Rebeca Zavaleta

From: "moonwindstarsky" <moonwindstarsky@...>
Subject: I feel like a failure

I want to quit, but am too scared to, is this common?

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Quit what? Why? Sounds like you're not having any fun with your kids.
Perhaps you need an "adult only" break, or time for yourself that is not
child-centered. Are your children very young?

I only have 3 kids, and one is a toddler who is VERY active, very verbal,
and very curious and doesn't sleep very much. Some days I'm REALLY, REALLY
tired. When I get grouchy, at my wits end, then I know we HAVE to do
something fun, relaxing. A change of pace helps me a lot. Also, talking
with my older kids, (if I feel they are not helping out enough and if that
is adding to my stress)... asking them to be a bit more helpful because I'm
feeling kind of tired and grouchy. They are always so surprised that I have
bad days, too! They go out of their way to do something nice for me (set the
table without asking, extra hugs, etc...)

Everybody has bad days. Are you doing too much? Do you have a spouse who
backs you up in regards to unschooling? In the beginning, my husband was
not so sure that what we were doing was beneficial. As time went on, he
came around. Those early months were tough for me personally. I felt so
raw, so misunderstood.

Perhaps you should quit -- not unschooling, but rather rethink what you ARE
doing. Change how the day unfolds for yourself and enlist your family's
help.

Get out the baby books (or old photos, etc...) and "see" how things HAVE
changed, how your kids have grown, learned, etc... Sometimes I also lose
sight of the "big picture," and concentrate on the relentless, annoying,
small things that bug the heck out of me.

Rebeca