I very much feel that homeschooling is what I want. I think I almost have my husband on my side. I waiver because I get nervous that I will be too lazy to get things done or I won't know how to teach my kids properly or they won't enjoy it. My oldest will be in 3rd grade next year, and I really want to start soon as I think the younger we start the easier it will be. I will also have a Kindergartner next year. With all my self doubts already getting in my way I had some unexpected news: I am expecting a baby that will be due in September. I feel like I am losing time with my oldest daughter, but I don't know how I can start such a major thing with a newborn!
You are right that the younger the better. The best thing you can do is allow them to discover that learning can be natural and fun not like at school.
Have your oldest help you. She can learn so much helping around the house and with the baby.
I think everyone has those doubts. You should probably be more worried if you DON'T have those doubts. I'll be honest, there are some days when we just don't feel like doing schoolwork. Just as you are allowed to take a day off from work, we are allowed to skip school just to play outside (I think we have more of these days when the weather starts to first warm up) and we can make it up the next day or on Saturday or whatever. It's whatever works for us. My inlaws HATE that I say this in reference to not making the boys get up at 6:45am and have them ready to work at 8:00am. "It's not getting them ready for the real world." However, DH has always been on midnights...and that feels pretty "real world" to me. At my office job I had several years back we were allowed to come in any time between 6:30 and 9:30 to start work...that job felt pretty real to me as well. FIL has plenty of vacation time he's allowed to use when he wants and he works a "Real" job. So, let's not forget, public school life is not at all what real life is like.
Enough rambling, I kinda think when you know thingsneed to be done, you just do them. It's hard to imagine getting up every night with a baby before you're a parent, but once you have that newborn that needs to eat every hour and a half (at least my babiesdid) then you just do it. When it's for your kids I think your desire to do your best for them overtakes that nagging laziness we have to sit on the couch and watch that movie or whatever.
And definately do not be too overzealous and think that adding a newborn in to the mix will result in status quo. Planning ahead will allow you to take some time to slow down, maybe focusing on just a few subjects and enjoy your new family life.
Btw CONGRATULATIONS!!
Socialization...my ideas, but what are yours?
- howcrazy
on Jan. 10, 2012 at 6:58 PM