ReneeS wrote:
First I am new to the forum and wanted to say hi. I have 1 in Kindergarten and a toddler and this is our first year.
We started in september after having to push our start date back for family reasons. November we pretty much did none of our lessons. I and dd lost interest completely. I stopped any and all extra activities such as library and music and movement classes. I feel awful for doing this since my kids enjoyed it so much. I am thinking I am burnt out since I am the one putting together everything with the books and materials. My dh agrees with us homeschooling but isn't necessarily helpful in the learning area, he has more entrusted me in this area which is a huge compliment but also a large amount of work.
We bought from TImberdoodle this year, with taking out their art and adding in our own and music too. We like what they cover and have enjoyed it...But, my child and I just can't seem to get back to it and I was considering switching gears for a bit. I was considering going with Five In A Row (FIAR). The kids enjoy hearing stories a lot and I like the idea of learning and not just at the table.
I still am a newbie and feel slightly lost right now. I don't want to have my husband think we wasted money on the curriculum we bought but we need a change.
Any advice or help would be appreciated. I hate that I feel burnout and we only did what 2 months in our first year and we are wore out already.
First and foremost... Take a deep breath and relax. What you're calling 'burnout' isn't actually that; it's a perfectly normal feeling which most of the parents go through when they are new to homeschooling (I did too). And as far as the material from Timberdoodle goes, do not hold yourself guilty for letting it go to waste. Frankly speaking, I have no qualms admitting the fact that I experimented with so many different curriculums for my kids when I started homeschooling in the initial stages, and it took me almost an year and a half to realize that there is no one particular curriculum which suits my kids. And so, I began to pick up bits and pieces from different places and built up my own curriculum for them (which, touch wood, has been going very well till now).
Here are a couple of suggestions (speaking from personal experience) for keeping your kid interested in studies at home:
- Do not stop extra-curricular activities at any cost (like you mentioned you did). Kids actually look forward to these activities and it is in these initial years that they develop an interest in something apart from their studies. Let them learn a musical instrument, let them play football in the backyard, let them go and learn swimming. They'll thank you for it a couple of years down the line.
- Try holding a couple of lessons outdoors, for instance, in the garden instead of on their study table all the time. Here is where homeschooling scores over the traditional method of schooling. Follow it up with a sort of picnic lunch in the backyard. They'll love it and look forward to the next science lesson.
- Although spending too much time on the computer could be detrimental for them but it's okay to let them play games online once in a while. My daughter loves playing these
pet games online every other day, especially because I've forbidden her to keep a pet dog at home. I do put a limit to the time she spends on the computer but as long as I know what she's surfing and playing online, I'm cool with it. And the added benefit is that it makes them internet and computer savvy from a young age itself.
- There are some days when nothing seems to work out, both for you as the teacher and your student as well. I call these days 'The days when everything goes wrong'. On such days, you could try throwing what I call an 'art party'. Bring out the play dough, molding clay, paints, crayons, glue and glitter..and let their imagination run wild. Who knows, masterpieces may be created in the process. Plus lots of fun for sure.
Hope these helped. The key is to have as much fun as you can in the process of homeschooling - and make learning fun for the both of you. All the best!