I have many files. The files are disorganized, but they help me keep at least one nostril above water — most of the time.
I have files for invoices, files for Quickbooks, files for SPARK trainings, and files for magazine assignments and book proposals. I have files for Excel documents that track the other files, and files that hold calendars that tell me when the stuff in the files must be thrust into service. And don’t even get me STARTED on computer files. They have almost no organization at all — just monthly backups.
And after many weeks of personal reflection and family discussion, I’ve created a new file. Is it for the personal assistant I wish I could hire? Or a carefully alphabetized list of Works-for-Me Wednesday tips to help me manage the household?
Not exactly.
Many of you may think the title of this file is evidence I’ve completely lost my mind. I’m not disputing that, actually. As a mother with numerous personality flaws, and an educator, with very high expectations, it’s entirely possible this file will include what amounts to a recipe for catastrophe.
Nevertheless, I need your help. Favorite websites? Resources? Books? I need to fill the file. And since I have that sidebar Amazon account with the itty-bitty kickback, maybe I should buy some stuff?
With trepidation, I also ask for your thoughts and opinions. Wish you could homeschool? Thinking about it? Already have and it was a mistake? Doing it and can’t believe you waited this long? Think I’m nuts?
We’re scheduled to start in two weeks, and although I believe we’ve made the decision already, I know from experience that your comments hold weight for me.
“Bring it on…”
Tags: home school, homeschool
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9:00 am
Obviously: I LOVE homeschooling. I feel it is very important for a parent to help that child grow into the responsible adult he is to be. I feel that free education, while a great idea, has taken a complete turn from it’s original intentions and is no longer about an education, but about what the powers that be want our children to learn.
But you don’t want to get into a political debate (because I am NOT good at them! LOL).
Homeschooling is awesome. Your relationship with your children takes a whole new meaning. In fact, you start to look at things differently around you. (I have learned so much since our journey began 6 years ago!)
Homeschooling is hard. And stressful. You will constantly question yourself if you are doing the right thing. If you are doing it right. If your children are academically where they need to be and if you are preparing them well enough for life outside of home.
Even with all of that stress it’s still a very worthwhile venture…after all, what is worth more than your children?
(I know I babble…so sorry)
9:14 am
You are a better Mom than I am to want to homeschool your children. I don’t have that patience for that, unfortunately!! I’ll leave it to the more qualified teachers. So I’m sorry I don’t have anything to add. But I know that you’ll be great at it!!
10:17 am
I never considered it.
I worked 8-5 and no confidence.
… even though my mom homeschooled me the first year.
Just from the little peak we get into your life — I know you can do it well. However, something else in your schedule will have to be whittled down A.L.O.T.
12:29 pm
I thought quite seriously about it after my daughter’s disaterous 1st grade year. I didn’t doubt my ability, but I worried a great deal about the stress involved for both me and my daughter. I’m a perfectionist so I knew it could become a stress point for me to not have it go “the exact way I wanted” especially with schedules and times – I’m pretty retentive. My daughter is also much more resistive to help from either me or my spouse than she is from others. Again, I had confidence I could tackle that but worried about the stress of the process. I did find some great resources in my state though where they’ve put the same cirriculum in place for homeschoolers and even include all the equipment for the program. I was sorely tempted, but as Pamela pointed out I knew it would take some serious sacrifice of other things like my adoption site/business and all the other computer related activities I dearly love. So I researched a charter school that fit her needs better and decided to channel and focus my efforts on her education behalf in the support at home folder. For us it’s worked. We have never expected the school to teach our kids everything they need to know. We’ve always viewed them as a valuable partner, but it’s our responsibilty as parents so we take it seriously even if we don’t do it all ourselves. Does that make any sense? I’m rambling now….LOL
Hugs,
Holly
Holly’s Corner
4:28 pm
Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. It is a scary step for me, and one I think I’ll look at as an “experiment”. I know I’ll have to cut down a lot on my business pursuits, mostly in terms of writing. And I’ll stop all forms of marketing and promotions I haven’t already committed to. We still have a lot to work out, but the kids are really motivated, which will help significantly. We take this very seriously, which adds to the pressure.
I wish we had another option we felt good about. If our experiment fails, we may consider moving to a community that would fit our kids better. Unfortunately, this would most likely mean a city, no lake, and probably a job change for Wayne.
I’ll keep you posted on our education-experiment-adventure. Thanks for your support!
8:46 pm
Hi Kelly!
Try this site: http://www.getorganised.com.au/
You cold also try this book: Survival Tips for Women with AD/HD: Beyond Piles, Palms, & Post-its
http://astore.amazon.com/educatecom00-20/detail/1886941599/102-6506515-0223327
It is actually a terrific book for ANY woman trying to organise herself!
Another good site is http://www.flylady.com If you do their email group, make sure you set up a separate folder for the emails that come through … they are daily lessons!
11:16 pm
Well I am definitely in favor of it.
I will email or post a comment tomorrow with some links and ideas and such. I am a little tired and my brain is fuzzy right now
~Leslie
3:50 pm
[...] I thought it might be worthwhile to explain what prompted the creation of my “homeschool” file. [...]
4:49 pm
I have one child I could homeschool with absolutely no problems. The other child…not so much. We would butt heads all. the. time.
6:01 pm
Tonya, I have six children. One child I used to “butt heads” with ALL the time. But that is the joy of homeschooling. We learn to work things out and work together. Our relationship is soooo strong now. He is 15 and a joy to me, and a gentleman to others. Homeschooling is more than just academics to me. It’s learning how to live and learn together.
11:25 am
We have home educated since the birth of each of our three. I am a former teacher with public school teachers on both sides for as far back as we can remember. I love it and our parents, who being public school teachers were less than thrilled, are amazed at how well our three are doing, how adjusted, loving, kind, helpful, and unlike their own students at those ages (5, 6, 8). Our friends who homeschool have sweeter kids than any I hev ever met while in a classroom. My best friend has a 15 year old who happily converses with adults and children alike, just like my children do. The ability to see beyond age is one of our favorite benefits of homeschooling.
If you go to my site I have a list of links in a page that includes MANY awesome homeschooling sites (actualy you get there from here.) I have more but have been too busy to post them. Email me if you have questions or just need to commiserate. My eldest is in the hospital right now so my laptop is there with her, as is my email program but I will get it as soon as she gets home.
11:27 am
We have home educated since the birth of each of our three. I am a former teacher with public school teachers on both sides for as far back as we can remember. I love it and our parents, who being public school teachers were less than thrilled, are amazed at how well our three are doing, how adjusted, loving, kind, helpful, and unlike their own students at those ages (5, 6, 8). Our friends who homeschool have sweeter kids than any I hev ever met while in a classroom. My best friend has a 15 year old who happily converses with adults and children alike, just like my children do. The ability to see beyond age is one of our favorite benefits of homeschooling.
If you go to my site I have a list of links in a page that includes MANY awesome homeschooling sites (actualy you get there from here.) I have more but have been too busy to post them. Email me if you have questions or just need to commiserate. My eldest is in the hospital right now so my laptop is there with her, as is my email program but I will get it as soon as she gets home.
May I also mention, my oldest and butt heads all the time, but it is worth every minute of it. I would certainly bprefer to be the one dealing with her instead of someone else who does not share my views on things.
6:54 am
[...] If you’d seen my house in the past week, you couldn’t have missed the sea of texts and papers that covered every surface of my life. Now they’re mostly in binders and files, but my curriculum planning madness made me somewhat resemble the nutty professor. [...]