Trouble in paradise

I wanted to give up.

I screamed.

I yelled.

I said mean things.

I had to quit.

The week started off like any other week. We did our lessons and Monday and Tuesday went well.

Wednesday rolled around and I decided I’d take advantage of the free day our local state history museum. We had a lovely day and enjoyed yummy food in the cafe on site. Who knew museums had good food?!

Much to Will’s amazement, that was all we did for school that day. He couldn’t believe something so fun was really going to count as “school”.

The next day was the day I almost called it quits. I came SO CLOSE to getting in the car and enrolling him at the local elementary school.

He’s SUCH a smart boy and he’s REALLY very good at math, but ONLY when he does it HIS way. His way usually works but when it doesn’t he gets mad and angry and throws a fit and refuses to shut up long enough for me to explain another way he can do it.

As I write this I realize where he gets that trait.

Oh. My.

I did appologize to him for my outburst when he wouldn’t listen, and decided we would take the rest of the day and Friday OFF.

We needed a break.

We still haven’t taken Spring Break and I think the season changes are definitely starting to get to us.

We started back up on Monday and once again math took FOREVER.

I guess I should explain that we are 1/3 of the way through of our SECOND year in math. We completed all of 2nd grade and our making our way through 3rd now.

He would be in 2nd grade if he were going to public school, so it’s not as if we are behind.

I just keep reminding myself that THIS is why we are homeschooling. THIS is why we NEED to homeschool.

Not so we can do our work “by the book” but so we can do things our own way, a way that works for us. It’s obviously not that he’s STRUGGLING, because he’s not. He just wants to do it a different way.

It’s not always easy to wrap my head around that, but it is why I love to homeschool and why I will NEVER give up. I will never put him back in a public school.

I’m sure this isn’t the last time I’ll have these doubts, but for now I’m eager to wrap up our year, bumps or no bumps.

What math programs do you use!? Do you love it? Hate it? What about your child?!