The "joys" of homeschooling

I was feeling like an utter failure earlier today.

I was still reeling from my second son's recent lying problem -- and I don't mean "lying down on the job." No, I'm referring to the problem of lying over the smallest item, because he doesn't want to be seen in a negative light by his father and me. I could have hollered at him, spanked him and made him feel horrible about it, but I felt like the Lord wanted me to really speak with my son -- not at him, study the Word with him, to show this child where and why lying is wrong and hurtful. By the time we were done, he hugged me and told me he was sorry.

Then, I've been dealing with this wonderful job I've taken on otherwise known as homeschooling. I know full well if my children were placed in publich school, they'd be forced to take Ritalin or one of the alternatives. If those medications work for some people, God bless them,,, but I already had my eldest in the public and private school systems, and both groups stated that I needed him on some kind of medication. Dealing with the mood swings, the tears, the tics, and STILL not completing all of his work in school got to be too much.

Well, my dear daughter is the carbon copy image of my eldest boy,,, and it's not condusive to homeschooling in a "traditional" school-type style of learning. It will take her an hour to do a simple ten-minute "quiet-time" assignment. After an extremely rough day of trying to finish up yesterday's work today, and not getting very far, I called up my friend Marie, and said, "I REALLY cannot do this,,, anymore. But, I know she would have to face the same garbage as the oldest." I was really down.

She was having a fun day of making plaster molds with her sons, and took time away from her busy schedule to comfort a friend and encourage a sister in need. She encouraged me to look up alternate learning styles and curriculum for my daughter. I then found and gave my daughter a learning styles test. I learned that I've been teaching her in the wrong style, as she's a kinesthetic learner, and I've been teaching her from a curriculum that accentuates a ton of writing and listening to what I show her.

I have a curriculum that I can look at -- it'll take a lot of work, but she's worth it to me. I want there to be joy in homeschooling, for the children and me.