Homeschooling Through the Years

We're seven weeks in to our home school year.  And this is my seventh year home schooling.  I can't believe how fast it's gone.  I was organizing our school notebooks last weekend and paged through some of their old work.  Each of my little "students" are so different.  They have different learning styles, strengths and weaknesses, and learn at different paces.

Looking back at home schooling is a bit like looking back to the time when you had one kid after you have your second child, or your third.  I remember having Asher and wondering why in the world I ever thought having just Graham was a challenge.  What's hard about a baby?  After all, they don't throw tantrums, talk back to you, or hardly disrupt your life at all?  In hindsight, most things seem easier.  That's why our younger kids have things easier, and our firstborns get our more stressful selves.  I looked back at home school stuff from earlier years and wondered why I thought some stages were so hard, because each one seems more difficult and more all-consuming than the year before.  Graham was a later reader and it completely gave me a complex.  I was so nervous about it.  Now he's my most avid reader, way beyond his grade level.  Joseph has been a later reader and I haven't even given it much thought.  I spent a whole year pushing Graham to do something he wasn't ready for.  And with Joseph, I just stopped for about six months and picked up the very same book, and now we're breezing through it.  No stress at all.

It's a whole new ballgame having bigger kids.  For so many years, home schooling was hard because it had to be accomplished in the midst of diapers, breastfeeding, inconsistent napping, and toddler fits.  Now that I don't have any of those things, it IS more peaceful around here (except when it's not) but that's traded in for a whole lot more school work.  

I'll leave you with a few pics from our days...

We still do these clipboards.  The boys love crossing things off.  And I like that they don't need to ask me what they need to do.

This year, I splurged and bought and all new pencils, colored pencils and crayons.  I had plenty, but I allowed myself to throw them all away.  I wanted to buy new school stuff just like everyone else.  It was $10 well spent, more for my sake than the boys!

And so pretty in the sunlight :)

I'm spending more time with Jopie this year.  He always whines a bit when we get started, but enjoys it in the end. 

I will be very sad when those teeth grow in.

A lunch break on the back porch.

And one day, we finished early and they got to watch a movie while I got a few things done in peace.  This was one of those rare days when the stars aligned just right and we got it all done in record time.

I hope to do a few more home school posts this fall.  I always feel a little silly giving advice, but I think I've learned a thing or two over the last seven years.  There's a few things I wish I knew when my kids were younger.

I'd better get back to my day.  We're enjoying this rainy Monday.  Things are more relaxed because Daddy is home, thanks to Mr. Columbus! :)