Hello Ladies and Happy New Year!

Anyone else just "tired"? It seems this time of year I always get tired...tired of school. Private (and even public) starts looking good. But this year I'm discouraged as well. Do any of you evaluate the first 1/2 of the year and realize you didn't get as much done as you'd like. Or that you're kids haven't improved (at all) in the last 5 months? So I start thinking that someone else could do a better job. This is our 8th year hsing...I have 15 more to go (to finish all 4 boys).
Any one...anyone...I'm just needing a little lift here.

Thanks for letting me ramble!!!

Blessings to all.
Tiffani

((Tiffani))

Your goal in homeschooling is to guide your children to be Jesus Lovers. You want them to know God's word, to love His word, to follow Him and have hearts willing to sacrifice for others.

Everything else is extra and icing on the cake. Yes, rigorous academics is good. A well-rounded education is good. But the best thing? children who know their God and love Him.

I think that being at home in a loving atmosphere is the best place for them, and you are the best teacher for them: God chose you to be their parent, their authority, their teacher.

My opinion, for what it is worth, is that discouragement comes when we lose sight of the main thing. But if for a moment we can have a vision of what will have been important to have learned when we and our children are in heaven, then we see more clearly. Does this make any sense? What do your children need in order to die well and please God and live forever with Jesus? That is what you are about. If we get that right, then He is faithful and will make sure whatever else they need will be there.

Hoping this is helpful and wishing I could give you a hug,

Tracy in Ky

Tracy,
Thank you for the encouragement!!!! Your hug was felt "through the wires"

I do need to be reminded of "the main thing". It's so easy to get off track. Thank you again!! I needed to hear that!!!!!

I too tend to get discouraged this time of year, but this year the Lord really laid it on my heart that the academics aren't as important as my children having a heart for Him and a desire to read His Word daily and apply it to their lives. We can teach our children this, no matter their age. We are starting the new year by getting into His Word first and let the academics come as they come. If we spend all morning on a "rabbit trail" b/c of something we read in Scripture, so be it.

I find every three months I am just plain tired, so we go three months on, one month off. December is a month off. I find that I need that month to get excited to go for it again, and goals for three months are more manageable to set.
Maybe this would help?

I say a hearty AMEN to what has been shared!! It is all about Jesus, first and foremost and we are always in a marathon as homeschoolers not a sprint, kwim?

I just wanted to share this... With my children, Sept and Oct are for getting their learning muscles back in shape after summer. We keep to our schedule but I am not really trying to increase the intensity of their studying yet. Nov and Dec are for maintaining the schedule and surviving the holidays. Jan and Feb are for adding anything I feel is lacking. March to May are for raising the intensity and preparing them for the increase in study/learning discipline to meet our goals for the next school year. That is how I think of it in my mind and it helps me.

So I spent the fall having them work at the intensity level of the previous spring and getting our schedule perfected for this new year. Now I will add things that are missing for us, which for us is evaluations,more mapping and more writing. Then in March I will be increasing the intensity so that they are ready for next year. For example, my Upper Grammar children will start reading their own Science book and doing the exercises because I am hoping they can do this next year so I will be training them for it between March and April.

The January slump is so very common. But like it has been said, having the big picture in mind and the overall goal you are trying to achieve through homeschooling really help!! Also, making sure you are meeting with the Lord each day to fuel up with Him I find is essential!!

Becky, Amy, Karen,

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I never want to take for granted the wisdom we can glean from others! I love the idea of 3 months on, 1 month off...not sure if I could make it work, but it's a great idea. We used to school 6 weeks and off 1 week, but one week just isn't enough to get caught up w/ everything.

You know, I "know" that the reason I'm hsing is to direct my boys to Him. And when I step back and think "why" I get this way every Dec. it's usually due to a certain relative that comes to visit and though he means well, "his ways aren't our ways". He's not walking w/ the Lord, yet I find that I begin questioning my choice b/c of some things he sees.

blah, blah, blah....I'm rambling.

Thanks Ladies! I really needed to talk. BTW, Becky, I love your siggy, "John 8:32"...that's my favorite verse!!!

Tiffani

Hello,

Karen, thank you for your "big picture" look at the school year. I've been hsing for 13 years, and have never thought of things that way, but you've offered a framework I'm going to start using.

Just a couple of thoughts relative to this whole discussion.

Could some of the tiredness, etc., we all seem to feel at this time of year be partly due to the shorter days? If so, then part of the solution might be to intentionally spend some time outside in the sunlight. (In her book, What is a Family?, Edith Schaeffer talks about looking for physical solutions first when children are cranky, then addressing character/spiritual issues. I think this advice applies to adults as well.)

In addition, because we're tired and discouraged, we're probably unable to do an accurate assessment of our progress, so we shouldn't. Every year in May, I am always amazed at how much has been accomplished in the school year we are just finishing. But in December/January, I am unable to see the forest for the trees, to use an overused metaphor.

Loretta

P.S. I appreciate everyone who contributes to this forum. I learn something everytime I log on.

Loretta,
Very good point!!! Thanks for contributing. These are those "simple solutions" I need to be reminded about. KWIM?

Tiffani