Why I Started Homeschooling Part 3.. Sometime after the first year, maybe the first weeks of homeschooling, a quiet little voice, almost inaudible began to creep into my thoughts.... You've all heard this voice before... the one that whispers (or perhaps accuses) "You should be doing more." 

"You should be teaching her how to read long vowel words by now."

"You should be much farther along in history... you're 4 months behind on the first cycle!"

"You should be doing more hands-on activites!"

"You should be doing those science experiments!"

"You should be planning out their physical education better!"

"You should be going on more field trips!"

"You should be more organized at home!"

"You should be incorporating more music and art lessons!"

The voice goes on and on..... it is relentless.  And how did we even start listening to this unwelcome voice, when our goal in the beginning was simply to "spend more time with our children"?

Well, if the shoulds had truly MARCHED in, we would have surely noticed and escorted them right outside again.  But they were more subtle.  They floated in through the windows when we weren't watching and slowly increased their number, pretending to be welcome guests.  Until we realized their damaging nature.

It's not that field trips or learning art is bad in and of itself... it's the heart attitude I'm addressing, the one that beats ourselves up.