5.5 year old begging to go to school..

[etsdtm99]

first, there is no way i'm sending my daughter to public school (at this age, based on her begging, etc. its just not right for our family at this time). but every day she begs to go to 'real public school!'  she says she wants to go for the WORK.. she WANTS to sit at a desk all day, so she says.. 

she does her homeschool 'work' - she loves the activities we do, and i've started letting her bring 'work' to do while we're out too cause she wants to do school all.day.long.  she is exhausting me  - i had planned on 2-3 hours a day MAX split up with an activity here and there.. sure, we just started, but.. she is driving me insane!! now that school 'started' she won't play, she just wants to do school and when she is not doing school she is begging me to send her to 'real school' ..   when i have to do some chores, or try to get her to help me with laundry or nurse the baby or whatever she throws a fit and generally makes things difficult for me until i get her doing more school..

will she stop? even out ?  will this wear off? will she ever realize that homeschool is 'real' school ?  she doesn't ask about seeing other kids or any of that -  i was really looking forward to her being able to still play with her siblings and be a kid by being homeschooled but she suddenly wants nothing to do with it, my 3 yr old is really acting out because she won't play with him..  

do all 5 year olds just want what they don't have?

Edited by etsdtm99 - 8/31/11 at 8:37pm

[4evermom]

Do you think it would help if you kept to the clock with school work?  Make sure she knows she is in kindergarten and that is half day from 9 until 12.  Maybe ring a "school's out" bell at noon to help define the end of the school day.  Maybe she would be more inclined to play with her brother after that.  I'd probably get a stack of workbooks and tell her she can do them on her own if she wants.  I bet her fervor will ebb a little in a few months.

[AAK]

Originally Posted by etsdtm99 

do all 5 year olds just want what they don't have?

Yep, I think that is how it works. 

I like the timer idea.  Also, schedule in EVERYTHING if you must.  

It is now "recess time"-- Kindergarten kids play at recess; go play!

Music time -- you and brother play with the instruments/dance/etc.

PE time -- go outside and play with a ball.  

Art time -- here is the playdoh.  I will be doing dishes while you and brother create a cool scupture!

Lunch time, lunch recess, clean up time, etc. until she gets tired of being tied to the schedule.  If kindy is half day in your area, drop by the local school when it is dismissing the students so that she can see that mom is right and school doesn't last all day.  

If that doesn't work, get a large pile of "busy work" and let her work on it independently.  Encourage her to "teach" her brother to count or his colors, etc. 

I do think it will wear off as the school year becomes routine.

Amy

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by 4evermom 

I'd probably get a stack of workbooks and tell her she can do them on her own if she wants.  I bet her fervor will ebb a little in a few months.

Why should that be the intention? I have a child who loves workbooks too. She will only do well if she is actually learning something new, and is being challenged. She does not do well with things that bore her (work too easy, work too hard, just not interested in the subject). My DD likes workbooks best for two reasons, she says: 1. Giving her something concrete to start with, and when there's already something on the page, she is not intimidated, and 2. She can look back at the work she did, which she loves!

My child is about the same age as yours, OP. She loves our homeschool, but does put pressure on me to do math with her literally all the time. She will get angry when I say we can't do math now, because it is bed time, and no - I don't want to give her math books instead of story time at night! She does like to play a lot though, and my main issue is that little brother (2) wants to join in but doesn't have the skills yet. 

[etsdtm99]

thanks for all the suggestions! i think these will work  - though for now, i'm keeping my fingers crossed that she is done complaining for a while! we had a big discussion on the same day i started this thread, she refused to back down at that time, but since then (thurs, friday) she has been better - she cooperates and is excited for school work, but also acts like a normal kid and plays when its play time and all that..

[4evermom]

Originally Posted by MittensKittens 

Why should that be the intention?

  It isn't the intention.  It seems most kids are really into doing something for a few months, then the interest moves to something else, and frequently circles back around to a version of the first thing again.  All I was saying was if she likes schoolwork, and workbooks would make her happy and be an independent way to do extra schoolwork, buy them.  Likely her fervor in doing nothing but schoolwork around the clock will ebb in a few months.