How do you homeschooling families do it?
I'm starting to run out of steam but my little guy is still charging full speed ahead! I get frustrated when he doesn't pick up lessons as quickly as I want, I run out of fun ways to teach the same thing a hundred times, I feel bad handing him worksheet after worksheet because I'm sick with a migraine and can barely keep my eyes open....
This is hard work!!
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE homeschooling. I'm grateful for the path we have been placed on that led us to the decision to teach our little man ourselves, but the weight of his education rests squarely on my shoulders and sometimes, that's a lot to handle.
Take for example, reading. Everyone on the planet seems to want to know if my son is reading yet. He's five so apparently, according to society, he should be reading. He isn't. He's come a long way and I think he will be able to read independently within the next year, but it's taking some time. Ninety percent of the time, I'm perfectly ok with the speed in which he's learning his letters and words. But it's that 10% that sneaks up and gets me. It's usually followed by a mother of a younger child whose kid is in preschool bragging to me that her kid has been reading for a year. Then I make the terribly mistake of comparing my child to hers.
But then I remember that one of the great things about homeschooling is that our kid can take his time without pressure. So what if he isn't reading at age 5? He'll get there and I'll be able to work with him as much as he needs without the added pressure of fitting into the common mold of his peers.
I also remind myself that while it may feel as though I'm alone in this, I'm not. My husband helps teach our son concepts that I'm not clearly conveying. Also, I'm part of several homeschooling groups. If you haven't had a chance to look online for some support groups, I HIGHLY recommend you do so right away. Whether it's a co-op, playgroup, or just a message board where you can post questions, it's good to have some sort of support.
And last, I remind myself to relax and remember that I'm not going to mess my kid up for the rest of his life just because I forgot to plan a lesson and handed him worksheets instead of doing a game. He'll get to where he needs to be. All homeschooling kids do or else no one would homeschool!
I felt the same way when Lance wasn't reading by the age of 5 and some of his friends had been reading since they were 3. He got it around 6 and is now reading above his age level, so I think every kid is unique. Charlie will get it in his own time. Good for you for not rushing it and not getting frustrated. Charlie is lucky to have you for a mama!
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