The best homeschool convention talk I ever went to was from a lady who spoke on how we need to lower our expectations for our schooling endeavors. Less is more. ( I restarted blogging as a mom once said that she learned a lot from m blog back when I wrote more regularly.) I think every home educator feels the panic that they think they need to cram in as many subjects as possible AND be some sort of house keeping wonder people. I know I have deceived myself into thinking this was possible.
How to implement structure of less in my book is to actually have structure to the day. I mentioned in a previous post the course of my day going in a regular order of Catechesis, to read aloud time, history reading and discussion then breaking into phonics, writing and older kids working on their math and practicing. This is the rhythm of each day. We get stuff done. I still get tempted by other sources to implement but I have to tell myself "NO!" Sticking to the tasks at hand is a must or I start getting very irritable and frustrated and the immediate reaction of the kids is to scatter to the four winds.
Unschooling's only appeal to me is to instill a love of learning. I'm sure I will have talked about so many topics, philosophical musings, theological chats, truths of life as they proceed in living their different stages and choices, that I will surely sleep well in my old age. I do wonder how I will keep everything straight as more stages of my life and theirs come along but hanging onto living this day in faith in my vocations is more the obvious solution. Simplify and routine just solve a Miriam of stresses. I cannot say enough to guard your time for the sake of family sanity. If someone suggests some twaddle activity consider the loss to the time available. 24 hours is all we get and it can be anxiety ridden or stepped through as a matter of course. All I desire is peace in my family and a handle on my children worrying more about their own choices and running from the temptation to compare.
More later.
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