HELP...I'm going to be brutally honest here.  I just started HSing this year and it has made me realize what an unorganized person I am. I know this is what I'm suppose to do, but I'm just not ready to make lesson plans and schedules.  And as a result I can't seem to get anything accomplished. My husband is very concerned about our children's EDUCATION or lack there of. He says he knows I can do it but that I just need some structure,  but I've never had much in my life, so I wouldn't even know where to begin. And I'm feeling like a complete failure here. Any ways I orginally thought I could make my own curric from scratch, which I did a good job gathering things thanks greatly to the wonderful people who swap on PBS. But now I'm at a horrible loss as to how to implament them. I'm scatter brained, inconsistant, and don't have much will power to follow thru with schedules.  I was so excited about the idea of homeschooling. And there are so many things I want to do for my children but my biggest fear is that I'll never get organized enough to make this work. I love my chidren and I want the best for them. I don't want them to struggle with the same things that I'm struggling with. I want to learn how to be organized and consistant and I want to learn self discipline so that I can teach these important quilaties to my children.

So my thoughts now are that I need a box curric that has everything planned out for me. So all I have to do is get up in the morning and open up  the kit and we can get down to business. I am hoping that by having this kind of program I will be able to learn how to do this myself. I'm hoping that I just need to learn the formula. I really like the Sonlight program and alot of the things that I've gathered on my own go great with Sonlight. But when I went to their website to find out how much it cost I started to cry. I cannot afford to buy it new.

So why am I telling you all this??? Partly because I'm feeling guilty, but also because maybe I can buy it used from someone instead of having to go into debt to buy the curric new!!! I'm looking for the Sonlight newcomer 1 or the Sonlight core 1&2 Kit. So PLEASE if anyone out there can help me please write me back. I would really appreciate it!!! Haben

Hi Haben,  

Please don't feel bad!  I think you have just taken too much on yourself at once.  Your first year of homeschoolong is difficult.  I think you have come up with a good way to combat the disorganization and lack of self control that you feel. 

I like to use Sonlight and I do think that after using it a couple of years that you can adapt it as you need to. I really only bought the complete package the first year.   I would check out E-bay for used sets.  You may be able to pick up used sets at other sites that offer used curriculum for sale too.  I would type it in on your search engine.  Or maybe others can help you with other sites.

We all have times in our homeschool when we really feel off track.  Just allow this as learning time for yourself too!  You sound like you have the excitement and will power and I am sure the Lord will provide the rest!!  Blessings, Carrie

I just noticed Sany's post below for a Yahoo group called Bookbase, which is for buying and selling used curriculum.  You may want to check it out.

Thank you so much for your sweet encouragement!!! And your right, it is alot to do all at once. But with encouragment and advise from people like you and lots of praying to Heavenly Father (the one who knows us best) I'm hoping I'll slowly figure things out. And who knows, maybe one day I'll be the one to impart some sage wisdom to a new homeschooling mom, and the circle can keep going. That's what it's about right? Learning and then sharing that knowledge with others. I've been so touched by all the responses I've received from other HSing moms. And even though this world seems so big at times, its nice to know that people still care about one another. Encouraged and Enlightened, Haben

Haben,

I have the Sonlight core 1 curriculum that I was going to list on ebay. I will pm you more info. Please feel free to pm any questions about it too.

Jill

Actually Sonlight will probably be perfect for you. What you really need is the instructors guides. Then you can piece together the books you need from there. A few things are conistant through all of the courses so you could invest in them, like the historical figures book. However most of the books you can find used.

Sonlight also has a form where people trade and sell curriculum but if you haven't ordered from them you have to pay a small fee to use it. It's worth it though if you find what you need.  I only ended up homeschooling one semester but I go back and look at the Sonlight curriculum in order to provide my kids with real awesome books for reading.

Once again Sonlight is perfect for a creative person like you. Secondly the important thing to remember is that homeschooling does not have to look like "regular school" to be successful. Some people do unit studies dive into what ever their kids are interested in and work all subjects around it.

Tammy

You can also make reading lists just from the Sonlight catalog.  :-)

It may be way too late for posting in this thread, and you probably already have it handled, but be encouraged that all of us homeschoolers feel that way - especially during that first year, but even in the middle of most every year after that! LOL  :D

I too, have a Core 1 for sale; it's listed on the HSLDA's curriculum market, which you can only buy from if you are a member of the HSLDA.  I really LOVE Sonlight, but we're too strapped for cash to continue to do it.  So we've switched to AmblesidOnline.  It's not as detailed and laid-out as Sonlight it, but the schedule and bookslists are completely free and most of the books can be found at the library, or are printable from the computer or can be found at places like PaperbackSwap ;-)

You and your husband both need to understand that this is a process that you will all grow in and get better at.  And don't try to be a public school in your house.  Remember that even public schools don't usually finish entire textbooks, public schools have recesses, lunch breaks, bathroom breaks, drinking fountain breaks, and have to go at the average speed of 30 students with different abilities.  You need to feel relaxed enough to go at the speed of your family and your child, so that they really learn and come to love learning; not just finish a list and check off all the boxes. :)

I think I've rambled enough.  I hope you're doing better now and that you are enjoying this special time with your child(ren).

~Jennifer