I started out the school year with grand intentions. I would go against my inherent desire to unschool and we would do sit-down phonics and math and all of those very important subjects. We would do them on schedule, with great regularity. We would track our learning very well, so that everyone could see how well we were doing.
It started out well. Sure, I work part time, so topics into a formal schedule is more difficult than it would be if I was home full time. It’s harder to balance down time and scheduled time when I am home. However, we persevered – through family illnesses and family visits, through illness on all sides of our family equation, and through life in general.
However, I’ve been a bit slack in the last few weeks. First of all, I’ve discovered the beauty of not needing to start school at the same time as other people. Most mornings, I work before my daughter gets up. On the days when I don’t work outside the home, I don’t really feel like springing into school work the moment we finish breakfast. I don’t feel like hurrying breakfast. One of the wonderful things about homeschooling is that it doesn’t have to happen from 9 to 3.
I’ve also realized that my daughter is around grade level even when I am doing minimal teaching. This has made me less worried about her progress in reading, writing, and math. While I still think that we need to work on the small motor skills and writing skills, the kindergarten requirements around here are fairly minimal. It’s pretty low-pressure homeschooling kindergarten, even if you want to keep up with the kids in the public system.
The last thing that I’ve realized is that there is no point in pushing extremely hard or doing things on a time schedule. If my daughter is interested in doing phonics, we can do it for ages. If she’s uninterested, we can do it for a few minutes. It all evens out in the end.
So maybe I’m not slack. Maybe I’m just sensible. I hope?