Can you get some ME time without the work and money...or figure a compromise?
I know, I really love it when mum has the kids and I get to communicate with other adults without being interrupted and exhausted and losing the thread...and i love studying. So I get wheat you mean.

You will figure out the balance for your family.

And which Robyn Woodward are you?

http://www.facebook.com/#!/search/?ref= ... init=quick

The top one sorry

or this is the direct link to my profile
http://www.facebook.com/#!/mummyvamp?ref=profile

You can just do a checklist type of report of progress. List all of the subjects and the various skills they cover and tick them as they are mastered - that's what I did with my son's programme. Some of the checklists I checked and other's he checked - self reflection stuff. I got a lot of it out of the book called Trust The Children and some I made up.



Is that something that your daughter is interested in doing? Would that make her happy? Is that the language she would choose to learn about?

A language other than English (LOTE) is one of the Key Learning Areas (KLS's) and we are meant to be covering that but to my mind you can't learn languages successfully and efficiently in that school type way.

My brother failed dismally at school at every language class he ever took. Now he is fluent in Italian and Portugese (he is mistaken for a local when he visits Italy and Brazil - people ask him why his English is so good). He also speaks Spanish very well and a handful of other languages less well. How he learned Italian was he fell in love with an Italian girl when visiting Italy. Later on he fell in love with and married a Brazillian girl and he also fell in love with the country and what was key was immersing himself in the language/culture of these places and not being afraid of speaking badly at first. He used what words he had and didn't care how funny he sounded or how many mistakes he made.

Both of my SIL's learned Japanese via distance ed at ages 16 and 18 and they were top in their class. They learned the school way but because they were older they were able to discipline themselves and they had incentive to learn (job opportunities they were aiming for).

Learning a language that somebody else chooses for you just to please a stranger seems like it would be very difficult.

At primary school age my kids learn about other languages through simple songs in other languages and talking about words in the English language that come from other languages. We took together with other homeschoolers a term of Spanish classes that was taught by a Spanish Mum from our home ed group and it was based around games, songs and food with Mum's participating along with the kid's.

My son never was interested in learning a LOTE. I doubt I could have forced him to try. He's 19yo now and his long term girlfriend is Chinese and he has learned a little Chinese so that he can impress her parents. He's yet to travel to a non-English speaking country but I expect if he ever does he'll be open to learning for the purpose of communicating with others.

It's not selfish to want all of those things. It would be challenging but if you can find a way to achieve them AND homeschool you all win.

It's taken time to build up home school friendships and to get myself organised enough but over the years whilst homeschooling I have managed to study part time, work part time out of the home, work part time at home, start a home business, get the amount of child free time I need/want, start a few new hobbies/passions.

At times I am not where I want to be but I just keep working towards my goal and without entertaining the idea of stopping homeschool I just find a way to make changes in my life and continue homeschooling. If the kids decided they wanted to attend school that would be different but for now they don't and I see that home ed is great for them.

Re me working - I would add that it would have been much harder if I didn't have a partner who financially supports me, is supportive of home ed as well as supportive of me having my needs met and supportive of me achieving my desired goals. What I find key is flexibility. I currently run a home business and my hours are completely flexible so if I or the kids are ill or we go away it's fine. My employers always knew that my family came first. Also because Dh is the main breadwinner the pressure is off me to earn any set amount.

As far as child free time that has also been thanks to a supportive partner and friends willing to do kid swaps - soem of my child free time I work but often I don't. At times I have had 2 child free days a week in exchange for having extra kids on other days. Just now I don't have that because we have recently moved and because close home ed friends have recently moved away but we have just made some new home ed friends and I trust the parents and our kids get along brilliantly so perhaps when we know each other better that might work out for some kid swaping. I hope to meet more home edders near us and who knows what possibilities will eventuate.

Another thing I've been enjoying is pottery classes with other home ed Mums for one hour a week that we take while our kids are taking pottery lessons with a different teacher in the next room.

You're welcome.

Here's that thread:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=2150&p=32431&hilit=patience#p32431