It's me again - LHFHG

[Heidi in AK]

Quick update:

We did Unit 7, Day 1 today, just the history and rotating box, along with the RH side of LHFHG. SUCCESS! That, with piano and a visit from a new friend, filled our day. DD5 was super excited when she repeated to me tonight that her favorite part of doing school was spending time with me, because I told my friend in front of her (without thinking about it) that I was home to spend time with her. SCORE! Love tank fill, for tonight! I told her that's why we were doing school, so I could spend TIME with her. Get it? QUALITY TIME!

We'll do 6-9 boxes a day, depending on what DD can take. When we can do all 9 boxes, we'll do all 9 boxes. I'll forget about the other curriculum, I think. It would give her two scriptures a week to memorize, if we did that. Not necessary.

I also passed out two HOD catalogs today, one to my friend, and one to another friend. Both knew the catalogs were coming, so both were very excited to get them!

[KristinBeth]

Great news! What a relief, huh?

[abrightmom]

Often the smartest children can be the most strong willed! If she is already reading and doing work like this at 5, she is exceptional in my opinion! Whew! Does she ENJOY doing lessons? That will make a big difference in her attitude as well. The attachment she has with you and her father will make the biggest difference in her attitude, I believe. Character training is crucial, yes, and Bible of course! Essential! But cultivating attachment with your child is very important for the child to feel close and secure with you. I am learning this more and more with my strong-willed ones especially. Hugs throughout the day, going for one on one time together out to eat, etc, rubbing their hair or scratching their back during reading time, throwing the ball outside together or going for a walk and just talking about what they like. Those things build the attachments that are so crucial in our lives. Academics will come, but let us make sure our foundations are solid and firm with one another in Christ.

So, I would say, think about attachment. Is your husband firmly and closely attached to your daughter? Does he spend sweet moments connecting with her? I am quite sure that you spend this time with her as well, but for myself, I was finding that I spent more "teaching" and "instructing" time than I did just being with and enjoying my children. I am in the midst of renewing my mind in this area, as it is healing for me as well, in areas where I was "dis-attached" myself. I hope this helps you with some further insight.


Blessings!

I am enjoying this thread immensely. Tina, your post is overflowing with wise counsel!

[Heidi in AK]

HUGE relief. Tina, your wisdom is timely. I think we are dealing with attachment issues. DD hung on me today, like never before, and repeated to me how happy she was to homeschool so we could have time together. We also happened to visit the school where I taught last year, and she didn't want to go in. Wow, it wasn't that bad, but her little memory remembered!

[tnahid]

Wow, I praise God for His divine insight. Your daughter sounds so much like my son. He just shudders thinking about going to school now. He told me a few weeks ago that when he was in school, he used to "shiver" as he put it, and his stomach would hurt, and he would say in his mind, "I wish I was with my mom." This broke my heart when he told me, but made me tremendously thankful for him to be home and confirmed even more that this is the path the Lord has for us.

While in school, he also developed a habit of biting the skin around his nails until it would bleed, and his nails as well. It was very bad. Now, when I look at his fingers, they are so much better and healthier looking, although he still does it at times, mainly when he is in a crowd or something like that. All of his nervous ways have settled so much since being at home. Another thing I have found is sitting on his bed by him at night and just stroking his hair and cheek, just like when he was a baby. He loves this, and I believe all of these things are just re-iterating the bonding/attachment as well. Don't get me wrong. He is a handful at times, but now that our bonding is stronger, he listens and obeys much easier and without strong resentment or attitude. My daughter is the same as well. So much better after being at home. But remember, it just takes time.

Bless you always.

[Heidi in AK]

This thread has generated lots of conversation between DH and me about how to treat our DD. I think she is a super sensitive spirit who gets her feelings hurt easily, and then she shuts down. What ensues is usually defiance and disobedience, but I think it's because her little spirit gets crushed. And yes, she still needs LOTS of time with me.

Question: I am doing LHFHG half-speed, doing the History and Rotating Box one day, Rhymes/Bible Memory/Corresponding Music the next day. We are adding that to the RH full-speed, and I think that will be enough school for a while. I can keep my place with post-it notes, but in case I finish the RH of LHFHG before the LH (which it looks like I will), do I just get first grade materials for the thinking skills and math, and the Beyond readers for Storytime?

Now posts I have read in the past are starting to make sense! They didn't make sense at the time. Would I then benefit from buying the Beyond TM and the storytime (will probably choose the "girl set," DD would LOVE that!)?

[Carrie]

Heidi,

Yes! Your plan would work. Then, whenever you headed into all of Beyond, you could just finish the girl set and move onto a different storytime set, repeating the storytime plans in Beyond until you actually finished the rest of Beyond. There are three great sets of storytime books in Beyond, so you wouldn't be quick to run out. If you did get the Beyond guide for Storytime, while still finishing the rest of LHFHG, you could also use the Beyond guide for the hands-on math plans for 1A/1B and for the Emerging Reader's schedule too, whenever she was ready for that. Also, whenever she began the Emerging Reader's Set, she could begin Spelling List 1. It isn't uncommon for families to use the 3R's from Beyond while doing the rest from LHFHG, so if this did happen it wouldn't be surprising.

Blessings,
Carrie

[Heidi in AK]

Thank you for weighing in, Carrie! I thought about the math thing today, because we are also ahead on math. At Unit 7, she's at the tens/ones distinction in Singapore Math 2A. Chugging along! I think this is a really good idea. She is reading like crazy, and I think she'd LOVE the girl titles.