Managing Everyday Life with Homeschool... My Rambling Thoughts

Wow... it's really proving to be more and more difficult as the school year progresses to get through our daily curriculum. I haven't pinpointed all the reasons for this just yet, but I know we've never been busier. As I look at my calendar, it doesn't look like we should be struggling, so I wonder... is it that we've found more distractions to interfere with the super flexible schedule we've always enjoyed? Or is it that we've allowed ourselves to become more distracted by those things that take us away from a schedule? They aren't the same. One requires new activity, the other requires a new level of involvement in activities we've always been involved with.

In any case, I'm really starting to appreciate (with feet dragging), the need for a fixed schedule. Not just a daily, but a weekly and monthly too. It makes me sad because one of the great freedoms of homeschooling is the blessing of flexibility. It also makes me a bit sad because it requires a hard change from what I'm accustomed too and that means work. Who likes work! Yuck! As far a freedoms go, we'd still have the freedom of choosing what to study, just not so much when to study. The spillover that's finding it's way into our weekend routine is just not working for us.

Just to clarify where my thinking is on this... I don't for a second intend to adopt a rock hard schedule with no room for flex at all, but I do need to draw some serious lines in the sand and that's just sooo not my nature. I kind of blow whichever way the wind takes me when it comes to schooling my children. So long as all the bases get covered, I've never been one to fret over what the order of things look like or what time of day we start or finish our assignments or projects... just so we're all awake, alert, and learning.

The sad awakening: Ok... increasing my scheduling frustration (and the need for one) is the realization that in my efforts to incorporate more social outlets to our schedule, I've lost A LOT of time for school projects and lessons. I've learned that those commitments really interrupt the day. I welcome the occasional interruption until I look at the clock and realize it's nearing 4:00 PM (which is our pick up the house time, followed by dinner prep and another clean-up) and I realize we've not yet done our reading, or we're still needing to erupt that homemade volcano that's been sitting on the counter waiting for it's coat of paint.

So, that brings up another question (probably another post), how do you excuse yourself from invitations without losing friends? Without losing future invites? Will those friends who don't homeschool get why you can't join them at the park again tomorrow? Will they feel like you're just blowing them off? If you tell them you can only play for an hour, will they get that? Will my kids get that? Oh, I know... who cares... it's not about what people think (so they say), but I do strive to remain at peace with those around me. When I'm not understood... or even worse, misunderstood, it drives me a bit batty. Ok, that's definitely a post for another day.

These problems I'm facing aren't unique to our homeschool. I realize that we've been on this journey for such a short time, that were bound to hit kinks along the way and those kinks will need a good pressing (looking at my iron). My family has only been officially homeschooling since last Spring when I made it a daily event in our home. My son is 6 and my daughter 5 and we're so new to this. Although there's so much trial and error that goes into homeschooling, it's real life, and isn't that the way real life is?

Well, better go! It's time for math! : )