Unschooling

Normally, the urge to switch totally to unschooling doesn't hit me till about February. Therefore, I take it as a very, very bad sign that its only the 3rd of November and both Sweetling and I have lost almost all interest in pursuing our usual curriculum.

So, why don't I just give up and switch? Or, better yet, why don't I just forget about the percentages of progress that we make through the curriculum, and just enjoy schooling again? After all, there was a reason I wanted this curriculum in the first place. Reasons, even.

First, Sweetling is a bright little girl, and the advanced curriculum does her justice.
Second, Mommy is a free-spirit, and having a curriculum helps Mommy stay focused instead of playing on the computer all day while Sweetling is neglected.

Really, the things that I don't like about the program, are the same things year after year. I don't like their composition books. It takes all the JOY out of writing. I don't like feeling 'behind' in the percentage completions. That takes all the joy out of schooling.

So, what I really need to do is focus on the parts that are working for us, and make sure we do those parts. Nevermind the parts that aren't working. Just scratch them and do something else instead.

Good. I'm glad we had this conversation.

edit to add:
Since I've started my brainstorming here, and I need a piece of scratch paper to make my new school list, I may as well continue on here. I'm scrapping the schedule. The schedule came into play because a) i needed it when schooling multiple people and b) Sweetling likes schedules. But our schedule is too rigid. Instead, we're switching to a more flexible schedule...

8:30 start with devotions and snack.
~9:00Pick any subject to proceed to. Continue with chosing and learning till 11.
11:00 Take a 15 minute break, then
11:15 Spanish.
11:30-12:15 Choose a subject
12:15 Handwriting
12:30-1:30 Have lunch and recess.
1:30-3:00 Back to studies.
3:00-3:30 Break
3:30-4:00 Assignment Book
4:00 Cyberchase
4:30 Finish any other assignments if needed.

And yes, thats a much looser schedule than what we had been trying to do. (Of course, on Wednesdays, we don't kick into school till 11:30 or later, cause of WOW.)

Now, should I say math should be done each day? or just say that we should be getting 5 math lessons done each week?

Weekly list (just to see what it would look like):
5 math (5 hr)
5 lit (5 hr)
2 vocab (40 min)
2 GUM (40 min)
2 Writing -we'll develop our own 'units' and activities (2 hr)
5 Spelling (?1 hr 40 min)
3 History (2 hr)
2 Art (1 -1/2 hr)
3 Science (3 hr)
3 Music (1 -1/2 hr)

I rather like that. I'm throwing in some estimations for time to see how that looks. That'd be a total of (calculators need to have an add hour function).... I think that's about 23 hours. That's a full week of school. I think we're at least going to try the new format.