Post by cindyanne1 on Aug 9, 2011 10:49:57 GMT -5
Hi all. I have six children, ages 14, 12, 9, 7, 6, and 3.
I have hated them going off to school ever since the oldest one first started. I mean hate as in HATE. I can't begin to describe how much I hate it. I feel as though my only peace during the year is the ten short weeks I get when they are off during the summer. It just causes so much anxiety for me and seems to be nothing but one problem after another causing endless stress for everyone.
My health has declined steadily over the past nine years, mostly from stress. It's getting to the point where if I don't do something about my health soon, I'm not sure what will happen. Yet I have tried to get healthy in the past, and while I do well in the summers when I am not worried about them being in school, it all quickly falls to the wayside once they are back and the misery sets in again.
However, even though I despised them going off to school, I suffered through it because I didn't feel qualified to teach them myself and wouldn't know where to begin.
Then, I heard of the online public schools that are offered here in Ohio.
There are several, but the one I am considering using is VCS - Virtual Community School of Ohio. www.vcslearn.org
It appeals to me because it would be a guided curriculum done at home, but they would still have an actual teacher to report to, and the structured learning of the public schools they are used to (for the record, I did not have a problem with the education offered at their public school.) Plus, it is free... and they provide a computer for each child and sponsor field trips, dances, and other gatherings.
It sounds perfect!
But as I'm looking over the enrollment forms, I still find myself hesitating. Why? Why am I so afraid to do this? Part of it is because my three year old is extremely active and it takes a lot of my energy to keep him focused and settled. I worry that 1) he will disrupt the older children, and 2) interfere with me trying to guide the younger children. I know he won't be like that forever, though... I've had a few three-year-olds in my time
so I know they do grow out of this "wild man" phase.
Still, though... it's a concern.
Also, there's the fact that I will still have a ton of work to get accomplished during the day, and I'm not sure if there's time enough to add homeschooling... even if it is just more or less guidance... into the mix. Some days I feel as though I'm barely able to keep up with it all as it is. I'm talking about the laundry, cooking, and cleaning of course... but also the paperwork for our farm business which I do all myself.
I'm by myself a good portion of the day. My husband works 12 to 14 hours, seven days a week... unless it's storming or below zero outside. That's not a huge issue; however, I will have little help from him in all this. He's not 100% in favor of it, but he's not against it either. Mostly he worries about how I will be able to handle it along with everything else that I do and with the three year old bouncing off the walls like he does all day.
But then, I tell myself there are mothers out there who have MORE children than I do and who also not only guide their kids through homeschooling... but who develop the entire curriculum themselves too! How do they do it? Do they have help? Is their laundry more piled up than mine (not being snarky... just trying to figure out how they fit it all in.)
So... advice? Is this just a pipe dream? Is it possible that I can do this, or should I just send them off to school again and be miserable about that for another ten months?
Help!
I have hated them going off to school ever since the oldest one first started. I mean hate as in HATE. I can't begin to describe how much I hate it. I feel as though my only peace during the year is the ten short weeks I get when they are off during the summer. It just causes so much anxiety for me and seems to be nothing but one problem after another causing endless stress for everyone.
My health has declined steadily over the past nine years, mostly from stress. It's getting to the point where if I don't do something about my health soon, I'm not sure what will happen. Yet I have tried to get healthy in the past, and while I do well in the summers when I am not worried about them being in school, it all quickly falls to the wayside once they are back and the misery sets in again.
However, even though I despised them going off to school, I suffered through it because I didn't feel qualified to teach them myself and wouldn't know where to begin.
Then, I heard of the online public schools that are offered here in Ohio.
There are several, but the one I am considering using is VCS - Virtual Community School of Ohio. www.vcslearn.org
It appeals to me because it would be a guided curriculum done at home, but they would still have an actual teacher to report to, and the structured learning of the public schools they are used to (for the record, I did not have a problem with the education offered at their public school.) Plus, it is free... and they provide a computer for each child and sponsor field trips, dances, and other gatherings.
It sounds perfect!
But as I'm looking over the enrollment forms, I still find myself hesitating. Why? Why am I so afraid to do this? Part of it is because my three year old is extremely active and it takes a lot of my energy to keep him focused and settled. I worry that 1) he will disrupt the older children, and 2) interfere with me trying to guide the younger children. I know he won't be like that forever, though... I've had a few three-year-olds in my time
so I know they do grow out of this "wild man" phase. Still, though... it's a concern.
Also, there's the fact that I will still have a ton of work to get accomplished during the day, and I'm not sure if there's time enough to add homeschooling... even if it is just more or less guidance... into the mix. Some days I feel as though I'm barely able to keep up with it all as it is. I'm talking about the laundry, cooking, and cleaning of course... but also the paperwork for our farm business which I do all myself.
I'm by myself a good portion of the day. My husband works 12 to 14 hours, seven days a week... unless it's storming or below zero outside. That's not a huge issue; however, I will have little help from him in all this. He's not 100% in favor of it, but he's not against it either. Mostly he worries about how I will be able to handle it along with everything else that I do and with the three year old bouncing off the walls like he does all day.
But then, I tell myself there are mothers out there who have MORE children than I do and who also not only guide their kids through homeschooling... but who develop the entire curriculum themselves too! How do they do it? Do they have help? Is their laundry more piled up than mine (not being snarky... just trying to figure out how they fit it all in.)
So... advice? Is this just a pipe dream? Is it possible that I can do this, or should I just send them off to school again and be miserable about that for another ten months?
Help!
