Jumping Ship on Curriculum and Planning!

These are GREAT tips on when you're starting to feel like "jumping ship" with a curriculum from Angela O'Dell who wrote Math Lessons for a Living Education (GREAT BOOK!) which you can buy at Queen Homeschool Supply.  I can't make a direct link to the book so you'll have to look at categories and then math lessons

I am one of the most distractible people alive. I have to pray for contentment and focus in everyday routine. I am, by nature, a "wing-it" kind of person. I have learned that I cannot do this in homeschooling. To combat this urge to throw everything out the window every six weeks and start something new, I have come up with a workable plan that keeps me reasonably on track. 

1) I recognize this tendency in myself, and I pray for wisdom and direction.

2) Before I make any curriculum decisions, I talk to my hubby, my children and mostly, to God. 

3) I set a flexible plan in place for the year.

4) I plan in a "diversion week" every 6 weeks or so. This might mean a week-

    long unit that has absolutely NOTHING to do with what we have been doing.

    Or it could be just a break where we read some cool books, bake a lot, 

     play games, focus on only the 3 Rs, or go visit friends more often. When 

     our week is over, I am ready to go back to the routine that we had going

     before. This helps my ADD issue, and it gives the kids something new, too.

5)When I am planning for the year, I very carefully weigh the cost of outside

    activities. Not just the money that it will take, but the time, energy and

    how much stress it will add, are all weighed carefully. 

6)When planning curriculum, I ask myself the question, "Am I going to be 

able to get at least 75% of this done in an average week? If not, some-thing has to go.

7)Leave time to relax! Take that time and RELAX! 

8)Give a resource at least 6 weeks before changing it. Talk to your child and

 husband and decide why it is not working. It could be something simple that can be easily remedied.