My DD is 8 (3rd gr) and my DS is 6 (late K starter) and two more boys age 3.5 and 9mo. We are at a classical charter (-free) with a hybrid structure-- two days at school, 25 in a class, three days at home. We basically do lang. arts and math at home with some hist. and arts enrichment. History and science are done at school.
The problem is my own attitude. When the kids are enjoying and participating and having fun we are all having fun. When they wander off, get hungry in the middle of the math lesson, pitch a fit about using the workbook they loved yesterday, exclaim that they hate homeschool and don't ever want to do it ever again, cry because we can't go to the Rec swim because they haven't finished their work... I just get ticked off. And I hate that I get so frustrated and exasperated. I know I shouldn't have the expectation that they get their work done in a timely, organized manner. They are kids. But I feel like I make sooooo many accommodations for their attitudes that less and less gets done. So I worry they aren't going to learn and they will fall short of their potential and have bad attitudes to boot.
I hear that if the curriculum is fun the kids will be drawn to it and there won't be battles. So I start the day with a positive attitude and some fun games and great plans. Today I made up an egg hunt with letters and sound-match words inside. DS flips out that the eggs were hidden in only one room, he wants to draw on the eggs, he's mad that little brother is participating. He generally reacts negatively to any plan (he's a bit oppositional defiant) so I try to accomodate his plans. But soon it's all broken down and I'm bummed that my plan failed. See, I sound like a child myself. Poor me.
So it takes the kids all day to get a couple hours worth of work done. I'm exasperated because I feel like I've given in instead of compromised and I'm way behind on housework since I've been dealing with the kids all day. We don't get to leave the house on the adventure I had planned because nobody finished their work so we are all still grumpy.
Part of me wants to abandon the schedule. Let them run and play and drop by the table to do work when they want to. But I'm afraid nothing would get done.
Part of me wants a morning schedule where they do the work with me on time or if they don't, they can do it in their room on their own later in the day instead of the interactive play time the other kids would get. I feel like an ogre.
I think I'm ticked because they don't appreciate all I'm doing- - it would be so much easier to put them on the bus for the 7 hours of PS. How can they complain when they are getting it so good. Hurumph.
I do see my own errors here. I know I'm the one who needs to grow up. But I don't want to. I want a chocolate bar and to send them all to their rooms for generally bugging me.
Anybody see a solution for me? Personality transplant? Patience pills?
The problem is my own attitude. When the kids are enjoying and participating and having fun we are all having fun. When they wander off, get hungry in the middle of the math lesson, pitch a fit about using the workbook they loved yesterday, exclaim that they hate homeschool and don't ever want to do it ever again, cry because we can't go to the Rec swim because they haven't finished their work... I just get ticked off. And I hate that I get so frustrated and exasperated. I know I shouldn't have the expectation that they get their work done in a timely, organized manner. They are kids. But I feel like I make sooooo many accommodations for their attitudes that less and less gets done. So I worry they aren't going to learn and they will fall short of their potential and have bad attitudes to boot.
I hear that if the curriculum is fun the kids will be drawn to it and there won't be battles. So I start the day with a positive attitude and some fun games and great plans. Today I made up an egg hunt with letters and sound-match words inside. DS flips out that the eggs were hidden in only one room, he wants to draw on the eggs, he's mad that little brother is participating. He generally reacts negatively to any plan (he's a bit oppositional defiant) so I try to accomodate his plans. But soon it's all broken down and I'm bummed that my plan failed. See, I sound like a child myself. Poor me.
So it takes the kids all day to get a couple hours worth of work done. I'm exasperated because I feel like I've given in instead of compromised and I'm way behind on housework since I've been dealing with the kids all day. We don't get to leave the house on the adventure I had planned because nobody finished their work so we are all still grumpy.
Part of me wants to abandon the schedule. Let them run and play and drop by the table to do work when they want to. But I'm afraid nothing would get done.
Part of me wants a morning schedule where they do the work with me on time or if they don't, they can do it in their room on their own later in the day instead of the interactive play time the other kids would get. I feel like an ogre.
I think I'm ticked because they don't appreciate all I'm doing- - it would be so much easier to put them on the bus for the 7 hours of PS. How can they complain when they are getting it so good. Hurumph.
I do see my own errors here. I know I'm the one who needs to grow up. But I don't want to. I want a chocolate bar and to send them all to their rooms for generally bugging me.
Anybody see a solution for me? Personality transplant? Patience pills?
