We have officially been homeschooling for a year now. I see so much growth in the boys and I have learned so much, myself! As I reflect on the past year, I thought I’d share 3 things that I have learned…
- De-schooling is a real and necessary thing.
I use to hear this term ‘de-schooling’ and I would laugh….that is NOT a thing. Why waste time? Get in a routine and get started. Okay, I am not above admitting that I am wrong from time to time. Okay, I am pretty much wrong most of the time. But here is what I learned about transitioning from traditional school to home. School is hard! It’s even harder on our little ones, and harder yet for those who have struggled. We bring our children home with these lovely visions of magical things in our heads. But our kids….they just see it as home, it’s their safe place. If your child is anything like Mr. Man, then you just brought home a little ball of stress and anxiety. Now, he’s home and starting to relax when, boom, you decide to go all teacher on him. Stress BACK! But now, it’s entered his safe place. I like to think of it as mini-PTSD.
- Don’t be married to a curriculum.
Yes, I get it..curriculum is expensive. However, please do not feel that if you chose a curriculum, you HAVE to finish it. If its not working, STOP! I am on my fourth math curriculum this year (math is hard) and that is JUST math. *Face Palm* There are many reasons this happened. The biggest reason being that a year ago, I wasn’t in tune with Mr. Man’s learning style. I chose curriculum I liked. Wrong! (Important for sure, but wrong). It is important that both of you enjoy the curriculum and it fits your child’s learning style and needs. It can take awhile to figure this out. We are getting there, I don’t think we are there yet. But, I feel closer with each step we take. Plus…..shh…I may have a slight love of curriculum and an inability to make decisions. I want them all! I may need to seek help. But really….if something isn’t working, toss it up on ebay and move on! No one has time for that.
- Focus on what is most important.
I had 3 goals for Mr. Man when we started a year ago.
- Spend more time outside.
- Learn to read.
- Learn addition facts.
I recommend posting these goals somewhere visible. I find that I need a constant reminder to keep myself focused. I often get sidetracked trying to do everything at once. Often, I find that I revert back my classroom teacher way of thinking. I get overwhelmed and my boys mutiny. When I simplify and focus on what is most important, we are all happier. They learn more and I am reminded of WHY we started homeschooling to begin with. I am happy to report that we are reading….voraciously! Our addition facts are coming, it depends on the day. This frustration is another post altogether. One day he knows them, the next it might as well be Greek. Sigh. We have spent more time outside. Not as much as I’d like, but it’s a start.
I am excited to see what the next year holds for us. Monkey is now joining us at the table and is going to be my math whiz. He’s already shown us that he will keep us on our toes and is going to be a completely different monster than his brother. Aren’t kids fun?
I am joining with the Timberdoodle Blog Hop. Check out all the great homeschool encouragement.
end, the benefits of therapy did NOT outweigh the stress. Our tutor is amazing and is able to give him one-on-one attention, while giving Mama a break and the ability to give Monkey some much needed….uh, demanded…. attention.)
However, he’s still really lost. We’ve completed his IEP, set up OT and Speech, but it just isn’t clicking. Don’t get me started on his writing (I’ve never wanted to hit my head against a wall so badly). I think it has a lot to do with the planning that goes into making each letter along with the fine motor delay. We’ve begun the slow process of applying to get more OT services through DDD, because this Mama is at a loss here. He’s become obsessed with numbers and counts incessantly, much to Monkeys disliking. He’s really taken to drawing and retreats to that whenever he becomes overwhelmed. Overall, he’s been much more easy going and less fearful lately, but he was put on some stronger anxiety medication, I’d say its working.
I knew it was coming but now what does it mean!? I don’t even know the proper PC terms…my child with autism, my autistic son?… Do I even care? Do we tell everyone (I guess I just did!) or do we keep it to ourselves? How do I help him through obstacles? How do I equip him to face the world?
MamaBean Az 