Here I am in my third trimester with my third baby. She will likely be here right at the time school is to start! I am so lucky these two overwhelming things are happening at once. (Can I get a resounding, "Not!"?)
W has become accustomed to summer freedom, even though I have been making him do more chores and a lot of reading. Last year we also cut back a lot on time spent on school and even completely stopped teaching History. As you're aware, we just felt he was too young and clearly overwhelmed for what we were asking of him, especially since should he attend public school he would be going to Kindergarten just THIS year.
I went back and forth on how to manage our homeschool this year. I strongly considered using K12 curriculum through Utah Virtual Academy. We spoke with someone there and it didn't sound like it would hinder W, it actually sounded quite nice. But the husband didn't want to give it as much thought and has basically said no to it. I am fine with that for now. I really didn't like the idea of there being another teacher in charge of W's education and having to check in all the time with him or her. I didn't like the idea of having to be on someone else's schedule and not being able to take a day off if we wanted to go on a family vacation or just take a breather. And I really didn't like that it is basically public curriculum, which meant history wouldn't be taught in the classical style (which I really want him to learn it in that way), and they wouldn't be using Singapore Math (which W has really responded to well and both the husband and I like it a lot). There are other things too. It just didn't feel right. I tried to find and look at other online schools and either it didn't seem like a full curriculum or it costs a lot of money.
I am basically going to organize our homeschool differently this time around. I am going to simplify it more, which I think will help W be more independent in our homeschool. I am still going to go with the classical style again this time around as our "guide". I am going to likely try out a website called time4learning.com so that W can have fun on the computer and get breaks from so much workbook work. You pay month to month, so if I don't like it I don't have to keep doing it.
I am very worried about W starting to get use to doing more work. I guess we will have to see and perhaps we may have to cut back more again, and consider his age and disregard his intellect. I really don't want to overwhelm him and I want to keep him on a strict schedule regarding his academics because I know it is the only way that he will survive this. He does so much better when he knows at a certain time he needs to do something and continue with it until another certain time arrives and then he can play. If we spring it on him he throws a complete fit and it really stresses the whole house out. He needs to expect it.
Please pray our family will do well with all the changes coming about.
It is my opinion that academics come before extra things that parents want to make their children learn. Sometimes parents will double up on learning things that really are not imperative to their academic success in America and I see it as unneeded stress! Moderation is good in all the extra stuff. The basic subjects of a classical education is much more important, and also just as important, they need to be able to have freedom and playtime. I just can't be the mother of one of those families that has their kids doing everything from language lessons, to sports, to gymnastics and piano lessons IN ADDITION to academics! I do NOT have it in me at all. I am a mother first and foremost, not a chauffeur. My children should be home with me most of the time and busy families just aren't very close. And when they are out often enough doing other things, then have to come home to MORE working, I think it would make them hate life, certainly not love life at home. I strongly believe in prioritizing what matters most, and I think you have to have an eternal perspective on that. The only thing we can take with us after this life is knowledge (and our family). The other stuff is not as important.
