Aduladi' Homeschool Academy

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Overcommitment...

As a semi new homeschooler, I am starting to see the classic homeschool "hiccups" that newbies can make. My current hiccup is overcommitment. I can just see you seasoned homeschoolers (note that I did not say "senior" or "older" for which I would like many brownie points, LOL!) shaking your heads and smiling with the memories of when you fell into similar follies.

I committed myself to a couple things this summer that while the kids were "off" it was no problem. The kids are no longer "off" and my number one commitment, the education of my blessed offspring (yes they are currently asleep and being perfect...) is being squeezed. Yet I feel the act of making a commitment means that you stick with it and see it through even when you want to run and hide under the bed. Currently I am the president of a local MOMS Club chapter and I adore the woman that I serve. However, it is a lot of work. I never expected it to be a cake walk, but I also never expected it to be as consuming either. I think if it was my only comitment it would be fine, but there are others.

Then we move on to the children. Is it an "across the board" homeschooler trait that since our young'uns are not in traditional school that they have to be involved in every sport, community and church program out there? Don't get me wrong. I love that K.Z. loves playing soccer and that he is excited about being a Cub Scout; as am I! But am I allowing overcommitment to consume him as well? Will he still have time to lay on his stomach in the grass watching ants and other various creepy crawly things if I am hurrying him into the mom-mobile all the time to whisk him away to one event or another? What happens when my girls start into various programs? I know that time cannot actually stand still, but if anyone knows how to make it happen in any fashion so I can sort all of this out... PLEASE TELL ME!

Okay, now I am off to see where all the local AWANAS programs are being held in the area. Call the men in the white jackets and direct them to the crazed, freckled Indian chick who is hiding under the bed...

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Sunday, October 15, 2006 - conviction

Posted by ogbeach

Did you read my mind!?! I think God is convicting you and using me to convict you and I think God is convicting me and using you to convict me. Does that make sense? We both feel the same way, that we are overcommitted and we are overcommitting our kids and I think God is trying to get our attention and tell us to slow down. Home is a good place to be! We just have to figure out how to do that.

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Sunday, October 15, 2006 - Frodo and I were just discussing this tonight...

Posted by p31wife

since we have #3 becoming old enough to participate in various outside activities. Our gereral rule is, each gets one thing per year that is just them and those have to be different nights or (preferably) different seasons (works well for us... 4 seasons, 4 kids). Otherwise, they can participate in as many "together" activities as we have time, money, and desire for, and the activities cannot interfere with the family having dinner together or be on a Sunday or they can't participate. Right now, Primo has soccer in the fall. Secondo and Primo have 4H in the summer (Terzo will join them next year). Terzo has Cub Scouts year round and the girls have Keepers at Home that meets at the same time and place as Cub Scouts. They all take swim lessons for two weeks at the same time in the summer, they are all taking square and line dance lessons together this fall, and they are all in a homeschool book club at the local library that meets once a month. Terzo wants to play ice hockey, so we are researching skating lessons for him, but we won't let him start until after Christmas (after holiday travel, soccer, and the square dance competition in early January).

It defentitely gets tricky, but it can be done. When our kids approach us about participating in an activity, we teach them to answer these questions:
1. Does it help them glorify God?
2. Does it keep them from following God's commands?
3. Does it hinder family life?
4. Are they willing to commit to the activity completely?
5. Do we have the time and money to do it?

If the answers are yes, no, no, yes and yes, then we try to make it happen.

I will be praying for you all as you set your priorities.. and pray for us. Just because we have a plan, doesn't mean it is easy to stick to or tempting to stray from.

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Wednesday, October 18, 2006 - Activity levels...

Posted by SmallWorld

Everyone has her own level of number of acceptable activities. For our family, it has changed as the ages of our children have changed. We basically have 1-2 activities per child, with the oldest getting preference if he desires. These activities are often on a limited time basis. For instance, swimming, soccer, and fencing are only 10 weeks at a time, with a maximum of 20 weeks. Boy Scouts and American Heritage Girls are every-other-week. The only things we have weekly are music lessons and our co-op classes (but those are only 10 or 12 weeks, twice a year). It helps me to break things down like that to realize that, while we are involved in a lot, they aren't all weekly commitments or long-term commitments.

The biggest things I have learned in the past few years is to know when I've reached my own personal limit. Last year I was chairperson of our American Heritage Girls troop, in leadership in our support group, in leadership for our enrichment classes, teaching at our program, teaching an adult Sunday School class at church, and co-facilitating our small group.Waaaay too much going on in my own head. I wasn't doing all these things because I particularly wanted to but because I felt called to. It was the "nobody else will do it" syndrome. This year people have stepped up into various positions. I dropped leadership in everything except AHG, and I only teach 1 class now for our co-op.

As far as my kids go, we also changed this year so that all of our activities happen after 3 p.m. Last year we had too many interruptions in the middle of our day (music lessons, classes, etc.). I used to think that we should take advantage of daytime hours for lessons when PS kids were in school, but our life runs so much more smoothly when we can be home during the day.

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About Me

A-du-la-di' means "stong believer" in Cherokee (tsalagi). This is my number one goal for my children; that they grow to have a strong and solid relationship with Christ. This blog is simply to honor that commitment in a realistic everyday way. Many of us choose to take control of the education and growth of our children while raising soldiers for Christ, these are the people that I would like to glean information from and grow with!

Recent Posts

• Just Checking In
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• The Best Christmas Present Ever...
• T'was the Night Before Christmas?

Our Family

• Mr. Clean (the Dad)
• Angel (the Mom)
• K.Z. (number 1 son age 6)
• Xena (Warrior Princess dd age 4
• C'sa (the toddler age 3)

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