This has GOT to get better. There’s just no way it’s this hard all the time. Is it this hard for most people who take their kids out of public school to be homeschooled?

My kids have not been to public school since June of this year. We started doing just the tiniest bit of work the last couple weeks of August. Reading about the solar system, a couple of worksheets, a little bit of math. Never all in one day. We only did one subject per day the first few days. Then two subjects, etc. It was okay. Blue is always eager to get going, to do the work and get it done. Not that he enjoys the work, it’s more like he wants to just do it, all of it, and get it over with.

Fast forward to the first week of September. We planned on starting full steam once my oldest started back to ps, which was last Wednesday (9/3). The first day was okay, not great. The second day was pure hell. I gave up, we went to the library then took the next three days off (Friday, Saturday, & Sunday).

Ladybug and I decided out of all her books, the only ones that were “working” were the Spanish and the math. Both of which she likes because “they are easy” (her words). So I put all the others on eBay and am searching out other ways to teach her. The biggest problem is, she does NOT learn well by reading and regurgitating….but that is all she knows, that is what she was taught at school. I gave her textbooks and assignment sheets and had her have at it. She was MISERABLE. She hates all the reading…she’s always negotiating “Can I skim the page then go back & read every other paragraph?”. Jeesh, with all that effort to avoid reading all THREE pages, you could have read all three pages in the time it takes you to SKIM and then go back & read every other paragraph. But she doesn’t see it that way. She says she can’t read unless it’s COMPLETELY quiet then turns around and says she needs the tv on so she can do the work during the commercials. UGH! (there’s no tv on from 9am to 4pm btw)

Taz, who turns 7 later this week, is difficult to say the least. He literally does NOT stop moving. He’s mouthy, rude, out of control, constantly tells me no, and refuses to do his work most of the time. This is not new nor is it tolerated, but nothing makes him stop. Not spanking, not taking away privileges, not standing in the corner, or even making him do push-ups lol. I literally CANNOT find his “currency”. I cannot find anything to motivate him to behave/follow the rules. He doesn’t care about rewards, stickers, treats. If I offer up a reward system, he thinks he should have the rewards regardless of whether or not he’s earned them. And when told no, he goes back to the screaming, refusing to cooperate, doesn’t care about the reward system, little brat.

I am just tired. I don’t know if there’s something wrong with him or what anymore. I’m tired of telling him to stop jumping on or off the furniture, stop running through the house, stop chasing the dog, stop picking up the cat (he hates to be picked up, growls, bites, scratches), stop throwing things, stop bugging your brother/sister, etc. I’m tired of telling him do the worksheet, read the sentence, read the word, write the word, sit down, stop that, don’t do that. It’s INSANE!

Is this normal behavior?

I can’t decide who’s driving me more nuts…the teenager who doesn’t want to move an inch or the 7yo who moves so much he’s a blur most of the time.