New prayer opportunity - to cool my jets!

[Heidi in AK]

I admit, I'm a bit of a worrier. By background, I did not grow up in a believing home. We did go to church all the time, but just like being in a garage doesn't make you a car, being in a church doesn't make you a Christian.

Oh, well. So like us all, I have a bit of chaff to work off (thank you, Jesus, for your helping hand with that!!!) and part of it is being at PEACE with the curriculum. I LOVE it, love it, love it, love it, but when things are easy and we get done quickly, I find my mind wandering...

I'm praying to make peace with the fact that the curriculum is complete...because it is. I totally believe that. I'm just trying to tell my pea brain not to land on curriculum-searching any more because we've found it.

[mater est laetus]

You probably don't need more/different curriculum for them. However, you may need to get outside with them more, or bake with them more, or build with them more, or create more things with them, or tickle them more, or read more books with them, or visit the zoo more often with them, etc. Jigsaw puzzles, make bird feeders, garden, painting, museum visits, play acting, learn a handicraft together, study something with your DD that she is interested in ... there are endless things you can do with them once school is quickly over that can be enriching their young lives besides searching for curriculum. *hugs*

[psreit]

From what I can tell, you are just beginning K level. Stop worrying. As you go along, and get into new guides, you will be getting so much more. Kindergarten SHOULD be done quickly. They aren't going to miss anything. As the pp said, find other fun things to do together. They don't need more 'books' to continue learning.

[water2wine]

Heidi I am so happy for you that you are experiencing peace with HOD. It is wonderful to feel your path with curriculum is set. I am right there with you. And you are so lucky to have found it early on in your hsing. Praise God!

[Kims]

Can I just encourage you after 14 years of homeschooling and thousands if not $10,000+ probably spent on different curriculum over the years I have finally landed on HOD and hardly ever research anymore. I have bought so much and then only used a page or two then resold it at half what I paid for it. Just rest in the Lord and make a vow to not research for a certain amount of time.
I have probably used it or bought it or heard of it. I have not found anything I like better than HOD. I still have two high schoolers so have to buy other stuff but now I just get the minimum and not some big fancy new thing.
This is only my second year with HOD but I am sold on it.
I am not the best at implementing it like I should but isn't that the beauty of it?
You can do this. Rest in the Lord.

[MelInKansas]

I guess for me, being relatively new to HSing, like you I was not raised in a Christian family (a sometimes churchgoing but not believing family), and not really knowing what this was supposed to "look like," the thing I have seen and rejoiced in with my children as we've gone through the 2 years of HOD we've already done is the fruit. What is the fruit you see in your children's lives (or child's if you're only doing it with 1) of the school time you are doing. Something else might be "better" in some theoretical way, or "easier" in some other way, but the fruit is the most important thing and I think the reason why most of us are homeschooling. We pray for fruit, only God can provide it, but what are the seeds you are planting to see that fruit grow?

I am sold on HOD after doing LHTH and LHFHG because through both of those I have seen my 6YO learn the Bible, learn the basics she's needed (reading, writing, math etc, granted these books were not written by HOD but recommended and scheduled so we could learn those skills also), learn about character and issues of the heart, LOVE and ENJOY the school time we have spent, have time left over in her day for play, activities like dance, and being part of the things we do around the house. The other thing I love is the fact that since my school day is already planned I don't have to spend my weekend or other free time trying to plan out what we are going to do each day. I used to read through it and try to prepare on Sunday evening for the whole week but I don't even do that anymore, I take 10-15 minutes in the morning to make sure I have all the books and other things we will need for that day ready to go, and then we just go. I have a friend who has a teaching degree and she thought she could plan school for her DD (who is almost exactly the same age as my DD). It was a struggle for her, her daughter didn't like it, she had a lot of trouble with her younger kids while she was doing school, and she was very frustrated until she tried HOD. She loves it and her kids love it. It's not all about loving it of course, as I tried to say earlier I think it's all about the fruit. But it doesn't hurt that we enjoy it too!

Not that you needed me to sell you on it really, obviously you already love it for reasons of your own. Maybe I just wanted to direct you toward what you could focus your attention on instead of thinking its not enough. Many seasoned homeschooling moms encouraged me when I was beginning my journey to enjoy the early years and not put pressure on myself to do everything or do everything right. They said those years fly by so quickly, and the years where you really have 7 hours of work the child has to do in a school day are coming soon enough. Most importantly, spend time with your kids and have fun. One other thing I love about HOD is how I feel like I spend so much quality time with my children while doing it. I am looking forward to (even though this will be a new challenge for me) is doing guides with my younger two as they get old enough, so I will have that precious time with them bonding, teaching, seeing them learn like I have with my oldest.

[moedertje]

When I started HOD, I used to do a lot of extra stuff as well for my firstborn , now that I have gone into the older guides, I see the value of what Carrie is teaching in the younger guides. Do them as written and you will reap the benefits of the richness of HOD as your children get older. Carrie has done an excellent job to keep the busy homeschool Mom her work to a minimum and in that picking very highly recommended programs.
If what you are doing at 1/2 pace is not challenging enough for your daughter, go full pace. When she gets to the higher grades, if need be you can always slow things down. That's the beauty of homeschooling.
I would say talk to your husband, pray together and let the Lord give you the peace you need. Write down any scriptures He gives you to stand on so you can look back on the days that anxiety hits. I have been there
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