Pulling Teeth

Well, that's what it feels like anyway.

I've been having a difficult time getting my kids (my daughter in particular) to "do school". We have fought about it every day this week - except Wednesday, and we were so busy I didn't even attempt it. My daughter is almost 8, yet acts 13 at times. I can't help but feel like I'm going about this the wrong way.

Should I lay off a bit and let learning happen through life? Move a little closer to the "unschooling" end of things? She's a curious girl who loves to read. Maybe if I gave her a bit more control of what we were learning she'd be more responsive. But, honestly, I'm not ready to negotiate things like grammar and math. I had hoped homeschooling would teach her to love learning for it's own sake and not have it be riddled with busy work and "tasks to get done". I worry that the opposite is happening.

On the other hand, maybe I need to be stricter, or at least more consistent. Perhaps some sort of reward system or "chart" would provide a little motivation. I should, I know, be firmer about starting at the same time every day and being prepared by mixing "boring" subjects with the more exciting things like science experiments and mapwork.

Rambling aside, it's definitely time to shake things up!

Not Putting My Foot Down

Today was a real holiday for us, although I didn't plan it to be that way. I started out tough: "We're going to do schoolwork for an hour and then you can watch the inauguration. Work before pleasure!" Well, I snuck into the bedroom while my daughter was doing her math worksheet and turned on CNN to check things out. Needless to say we spent the rest of the morning watching the crowds in DC. "But," I said sternly, "as soon as we get home this afternoon, we're going to do grammar and history before playing." After returning from watching the inauguration at a friend's house, all they wanted to do was play inauguration and make Obama badges and such. So all we did was grammar and spelling and called it a day.

But really, I don't feel so bad. I think watching the inauguration live, they really got a sense for the historic importance of the day. My daughter loved how so much of the day was steeped in tradition: going to the church, visiting the White House, coffee with the outgoing presidents, etc. She was fascinated that it always happens pretty much the same way - and how different it is from the wars and struggles that accompany a change in power in our history lessons (we're learning about the Middle Ages). She loved the little tidbits you get from CNN when they're killing time waiting for something to happen, like how the White House was built by slaves and now we have an African-American president living there...

We can do schoolwork any old day.

Reading Between the Lines

A few weeks ago, my daughter and I were doing a grammar lesson. We were learning about the four types of sentences: statements, commands, questions, and exclamations. She was supposed to give the definition of each, along with an example. Here's what she came up with:

Statements give information. I hate grammar.
Commands give an order or make a request. Stop this lesson right now.
Questions ask something. Can we stop this lesson?
Exclamations show sudden or strong feeling. I hate grammar!

Is she trying to tell me something?

Worst Mother Award?

I had a test today (well, yesterday now), and so I needed to find something to occupy my two wonderful children while I crammed information into my head at the last minute. Ideally, I like them to occupy themselves with something somewhat related to academics, considering we're supposed to be homeschooling and all. So, I opened up the history activity guide (we use Story of the Word Vol.2: The Middle Ages by Susan Wise Bauer) and looked for something interesting yet not requiring lots of direction. My daughter looked no further than the "Celtic Warrior Axe", complete with blade template. All they needed was cardboard, aluminum foil, and some old paper towel rolls. Problem solved... except for that nagging feeling inside me.

I'm not a weapon person. I have never let my kids play with guns, have never bought those play swords they ask for. I tend to favor peace over war. Yet still my kids will make bow and arrows, swords, and daggers out of paper and pipe cleaners. They don't try to actually hurt each other or anything. The play seems innocent; they're just curious. After all, we've read Treasure Island, the Odyssey, the Iliad, Beowulf, and the Chronicles of Narnia. They equate epic adventures with carrying a sword. And let's be honest; they spent most of the time pretending they were pioneers using their axes to cut wood for the fire.

But yes. I let my 4 and 7 year olds make weapons so I could study. Does that make me a bad mom?

Begging to do School

My kids have been bored. Really bored, apparently. So bored that my daughter asked to start school a week early. This is the girl who fights me tooth and nail about doing a little math work; at least that's what she did last year.

So, this morning she "started second grade". I say that loosely because really all we did was some math review, handwriting, typing, and a neat philiosophy program I found recently. I'm trying to ease in with fun stuff before I start cracking the whip next week with new math material, science, history, Latin, etc. The longer school can be "fun", the better!

And So It Begins

Coming back home from a trip to visit family last week, I was in tears. This past week has been a whirlwind of errands and to-do lists. Dread has been building. Today, I shake with trepidation. I am almost frozen in a panic! Yes, here I am in the last 24 hours of my summer vacation.

You might think I'm being a bit melodramatic, but if you saw me last year you would understand my fear. Monday I start up my fourth (and last!) year of nursing school. I go to classes two nights a week, clinical on Saturdays, and I homeschool my children during the week. And the funny part is... I don't even have a babysitter yet! No joke. My babysitters had to go and get themselves on varsity teams this year. The nerve!

Anyway, once things get back into full swing, chaos will reign once again. I'll start to lose control of order pretty fast, things will get lost, laundry will fall behind, the floor won't be vacuumed all that often. As stress builds, I will become less patient with myself and others. You get the idea. "Krazy Krystan" is how I feel a lot during the year, hence the name of my blog. But I'm really hoping to change things up this year and not become a raving lunatic. Perhaps I can rise above the ups and downs of the day to day and be level headed and stalwart. Maybe even calm. Hmmm.

So my official goal for this year, other than of course to just make it through, is to make it through with a smile, enjoy the ride, appreciate my family, and keep my wits about me. Oh - and find a job. That's not too much to expect. Is it?