The Diary of a Homeschooling Momma

        Did you know that in all languages the word "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" is pronounced the same? The education I get everyday as a homeschooling mom of three boys truly cracks me up. I wont lie, deciding to pull my kids and begin homeschooling them has been the best roller-coaster ride ever! Although there are some days that I truly want to bang my head off the wall, it is all worth it to know that I am shaping my kids into the men they will become.
   
        My boys are in 3rd, 5th, and 8th grade this year, and they are amazingly ornery. The way I figure they should be. Most of the time they are really good about getting their work done...(this took a while for my 3rd grader to learn) They love being at home, even though in school they were social butterflies. My middle son, (the 5th grader) thought it was going to be awful, and now is my biggest promoter for homeschooling. He has no learning ceiling like he did in school. Like the energizer bunny, he just keeps going. We start each day first with them getting dressed and ready. (we learned being in schools before, it was easiest to motivate them if they are "dressed for school") Next we do the Pledges. These consist of the US Pledge, Christian, and Bible Pledge. Then we do a family Bible study and talk through that. Then for the most part they do individual work. There are two sections my youngest two work together, and one part my middle son works with my oldest son. We have learned the hard way to rotate out on the computer. My luck seems to run, that one will be broke down not working, so now I count on that. Plus, too close too long, being boys and brothers they will likely start to bicker. Due to my work schedule, they don't get the luxury some homeschoolers get of sleeping in. They start each day at 8:00AM. Now I am nice the first week after a long break like Christmas, and that week I start them at 9AM, then week 2, we go back to 8AM. Okay, enough about the schedule! (PS Field trips rock, and we never do enough!)

       Okay, so on to the niddy-griddy....Here are my FREAKOUTS!
                           
        The constant battle starts,
Am I doing enough? Are they learning enough? Can they spell? I should increase their words!
Do they read enough? Have I read to them enough? Have they read enough out loud and what about their individual reading?
How do you document life skills? ( you know, cooking, sewing, car maintenance etc.) Their portfolio will need to show that. I need to get my 8th graders next 4 years mapped out. (That's right, already planning for that graduation) I cannot fail my children! I will not fail them!...Right?

       So now you have witnessed a full meltdown. Those words have literally ran through my head and out my mouth. ( Trust, my homeschooling mommas have received multiple  panicked phonecalls from me.) So if this is you...
Breeeeathe! Yes breathe.
Don't melt! It is okay to learn as you go, and ask questions! The fact that you are so worried about, panicked, and still make your kids education your priority, and not the Governments says it all! You are committed to doing your kids well, and you will learn along the way, what works and what does not for your kids. The learning process may be easy some days,or it may consist of a frantic call to a more experienced Home school mom. ( who I am sure is secretly laughing on the other end. Hahaha) Some days may just consist of crying out in an off key tune, " Jesus take the wheeeeel!" All of this is okay, because one day as you gather stuff for their portfolio, you will see the crazy amount that they have learned. Also, you will see it in talking with them, with how they carry themselves, and how smart they are. You will see, you are doing just fine.....so Breathe...and keep at it!

Psalm 55:22" Cast your cares on the Lord and  he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."
<3 Cat