The last month has been a bit of a challenge as I have been trying to keep up with my eight year old’s full homeschooling schedule, continuing my four year old’s early literacy program, caring for our new baby, and most recently dealing with the fact that daddy is gone. Not out of the picture gone, but for the next three weeks, he has training in Kansas City and then will in all likelihood be moving there or to Hastings. Without us, until the house sells.
The thought of trying to keep this house ready for show…well, that is another post for another time.
I feel like I’m treading water, but my daughter has learned to add and subtract double digit numbers, with carrying and has almost finished Little House in the Big Woods. For someone who was struggling with Green Eggs and Ham at the beginning of the school year, that is quite an accomplishment! I wish I could take some credit in that, but I didn’t do anything, really. One day, she decided she really wanted to read. She is a determined girl, one of her greatest and most challenging personality traits.
I watch her in Karate and am amazed. She took a year off and just started back in December. By the end of February, she had re-learned all of her old katas (basic exercises with combinations of moves in order) and was ready to test for her next rank. In June, she gets to test for brown belt, something she is “hungry for” as her sensei says. No better way to summarize it. She practices daily, on her own. She is upset if we are running late and can’t get to class on time. She begged me to let her go to the adult’s class on Saturday mornings when sensei invited her and has gone every week since except when we went to grandma’s. She even chose that over a sleep over with her best friend. Every class, every exercise, she puts forth her best effort and looks as if her brown belt depended on that drill and that drill alone. She may make mistakes, but it isn’t for lack of trying.
So when she decided she wanted to read, I knew my job in that area was over. I don’t plan our literature any more. She picks what she wants to read and we talk about it. The next phase of our reading program is going to be “book talks.” She will select a book to read, and both of us will get a copy. Every day, we will sit down to tea and just talk about the book. When her writing improves, I’d like to help her start a journal, but that may be a long ways off.
Unless she decides she wants to write. And the seed is there. She likes to pretend to write. But spelling still hinders her free expression, so we need to work on that more.
As frustrating as the first year of homeschooling was for me, I am glad I stuck with it. Now, I know most of the problems I was having stemmed from the fact that I was working against my daughter’s God-given personality. It is such a delight to be able to begin to work with her, instead.
Related Tags: homeschooling, home school, home education
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You mentioned Karate; I took KungFu many yeara ago. I was so uncoordinated that I KungFu’ed myself into a cracked rib and smashed my foot on the practice pole. This is the same reason I wasn’t real popular in basketball too. I wasn’t trying to foul; I was simply landing on folks by accident.
Glad to hear you daughter has found enjoyment in reading.
Hi Dana! ( :
Thanks for the heads up about the Hitler comment - I am so impressed at how you don’t push your daughter in the areas she is not ready for - this is something I struggle with - less and less over the years of course - but oh how I wish I could go back to our first year and do it over. ) : I am so glad you have had such a great year! ( :
Warmly,
Mandi
I forgot to add to the great year comment - despite the fact that it is so difficult right now - oh how I remember when number 4 was born- with a 1st and K and 2yo - My grandma would say to me “And this too shall pass” And of course it did - way too fast!) :
Dana,
I’m praying for you. We just did a move with a newborn (and three others 6, 4 and 2!) A good tip is to have a bag ready to grab and go to the park when you get a call that buyers are coming. Of course, we were selling in winter, so mainly we just drove around or when to Chic-fil-a. We ate a lot of chicken!
Be blessed,
April
Ooh. I like the bag idea. Driving around and going to Chic-fil-a sounds good, too. We can spend our whole down payment on fast food!
t.f…that would be me. She is better at 8 than I ever could be. Especially since I wouldn’t attempt it in the first place, which doesn’t get me very far.
Mandi…I understand that! I don’t particularly want it “to pass.” At least not the time of snuggling and playing with my children. But I’m sure each season of life has its own joys.
(And that Hitler comment is all over the place. I have another one I need to research, but I’ll send it to you when and if I find a source. If true, it is better…)
Dana - You have certainly had your hands full and have handled it with grace. What a wonderful role model for your kids. You may feel like you are treading water - but you have accomplished so much and have also allowed your children to flourish in spite of your difficulties. What a wonderfully amazing mom you are to be doing all this and posting such insightful and intelligent blogs as well.
Thank you for all you do.
Your hands are definitely full! I just wanted to give you a pre-move tip: look for a home on the Kansas-side of the Kansas City area. The laws in KS are sooo much more respectful of homeschoolers.
Besides, then you’ll be closer to me.
I would like to say time does go so fast. I have 8 eight children. Pick and choose your battles. If your really stressed take the day off and just enjoy the kids. Kids are such a blessing.
Bonnie
I will add you to my growing prayer list. I felt like I was treading water my entire first year of home educating. Then I realized, I wasn’t in the right pool. I was still trying to do school the way I had done school in my own public school experience. Once I got in the right water, life was good…
Oh, and I pick Hastings. My grandfather lives there. He is the old man that escapes from assisted living and rides down the highway on an electric scooter. My aunt has a B&B nearby.
Oooh KC! That’s only 4 hours from me. Yea!! Congrats to you on working out the new baby and everything else. I know it’s not easy. Our lives are such a tapestry, weaving people and things into our lives all the time.
Praying for a quick sale!!
Hmm…Kate, we can meet up at the Jazz festival.
Of course…meeting Julie’s grandfather is tempting, too. Decisions, decisions.
Thank you, everyone!
Best wishes for your upcoming move! We moved last summer with a 9 mos old and 3 1/2 year old and it was quite the adventure
We’re finishing our 17th year of home schooling (no, it’s not the same kid)
and I can honestly say that mom learns every bit as much as the kids do. It truly is a journey I wouldn’t trade for a second.
I can’t imagine keeping the house clean with kids and a baby. Bless you! Hope your home sells quickly.
Your daughter sounds like my son. We struggled with reading for years. He turned eight and could suddenly read. Glad he wasn’t in school for all that. Hate to think what they’d have done with him.
Praying for you as you attempt to sell your house and move. We moved when preggos with DB3. I made a vow…I will never move while pregnant again. I don’t imagine it would be much more fun with an infant in tow. I guess I’ll amend my vow to be: I’ll never move with children again. lol.
Good Luck.
Thanks for participating in the Carnival of Family Life this week. Your post is a great contribution to the Carnival! Your little Peanut is adorable and congrats on the homeschooling thing working for you.
Thanks for sharing! I think the greatest thing about homeschooling is the release of pressure to learn a certain way, a certain amount and by a certain time off the child. It’s a huge relief to let them learn at their own pace and amazing to see how much they can do when given the right set of wings. Bravo mom.
Hugs,
Holly
Here via the Carnival of Family Life