Thinking of changing my mind at the last minute... help

[lovelee]

Well, I'm really having a hard time with this. Over the last few weeks I've gotten in all of the curriculum that I plan to use this year, and definitely feeling very nervous as this is my first year homeschooling. My daughter is 5 so we are doing kindergarten.

I also have a 2 yr old, ok to the point....

I just found out I'm pregnant, and don't know if I can do this. I had so much morning sickness with both of my last pregnancys and it's already starting. I just don't know if I can "do" school too!! I was already wondering how to work around the 2 yr old, but I don't think my daughter will enjoy having her lessons in the bathroom!!

Have any of you delt with this??? I almost called the school today

[Patti Ann]

Sorry you're not feeling well. Last year was my first year. I had dd 5, ds 2 1/2 and dd 2 1/2 months. I would say definitely give it a try. Homeschooling a Kindergartener does not take that much time. You can work it into your schedule when you feel good. Much of dd's learning last year was through play and reading. Her reading to herself and being read to. Everyone has doubts. It's pretty normal. Hopefully you won't be sick the whole pregnancy. Maybe you could take it easy until you feel better. Don't give up.

Patti

[indigolilybear]

Just wanted to say that we're in a similar boat. I have a dd starting to HS this year, DS-two yrs old, and we're on one of the "expecting" lists w/you. (we're due early spring). While I don't have severe M/S, I feel for you. I simply wonder if I have the energy to deal w/anything at all. I do instinctively feel that I can do it though, I think doing kindergarten (whatever that means) won't be that hard....and dd I think is up to par w/where she should be since we're dealing w/a HS charter, that matters. I'l lhave to check in w/a teacher-person every twenty days. I can't imagine doing it now, but am trying to take it day by day and not getting overwhelmed. Good luck.

[amanecer]

Reading what youre going through makes the hairs on my back stand! I went through a similar situation last year at this time. I also had the kidergardener daughter, the two year old and was in my third month of pregnancy.

I had horrible morning sickness and to top that off, the hormones had completely erased the happy go lucky feeling I usually carry around with me. I remember the morning we oficially started and the feeling I had in my stomach.

Looking back though I wish I hadnt stressed that much even though its perfectly normal. Like somebody said, at the age they do their learning through play and reading. And the reading part you can do wherever you want, including the comfort of your bed.
We reserved the crafts projects for those times that I felt extra energetic. And took trips to the library a lot.
Let me know if you need extra support of advice

[lovelee]

Thanks so much for your replies. It just feels so overwhelming right now, I also forgot to mention we have a foreign exchange student coming on Thursday to live with us, so this will definitely be an interesting year. I just don't know how I'm going to do it!!!

I'm going to try though. I was feeling so ambitious and had this big list of things I wanted to do, I guess I'm just going to have to let my expectations and plans go for this year and do the best I can.

Wow, and then next year I'll have an infant to work around...
I'm not feeling confident.

[ShannonCC]

Originally posted by bellafinn
I'm going to try though. I was feeling so ambitious and had this big list of things I wanted to do, I guess I'm just going to have to let my expectations and plans go for this year and do the best I can.

Here's my advice! Don't burn out! Try and be laid back about this. Sometimes parents who DON'T have new babies on the way and DON'T have exchange students with them STILL manage to burn out because they get too ambitious. It's too easy to decide you'll "do it all" as a homeschooler.

For me, a definite advantage of homeschooling is that we can relax

Have you thought about what homeschooling means to you? If you think Kindergarten means 4 hours of sit down work a day or going to every single homeschool activity in your area then yeah, you'll probably burn out the both of you. How about unschooling? Letting your dd decide what and when to learn? Or a laid back curriculum like Five in a Row?

Just spend plenty of time snuggling up with your daughter and reading to her and that will do just fine