Do you feel like... (olders vs youngers)

[MelInKansas]

I agree too Julie! I really appreciate your thoughts. Even the "struggles" we have in teaching our children are a blessing for us as we learn how to love them for who they are, and also how to remind them of God's grace, and also how to help them gain the skills they need to grow into a mature follower of Jesus. Such an amazing process to be a part of! Thank you Lord for letting me be part of it!

[mom23]

Yes, I feel like this in general. It seems that their education has gotten much harder and more involved very suddenly as my oldest has hit middle school. On one hand I can understand that as our children get older school probably should take longer than it used to; but I do find myself wondering sometimes if a homeschooled student really needs to spend as much time doing school as their public schooled couterparts-I feel like a child studying independently should be able to get through things faster than a child waiting for a teacher to present a lesson to a full classroom...As I look toward future guides taking between 7 and 8 hours a day to complete, it makes me wonder whether we'll be able to keep up the pace in the next few years! Especially when some of these current guides seem to take longer at our house than the "recommended times".

I should add that I'm not trying to criticize HOD in any way-it has been such a blessing in my home for several years now! Hopefully I do not sound offensive...I guess I'm just honestly beginning to wonder about some of these things.

[MelInKansas]

Well, here's another way to look at it. Serious students in high school go to school for 8 hours, then come home and do 2-3 hours of homework every day. So our students getting through HOD in 7-8 hours (and 4 days a week if they can finish it all in 4 days) will be done with everything. Everything that I haven't done yet always seems daunting, but if I step forward in faith, God always provides exactly what we need.

[mom23]

Well, here's another way to look at it. Serious students in high school go to school for 8 hours, then come home and do 2-3 hours of homework every day. So our students getting through HOD in 7-8 hours (and 4 days a week if they can finish it all in 4 days) will be done with everything. Everything that I haven't done yet always seems daunting, but if I step forward in faith, God always provides exactly what we need.

Very true. Thanks.

[Nealewill]

Becky - it doesn't sound to me like you are trying to criticize HOD in anyway. One thing I was wondering is which boxes take you longer? Maybe there is a better way to doing things or just accepting that somethings will take longer.

I know my dd in preparing - she loves to draw. So any day we have a drawing, she will take twice as long. Also - she takes forever for her cursive! But she is so meticulous with each word. Drives me nuts. I am thinking - write the word already!

I know for us, we don't use the recommended math program because we started with something different and it is a good fit for us. However, math usually takes about 30-45 minutes each day. In addition, we use All About Spelling because my oldest is dyslexic. I have been praying hard about switching to dictation but it seems like the AAS worked so well considering she could spell hardly anything last year and now she spells lots I am hesitant to switch. So spelling can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes each time. We also do most of R&S orally. And finally, my dd isn't the best about moving from one thing to next immediately. So we have at least a 5 minute "bell" between "classes" LOL.

But we add nothing extra in at all. I hope that some day achieve that time frame. We are around 5 hours or so at my house for preparing and I am fine with that. I also am a little bit worried as we get older and father along in the guides but if we need to add in a 5th day to finish up we are okay with that. And all of my kids have said time and time again how much the love each activity and they are really retaining everything we do. Plus, I never dreamed that we would be a literature based curriculum family but it seems like they like it. I agree with MelinKansas. If they went to school, they would actually have much more school than they have now. I went to a college prep high school that was rated as one of the top 100 in the nation. I had a REDICULOUS amount of homework and school work. I hated school. It is actually one of the reasons I chose to homeschool. It was just over the top for high school. I am okay with hard work but not an absolutely insane amount of it. And honestly, I don't even remember most of it.

[mom23]

It's hard to put my finger on one particular box that takes us longer than it seems it should...I think the thing that takes us longer right now is the constant interruption from the 2 yo. Then, there's my son's writing/copywork. It seems that by 4th grade he should be able to handle copying a few sentences in a reasonable amount of time, but rather than seeing a phrase, or even a word as a whole, he copies e.a.c.h. l.e.t.t.e.r. Always losing his place in the work and having to rehash which letter he just wrote...it is excruciating for both of us! And Grammar for my dd (R&S-basically all of it orally) takes way longer than it needs to, simply because she's decided she hates it and can't do it. But, by and large I think it's the way that I have to read them a sentence and then go get their younger brother out of trouble. And then take care of the temper tantrum. And then try to shout another sentence over the top of the screaming in the corner. And then have to get up again and deal with it. I can't seem to get anything done, and have the hardest time even starting school because of the time and energy this child is sucking away from me. And, yes, I've read the threads on toddlers/school/interruptions. Again and again. Nothing I try seems to work...he's just a really difficult toddler (I've had 4 of them and I've only seen this matched in one of the others.) I know it's a season that will pass, but in the mean time I am majorly burning out on homeschooling.

So, on that note, my Bible Study tonight has been on realizing that our shortcomings and weaknesses have been given to us intentionally by God, so that His strength can be manifested in that specific area of our lives. Praise Him for that! What a wonderful and encouraging thought that was for me tonight.

[Nealewill]

So, on that note, my Bible Study tonight has been on realizing that our shortcomings and weaknesses have been given to us intentionally by God, so that His strength can be manifested in that specific area of our lives. Praise Him for that! What a wonderful and encouraging thought that was for me tonight.

Praise God indeed! Praying for you too!!!

[MelInKansas]

Ugh. I know a little bit of what this is like. My son is almost 2. I remember my 2nd youngest being difficult at age 2. This one, he is very very busy and wants or needs my attention pretty often. I am thankful that my 6YO is actually pretty good at playing with him, keeping him happy, and keeping him out of trouble. This is a gift. My 8YO is pretty good with him too, but she's the one with most of the school to do so I don't task her with entertaining him during school time usually.

I also do a video for him, 20 minutes, which he is glued to. Some kids that age don't sit and watch TV but he does.

Could you do some during his naptime? The other thing for me was backing off on what I expected us to get done. Preparing is 1/2 speed for now and I find that we are enjoying it so much more this way. I think my DD will be able to handle the challenge of full speed soon so we will see how hectic it is when we do that.

The other thing I am doing right now, since it's easier because of 1/2 speed, is taking time out to play with my son. I get a fun thing out for him to play with, but if the 4YO joins him, generally it ends up in a fight. But if I sit down with him and talk to him about what he is doing, boy does that light him up! It's so hard to be interrupted so much and still have any continuity and get through your day in a reasonable manner, I really understand how that is. I hope and pray you can at least find a way to feel your days are peaceful, or that your heart is peaceful and not frustrated.

[mom23]

Thank you, Melissa! Yes, I've really had to adjust my school expectations for the time being! We've dropped the 3rd guide all together, and been on half speed Bigger for several weeks, really concentrating on beefing up the 3 R's with my 1st and 4th graders. I've tried to avoid schooling during naptime because that has been my sanity saver for this school year-to do my devotions, or sit and read a book, or catch up on my work during his naptime. Plus, afternoons are not optimal times for the older kids to do schoolwork! However, for today I felt like I could not face another day like yesterday , and decided to try to fit all of my "teacher" times into the toddler's naptime. I had the kids work on their independent work all morning, while I thought I could get caught up on some housework and focus on the toddler at the same time. Ha! Wrong on that front-all I got done was focusing on the toddler, but the good news is that school this afternoon went great! I shaved a good hour or two off of what it normally takes me to work with the kids, just by not having to get up and get their younger brother out of trouble. Might not be totally ideal, but for today, anyway, it seemed like it may be the best option I have right now.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers.

[MelInKansas]

I am the same way. Naptime is a break for me. My older kids who do not nap have basically learned that it's not good to bug Mom during naptime. I have actually caught myself when one of them comes up and talks to me, not even answering or acknowledging the child, not intentionally, just totally focussed on not listening....

So doing school during naptime is just a last resort. I plan to try and get it done in the morning, or maybe one or two things right after lunch (the toddler is SO happy right after lunch and he is a total mess for 30-45 minutes before... he will not eat a snack.... he wants real food and he wants it while everyone is sitting down eating.... I cannot just sit him down and feed him, he won't eat).

DITHOR is something that is hard for me to fit into my school day so often that is the naptime activity. There's still a good 1.5 hours once we do that....

Oh today my toddler was a mess and I was trying to put something into the pot. I had him put carrots into the pot, and after that he ran off and was happy. Totally weird. And he splashed soup everywhere while he was plunking the carrots in....