# Today was not a good HS day for us



## therunbunch (Oct 5, 2009)

Today was absolutely horrible. Our schooling schedule has been pretty lax, I'll admit, because we were trying to switch to a different curriculum, but while we're waiting to do that, I am using some of our stuff that we usually use. I swear DD couldn't remember a single thing I had already taught her, and I became incredibly frustrated.

It's days like this that I have to remind myself WHY I took this on. It feels hopeless sometimes. I have two boys 2 and 1, and I'm 4 mos pregnant as well. DD is 8 so she's the only one I'm working with, but I feel like a complete failure when trivial things such as carrying and borrowing are a problem for her. I know this is just a pity party, and I'm sure it's all my fault for whatever reason (people are always quick to point out what they think you're doing wrong) but it's just one of those days where I want to sit down and cry.

Please tell me that you guys have days like this?


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## WildernesFamily (Mar 11, 2006)

Yes, we have days like this. Close the books, do something fun and try again later.

((hugs)) to you.


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## UUmom2many (Apr 21, 2009)

Yeah, yesterday I was so frustrated with Alex. He was supposed to do a test and ended up getting a 60% on it. It was all stuff he seemed to have mastered before. I was so frustrated but then remembered too that 1. he's only 7 and 2. he's only 7 doing 3rd grade work. then there is 3. we homeschool year round so we have more time to cover things. 

Part of why I do this though (homeschooling) is so that he actually learns stuff. He seems to have an issue remembering what we did so instead of just going ahead with the new stuff and keeping that 60% in the grade book, i have an opportunity to sit and review, endlessly really, until he truly gets it and we can replace that with a much better grade. I posted about being behind but it took listening to the ladies here to see how far we've really gone. 

I was told by our HS evaluator that it isn't _how much_ they learn it's that they progress. we're a little lax here in FL with our regulations. We have bad days too. I find we do lots some days/weeks/months and other times are


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## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

Oh yes, we have days like that!  Sometimes several in the same week! :bash:

For borrowing, we used pencils (or crayons, popsicle sticks, etc.) bundled with rubber bands. We also used beads that pop together and made circles of 10 for "tens" and loose beads for the "ones". 

The other thing I have found is that kids are more of the "out of sight out of mind" variety than "absence makes the *brain* grow stronger". I am striving to review basic math concepts weekly-- math facts, adding & subtracting, even for my 6th grader, multiplication/divison, etc. Last year we spent quite a long while working on fractions and when we moved on the long division and even borrowing were VERY rusty. 

Good luck! When all else fails, mom takes a "time out" and puts school stuff away. I should do that more often than I do; once I get frustrated the rest of the day goes downhill pretty quickly.


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## gunsmithgirl (Sep 28, 2003)

We have had those days before too. The worst thing you can do is get upset and frustrated. Try some fun things like rose2005 suggested and try to make it fun. My dd seemed to struggle with some basic concepts and then one day it just all seemed to "click" and she was breezing through what had been so hard just 1 week ago.


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## Blossom'sGirl (Jan 3, 2008)

Just remember the old moral, "Slow and Steady Wins the Race" I have had more than my share of days like this. I have decided that if I have to explain something 100's of times before they get it than I will with a smile and maybe some chocolate. I have 4 boys and my frustrations are different but they are there. 

I feel we take on a big responsibility when homeschooling and you sound like you really want to do well. As you probably know pregnancy will throw you through a roller coaster of emotions daily. Pray for a better tomorrow and enjoy the little things. Maybe you could goggle some fun ideas of how to cement the idea of borrowing / carrying. 

Best wishes.


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## Roamschooler (Mar 29, 2008)

I really think we ALL have days like that.  I am hs'ing 4, 3 of the kids are mine, one is a child I watch, and there is a 2 year old running around too, just to add to the mayhem.  My older two have special needs to boot, so believe me, I get the whole 8 year old not getting easy stuff thing. My 8 year old daughter drives me insane with the stuff she cant remember...but then baffles me by the stuff she remembers...like the entire history of the renaissance. :O

Hang in there, you can do it!!!

Andrea
www.hopefulhousewife.com


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## Cheryl in SD (Apr 22, 2005)

I found with borrowing and long division, I have to teach it 3-4 times to each child before it sinks in. I have one more to go in the process. Dh didn't believe me and was home when it was time to teach ds long division. He volunteered.  

Day one - Ds did great, dh announced, "That wasn't so hard." I told him we would see tomorrow.

Day two - Ds didn't remember a thing. Dh re-taught him how, wondering aloud, "I thought he had it!. But NOW he's got it." I just smiled.

Day three - Ds didn't have a clue. Dh was flabbergasted. I refarined from saying that I told you so. Dh re-taught the skill.

Day four - Dh looked like a sheep being led to slaughter. BUT ds remembered! Dh said, "How did you know?" I just smiled, btdt.


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

Yes, we all have days like this, and you will have them again, but somehow it all magically gets done. Remember you have 18 years, you are doing fine, she's doing fine, it'll all work out in the end. 

I don't think your post was really about math but I'm going to toss this out there anyways. I jumped around math programs those first few years but in the end I really ended up liking Math U See, the kids just watched the dvd's with me, and played with the blocks. He does everything on a white board with the same blocks (only bigger) that the kids use. I wouldn't switch mid-year but just as a maybe when you are buying for next year.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

therunbunch said:


> Today was absolutely horrible. Our schooling schedule has been pretty lax, I'll admit, because we were trying to switch to a different curriculum, but while we're waiting to do that, I am using some of our stuff that we usually use. I swear DD couldn't remember a single thing I had already taught her, and I became incredibly frustrated.
> 
> It's days like this that I have to remind myself WHY I took this on. It feels hopeless sometimes. I have two boys 2 and 1, and I'm 4 mos pregnant as well. DD is 8 so she's the only one I'm working with, but I feel like a complete failure when trivial things such as carrying and borrowing are a problem for her. I know this is just a pity party, and I'm sure it's all my fault for whatever reason (people are always quick to point out what they think you're doing wrong) but it's just one of those days where I want to sit down and cry.
> 
> Please tell me that you guys have days like this?


Can't help with much, but carrying and borrowing jumped at me. 
A _lot_ of kids have trouble with that because it's a really abstract concept, unless you use manipulatives. I'm a big one for manipulatives. 

Long before I was teaching my own kids, I had these in my classroom:








They're called base ten blocks. (Do a hunt on eBay. I picked my current set up for about $10 a few years ago)
The little blocks are ones, the rods are tens, the flats are hundreds and the big blocks are thousands. (my set only has one thousands cube)


With addition, the child "builds" both addends with the blocks, you then put them together and "cash in" the ones for tens, the tens for hundreds, etc. (Carry.) Do this as just the blocks a few times. Then do it as blocks and simultaneously on paper. Then moving to just paper. 
Each kid will have a different amount of time it takes them to move from the concrete (toys) to the abstract (paper only) though.

With subtraction, you start with your number (minuend), and pull out the subtrahend, "cashing in" (borrowing) as needed. 

This is one of the reasons I really like Saxon. Kids are working with money from kindergarten and the move to dollars/dimes/pennies is very natural. Decimals are easier too, IMO.

I still use my toys, though!


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

In the book I used for dd the carrying and borrowing concepts were spread over several pages. IIRC the lessons each used 10 or so workbook pages. Rare is the child that can understand and remember new concepts the first time they are introduced.


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## Tobemeghan (Jan 16, 2010)

My siblings and I were homeschooled our entire lives. I had an especially hard time understand borrowing. If I remember right Mom made the problem really big on the chalk board and put NEIGHBOR and OUR HOUSE over the units and tens place. She then explained it like we were making cookies: "We will need 3 cups of flour but we only have how much (point to number) 2 right. So we are going to go to Mrs. Clark's house and borrow some. Now how many cups of flour does Mrs. Clark have "point at number" 2 right. So if we take one of Mrs Clark's cups of flour that leaves her with how many? One right and if you add the one cup that we borrowed from her how many does that give us? Three right!".........

It worked for me. I remember so many times my Mom pulling her hair out, some days are just like that. If I remember anything as a student it is that some days you just frustrated and couldn't remember anything or couldn't get anything. On those days we would move to a different subject or call it a go outside and play day. The next day (or even the next) everything would fall into place. 

Kudos to you all for homeschool your kids, believe we, we appreciate it so much and we have a much brighter future because of it. My sister is a RN who is returning to school this semester to get her BSN, I am in my third year of teaching school (elementary school education with a specialty in special education), one of my brothers is an accomplished traditional wood worker, and my other brother is an extremely talented and accomplished guitarist who also restores old tractors, etc. Out of all of our cousins we were the only ones to go to college and were some of the only ones who graduated high school. We are the ONLY ones that have not been in a car accident (while driving), run away or been involved in drugs or alcohol. All of the hard work you are putting in now will come back tenfold.


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