Tag Archive | curriculum

Real Life Schooling

When I pop on the internet and look at homeschooling sites, homeschool mom blogs, resource pages and the like it is easy to get caught up in the perfection and ease.

Photographs of perfect classrooms and smiling active learners. Tales of advanced reading and math prodigies. Gifted children and complicated lessons or full on curriculums.

And I am left feeling, inadequate… overwhelmed and so far from perfect that at times I question my choices. This is reality.

My children are not prodigies, though I admit to an admiration toward Gavin’s amazing ability to draw what he sees (specifically dragons right now). My classsroom is very often a jumble, with ongoing projects and stacks of books out and about. My lessons are not always complicated but always completed.

We are in constant trial and error, learning from our mistakes, not always smiling and most certainly NOT always succeeding.

We are sometimes loud, sometimes sad, sometimes frustrated and sometimes afraid of failure.

BUT we are learning, progressing and making memories. Sometimes failing, sometimes succeeding but always moving forward.

There is a world of curriculums, lesson plans, suggestions and options… with years of schooling ahead of us. Plenty of time for trial and error, break through, and finding hidden treasure resources.

Amidst all of this chaos and progress, confusion and sudden insights… it is good. We are good. Behind the pretty pictures (carefully cropped for mess and cranky faces) and the moments of academic brilliance (or at least success) is the reality of the homeschool life. And beyond even being good… it is WORTH IT.

So the next time you feel overwhelmed by the amazing things that others are doing remember, we all struggle. We all worry that we will mess up (and to be honest, we will make mistakes… that is human), that we won’t challenge our kids enough.

Homeschooling is fluid… if you don’t feel the child is challenged, increase the difficulty, something is boring – go on a tangent, too hard… review.

Take it from this homeschool mom of over 8 years… not everything works, not everything is fun, it can be overwhelming and tiring and frustrating… but it is worth it! Take a break, have some fun and realize that a walk, a talk, a quiet moment, it is all a potentially successful learning moment.

AND, if you need an ear, a shoulder or a giggle… here I am. A mom who is not perfect, whose house is not magazine page ready, and whose kids are sometimes wild and crazy. 20170806_113433_HDR

October Overflow

Ok so I DON’T have November done… take a peek back… waaaay back at October for now!!!

Yup too many pictures for a month in a blog! So enjoy the fall fun!

Emanuel finished his journal in October. Time to move onto writing his own sentences.

Emanuel finished his journal in October. Time to move onto writing his own sentences.

Lots of reading and drawing our own illustrations for the books!

Lots of reading and drawing our own illustrations for the books!

The family who games together...has some rather interesting arguments and a 4 year old who plays in a way where EVERYONE dies OFTEN!

The family who games together…has some rather interesting arguments and a 4 year old who plays in a way where EVERYONE dies OFTEN!

Resident Scout at his day camp with giant dominoes.

Resident Scout at his day camp with giant dominoes.

We got some amazing mail from Texas. Gammie spoils us so!

We got some amazing mail from Texas. Gammie spoils us so!

Tiny adorable pumpkins mailed from Texas!

Tiny adorable pumpkins mailed from Texas!

Gotta read all the time lately!

Gotta read all the time lately!

We are definitely seeing progress in our cursive!

We are definitely seeing progress in our cursive!

Enjoying a good story (thanks to Aunty Karyn) in honour of the Pizza Hut Bookit program.

Enjoying a good story (thanks to Aunty Karyn) in honour of the Pizza Hut Bookit program.

The twins are starting to REALLY enjoy making lunches for everyone. Microwave skills developing!

The twins are starting to REALLY enjoy making lunches for everyone. Microwave skills developing!

Miss Echo is a creative one lately!

Miss Echo is a creative one lately!

Although she also caught a bug and slept a day away.

Although she also caught a bug and slept a day away.

As did Trinity on the way home from Scouts Day Camp.

As did Trinity on the way home from Scouts Day Camp.

Emanuel ALSO finished his grade 1 math book curriculum!

Emanuel ALSO finished his grade 1 math book curriculum!

Talk about an amazing way to work on our estimating, counting and sorting skills... our tub of Legos we got at LegoLand. The kids did GREAT well over 400 pieces!

Talk about an amazing way to work on our estimating, counting and sorting skills… our tub of Legos we got at LegoLand. The kids did GREAT well over 400 pieces!