Gettin In The Groove

Four weeks into school and I feel like we are really in to the groove of things. So far the process has gone smoother than I thought it would. It has been a challenge for Brylee, but she has started figuring it out as well. We still have our good and bad days there.

Bodie has fallen into the routine quite well, even gets upset sometimes if the order is changed.(like today I had a doctor appt so we did school after we returned) We had one day where he got frustrated and told me he did not like homeschool any more, but he got over it and moved on.

I have to admit I am enjoying the whole process. Yes, there are times that are frustrating as there would be no matter where he went. However, it is also a lot of fun to watch him learn and work through things he has a hard time with. I try very hard to allow him to get frustrated and to work through that.

Also, I have discovered that he is a little bit of a pefectionist. ( I am not so sometimes it is hard to relate) For instance, one day he was struggling with getting a letter written right. I had him watch me do it. (he already had written examples) It was all he could do to allow me to even show him and then he would not let me leave that example on his paper because this was "his work" Instead of taking it as a contribution to his row of letters and letting it be one less letter to write, he insisted I erase it so he could do it over. In some ways this is a great attribute, but it could also get him in trouble too. I want him to have the desire to do his best work, but I also want him to accept help when it is needed. I don't want him to get where he refuses help so much that when he really needs it no one is willing to help. It is a fine line and an interesting problem.

He gets to do lots of great experiments and I knew he would love that as he is very hands on, but I have been fairly surprised at how well he does sitting down and completing worksheets. Sometimes, I sit with him sometimes I don't depending on what it is. There are times that he takes longer to complete tasks then I think he should, but it may be my own impatience. Today, he was really getting distracted with his reading.....losing his place and not paying attention. I was getting irritated. Afterwards, I had two thoughts. One, he is reading a couple of paragraphs at a time with some big words in there. I should not be frustrated with him about that because truly it is great that he is reading right now period. Secondly, there is no reason we can't reread the same story tomorrow since he struggled. I am not under any kind of pressure to rush through this and don't want to make the mistake of making him feel that way either. At this point there is nothing that he hates to do and I do not want to make it that way either. Handwriting was a struggle at first because it is not very exciting, but because he is such a kid that thrives on routine, he has fallen in line with that as well.

Over all I am excited and feel that he is too and that makes it worth it for me.