heartofdakota.com

We have been homeschooling for 5 years and we have yet to have what I would consider a successful year. Yes we have made great strides and my kids have learned but really it all seems like it has been trial and error trying to find our style and groove.

I am hoping that the Lord finally has lead me to the right curriculum for our family. I had never heard of HOD (besides homeschooling my children I was homeschooled and know a lot of homeschool families so it amazes me I never heard of it once until about a month ago) until I began to pray that we would find something that would work. I just happened to stumble on a message board where people where raving about it and decided to see what all the fuss was about.

Here is the thing...my ds11 started out his school years in a bad way. I had never considered homeschooling before so I sent him off to a private preschool. It was the worst thing ever. I literally dragged him in and had to run out while the teacher held him back. Kindergarten was just as bad, phone calls everyday asking what was wrong with my son, why was he so upset and scared all the time. First grade was a repeat of that add him crying at the bus stop and teachers ready to label him with a learning problem. The problem was he had group anxiety and he would just shut down and be in horror the whole day. I am so sorry I never did anything until second grade. He is now scarred by the experience and is not a fan of learning and school work. We have spent many days with me wringing my hands in frustration and him crying.

My dd9 is not so bad but she would rather be doing something else, mainly watching tv. We pulled the plug on tv so that is no longer and issue but I still get whines and uncooperation from her. My dd is actually the first child I homeschooled. We moved and had to enroll in a new private preschool and the one available was not good. She hated it and cried because she was bored, it was too babtish for her level at the time. I think the elderly lady who ran it was very nice but it was just not the right fit for us. I had only planned to do preschool but when her brother came to homeschool she stayed at home for school too. Thankfully I got her out of the school she was in

My ds6 is the only one excited. He is hyperactive and this is the first year we will be really trying to get into education with him. He keeps asking me to do school and he was excited that his new school stuff was on it's way to our house. The only thing he was disapointed in was the lack of stickers in the curriculum. He used to have a pre-writing skills work book that came with reward stickers and he loved to get a sticker on his paper. I told him I would buy stickers for his work I bought doggy stickers for him today. He was happy.

So that was a long explanation...anyway....I want to get my two older kids excited about this. I want them to be looking forward to our new journey with HOD. Any ideas? If we get our stuff by this weekend I want to start on MOnday and I want to start right!

Maybe someone else had kids like mine who were not really into learning but HOD turned that around? I would love to hear about that!

I am so sorry to hear that your older children have had such difficult early experiences with school. I know you must feel, at times, like it will be impossible to overcome, but I don't think so.

First of all, choosing HOD will go a long way in helping your children learn to love school again. (The activities will reach all of your kids - at some level - the variety ensure that.) Secondly, going slowly, easing them in to school, schedule, routine, adding in things as they and you are ready. Lastly, taking time to do the fun stuff as well as the necessary stuff. Keeping everything in perspective - that we are not here to train geniuses, but saints. That is why HOD is my choice. Sure I love the academics, but the character, Scripture, and personal growth that is emphasized is priceless.

I was like many on this board who was very strict, very academic. I pushed myself and my kids hard. It wasn't very fun for any of us. The worst part was, after all that agony, I was seeing that it wasn't worth it. They weren't retaining all the information that I was trying to cram into their heads. I feel badly that my 11 and almost 10 year olds had to be my guinea pigs, and miss out on what I see now is a wonderful way to teach children. Charlotte Mason understood that kids were people, and needed to be treated as such. We need to remember that they need to be given grace, be listened to, and be cherised ( all within the confines of a respectful parent-child relationship).

Education is not a thing we do to our kids. It is a life that is growing in us, and hopefully in them, daily. I am learning to understand that more and more.

I say all that to say this-give yourselves some room this year to enjoy each other, enjoy God's creation, learn, grow, and peel away the past to make room for what, Lord willing, will be a bright, beautiful homeschooling future - both for them and for you. I know this does not give you any list of things to do that you can check off, but I have really seen how God has changed my attitude about what homeschooling and education is supposed to be about. That has made all of the difference for me, and for my kids, as well.

I pray that God's grace will wash over you and your family as you strive to help your children see the privilege of learning.

In His love,
RuthAnn