Diaper Swappers

Leah52 · 07-17-2012, 11:12 AM

I'm feeling guilty and overwhelmed and need some pep talks. We've homeschooled since day one and my kids are 12, 11, 9, 6 and 18 months. We've always been a little behind just because I don't start formal lessons until they are about 7 but I've been ok with where we are and what they are learning. Last May, when my youngest was just a few months old, my husband had a back injury at work that resulted in emergency surgery and him being out of work for several weeks and then he started going to college and working when he could. So money has been tight and it has been kind of crazy around here with all the changes and I've been depressed as well. We did hardly any school work at all last year and I'm starting to freak out that we will never get caught up, that I've ruined my kids lives and they are going to hate me. We're going to struggle to buy curriculum this fall (we use Sonlight so kind of $$) although it is a huge priority for me and I will make it happen. I don't know, I guess I just need someone to tell me that one year isn't that bad and that we will be ok.

littlemsmom · 07-17-2012, 11:19 AM

We use sonlight as well (cores A, B, D). I don't know what core(s) you are on but what about doing a condensed core. Or just picking and choosing which books to read. I wouldn't worry about being a year "behind" life happens and that is the nice thing about homeschooling you can deal with life without having worry about getting behind. Also check out the sonlight forums so many mamas are or have been in the same situation and have lots of creative ideas how to get where you want to be.

agzip03 · 07-17-2012, 11:52 AM

I wouldn't worry all that much either. Consider that year an unschooling year. Ask your kids what they learned whether is was something new to do around the house in terms of housework or something they picked up from a book they read on their own. If you are worried about them "catching up" you might consider doing school six days a week and do school year round. You have flexibility, so don't worry about it and get to where you feel comfortable.

fawnlovesjasper · 07-17-2012, 01:12 PM

I feel as though we are behind.. mostly because I tried to changed ourr whole homeschooling style last fall. Felt I wasn't "keeping up with the Jones's" and had to do what they were doing.. you know all 3 maths, 6 language arts, 4 sciences, 2 histories, etc. By February we had changed maths 5 times! I finally went back to my heart lead curricula. We are now about a half a year "behind" in math, and for a while I was in panic mode trying to figure out how to get this level and the next done by next May. It was worse when I was still planning on staying with what was our 3 new LA curriulum that I chose in Feb as well. I have since dumped that, and have relaxed on the math. The math ends up being quite advanced, most kids can test into Saxon 6/5 after level 3. I chose to go back to a simpler more relaxed LA (actually we will be using Total Reading for both my 2nd and 1st graders), and they are starting them "where they should be".

Really though, who is to say where they should be when? Who really cares about grade levels? Only those who live their lives trying to conform to the box.

You said you hardly did school this past year, I would most likely just repeat the cores that you had for last year. It will save you a ton of money at this point in the game.

tallanvor · 07-17-2012, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fawnlovesjasper

Really though, who is to say where they should be when? Who really cares about grade levels? Only those who live their lives trying to conform to the box.

You said you hardly did school this past year, I would most likely just repeat the cores that you had for last year. It will save you a ton of money at this point in the game.

I agree. Don't stress over where they "should" be. So long as they learn it by the time they need it, they are fine.

If you did so little of last year's stuff, do it again. Even if you just spend a few months browsing through it as a review, it will give you some more time to save up for the new stuff. Or, would you be willing to try something different?

rumblepurr · 07-17-2012, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tallanvor

I agree. Don't stress over where they "should" be. So long as they learn it by the time they need it, they are fine.

If you did so little of last year's stuff, do it again. Even if you just spend a few months browsing through it as a review, it will give you some more time to save up for the new stuff. Or, would you be willing to try something different?

This. Start today even! When I had my last baby, we got behind to. DH just graduated with his BS and was looking for work and life was crazy! I just kept plugging away at it through the Summer and into the Fall. By the time Oct. rolled around, things were caught up enough that we could start on the next grade. We worked through Christmas only taking a week off and then went back to work, and worked all the way to July. By then we were totally caught up! What are dates, when you have all year to school?

Give yourself a hug and a pat on the back! Anybody in your situation would get thrown off track, and you have been dealing with an incredible amount of stress and chaos. Simply getting some school work done and getting back into the grove will make you feel so much better!

It's like walking into the house and seeing all the dishes dirty, 18 loads of laundry, toys strewn hither and yon and horrible bathrooms to boot! You feel so overwhelmed and behind that you throw yourself on the couch in frustration! Once you start though, you feel so much better.

Hitchkids · 07-17-2012, 02:03 PM

It sounds to me like what your kids likely learned last year is that family comes first and that there is nothing more important than buckling down and taking care of each other. I think most homeschooling families go through a year or two at least like this at some point in their schooling. Focus on what you believe to be the important basics for a while and let the rest go for a bit. I'm pretty sure your kids have learned more over the last year than you think.

If affording your materials is a problem for next year, there are many different organizations that provide scholarships, grants and free materials to families suffering from financial set backs, especially those caused by situations like the one your family has experienced. I'm sure you are already aware of the swap sites and such as well. We've never used Sonlight but is it possible to get some of the materials from the library or paperbackswap or a similar source? Or do you know of any local families who might be willing to loan or rent the materials? Another option is simply trying a different option just for the year (something more affordable or easier to obtain used) to give you more time to get things together. This year one of my kid's books are mostly coming from a friend who was giving them away. Not exactly what I would have chosen for him but close enough for the year. Several of my other kids will be using at least some materials that we've had laying around and never quite got to before or that another sibling started but never finished. It's just going to be one of those years and yet I have a feeling it will all work out in the end.

Leah52 · 07-17-2012, 06:58 PM

Thanks everyone, I know my kids have learned this year because they read a lot and we discuss things a lot but in the middle of the night when I'm freaking out instead of sleeping it's not very comforting. I was homeschooled but my mom was a lot more organized than me and we were always on schedule. I'm a procrastinator and a perfectionist but I would rather not do something at all than do it wrong so I keep putting it off. Not a good character trait!

One good thing about Sonlight is they have a no interest payment plan so we can pay for 3 months and still get our books after the first payment. I'm thinking about going with the four day plan (fewer books) and going through it 5-6 days a week. I have the older three in one core to keep them together so while the oldest is ahead somewhat she has enough to read on her own to supplement. We didn't use Sonlight last year, we finished up the core we had and then used whatever we had laying around, things online and library books with math books from Walmart for the younger kids.

~happy2Bamommy~ · 07-17-2012, 10:50 PM

We had a rough year once.Really rough! It has been hard to catch up BUT my girls are doing just fine in so many other areas of life I am not at all worried about them. Life is so much more than being a certain age and in a certain grade.Took me awhile to reach that conclusion though!

If you want help finding the Sonlight core you need used, I've been helping people locally and would more than willing to help you too!

I just got one lady the entire core e w/ all books needed and even some of the extra resources for $160 shipped and another mama got core D+E combined for $100 shipped!

Kristi26 · 07-18-2012, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~happy2Bamommy~

We had a rough year once.Really rough! It has been hard to catch up BUT my girls are doing just fine in so many other areas of life I am not at all worried about them. Life is so much more than being a certain age and in a certain grade.Took me awhile to reach that conclusion though!

If you want help finding the Sonlight core you need used, I've been helping people locally and would more than willing to help you too!

I just got one lady the entire core e w/ all books needed and even some of the extra resources for $160 shipped and another mama got core D+E combined for $100 shipped!

Wow, that's impressive! Those are some amazing deals!!

I agree with everyone else here. Don't beat yourself up about it. You are doing what is important-taking care of your family first. You can get caught up.

Last year, DD was enrolled in cyber school. It took us until January to figure out it was NOT working for her. She was hating school, she wasn't understanding what they were teaching, it was awful. So I started her kindergarten year with ME that month. Now, she is technically "behind" by half a year because of it (mostly in reading as she is a math LOVER). So we are working through the summer, practicing our reading and doing a bunch of fun nature/science studies to get her caught up!

You can do it! It will be okay!

07-17-2012, 11:12 AM	#1
Leah52 Registered Users Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Clifton Forge, VA Posts: 5,602 Ratings: 25 Feedback: 100%	Behind and need encouragement I'm feeling guilty and overwhelmed and need some pep talks. We've homeschooled since day one and my kids are 12, 11, 9, 6 and 18 months. We've always been a little behind just because I don't start formal lessons until they are about 7 but I've been ok with where we are and what they are learning. Last May, when my youngest was just a few months old, my husband had a back injury at work that resulted in emergency surgery and him being out of work for several weeks and then he started going to college and working when he could. So money has been tight and it has been kind of crazy around here with all the changes and I've been depressed as well. We did hardly any school work at all last year and I'm starting to freak out that we will never get caught up, that I've ruined my kids lives and they are going to hate me. We're going to struggle to buy curriculum this fall (we use Sonlight so kind of $$) although it is a huge priority for me and I will make it happen. I don't know, I guess I just need someone to tell me that one year isn't that bad and that we will be ok. __________________ Leah~Jesus follower, pacifist, homeschooled, homeschooling mama of 5 Life is far too short to be sad, to be mad, to hold regret, to look back, to be depressed, to be unkind. Be nice and do good. Every Day is New.

07-17-2012, 11:19 AM	#2
littlemsmom Registered Users Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Broomfield CO Posts: 1,329 Ratings: 124 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	We use sonlight as well (cores A, B, D). I don't know what core(s) you are on but what about doing a condensed core. Or just picking and choosing which books to read. I wouldn't worry about being a year "behind" life happens and that is the nice thing about homeschooling you can deal with life without having worry about getting behind. Also check out the sonlight forums so many mamas are or have been in the same situation and have lots of creative ideas how to get where you want to be. __________________ Krystal: Homeschooling & cloth diapering, mommy to: Mikaela 6/2004, Matthew 1/2006, Savannah 5/2007, Kaleb 9/2008, Selah 9/2010, Shiloh @17w 10/2011, Kendrick 9/2012

07-17-2012, 01:12 PM	#4
fawnlovesjasper Registered Users Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Northeastern PA Posts: 3,546 Ratings: 31 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Behind and need encouragement I feel as though we are behind.. mostly because I tried to changed ourr whole homeschooling style last fall. Felt I wasn't "keeping up with the Jones's" and had to do what they were doing.. you know all 3 maths, 6 language arts, 4 sciences, 2 histories, etc. By February we had changed maths 5 times! I finally went back to my heart lead curricula. We are now about a half a year "behind" in math, and for a while I was in panic mode trying to figure out how to get this level and the next done by next May. It was worse when I was still planning on staying with what was our 3 new LA curriulum that I chose in Feb as well. I have since dumped that, and have relaxed on the math. The math ends up being quite advanced, most kids can test into Saxon 6/5 after level 3. I chose to go back to a simpler more relaxed LA (actually we will be using Total Reading for both my 2nd and 1st graders), and they are starting them "where they should be". Really though, who is to say where they should be when? Who really cares about grade levels? Only those who live their lives trying to conform to the box. You said you hardly did school this past year, I would most likely just repeat the cores that you had for last year. It will save you a ton of money at this point in the game. __________________ Sommer wife to one really amazing man, Adam ,homeschooling momma to Garrett (12/98), Rylee (12/04), Reagan (12/05) and Cameron (5/09)

07-17-2012, 02:03 PM	#7
Hitchkids Registered Users Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 1,162 Ratings: 16 Feedback: 100%	Re: Behind and need encouragement It sounds to me like what your kids likely learned last year is that family comes first and that there is nothing more important than buckling down and taking care of each other. I think most homeschooling families go through a year or two at least like this at some point in their schooling. Focus on what you believe to be the important basics for a while and let the rest go for a bit. I'm pretty sure your kids have learned more over the last year than you think. If affording your materials is a problem for next year, there are many different organizations that provide scholarships, grants and free materials to families suffering from financial set backs, especially those caused by situations like the one your family has experienced. I'm sure you are already aware of the swap sites and such as well. We've never used Sonlight but is it possible to get some of the materials from the library or paperbackswap or a similar source? Or do you know of any local families who might be willing to loan or rent the materials? Another option is simply trying a different option just for the year (something more affordable or easier to obtain used) to give you more time to get things together. This year one of my kid's books are mostly coming from a friend who was giving them away. Not exactly what I would have chosen for him but close enough for the year. Several of my other kids will be using at least some materials that we've had laying around and never quite got to before or that another sibling started but never finished. It's just going to be one of those years and yet I have a feeling it will all work out in the end.

07-17-2012, 06:58 PM	#8
Leah52 Registered Users Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Clifton Forge, VA Posts: 5,602 Ratings: 25 Feedback: 100%	Re: Behind and need encouragement Thanks everyone, I know my kids have learned this year because they read a lot and we discuss things a lot but in the middle of the night when I'm freaking out instead of sleeping it's not very comforting. I was homeschooled but my mom was a lot more organized than me and we were always on schedule. I'm a procrastinator and a perfectionist but I would rather not do something at all than do it wrong so I keep putting it off. Not a good character trait! One good thing about Sonlight is they have a no interest payment plan so we can pay for 3 months and still get our books after the first payment. I'm thinking about going with the four day plan (fewer books) and going through it 5-6 days a week. I have the older three in one core to keep them together so while the oldest is ahead somewhat she has enough to read on her own to supplement. We didn't use Sonlight last year, we finished up the core we had and then used whatever we had laying around, things online and library books with math books from Walmart for the younger kids. __________________ Leah~Jesus follower, pacifist, homeschooled, homeschooling mama of 5 Life is far too short to be sad, to be mad, to hold regret, to look back, to be depressed, to be unkind. Be nice and do good. Every Day is New.