"But I can't ...

[sixcloar]

If I would be tied to a curr. then I would never get it all done. I have a plan I use, but I just go with the flow.

That's what I do. I have a plan...but am very flexible when opportunities come up to learn outside our regular stuff. My plan is basically what needs to be done, but not so much that it has to be done by a certain time/day.

[Lee]

I do use a curriculum and I try to follow it. I am a bit flexible but I still make sure we follow my plan. This now is my plan no one elses. When my kids were younger it was easier to be more flexible but now that they are in junior and senior high I try to stick more to a schedule. I guess that I understand where the lady is coming from. But that is the joy of homeschooling - to do what works for each of us and this works for us.

[bunnytracks]

I'm not sure I should even comment because I'm one of those moms. I'm kinda bummed reading this thinking that other moms think badly of me just because I make different choices than they do. I dont feel I am rigid at all or a slave to a schedule. IMO I would rather go to a corn maze in the evening enjoy all of the exhibits and learn while it is still like and then go through the maze in the dark with a flashlight. (I so miss AZ for that. no corn mazes in AK) Awesome at teaching mapping skills. Same with the Zoo and any Museum. If it can be seen on the weekend I will apt to do it then instead of taking a day off homeschooling durning the week. I know for our family we take all days that daddy has off no matter the day and so we already have quite a few breaks. to each their own.

[hmsclmommyto2]

I can't speak for anyone else, just for myself. I was NOT trying to insult anyone or trying to imply that I think badly of anyone who does things differently.
I was simply saying that I can't imagine that for MY FAMILY. If I finally got my family on a strict schedule, and something happened to throw off our schedule, it would be all but impossible to get them back on that schedule.
We have a plan for school. We have a schedule for certain things. However, our schedule & plans allow for a lot of freedom. They have to. Life happens. Someone gets sick. We have to take a day off for a funeral. DD has a meltdown and gets nothing done that day. Someone breaks into the garage and I get multiple calls from the police because they can't figure out how to file a report. All of these things interupt our day (and all of them have happened recently). If we had a strict schedule, I would always be playing catch-up & constantly stressed out.
As for doing field trips, here's my thoughts: 1) If it's a field trip I've planned, I will take time before the trip to cover info on what we'll be seeing or doing. This is especially true if it's a trip unrelated to something we've been studying, such as a limited time opportunity to see something the kids would really enjoy.
2) I would prefer to do trips to museums & zoos during the weekday. In the evenings & on weekends many places are very crowded. I perfer to go when there are less people there. That way, we can take our time, go at our own pace, and visit the exhibits we wish to see without having 60 people already there in front of us. Also, having 400 unruly, screaming kids running around a rather small, enclosed area is not my idea of a good time. I enjoy museums & zoos when they are less crowded. They're quieter, more fun, and we can truly enjoy ourselves.

These are just my views. I don't look down on or think badly of anyone who chooses to do things in a different way. This is what works for my family, and I know that it's not what works for everyone. There's nothing wrong with strict schedules & plans or field trips on evenings & weekends. That just isn't the way I want to do things. I can't imagine trying to keep my family on a strict schedule. It would never work for us. I wouldn't want the stress of constantly worrying about falling behind because we took a day off from our regular work. I have enough going on without adding undue stress to my life by trying to live in a way that doesn't work for us.

If anything I said gave anyone the impression that I'm against plans or schedules, I'm sorry. If anything I said gave the impression that I think those who have strict schedules are in some way wrong, I'm sorry. That was not my intent at all.

The freedom for each family to conduct their children's eductaion in the way that works best for them, instead of going by what someone else thinks we should be doing, is one of the greatest benefits of homeschooling.

[sixcloar]

I'm not sure I should even comment because I'm one of those moms. I'm kinda bummed reading this thinking that other moms think badly of me just because I make different choices than they do.

No... I don't think badly of anyone for being structured. We just school very differently, and I can't imagine that amount of structure working for my family! We can't do things like this in the evening, because we have activities every evening except Friday... and this event is a Homeschool event.