The possibilities are endless!

[shymom24]

When we were in the MNVA we were tied to our seats with torture ropes. Leaving the MNVA (beginning of JANUARY) we tied ourselves to the chairs with torture ropes. It was like we knew we wanted to go outside of the box, but suddenly being outside of the box was so scary and new that we put ourselves into an imaginary one.

Last week we went to a homeschool support group. Most of them were relaxed homeschoolers - unschoolers. (true unschoolers are full child led education.) Out of my suprise my husband brought up what I had been complaining and struggling with. This was nice, being that at times he has so much on his plate that I wonder if he even knows of my existence.  He told them how I was putting them right back in the box of worksheets galore, desk work all day long! How what we had envisioned with homeschooling was tough for us to uphold because we still had the public schools way of doing things ingrained in our heads. (we both went to public school) Because it was so engrained we thought it was the only "right" way to teach a child. Later, I did learn differently, but knowing how you want to change something and doing it are two very, very different things.

The support group gave us some great advice. We were told to just RELAX. They encouraged me to pick what I wanted them to learn and just go about it much more relaxed. Well I did this. I applied my minimalist lifestyle to our school. WOW! My husband and I agreed after leaving the support group that we would "relax"  for 4 months and see how things went. If we felt the kids were learning we would stick with it. If not we would change some things.

This is the first real week of putting this into play. We have given our kids A LOT of freedom. We are all so much more happy. Homeschooling used to be such a chore and now it is getting closer to what we envisioned and so much more enjoyable.

Each week we give our children their "checklist". This is a typed up checklist that says

Math (5 boxes to be checked off)

LA (5 3 boxes)

history (2 boxes to be checked off)

independent reading (25 boxes to be checked off) (each box represents 1/2 hour of reading time)

science (2 boxes)

art / music (4 boxes)

spell city(5 boxes)

i knowthat.com (5boxes)

home ec (10 boxes) ( this is chores, learning to cook,  etc)

community service (1 boxes)

phyed (6 boxes)

activities/ playdates/ co-op/ support groups (3 boxes)

Journaling (5 boxes)

writing a letter (2 boxes)

book report (1)

These are the weekly requirements for right now. They could change or become tweaked.  The kids know what is expected of them each week. I dont care if they want to knock out reading in 2 days to get all their boxes checked. We still fallow the classical timeline for science, and history. For LA (language arts) we learn a concept, continue a concept and master a concept through a verbal/ audio or visual lesson then it is applied all week through letter, journal,  and book reports. We do not move on unless it is mastered.

For each subject area that is completed as required  by Saturday afternoon (we let them have the morning to finish work if they want), they will earn 1 quarter to go in their piggy bank. (when they get to $50 we split it 3 ways. 1 - $25 savings bond then the remaining $25 is split between spending and donation.) For every quarter they earn we will put a quarter into our homeschool savings fund. (we also stick $15 in there a check, which we tell them is what I earned. :)) The homeschool savings fund goes to yearly memberships, new gadgets, computer or even road trips books. They can "donate" to the school fund if they want to or find another thing they want their money to go to.  I want them to see how their hard work contributes to our homeschool.

Outside of that they know that we have $40 that we can use to go on field trips or do things with our support groups each check. The cheaper the more they can do.

So far our new system has the kids proud to tell me they worked on this or that and to demonstrate to me. Not everything is sit work. For instance yesterday for science we learned at the science museum. For history we watched the imax movie on the titanic and then the oldest wrote in her journal everything she learned. The youngest did an illustration for me of what her favorite part of the movie was. Which both kids said it was the laying of the flowers to honor all the children who did not see out their dreams.  (not sure why just the children)

Just since becoming more relaxd and allowing the kids to have some "guided" control they have learned more this week than any other week.  I think that for once in our lives we are truly happy. Our house has NO clutter. Everything in it is NEEDED and USED. We are living with the minimal basics on most things. The largest amount of stuff we have is books. But, I took on to homeschool so books is not something that I will be giving up. They need books and I need books so they will not go anywhere.  If that is the only amount of clutter we have then it's alot less than most peoples. We don't shop to bring crap into our house anymore. We get just what we need, and that is it.  Our homeschooling has become relaxed and less stressful. We don't turn the tv on so much. I find us piling into the bed or on the couch to read a book or listen to a book more often. Sounds of biographies and documentaries fill my house and car. Large words are being used that I did not think they had the ability to pronounce. My 5 year old came to me while I was cooking dinner last night to tell me she wants to be a VOLCANOLOGIST. She requested for me to find an experiment that we could do together that would demonstrated the "tectonic plates".  She has been reading  a lot about volcano's but I didn't realise how much she has picked up!!

I find myself meditating more as well. I feel like I CAN settle down to meditate and have my mind go deeper. Not as deep as I would like it but for once it is a peaceful time rather than the worring thoughts that pass through my head of what I need to be doing or the guilt of not doing something.

For once, I think I have found the balance, the simplicity and relaxing lifestyle i have wanted for so very long in such a busy life. When I am away and busy, I know the house is fine. When I am home- I have nothing that needs doing that will not be led naturally. My checklist for life is officially out the window. It is simply not needed at this point. If something is not on our calendar- we don't do it. Like I said the kids have their checklist but its more of a reward to them then a job.

I am finally living in balance........

(I hope it stays this way when the baby gets here..LOL)

[hammondx9]

Jan. 27, 2010 at 5:56 PM

We are having the same issue......this our first year homeschooling and i find that I'm in the PS frame of mind , very structured and classes a certain length of time , worksheets etc.... i want relax but i feel like I'm not teaching them enough if i do , YKWIM....frustrating !!  i want my kids to enjoy learning at their own pace ... but at the same time i worry that they wont learn enough (((( sigh ))))   hubby likes a little more structure then m to.

i hope we can learn to relax and lighten up a bit.