[Mama~Love]

I dread HSing. I hate saying that, but I do. It seems like such a chore, I put it off, then nothing gets done. I'm not one of those really creative, fun-all-the-time people who have oodles of energy that can plan day after day of fun things to do.

I don't have the energy to do it. I do not want to put DD in school though, so I got to do SOMETHING to make it fun.

How can I plan something so it's FUN? Or not messy? I think of planning things, then I think how messy it would be, then we don't do it. I don't want to spend half the day cleaning up.

I want to

: .

 

[RiverSky]

Have you homeschooled before, or are you just imagining what it is like?

First, if you want a fun curriculum, try out time4learning.com. Your daughter can pretty much self guided herself through it and you won't have to stress about planning a curriculum or anything.

Join a local HS group and go to as many of their fun clubs, classes, park days and field trips as you can. They WILL be educational, and you probably won't have to do a thing, besides getting everyone ready, driving there and bringing any food/drinks you might need for the duration.

Check into any local museums you have in the area (children's, science, art, history) and see if they have any homeschool classes. Most of the ones in our area do. They can really make it fun for your DD to learn, plus be around other homeschooled children and chances are, you might even be able to go run some errands while she is in the class, or spend time with any little children that you might have.

You can also read some books like "Dumbing us Down" by John Taylor Gatto, and The Three R's and the besthomeschooling.org website to find out why it might be best to let your daughter find her own rhythm, and let her guide her education (child-led learning). It's such a stressful but effective way of letting your child grow and learn in a really natural manner, and you won't really have to do anything but love her, feed her, support her, etc.

Homeschooling/unschooling is undoubtedly one of the most amazing and wonderful aspects of our life, and I hope that some day soon, you start to feel a little of that, too.

 

[Lillian J]

What ages are the six pack you mentioned in your sig line? You might just have a little too much going on right now, and maybe there's no hurry to get anything started in the way of things you might have in mind. And maybe you just need an organization system that would facilitate quick set up and clean up...
- Lillian

 

[milehighmonkeys]

We don't have fun, fun, fun every day. We're pretty casual most days. DD is somewhat self motivated, so I don't worry too much. We have lots of books and other resources at her disposal and she can explore whenever she's inspired. I'll offer suggestions now and then, but I don't keep after her every day. I try to keep the really messy stuff out of the house. We do bake and do some crafts, though. We try to get out a lot.

 

[ReadingMama]

My son's 9 and we spend about 1-1.5 hours on schoolish tasks each school day (3-4 days a week most weeks of the year). When I first started out, it helped me a lot to read The Three Rs by Dr. Ruth Beechick (Lillian mentioned it above.) It's a laid-back approach to homeschooling. These 3 booklets (you can get them in a set) are for grades K-3rd.

I understand not feeling motivated or energetic enough to be the daily party planner. And I only have one child! Sometimes you just want to have a normal, boring, restful day. My son wakes me up with, "What are we doing fun today, Mom?" many mornings. Now that he has friends in the neighborhood and can read independently, I don't feel guilty saying, "We're just having a regular day." That means no scheduled outings or planned play dates. He's mostly ok with that, though I heard lots of complaining about it before this year.

How old are your kids? How do you define a successful day?

 

[Whistler]

I'm not an energetic, motivated person either. I have health issues and simply can't do everything I want to do in a day. When I first began thinking about homeschooling I read through a curriculum that a friend uses and I wanted to cry! There was no way I could actually DO all that stuff in a week... all the hands-on artsy-craftsy stuff... and I am a crafty, creative person! I just knew I could not do it.

But I realized I COULD help my daughter learn. I just needed to do it in the way that works for us, not in the way someone else says we ought to do it. I needed to step back, look at what is important to us, look at what learning actually looks like and when it happens in the day.

Here's how things have started shaking out for us. Bear in mind this is pretty new for us and I don't have a lot of experience under my belt.

I tend to be the one DD comes to for the more "schooly" looking stuff. She'll ask me to set her up with starfall.com or the like on the computer. Or she'll dig out a reading or math workbook and ask me to do a page or two with her. I read stories to them a lot or she will ask to play games with the counting blocks. Other than that they play and ask questions and such. I have begun to notice what a lot of learning takes place naturally throughout the day.

Then when DH comes home from work he does some of the more energetic stuff with her. He loves to bake and lately he has been letting her help him. He does violin practice with her and he does it in such a play-oriented way that she looks forward to it all day. Lately they have been rolling a die and assigning little songs to the different numbers on the die.

When the weather is nice we have been doing a lot with sidewalk chalk. We do a lot of free, imaginative drawing which is so fun. She also really wants to learn to pedal a bike and I love that she is getting so much exercise.

I think when I step away from the expectation that "school" has to look a certain way and just look at learning and what she needs next I find our schedule is quite easy and I am not overwhelmed at all.

 

[Lillian J]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReadingMama When I first started out, it helped me a lot to read The Three Rs by Dr. Ruth Beechick (Lillian mentioned it above.) It's a laid-back approach to homeschooling.

It was someone else who mentioned the Beechick book. I did have it, but didn't end up using it - just because we ended up not having to do anything about reading.

Lillian

 

[ReadingMama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lillian J It was someone else who mentioned the Beechick book. I did have it, but didn't end up using it - just because we ended up not having to do anything about reading. Lillian

Oops. I keep misquoting you!!!! OK, Riversky mentioned it above!

 

[Lillian J]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReadingMama Oops. I keep misquoting you!!!!

Well, I've missed the other times! Just so's you haven't quoted me as saying 4 yr. olds need to be taught to read, we're probably okay. - Lillian

 

[Mama~Love]

The kids are 15, 13, 9 (the boys), 6 (almost 7), 5, & 2 (the girls). I'm only HSing my 6 yr old DD.

A successful day to me is helping DD with her grammar, math, and handwriting. She wants to do her work, I just have a hard time sitting with her to do it. She also wants to do arts & crafts, but I usually say no. I don't want to deal with the mess.

So, not very fun overall. She is an excellent reader, reading at a 3rd grade level, and she has her own special books she reads. Her math is probably below grade level, we use Miquon math, she likes it, I don't like it that much because it seems disorganized & confusing to me. We use HWT for handwriting, we both like that.

Thanks for all of the advice. We don't have any HSing groups around here except our once a month Book Time. DH doesn't help with any of it, as it was a challenge get him to agree to HS in the first place. I worry about letting him down with it too.

 

[Mama~Love]

I also wanted to say that I have 100's of HSing links saved for ideas, tips, and such, plus fun websites for the kids to play on, but it seems so hard to plan things out. The kids w ould play on starfall.com, funbrain.com, & PBS Kids all day if I let them (I wouldn't!).

I don't know if I have a mental block or something, I don't know.

 

[Mommy&Will]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mama~to~my~bunch A successful day to me is helping DD with her grammar, math, and handwriting.

I consider that a successful day too. My son is 6 and reading Bob books.

 

[kittywitty]

I consider a successful day one in which we all get out of bed before lunch.

I am in the unmotivated group. I found that sticking with a lot of goals and a curriculum to be very stressful on me. I am a Virgo, so good at planning but I lack otherwise essential follow through. I found to go more of an unschooling route to help me out a bit. My more motivated 2nd grader I got OM 3rd grade that she's been reading and doing herself. We also have Miquon and I agree the disorganization makes me batty. Other than that, we have lots of computer games, art books, art supplies, and hands on stuff. Plus field trips and the library.

And when is life not messy? Are you talking art supplies, house organization, or day organization there?

 

[Autumn Breeze]

You know, this is one of my worries as well. I've been behind on house work for 3 years and I'm finally getting caught up (clutter/orginization wise, the house has been clean)

Anyway, I chose a method that gives me what we do every day, and I know I need that structure, I'm very likely to go off into a tangent anyway, not that my son will mind. But I also have an 'issue' when he wants to do "art" and cut things, and paste, and paint, anything more than color with markers and crayons. i can imagine the mess, and the time it will take me to clean it up.

I wish I had advice, but I just wanted you to know, you're not alone. I'm working on getting my house completely organized before we start homeschooling next year. Otherwise, I'll be totally stressed over getting my time managed between school, cleaning, family, etc and my head will explode.

 

[ReadingMama]

Well, just the one other time. When I said you use the term "child-led," and you corrected me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lillian J Well, I've missed the other times! Just so's you haven't quoted me as saying 4 yr. olds need to be taught to read, we're probably okay. - Lillian

 

[ReadingMama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mommy&Will I consider that a successful day too. My son is 6 and reading Bob books.

Me too. Although we haven't done much with grammar, so I'd say a successful homeschooling day is helping ds with phonics, math, a little handwriting, and either listening to him read or reading to him. Sometimes I worry if we're doing enough, but most of the time I think we are. It's kind of a "tutoring" approach--just working on the basics and learning through life for the other stuff. When I struggled with the motivation to do even the basics, I posted a thread here asking for accountability. I made a goal and checked in each day. Other moms were encouraging. It helped me get back on track. You might consider trying that!

 

[Mama~Love]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittywitty I consider a successful day one in which we all get out of bed before lunch. I am in the unmotivated group. I found that sticking with a lot of goals and a curriculum to be very stressful on me. I am a Virgo, so good at planning but I lack otherwise essential follow through. I found to go more of an unschooling route to help me out a bit. My more motivated 2nd grader I got OM 3rd grade that she's been reading and doing herself. We also have Miquon and I agree the disorganization makes me batty. Other than that, we have lots of computer games, art books, art supplies, and hands on stuff. Plus field trips and the library. And when is life not messy? Are you talking art supplies, house organization, or day organization there?

What is OM? I wish our library was closer. It's an hour away. We have lots of craft supplies, books, games, puzzles, etc. too that we use daily (except the craft stuff).

My whole life is a mess LOL. It is finally driving me crazy. I am working on some spring cleaning as well, trying to clear out the junk we don't need.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Autumn Breeze You know, this is one of my worries as well. I've been behind on house work for 3 years and I'm finally getting caught up (clutter/orginization wise, the house has been clean) Anyway, I chose a method that gives me what we do every day, and I know I need that structure, I'm very likely to go off into a tangent anyway, not that my son will mind. But I also have an 'issue' when he wants to do "art" and cut things, and paste, and paint, anything more than color with markers and crayons. i can imagine the mess, and the time it will take me to clean it up. I wish I had advice, but I just wanted you to know, you're not alone. I'm working on getting my house completely organized before we start homeschooling next year. Otherwise, I'll be totally stressed over getting my time managed between school, cleaning, family, etc and my head will explode.

Oh, thank you, glad I'm not alone! I think I need to get more motivated with doing stuff with them. I'd hate to have them grow up thinking I never wanted to do anything fun with them

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReadingMama Me too. Although we haven't done much with grammar, so I'd say a successful homeschooling day is helping ds with phonics, math, a little handwriting, and either listening to him read or reading to him. Sometimes I worry if we're doing enough, but most of the time I think we are. It's kind of a "tutoring" approach--just working on the basics and learning through life for the other stuff. When I struggled with the motivation to do even the basics, I posted a thread here asking for accountability. I made a goal and checked in each day. Other moms were encouraging. It helped me get back on track. You might consider trying that!

Maybe that would help me. Thanks!

 

[Callimom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mama~to~my~bunch The kids are 15, 13, 9 (the boys), 6 (almost 7), 5, & 2 (the girls). I'm only HSing my 6 yr old DD. A successful day to me is helping DD with her grammar, math, and handwriting. She wants to do her work, I just have a hard time sitting with her to do it. She also wants to do arts & crafts, but I usually say no. I don't want to deal with the mess. So, not very fun overall. She is an excellent reader, reading at a 3rd grade level, and she has her own special books she reads. Her math is probably below grade level, we use Miquon math, she likes it, I don't like it that much because it seems disorganized & confusing to me. We use HWT for handwriting, we both like that. Thanks for all of the advice. We don't have any HSing groups around here except our once a month Book Time. DH doesn't help with any of it, as it was a challenge get him to agree to HS in the first place. I worry about letting him down with it too.

There are lots of fun things you can do that arent' messy if that's the issue.
Put together a drawing kit and go outside and do nature journals. All you need are some pencil crayons and pencils, a sketch book and eraser and maybe some field guide books, a magnifying glass etc. Keep it all in one bag and make a plan to go out weekly. On other days she can go in the back yard and do it on her own.
Teach her to knit or crochet and have her own bag or basket.

As for fun stuff - check out out-of-the-house programs at art galleries, nature centres, libraries, science centres etc for fun interesting things to do. We often take advantage of the free art programs at our library and art gallery. Our nature centre does programming twice a month and for a small family fee we can snowshoe or wade through a swamp catching frogs or go orienteering.
See if you can do a swap with someone - perhaps they want to do cool messy science experiements and you can watch their younger kids, or offer something fun on your own.
Make a garden outside.
Attach a big huge whiteboard (use one of those 4x8 bathroom tileboards)to your fence and let painting happen outside on their easel.

I would try to plan one "fun" thing a day - even something as simple as playing a game. Allot 30 minutes plus 5 for clean-up and see how it goes.

For us homeschooling is messy. I think sometimes you just have to let go of the idea that a clean house is important - because in the grand scheme of things there will be lots of time for that later.

good luck
Karen

 

[onlyzombiecat]

Have you read the thread about workboxing? It might be something that could help you.
http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1055152

When dd was 6 I think I felt lucky if I just read to her every day. We spent a lot of time observing nature and involving dd in household tasks.

Could your dd do her crafts someplace where the mess isn't so bothersome- i.e. basement, garage, outside? Is your dd willing to clean up?

Could you get outside of the house more often?

Set a timer and work on something each day with your dd for 10-15 minutes?

Maybe set aside just one day each week for fun?

Anti-coloring book
Mad Libs- my dd loves Mad Libs
Have you thought about educational board or card games?
Map puzzles?
Educational dvd's? I've gotten several from Netflix. You could check the library.
lapbooks? http://www.handsofachild.com/shop/

Miquon wasn't a good fit for us. We like Math U See much better. I think it is hard to get motivated to use something you or your child do not like.

 

[Mama~Love]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karenwith4 There are lots of fun things you can do that arent' messy if that's the issue. Put together a drawing kit and go outside and do nature journals. All you need are some pencil crayons and pencils, a sketch book and eraser and maybe some field guide books, a magnifying glass etc. Keep it all in one bag and make a plan to go out weekly. On other days she can go in the back yard and do it on her own. Teach her to knit or crochet and have her own bag or basket. As for fun stuff - check out out-of-the-house programs at art galleries, nature centres, libraries, science centres etc for fun interesting things to do. We often take advantage of the free art programs at our library and art gallery. Our nature centre does programming twice a month and for a small family fee we can snowshoe or wade through a swamp catching frogs or go orienteering. See if you can do a swap with someone - perhaps they want to do cool messy science experiements and you can watch their younger kids, or offer something fun on your own. Make a garden outside. Attach a big huge whiteboard (use one of those 4x8 bathroom tileboards)to your fence and let painting happen outside on their easel. I would try to plan one "fun" thing a day - even something as simple as playing a game. Allot 30 minutes plus 5 for clean-up and see how it goes. For us homeschooling is messy. I think sometimes you just have to let go of the idea that a clean house is important - because in the grand scheme of things there will be lots of time for that later. good luck Karen

Thank you! Those are great ideas!

Quote:

Originally Posted by onlyzombiecat Have you read the thread about workboxing? It might be something that could help you. http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1055152 When dd was 6 I think I felt lucky if I just read to her every day. We spent a lot of time observing nature and involving dd in household tasks. Could your dd do her crafts someplace where the mess isn't so bothersome- i.e. basement, garage, outside? Is your dd willing to clean up? Could you get outside of the house more often? Set a timer and work on something each day with your dd for 10-15 minutes? Maybe set aside just one day each week for fun? Anti-coloring book Mad Libs- my dd loves Mad Libs Have you thought about educational board or card games? Map puzzles? Educational dvd's? I've gotten several from Netflix. You could check the library. lapbooks? http://www.handsofachild.com/shop/ Miquon wasn't a good fit for us. We like Math U See much better. I think it is hard to get motivated to use something you or your child do not like.

We do use lots of educational games, toys, and movies. Setting aside time each day is a good start. Maybe we'll try that.