From the article: HELP! I Can't Take it Anymore!
What do you consider to be your biggest homeschooling challenge? This could be related to academics or something different.
For example, Isa in Michigan writes, "I consider my biggest homeschooling challenge to be spending enough time with my younger children where I sufficiently meet their needs, while at the same time effectively homeschooling my school-aged children. This is my first year where I've done most of the homeschooling in the morning, instead of during nap times. Because of this, I've had to figure out ways to keep my younger children happily occupied." Share Your Challenge
Biggest homeschool challenge
- Hello to all homeschool Moms and Dads, I'm a mom who homeschools 6 children. The grades are pre-k, 1st, 4th 6th, 9th, 10th. My biggest challenge is trying to keep my little ones busy while trying to help my middle and high schoolers with their school work. They always finish what they are suppose to be doing so fast. I also find it hard for me to figure out the high school math problems as well. Suggestions anyone.
- —Guest Nakeisha
Not good at multitasking!
- I find it very difficult to help a seventh grader, fourth grader and second grader with different questions while keeping an active four year old boy busy and out of the girl's way. I wish I could just concentrate on one child at a time. I also feel pressured to get the house cleaned, bills paid, the laundry done, meals planned and cooked, and my husband's food for work made. I know classroom teachers have many kids to deal with but at least they're usually all working on the same thing at a time-without preschoolers trying to monopolize their attention. It's pretty exhausting. But I realize homeschooling is a privilege and I should be thankful.
- —bookwormjo
Kids with quirks
- Our children have "quirks". They're very smart, & enjoy being smart, but when they are introduced to something that's new to them, they get anxious. Sort of like they think they're supposed to already know everything. Discovering they have to work at understanding something causes anxiety & anxiety can turn into a melt down. ONE child melting down disrupts everybody's schooling! Self control comes with age & through learning control techniques, so the first few years were harder. As they're getting older, this challenge is diminishing, but hasn't completely disappeared. Also, they're kinesthetic learners & it's difficult at times to find a hands-on way to learn an abstract concept. They always seem to want/need to "touch" a concept in order to absorb/understand it, and I'm not always THAT creative!
- —NANASARAH
Whoever loses sleep over the child's Ed
- Working on my MIND about my child's future. I often feel our child can go so far IF, big if, I do well. I struggle with how I didn't do well in several subjects in school, and now I have to teach our child things I never mastered. I know I don't have to hold a Masters to teach our child, but I do most times wish I was SMARTER. I fight the public silently as a homeschool mom by making sure when we are out during regular school hours she's wearing one of the homeschool t-shirts we've made which reads, "Homeschool Queen and top of my the class." Yes, we see the big and little yellow school buses rolling by. I tell my kid they had to leave their parents, but we can stay together to learn, then we go to the park, and look for bugs, because it's science time. The teacher who loses sleep over MY child’s education IS the best teacher for the job. That’s me. FACT: Homeschooling WILL BE as different as EACH individual child is. Public schools ignore THAT. I teach my child that learning is done life’s WAY.
- —Guest AngelEscort
Against all odds
- I am my 1st graders grandmother. It was like pulling teeth but I got him started. He is in the first grade. He is bright and handles the work well, mostly. He can get in this whiny phase that honestly drives me up the wall. We have tried breaks when he gets that way to no avail. We come back in and start again.
- —atwatson
What's behind door number 8?
- Because our child is autistic, there is no help from insurance, we are cash-broke so there’s no money to pay for needed outside support, and among so many other things I am completely on my own. If it were not for heaven’s constant inner hugs, my darling daughters angelic company, I don't know what things would be like right now. Since there has been no curriculum I have found that really works for our child, no other human being to look in the eyes for tested advice or guidance, I have once again in my living found a “crack in life” to fall into. LOL…yes, I am a newbee at this homeschooling, so with our challenge I would say that in my living I am rolling this way; NOTE MY CHALLENGE - I am in the weekly throws of inventing, and even materializing a curriculum that springs “from” my child in one, or more expressed forms. This must be done so that I can support and build an educational world that fits “Right Next To” where she is, and where she is going. She is a world of doors. Heaven help!
- —Guest clearly crystal
Sibling cooperation
- I have been struggling with sibling cooperation. I only have two children, a boy and a girl. My daughter is older and can be bossy and my son is kinetic and can be distracting to her. They are together so much of the time that they tire of each other and begin to fight over little things. I am trying to figure out a way to give them time away from each other without over-filling our schedule, since we need time at home to get schooling done.
- —Guest Lori
Don't want it to end
- My biggest challenge is what I am facing right now the last year of home schooling before my son graduates from High School. I have home schooled him since kindergarten and have had challenges in the past like reading and math, those were met and mastered. The challenge is that home schooling ended all so fast and college is looming around the corner which is a good thing - it meant I did my job. The challenge is that I don't want it to end! Home schooling has been a wonderful experience for both my children. We have met the challenges together and it has been fun. Since this is the last year I have many plans to make it fun and exciting!!
- —Guest LC
Homeschooling with autism
- I must homeschool all year long because of my grandson's autism. The biggest challenge is keeping it interesting so he does not give up.
- —Guest Pamela
Homeschooling challenge - ADHD
- My 17 year old is ADHD, so homeschooling her is a challenge. Math and Physical Science are the hardest. I explain her math and physical science in detail, and the next day she forgets it.
- —Guest trythesignofthecross
Motivation
- My biggest challenge is trying to motivate my 10 year old son to learn, he does not want to even try. I believe homeschooling is the best way, but he is making me feel like a failure. I also have a 4 year old who soaks up information like a sponge but my time is consumed with trying to get the older one to do something - I am real close to putting him in school - I can't take much more - help!
- —jamdonut
First Timer
- I have a 3rd grader and a kindergartner. I am not too worried about homeschooling my oldest, but I am afraid that I will not be able to teach my youngest to read. We will be starting homeschool for the first time in January. I do have my Associates in Science, Early Childhood concentration, but I am just not sure how to go about teaching him to read.
- —Guest Jenni
Homeschooling is a big problem so far
- My wife and I started homeschooling in September. My wife, not I, was pushing for this since my oldest daughter was in first grade. My daughters are in kindergarden and seventh grade. My wife decided this was the year she was going to homeschool. I am a public school teacher and while I had concerns, I decided to give it a shot. We are having big problems. My wife does not like a structured environment and refuses to plan things out. I am left doing much of the planning and teaching. My oldest daughter does very little work and spends most of her time playing or watching TV. My wife works part time helping our neighbors and has basically taken the attitude that "it will all just work out in the end." This is driving me insane and is having a very negative impact on our marriage. I am not sure I am making too much out of this or if I am watching the slow and steady disintegration of my daughters education. I want to make this work for everyone's sake.
- —Guest mike
The right thing for our family
- We started off homeschooling in K & 1st grade but then I had a baby & I opened a restaurant with my mother & was afraid my daughter may fall behind in 2nd grade... she was getting good at playing on my distractions. During 2nd grade she had a great teacher and the school was fine. All the staff seemed wonderful but my daughter had been doing 2nd & 3rd grade work at her own pace in 1st grade & in public school 20 children had to learn from 1 teacher in 1 way. There was very little one on one interaction & not only was she distracted by the other students she seemed to almost struggle with work she had excelled at the year before. Not to mention there's a lot of time just spent on quieting the class down, getting into lines, etc... not a problem at home. We get much more done in much less time and if we do spend the same amount of time the quality and quantity of work that is getting done is far better. I do get irritated at having to defend our decision to do this.
- —Guest tiffany
Lots of kids...little space
- With 6 kids and an expected baby and little space those are my main challenges! Finding a spot to keep the toddlers quiet and entertained while the 3rd graders take a test or the others practice reading can be a bit crazy. Keeping all the supplies and work organized is probably the hardest part though (I type this as I sit in my severely cluttered classroom wondering when I am going to get to organize the chaos!) I wouldn't trade this opportunity for all the neatness and organization in the world though!
- —Guest rachel
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