What is it, in your homeschooling, that causes you the most stress?

Christine

I'll have to really think about that one.

Meltdowns (my kids have Asperger's, ADHD), and when they won't listen or do the work. These two I can say stresses me out the most. Even though we have a plan for when they refuse to do school, it still freaks me out because it throws off the whole schedule I had planned.

This is a tough one. I think, after all these years, it isn't "school" that causes me stress so much as "life". What I mean is, I have an easier time dealing with school challenges, I think because I've learned that in the "big scheme of things" those aren't the things that really matter. It's the life issues that stress me the most. So I guess when life interferes with school, that's when I get the most stressed. Things like family illness (especially long-term), or my hubby's job stress, or extended family problems. When those kinds of things are going on in our lives, then life in general is more stressful, so school becomes more stressful. I think the reason for that, probably, is that there isn't a lot I can do about most of those things, so it makes it harder for me to deal with them.

Lori, how is your son? I remember you mentioning him once.
Please read my story.
Walking with the wounded
Blessings,
Christine

Christine,
I read your story and was blessed by it. Thank you for sharing, and for being "real".

I talked to my son last night. He's still struggling, but seems to be coming to grips with things. He still doesn't have a job, but his health has improved so that's a blessing. He's applied at two places, turned down by one and waiting to hear from the other one. He's planning to apply at more places this week, I think. He called last night to tell us he and his girlfriend made their flight reservations to come visit us in April. This has been planned for quite a while but with him losing his job we thought he might not be able to come. They'll be here for six days in April and we're all looking forward to the visit. Our upstairs will be turned into a "girls dormitory" (our 3 girls plus his girlfriend) and he'll be sleeping downstairs in our school room, but he's fine with that. We talked about his plans for the future, and what his options are. He hasn't ruled out the possibility of moving back here with us, and we're praying that's what he will do. He wants to go to college, but realizes now he can't afford to do that while living on his own, and he doesn't want to free-load off of friends for several years (which is what he's been doing for the past 11 months). He said he feels like he's wasted the past two years since he really hasn't gained anything since he graduated from high school. I told him he hasn't wasted it, he's learned a lot of important life lessons, and those are just as important as college, sometimes more. I assured him it is not too late, and he can still go to college and do whatever God has planned for him to do. He's still looking into options for staying in Florida (looking for student loans, etc) but I think he really just feels like he has to try out all possibilities before moving back here in order to not feel like he failed. God is working on him, I can see it. Please keep him in your prayers that he will follow God's will for his life. He's learning how hard that can be when God's will and his own desires do not line up, but I think he truly wants to do the right thing. He just seems determined to go about it the hard way!