Here it’s the second week of homeschooling. Already I’m doubting I can do this without pulling out large amounts of hair after going completely gray.

I know I’ve complained about Edmund and his ways before, but he really is the bane of the household. I love him, I really do. He has eyes the color of a Hershey’s Kiss, an easy grin and can be quick to offer an affectionate hug. He’s a clever boy.

Having said all that, does it make me a bad mother to tell you he can be a nuisance and difficult to get along with? Poor Edmund. He’s the third wheel in Susan and Peter’s tight clique. The older two play so well together and I’m constantly telling them to stop ignoring their brother. Everyone is happy for a bit, until Edmund feels slighted, then he retaliates with toy throwing, screaming and other obnoxious behavior.

All of this spills over into my teaching time. Edmund dislikes being alone in his room, so he comes into the kitchen where I am with my student and, well, I think you get the idea. Someone ends up in tears and today it was me.

I’d have him spend more time with his younger sister, but I would have to watch him closely, and that is tough to do when homeschooling another child. (Speaking of Lucy, her latest trick is to climb onto the kitchen table. Plus she’s made it clear she doesn’t care for being told No. At least she still naps twice a day so there is relief for a while. )

I wish I had never stopped schooling this summer because getting back into the routine is hard. I don’t mind taking the time out of my day to sit with my school-aged children to instruct them on their lessons. I’d just like to do it without the disruptions.

I’ve tried having Edmund sit with us without success. The boy is too distractive.

I hate that I feel this way. I miss those days when Susan was only five and it was easy to accomplish a lesson without having to battle a boy. I hate that someone is going to read this and snicker, “Ah-ha! See, you need to put those children into school.”

But I’m a stubborn Irish gal with the red hair to prove it. I’m determined to overcome the pesky preschooler. Can I strap him to the chair and stuff his mouth with cotton? Eh, I’m only kidding.

Maybe.

So, today was our first day back to school. It went better than I expected. Everyone did as they were told without me having to repeat myself a dozen times. Lest you think they are perfect children, it was a half dozen times before they came to the table for seatwork. Progress.

I’m also trying a new strategy. One child at a time at the table with me working one-on-one. Before I did tag-team, with me bouncing back and forth between the two eldest at the table. I think that was very distracting, especially to the younger one. Today I worked with the 8-year-old first: math, and our new subject, writing. Susan is using Writing Strands, level 3, and the first lesson was on Following Directions. I thought it was a great way to start out the book. I also meant her to read a chapter aloud to me, but I forgot. Tomorrow.

Peter, 6, left off his Reading Made Easy book in July. Today I could see improvement in his attitude, not as frustrated, not mixing up the letters, b, d, f, h like he did back in the Spring. He’s come a long way. (Way to go, baby!) He’s so close to having that “ah-ha!” light come on in his head. Finally his maturity is catching up with his mental ability. Math is his favorite subject and he breezed through it today.

Next week we add in our afternoon schedule. I’ve never taught in the afternoon before, so I anticipate some resistence. Hopefully everyone – especially me – will get into the routine quickly. It’s hard to teach this old dog new tricks. I like to goof off in the hours after lunch, so it’s going to take some discipline. I’ll keep you blog-posted on my progress.