess it was really too early to answer that questions. Well, truth be told, I have not found our groove yet. I know my kids like being homeschooled, and YES - I do like it. We are having our struggles, trying to find that "groove", but overall, yes, I like it. Now to just get my kids to "love" to learn is the next part.

God be with all you new homeschooling moms out there. They say it does get easier. I guess we can say it does, or doesn't after the years go by, but for now - keep on keeping on moms.

Peace Out YO