fullmoonfarm_mn

Hi-- I know this is going to be long so here's your warning in
advance !! :)

I have been homeschooling my kids since my older daughter was 5, and
she is now 11, her sister is 9 (almost 10--eegads!where does the time
go) I always felt I was an unschooler, read the lists, etc. Our
curriculum was life, but I always had Curriculum on hand to help spur
their interests if they wanted to do something in there. We used Oak
Meadow, Little HOuse on the Prairie, and the Well-trained mind, too.
We are using WTM, right now, because my older daughter wants to be a
vet and wants to be fully ready to go full-speed ahead when she is
old enough for college (her goal is 16-through minnesota's post-
secondary education option program). She does not want to have to
study too hard for her generals and wants to go straight into college
math. My other daughter loves doing crafts and art and creating
stuffed animals.

My problem lies in this-- I am not a stay-at-home mom. I work 20
hours a week at the local hospital and am in college full-time to get
my nursing degree (because I do not want to put off my goals for
myself any longer, and we need the money). Last year, we had an
exchange student from Korea living with us, and because she had to go
to public school, my girls tried it. They did not want to continue
this year. So, now that we are homeschooling again, I have been
struggling to revive my unschooling tendencies which I seem to have
lost somehow in the past year, and wondering if I EVER was an
unschooler. I have a deep-seated paranoia that I am not challenging
them enough, that I cannot provide enough experiences for them to be
stimulated by the life surrounding them. My days off (one weekend
every other week) are filled with household duties and schoolwork.
Right now, I am cooking enough for a couple days of lunches and
baking bread while doing laundry. I feel I have to account for their
every moment of the day and whether or not they learned ANYTHING
other than that the goats have worms again and it is time to trim the
hooves. (That was Wednesday).

I understand that unschooling is about trust, and no punishments, I
accept these whole-heartedly... I just worry that I am going to fail
my girls in that I will not have given them what they need to achieve
at the rate and level they want! My girls are so headstrong. I
admire them so much in their convictions - they are both staunch
vegetarians. Cait for the last 4 years has not touched anything
animal, Clio has only minor setbacks. I try really hard to just let
go of my fears and trust that they will get what they need somehow,
but lately I'm really struggling. I don't have much time to steer
them anymore - like, right now they are out in the fields with a
friend gathering wild blackberries and I feel like I should be out
there with them, pointing out the plantsand their names and uses...
helping them identify animal tracks... looking at clouds and talking
about weather!!!!!

Anyway, this is where I am right now, and why I have subsribed to
this list. I look forward to reading and trying any advice that
comes my way!

TIA-Dawn