4 Year Blogiversary!
Exactly 4 years ago to day I started this blog. I had made my decision to homeschool and had so many thoughts running through my mind. I was excited and nervous and anxious for school to end so we could begin learning together.
To celebrate our "anniversary" I decided to re-post my very first post (with a few corrections and some new & brighter pictures!). I hope you enjoy this look back....
I start homeschooling next week! I'm so nervous and yet very excited to start this next step in my life.
I have always stayed home with my kids and while I was sad when they finally went off to school, I'm honest enough to admit I was tap dancing inside at the thought of having time to myself.
Even though it's really only been this year that they've all been gone I realized the tap dancing had almost stopped. Instead I started to realize I was missing out on so much of the day to day happenings with them in school everyday all day.
We no longer had time for all the fun stuff we used to do when they weren't in school.
I hated saving all the fun, smiles and laughter for school vacations when we finally had time for trips to the zoo, taking on messy art projects or even just visiting with family members.
I felt like our days were spent with my yelling at them for the hour or so in the morning from the moment they woke up until I got them to school trying to instill the importance of being on time and prepared to learn and then we'd spend the evening fighting over homework, rushing to get dinner on the table, squeeze in a bath or an after school activity and then fall into bed to start all over again the next day.
I knew this just wasn't working for our family.
My children were getting stressed out and burnt out mainly because I was so stressed out trying to keep us all on track and they were picking up on it.
Once I started looking into homeschooling, with the encouragement of most of my family, I thought it sounded like the answer to my prayers.
I have a degree in teaching so you think maybe this wasn't such a huge step for me or perhaps that I'd be very confident and feel like I know exactly what I want to do.
I became a teacher because I believed in the system and how it works, but the more I've watched my kids grow and change as the school years have passed, I realized I don't particularly like the way the system is working for my children.
I don't want them to have to do a lot of traditional school work like tests, worksheets, and rote memorization.
Let me repeat that: Childhood is fleeting and I want my kids to remember it fondly.
I've bought all kinds of homeschooling books that focus on games and learning through play.
This week I've been very busy buying all kinds of supplies and have pinned so many project ideas on Pinterest but I'm still hesitant on where to start, and how to start, I'm even a little unsure on WHEN to start (the day after school ends? the following week after they've had a little break? in the morning? in the afternoon?... you see... totally undecided).
I think that is the hardest part for me.
As much as I feel like I could be an unschooling mom, my kids are very hesitant to take the reigns in any way and are looking at me to make the plans.
If you know me at all, this won't be a shock to you since I am a planner. I love to plan, organize, label and structure our life in any and all ways, so for me to plan on not having a plan has been rather shocking for me and my family.
Yet something about letting each child follow their own interest and path in life and learning really appeals to me so while I will have to plan many activities for a few months or so to keep the kids busy, entertained and distracted from fighting and quarreling with each other out of boredom, I'm hoping they'll eventually start to take over and tell me what and how they want to learn.
I'm counting on this blog to keep us focused and help me find the learning in all the fun we're going to be having.
To celebrate our "anniversary" I decided to re-post my very first post (with a few corrections and some new & brighter pictures!). I hope you enjoy this look back....
I start homeschooling next week! I'm so nervous and yet very excited to start this next step in my life.
I have always stayed home with my kids and while I was sad when they finally went off to school, I'm honest enough to admit I was tap dancing inside at the thought of having time to myself.
Even though it's really only been this year that they've all been gone I realized the tap dancing had almost stopped. Instead I started to realize I was missing out on so much of the day to day happenings with them in school everyday all day.
We no longer had time for all the fun stuff we used to do when they weren't in school.
I hated saving all the fun, smiles and laughter for school vacations when we finally had time for trips to the zoo, taking on messy art projects or even just visiting with family members.
I felt like our days were spent with my yelling at them for the hour or so in the morning from the moment they woke up until I got them to school trying to instill the importance of being on time and prepared to learn and then we'd spend the evening fighting over homework, rushing to get dinner on the table, squeeze in a bath or an after school activity and then fall into bed to start all over again the next day.
I knew this just wasn't working for our family.
My children were getting stressed out and burnt out mainly because I was so stressed out trying to keep us all on track and they were picking up on it.
Once I started looking into homeschooling, with the encouragement of most of my family, I thought it sounded like the answer to my prayers.
- Not having to live everyday by a clock
- Not having to worry if they'd mastered this skill by a certain date/time
- Knowing what they were learning and allowing them to learn in a way that wasn't as stressful sounded too good to be true.
I have a degree in teaching so you think maybe this wasn't such a huge step for me or perhaps that I'd be very confident and feel like I know exactly what I want to do.
I became a teacher because I believed in the system and how it works, but the more I've watched my kids grow and change as the school years have passed, I realized I don't particularly like the way the system is working for my children.
I don't want them to have to do a lot of traditional school work like tests, worksheets, and rote memorization.
Let me repeat that: Childhood is fleeting and I want my kids to remember it fondly.
I've bought all kinds of homeschooling books that focus on games and learning through play.
This week I've been very busy buying all kinds of supplies and have pinned so many project ideas on Pinterest but I'm still hesitant on where to start, and how to start, I'm even a little unsure on WHEN to start (the day after school ends? the following week after they've had a little break? in the morning? in the afternoon?... you see... totally undecided).
I think that is the hardest part for me.
As much as I feel like I could be an unschooling mom, my kids are very hesitant to take the reigns in any way and are looking at me to make the plans.
If you know me at all, this won't be a shock to you since I am a planner. I love to plan, organize, label and structure our life in any and all ways, so for me to plan on not having a plan has been rather shocking for me and my family.
Yet something about letting each child follow their own interest and path in life and learning really appeals to me so while I will have to plan many activities for a few months or so to keep the kids busy, entertained and distracted from fighting and quarreling with each other out of boredom, I'm hoping they'll eventually start to take over and tell me what and how they want to learn.
I'm counting on this blog to keep us focused and help me find the learning in all the fun we're going to be having.
Congrats on your 4 year Blogiversary! This is my first visit to your blog and the post you shared has really spoken to me. My boys were both in school last year and while we were happy with AJ's preschool program KC's Begindergaren (Young 5's) program was rough. The teacher always complained about him not paying attention, rushing through his work, and wanting to do other things. I repeatedly tried to explain to her that he was board. He had already mastered the skills she was trying to teach him and that she needed to challenge him. Were talking about a 5 year old who understand the bodies nervous and circulatory systems at a fundamental level that they don't even tough on until the kids are in the 4th grade. Instead of teaching him and challenging him she wanted him to fall in line with the other kids, and kept calling him naughty. Anyway...I am seriously considering homeschooling him after Kindergarten as we are expecting twins in August and I'll need some time to adjust before taking on another big life change. Unfortunately, I don't have the support of my family behind this decision. My husband and his family have been encouraging me to homeschool for years however.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the book response, your post just really spoke to me.
P.S. I don't normally do this, but I couldn't figure out how to sign in under my blog name. I blog over at TwoKidsAndABudget(dot)com.
My middle son was so advanced and unchallenged in kindergarten that it was so frustrating. The school knew and admitted he was advanced but flat out told me that there wasn't a lot they could do for him. His teacher tried to give him his own work and work with him when she could but 20+ students with one teacher is not the best ratio. More and more I saw a leveling out of skills; holding advanced students back and pushing those students that were behind. My husband was hesitant at first but started reading articles on his own and was the one to suggest that I do a trial run over the summer. We took it month by month and within just a year or so I knew I never wanted to send them back. I will/would if that's what the boys really wanted and it was best for them but so far we're really enjoying all the fun new ways we get to learn together. Our days don't look much like school but I can't deny that they are learning and thriving. Good luck with whatever you choose.
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