hello

It's been a while since I've been here. We've been very busy this summer.. this was sort of on purpose. I find that if I stay busy enough then I can keep depression at bay a little better. Still, in spite of the depression being mild at worst the past few months, I still lose time and can't recall things often. It's frustrating, but I just accept it and move on.

The school year has started again and, since I home school my kids, it is super stressful for me. I'm really hoping that I can manage ok this year.. This was our first week and I already have had 2 days that I had no time for anything but school work (because they moved so slow), one day that was rushed and hectic (our group had a zoo field trip), one day that I have myself off because my head was a mess, and now another crazy busy day where I have to get in some school work and cleaning and their music lessons. I feel like I'm cracking.

Yesterday I was down and totally out of it and locked myself in my room most of the day and today I'm goofy and nutty and calmer..

I quit therapy last spring. My T was not so great and it was just frustrating and expensive. I'm not sure when/if I'll get another.

so... anyway... hi.

suggestion - maybe checking in with other home schooling parents can help. I have many clients that have turned to homeschooling. by calling the school district you are in, they can give you a list of people who are homeschooling their children.

(in the USA parents have to register their children as "home schooling" and check in with the state and local school district on the requirements and state testing, and the states achievement tests and other elementary, jr high and high school standards for public and home schooling,that have been put in place when the "no child left behind" and school laws for the USA were put in place a few yrs back by the president of the USA was enacted. So all students school age now has to be accounted for either in public, private or homeschooling programs.)

Also you spoke of a "group" of you went on a fiend trip. talk with some of the groups parents that are also homeschooling. let them know when you are having a hard time and they can help pick up the slack.

homeschooling is kind of like a co op. parents have their own things they do with their kids and things the home schooled kids do with other home schooled kids for socialization and classes. home schooling parents help each other out. this one needs help with that, that one needs help with that kind of thing.

no matter which state my clients are relocating to we have had no problem setting up their home schooling and their connecting with other home schooling parents in case of sickness or other needs where the parent homeschooling needs a bit of help some days.

if any of your kids qualify fir IEP services the school district can also help you out by sending a teacher to you so many days a week if your child cant be managed in a standard public school setting..

your school district might be able to or can give you all kinds of other resources too that may be available to home schoolers that can help you.

Welcome back... OK... where did the waving smiley go?????

In Iowa we have great homeschooling programs. We are actually enrolled with the public school and have a teacher that visits us twice a month to help us keep on track and to administer standardized tests each year. The group we were with at the zoo was all the other families in that program. Thus far, other homeschooling moms have been little to no help to me - and our teacher can only do so much.. I still have to actually do the teaching and that still requires my kids' to sit down and work with me. anyway... it's complicated.

hello.