Please remind me why I'm doing this!

[Medusa]

I'm a single homeschooling WAH mama...and tonight I'm asking myself what the hell am I thinking?

It's been one of those days when my ds (5) wanted NOTHING to do with anything remotely educational...every work project I started today is sitting somewhere half finished...I cleaned house every other free second I had through out the day....and it is a WAY bigger mess than when we started out this morning.

I feel like I acomplished nothing...ds learned nothing, and now I have this huge mess to clean up before I go to bed tonight.

I found myself fantazing about sticking DS in public school and getting a WOH job...so I can just walk away from my work at the end of the day...and make more money :

I'm broke, I'm tired, I'm worried I'm not giving my son a good enough education...and just feel like screaming!

In my more rational moments I know I'm doing the right things for both of us...just for the moment remind me why...please.

[Sisyphus]

Because you are like the rest of us

Seriously, though... it wouldn't be "easier" to send him to school... you'd still have to "supervise" homework, advocate for him at school (believe me, you do A LOT of that), probably volunteer in the classroom and PTA, etc. etc. etc....

I recently added up all of the time I spent volunteering, etc. for my son's school (he's kindy) and realized that I'd SAVE TIME if I just homeschooled him (plus, he gets a better education!)... 80% of school time at school is spent talking about rules, enforcing rules, making rules... you get the picture... Unless you want your child taught to hate learning, and to be an automaton, don't send him!

But, you know all of that already!!!

Take care of YOU, mama!!! You rock!

Lo

[RiverSky]

Your child is only 5...having had my son in public school for kindergarten, I'll tell you he barely learned anything and he got all top grades all year long. You can do this in an hour or two a week, so if you have 4 nothing days (where your child plays and relaxes all day long and you feel as if he/she learned nothing), then no biggie as long as you get in an hour of reading and a bit more of other stuff.

Well, that's just my opinion.

And yes, I totally agree, it was SUCH A HASSLE and so much WORK having him in public school...sending in snacks, sending in money to donate for various things, volunteering, lengthy homework projects (in kindegarten), rushing to get home, let him relax, feel him dinner, bathe him, read him stories, oh wait...that homework we forgot to do, then rush to bedtime and wake him up incredibly early to start it all over again.

Thank goodness for homeschool!

Then again, I can understand, though I haven't had ANY yet, I'm sure there will come a time when I have a day like it sounds like you've had. s

[Mallory]

I was a single stay at home mom for a couple years, too. My boys were both just preschool aged, but they didn't go to school.

Because then you'd be paying for work and school clothes and all the extras that go with school (field trips, fund rasiers, ect.) and all the extras that go with work (gas and car repairs, lunches out, makeup, ect.) and still be broke.

Because then you'd have two other schedules you have to follow- your work and his school, and you'd still be tired and stressed and the house would be messy.

Because if your life was anything like mine was when I was single- a crazy mess- then being together is one of the few constants your kid has.

Because he is learning every day more important things then he would be learning in a room full of 5 year olds with one all powerful adult who gets to decide when he pees or talks, even if it is not reading or adding it is important. Driving hot wheels and playing transformers are learning. He is making up stories, figuring out how things work and following his interests--things you hope he does all the rest of his life. Sure it might take most of two years to teach 20 5 and 6 year olds to read, but when he is ready in a year or so he'll speed right through it and be reading (or whatever other skill you think he needs now) in no time.

Good Luck, you can do it.

[mama_kass]

We all have such days. We also have those days when we see our children learn and really enjoy that we were there to guide them. There is no better reward than to see your child "get" something.

Hugs to you mama. Some days are tough. You are not alone. Take a break. No school today.

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by Medusa

It's been one of those days when my ds (5) wanted NOTHING to do with anything remotely educational...every work project I started today is sitting somewhere half finished...I cleaned house every other free second I had through out the day....and it is a WAY bigger mess than when we started out this morning.

<snip>

...just for the moment remind me why...please.

Because you love him so much and want him to have the advantage of being able to be and grow into his own best self and to develop in a much more natural and healthy way than he'd be able to if he got stuffed through the system. Hang in there.

And his educational work right now at his age is specifically to play - nature sets children up to be driven to move and play, and that's how they learn about their immediate world. So he is learning about a lot when he's playing all day (although learning doesn't have to be connected with work projects, even in later years) - but he doesn't have any need of academic subjects right now.

Think of it this way: he loves you, you're the center of his world and he wants to please you - so the fact that he still can't manage to cooperate with the routine you're trying to set up is evidence that right now he's being driven by more natural urges that are absolutely typical and right on schedule for his age. The fact that your house is a mess at the end of a day is a good sign that a lot is happening - enjoy it. You have enough stress in your life without having to make homeschooling into one.

You can easily let go of all education oriented work right now without his getting behind in anything - you can just play and enjoy your little boy in one of the most precious and delightful years of his very short and fleeting childhood. Here are some ideas to try out: pre-school/kindergarten . Lillian

[Medusa]

We spent most of the day today hanging out and playing with some other homeschoolers and I'm feeling a lot better about life in general now. :LOL

I think more than anything I need to get over the idea that I need "prove some thing" in our home schooling...KWIM? Like we have to be this bright shining example of home education, which is to much pressure to put on either of us.

It's nice to see all these reasons, both the practical and emotional, out there in writing.

Thank you all.

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by Medusa

We spent most of the day today hanging out and playing with some other homeschoolers and I'm feeling a lot better about life in general now. :LOL

Funny how that works.... :LOL - Lillian