Do you ever wish you could start over?

[Mrsmamak]

I mean, I'm sure we all do..

I went all in for HOD a couple of years ago. Spent the big money at a convention, box day came and it was ahhhhmazing. We made it about 12 weeks and tanked. Only my oldest, independent child perservered. I had placed my kids poorly, made bad combos, and it just blew up.

But now, I have started back up with a better understanding of CM learning, and we are clicked in. But I feel like there is so much lost time, and lost opportunity. I also have this guilt. I feel as though my 4th grade girl should be more ahead than she is.. she's doing Bigger without extensions, and it's her pace. Truly. Maybe she could use a higher level english, but her reading level is a little behind. She just isn't a strong reader.
My 2nd grade son is ROCKING Bigger.

I have a 3 year old (will be 4 in October) waiting to start LHTH.

I just wish I would have had a better grasp a few years ago. I guess I'm kind of mourning lost time. I'm also worried about my 4th grader. And I can't even tell you how much we have dabbled in math.. Ugh.
I believe that God made me their parents, and assigned me to teach them. I just wish I was better at it.

I just wanted to unload. So if this is you too, you are not alone. I will try to remember to trust that the Lord will equip me with what I need to teach these kiddos. I just so regret jumping ship a couple years ago.

End. Rant.

[LovingJesus]

I understand. I really do.

Is she at the young end of the grade? Summer or spring Birthday? If so you could drop her a grade, at her age, for your peace of mind. I have seen homeschoolers drop fall / winter Birthdays a grade for peace of mind and needing more time. You will declare a grade, not an age, for college testing someday if she goes that route.

[8arrows]

There are many children using MTMM for 9th grade and that is exactly where your 4th grader will be if you do one guide a year. My own daughter did both the last guides for 9th and 10th, and she is not behind one bit. You have so many years ahead of you that you cannot be behind. From a mom of two, almost three graduates, believe me when I say you are just fine!

[Nealewill]

I think there are many people who feel this way. I used to when I first found HOD but I don't feel so guilty about it now. My oldest started in Preparing and is in RtR now, my middle child completed Beyond and Bigger, and then my youngest has done Little Hearts through Bigger. (Long story short - my middle child is repeating Bigger this year so that I can combine my younger two. That is why he has only done 2 levels instead of 3). At times, I do wish that I would have known about HOD when I started homeschooling because I changed curriculums quite a bit when I first started out. But at the same time, I reflect back and think it helps me to see why HOD has worked so wonderfully for us and why I love it so much. It is SO different from anything we did before. It is pretty much everything I have been looking for in a curriculum. And it makes me not really even want to shop around. I don't get restless over curriculum either. I have seen what is out there, know how most of it works, and am very happy with my choice.

And don't feel bad about your daughter. My son is behind a bit in reading too. He is so different than my girls. It really has nothing to do with whether or not you have used HOD before or not. There are many members here and many at different levels. That is why HOD is by age range. So I am sure that not using HOD isn't what held her back. I used to not want to combine my two younger kids because I was so worried about my son missing the last level. In November, I had a melt down. I was busy, school was hard for him, and I had him diagnosed and found out he has auditory processing disorder. Realistically, he NEEDS to be on the oldest end of the age range. Now, he has done some of the extensions but that is only because we are working on sounding words out. Next year though and in future years, he won't be doing extensions at all. He is so well placed in Bigger with his sister isn't even funny. I love having them combine. This is WAY more of a blessing that I could have even imagined. I have some ideas on what I will do once my middle child gets to high school. He may or may not do the extensions for MTMM. And I plan to have him take the Econ from the final guide during that year. I also plan to have him do the financial peace class at some point (maybe over the summer one year or take it when his older sister does). And the Bible study book that they use for the final guide, I may just have him read it one summer as well. The only other change I will make is that he may begin Spanish in MTMM instead of WG to meet his language requirement but I will only do this if he wants to learn Spanish as his language. Other than that, he will skip everything else in the final guide and I am A OK with that! HOD is wonderful! It prepares kids very well for college even without the final guide. I actually teach college classes as IWU and the number one thing that distinguishes my A students from my non-A students is that the A level students can follow directions and complete their assignments thoroughly. HOD definitely does that! Also, just remember that you are trying to create a life long learner. It isn't about how much you can teach them now but about teaching them how to teach themselves.

I now have absolutely no worries and no fear about my son missing the final guide. In addition, according to my state's graduation requirements, the only thing I need from the final guide for graduation purposes is Economics and Personal Finance. Other than that, I can count the English from MTMM as High School Credit and I can be sure to have my son start in MTMM too. You would think math would be a problem but it actually isn't. Technically, my son only has to complete Algebra 1 by the end of high school in Ohio. So even if he doesn't do Pre-Cal, he still would have enough math credit with no trouble. Now, he is very ahead in math now. But I guess I share this because the Algebra text has technical reading. And if we are still struggling a bit, holding him back may be something I have to consider. Or, I might consider using VideoText. Who knows. But point is, Ohio doesn't even require very advanced math for graduation purposes. I guess that I all am trying to say is that you can easily graduate a child from HOD not using the final guide. It is truly a wonderful program and your child would definitely benefit more from using it as is at their level than they would not using HOD or using it at the wrong level (this would be frustrating for both you and her).

Praying you find peace and get rid of the looming mommy guilt! I get that too......and then I realize that Satan is a jerk and I need to kick him out of my head! I will pray the same for you.

[annaz]

Ha-ha-ha-ha! ROFLOL!

Absolutely. I've screwed up so much...

Really a bummer.

Edited to add that this post was zero help.

[Candice]

I couldn't resist, lol...I definitely belong in this club!

[Kteni]

dear sweet home schooling mama,
how I hear your heart. how I know regret of changes. how I wrestled with guilt.
But God, He is mercy and grace itself. He continues to refine me as a mother and teacher. He is patient, sooooo patient with me.
The very best thing I learnt upon my return to HOD, is to just do today's work today and don't beat myself up if we don't get every box we mean to, done. There is always more time tomorrow, or even the next day. It is putting one foot in front of the other that gets us through the year, through the learning, through the skill building, and is the surest way to ANY success.

I have two older children that are finally making real honest progress out from my sidetracked leading, and I am blessed to be back into HOD to lead us. Child #3 is gleaning good things from his older siblings journey. And child #4 will too. We shall step one foot in front of the other, training them up, prayerfully, and leaving that luggage of regret behind.

Move forward in what you know now. Embrace this new track with a fresh grace filled enthusiasm. Do what you can because you are so much more wiser today! You got this, write THIS chapter, how you want it to read now.
hugs, a sister in Christ.

[melissamomof3girls]

I can really relate as well. We have done MFW every year since 2007 but the 2 we did HOD. I constantly have moments where I panic and wonder if I've ruined them academically or otherwise. But, I found this post the other day and the part I will quote here spoke to me so much.

4. Myth: If you don’t get the right curriculum, you’ll ruin your kids.
There is no way to answer this one without plain out stepping on your toes (so, Im sorry.) But, ahem…YOU can’t ruin your kids if you walk obediently with God in control. As long as you have made a prayerful decision about that curriculum, leave the results in God’s hands. Don’t try and put it on your own shoulders. Not to mention, I must point out that public schools switch curriculum all the time. Literally. Some EVERY year! Nothing is perfect. Not even curriculum! Truth: Yes, selecting a homeschool curriculum is a vital decision in your homeschool; but if you make the wrong choice, your children won’t be ruined forever.

http://www.notconsumed.com/choosing-hom ... urriculum/

[Mrsmamak]

I can really relate as well. We have done MFW every year since 2007 but the 2 we did HOD. I constantly have moments where I panic and wonder if I've ruined them academically or otherwise. But, I found this post the other day and the part I will quote here spoke to me so much.

4. Myth: If you don’t get the right curriculum, you’ll ruin your kids.
There is no way to answer this one without plain out stepping on your toes (so, Im sorry.) But, ahem…YOU can’t ruin your kids if you walk obediently with God in control. As long as you have made a prayerful decision about that curriculum, leave the results in God’s hands. Don’t try and put it on your own shoulders. Not to mention, I must point out that public schools switch curriculum all the time. Literally. Some EVERY year! Nothing is perfect. Not even curriculum! Truth: Yes, selecting a homeschool curriculum is a vital decision in your homeschool; but if you make the wrong choice, your children won’t be ruined forever.

http://www.notconsumed.com/choosing-hom ... urriculum/

Oh sweet Melissa.. I cannot stop smiling. Here you live a few miles from me, and we struggle the same struggle..

Sincerely, Kim. From Co-op. I kid you not.

[Mrsmamak]

dear sweet home schooling mama,
how I hear your heart. how I know regret of changes. how I wrestled with guilt.
But God, He is mercy and grace itself. He continues to refine me as a mother and teacher. He is patient, sooooo patient with me.
The very best thing I learnt upon my return to HOD, is to just do today's work today and don't beat myself up if we don't get every box we mean to, done. There is always more time tomorrow, or even the next day. It is putting one foot in front of the other that gets us through the year, through the learning, through the skill building, and is the surest way to ANY success.

I have two older children that are finally making real honest progress out from my sidetracked leading, and I am blessed to be back into HOD to lead us. Child #3 is gleaning good things from his older siblings journey. And child #4 will too. We shall step one foot in front of the other, training them up, prayerfully, and leaving that luggage of regret behind.

Move forward in what you know now. Embrace this new track with a fresh grace filled enthusiasm. Do what you can because you are so much more wiser today! You got this, write THIS chapter, how you want it to read now.
hugs, a sister in Christ.

Beautiful. Thank you so so much.

[melissamomof3girls]

I can really relate as well. We have done MFW every year since 2007 but the 2 we did HOD. I constantly have moments where I panic and wonder if I've ruined them academically or otherwise. But, I found this post the other day and the part I will quote here spoke to me so much.

4. Myth: If you don’t get the right curriculum, you’ll ruin your kids.
There is no way to answer this one without plain out stepping on your toes (so, Im sorry.) But, ahem…YOU can’t ruin your kids if you walk obediently with God in control. As long as you have made a prayerful decision about that curriculum, leave the results in God’s hands. Don’t try and put it on your own shoulders. Not to mention, I must point out that public schools switch curriculum all the time. Literally. Some EVERY year! Nothing is perfect. Not even curriculum! Truth: Yes, selecting a homeschool curriculum is a vital decision in your homeschool; but if you make the wrong choice, your children won’t be ruined forever.

http://www.notconsumed.com/choosing-hom ... urriculum/

Oh sweet Melissa.. I cannot stop smiling. Here you live a few miles from me, and we struggle the same struggle..

Sincerely, Kim. From Co-op. I kid you not.

Bahahahaha - what a small world. We should meet for coffee if you can and I could get a little time away!