Feeling frustrated, need support!

[Brydean]

I am hs my dd 5. But I feel right now I am not doing a very good job. Actually let the idea of public school enter my head. We started the year off great, lots of projects and workbooks. But found out I'm preggo. 10 wks. now. And for the past 3 weeks, we have done so little. No projects, not enough reading. Just workbooks , which she loves, but its not enough. But I have been so tired, I'm not sleeping at night. And so nauseous. I spend half the morning on the couch while dk's watch Tv. I am feeling like an awful mom. I keep telling myself its temporary. But I feel like I am letting her education slide. She is ahead in most of the subjects, she has already finished grade K math and is working on 1st grade. But I still feel I should be doing more. Anyone else ever dealth with this? Thanks for any imput!

[SagMom]

Whenever I wonder if the kids are doing "enough" I discreetly document, journal-style what they are up to for a day or a week or whatever it takes to calm my worries. (Usually no more than a couple of days.)

Remind yourself, too, that she's only 5 and that this business of learning is not a race. If she enjoys the workbooks and you can manage it, then certainly continue, but maybe you could let HER direct some of her activities as well.

Gather books, puzzles, games, art supplies, blocks, puppets, etc. and put them where she can access them herself for times when you're on the couch. How about stories on tape if you're not up to reading to her--our library has chapter books as well as picture books on tape.
I don't think tv is ALL bad, but I can understand you're not wanting her in front of it for great lengths. And, once the baby is here, she'll need to entertain herself at times as well.

But really, she'll be fine. This is a short amount of time in the "big picture" of her life, yk? I highly doubt that when she's 45 she'll be sitting around saying, "My life would have been just perfect if Mom had only made macaroni necklaces with me when I was five!"

[lilyka]

First of all remember what your dd would be doing in school at this age. Next to nothing most likely. she would be learning things she doesn't need for homeschool existance such as forming a line but not cutting, raising her hand, how to get to the luch room, responding to a whistle, etc. . . Very few kids come out of K knowing how to read or do any mathh except for maybe counting to 100. Big wup, your dd is probably light years ahead of that.

Still want to feel like your doing something? Make sure she has enriching activities available. Puzzles, games, my children like sorting things, geoboards, tanagrams and stuff like that. Even though they are not learning something specific they are picking up on stuff that will come easy to them later. If she likes workbooks let her go crazy. Books on tape are great and if she watches a lot of TV make sure she is watching good stuff. Between the Lions, Cyberchase, Zoom and Reading Rainbow are all good ones. Also there are some good videos. Now might be a good time to find a foriegn language program that involves a lot oflistening. Don't underestimate the power of imaginative play. Make sure she has some dolls for dramatic play (don't like Barbie? My girls like Fassion Polly, Corrole minis, and Madeline dolls).

Don't worry about falling behind. Ever since I got pregnant we have hs pretty sporadically. We go crazy when the mood strikes us and sometimes go for days wiuthout even touching book. It all works out in the end. Once the baby comes I don't really forsee us getting into a routien untill summer.

[anythingelse]

Can you let your SO take over and just work with her on the weekend a little? The average KDGN gets 3 hrs a week instruction at school and average I have read of 15minutes actual one on one. Children do not take steps backwards in learning, it is okay to take breaks, we always have, most families do. We took off the month of sept to go on a roadtrip and if I am sick or the kids are we just take the day off. It works out in the long run.
I hope your morning sickness ends soon and you can start enjoying your pregnancy!

Mary
mom to ds14, ds9, ds5, dd3 yrs

[Linda in Arizona]

Cut yourself some slack!!!!!

Since your DD has already mastered everything she would learn this year in school, you could take the entire rest of the year off. So really, you don't have to do anything. Not one page. And there isn't any point in sending her to school because she woulnd't learn anything anyway.

Just spend time with her everyday enjoying her. If you guys want to do worksheets and projects, then go for it. If you are pooped out and she is happy to play with playdough while you rest on the couch, then that it OK too.

My older DD watched A LOT of TV when I was prego. I felt really bad about it, but she recoved just fine.

[SRHS]

I second all of the above, particularly lilyka and linda in Az, do you realize that kindergarteners spend approx 30 min/day on academic subjects? I sit down with ds and we wrok for about 2-3 hours/day...I figure if he is willing to spend the time, so am I and I just think, we are abotu 2 hours ahead of the rest of his class!! Cut yourself some slack, explain the causes of n/v in pregnancy, the changing pregnant worman's body, etc. She'll be ready for an ob/gyn specialty in no time!!! My ds 6 watched me nurse his baby bro forever...it is thoroughly engrained in his head that breasts are for milk for babies. In his words: "Boobs are for babies, without mama milk they would die, who wants cows milk" Well, I'd say he has a pretty good grip on part of the life cycle and he knew all this at age 4. You will be surprised at all the learnign opportunities you have. You could have a really indepth discussion of the GI system if you have the stomach for it. Best of luck, I was one of the pukers my 2nd time around...what a rude awakening!! the first was so easy I assumed my body would react the same to pregnancy...HA!!!!! My thoughts are with you, and get off the guilt trip, you are doingmuch more than you know!!!!
Susan