Isn't there just something about brand new textbooks in the fall? You don't have to homeschool to know what I am talking about! This year we are going with public school from home option that uses Calvert Curriculum, a decision I wrote a little bit about here. For this year, with 2 little boys running through the home in addition to 3 children officially being schooled, I knew I needed a little bit of help. A completely organized "curriculum in a box" was the answer for me, however financially it would be a bit of a strain with 3 grades to purchase. Enter this program. My children are technically enrolled at the local public school, however they will not be attending any classes there, and instead be taught at home. Ordinarily I would not consider this, but when I discovered that they were using Calvert, an award-winning, time tested homeschool curriculum, I decided to give it a try. Thankfully, a few of our local homeschooling family friends are also using this program this year, so hopefully we'll find our footing rather quickly.
My kids' won't be the only ones learning something new. I've heard good things about this book from several reputable sources and have decided to take the plunge. 7 Sacred Pauses may be just what I need to stay centered throughout the day. These homeschooling days are long, tough, and a lot of work. I need to intentionally mark a few moments to refocus my energies and my thoughts upward. I believe that may make the difference in burning out or staying the course.
Our first day of school will be Monday, giving me the weekend to prepare myself and to soak up these last few moments of unscheduled freedom before jumping in for real. I'm thankful for the extended summer break we've had this year - just what I needed to get through the first trimester and all of the things that go along with it. Now I'm looking forward to a different sort of rhythm to our days - a bit more intentional living, here with my little ones.
For me, that is the most important part. All of us, here, learning together. Thankful for another year where we can do just that!
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I'm glad you found something that will work for your family! We have heard of other families feeling that their only option was to send the kids to school when the mother became overwhelmed and school wasn't getting done. My husband wondered what I would want to do if it ever got to that point. I told him I would definitely try the online school option before giving up our time together and he seemed very relieved to realize there was another option :)
ReplyDeleteYes! That is where we were. I realized something needed to change but it broke my heart to think of us all splitting up. Hopefully this program will get us through this busy, somewhat stressful time and keep our learning moving forward! We may stick with it beyond this year, we may go back to how we did things before. We'll just have to re evaluate when we get there!
DeleteOoo, so envious. They do not have a charter school in Tennessee where I am located. I will have to search for anything similar. Let me know if you hear of anything, please. : )
ReplyDeleteIt looks like K12 is active in TN! http://www.k12.com/tnva
DeletePraying the hours is a wonderful practice that I need to return to! Another book you might find helpful is Suzanne Guthrie's Praying the Hours. Using a complete curriculum can be so helpful, we use Rod and Staff for core subjects (Reading/Phonics and Math and this year we'll add spelling and English). It is so nice when we've had time off for some reason to just do the next lesson without having to worry that I'm missing something or leaving something out.
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