Learning Bloopers and Homeschool Misconceptions

Oh man, I've had such a fun time schooling at home with the kids.  I have forgotten so much but each day I am learning right along with them.  It's tiring at times but I wouldn't trade all those hours I have with my kids each day for anything.  I used to waver between the homeschooling and wanting my kids to attend a school somewhere.  The behavior change, whether they are going to a school or schooling at home, is so dramatic it's almost like watching a personality change.

Caleb playing with preschool app on iPad

There are funny parts to schooling at home and the kids and I have a good laugh with them. Recently I posted some funny answers my son had written on my blog HERE.  This one below is from my 5th grader and when I went to look at his work in Science, this is the lovely answer he gave.  I read this and laughed so hard.  Then we all started laughing.  I asked my son if I could share it online and he said yes. After we laughed about 15 minutes I made him look for the right answer.  Tee hee......

It really is a challenge every single day to get them disciplined in doing their work.  They would rather do ANYTHING than do what they know comes first every day.  I always tell them that work comes before play.  That's something important in life and it will be like that when they have to get a job someday.  The older ones sit down with their Switched on Schoolhouse and the younger ones work in their workbooks and online work.  Then we go straight to chores and get that over with.  By the time we are finished they happily run off and play but I have to take a break.  I love learning with them but after doing 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th with my kids, my brain feels full and I just want to lay on the couch for a little bit.  Usually we homeschool between 10am-3pm and then chores from 3pm-5pm for me.  They finish theirs in about 30 minutes.  By 5pm I have to start making dinner.  By the time that's done, we eat, then dishes, I'm ready for play about 7pm.  Play for me is reading a book, reading blogs online, or just vegging out with my family.

Yes, it's a full day for my family and I'm tired.  The only thing is many people in my life think that since I'm a homemaker and school my kids at home, I must have tons and tons of time to goof off.  I rarely answer the phone during homeschool time or chores and never during dinner.  I've gotten phone calls where friends or family are offended thinking I'm ignoring them.  I've seriously thought about not having an answering machine just so I don't have to hear all the upset messages.  Sigh.  Another thing is when I have to stop and do a favor for someone, run errands, or go to appointments, that wasn't free time I had, that means I had to replace homeschooling for that day.  That's not always a good thing because one more day we miss is one more day we have to work into the summer.  With baby Juliet coming, I especially want this summer to be free of all the work so I can rest with the new baby.  Rest meaning no homeschool and just chores to worry about.  With homeschooling four kids and next year five, it's a lot of work.  Thank goodness I use different curriculum's because I looooove having it all set up for me each day what we need to work on. I don't really care whether I'm "homeschooling" or "schooling at home", I just care that my kids are home with me.

Do I love to have 6 kids at home and have to work so hard?  YES!  I love it!!!  Even in the most tiring days where I just collapse in exhaustion the end of the day I do not regret it.  I feel like the most blessed woman in the world and there is no job out there that would tempt me to give this all up.  I love waking up each day at the time we want and snuggling my babies who crawled into my bed after daddy went to work.  Sigh. :)