We’ve started a new routine at One Room of being more independent in the mornings. It was either that or the straight (strait?) jacket. Joe was getting his work done. But the amount of effort I was putting in was killing me. I just decided that from now on every evening he gets his assignment list of must- dos. Grammar, Math, etc. Then he is responsible for getting himself up, dressed and ready and completing his list by the time I get home from class (Dad has the 10-1 shift). Then we can go over stuff, make corrections, do projects whatever. He also has some acceptable things to be working on while I am gone. So far so good. No additional hair loss on my part, no feet dragging on his. Thank the holy heavens. 
What I didn’t realize is how hard it would be to pursue a degree in education while homeschooling. Not that anyone is judgemental, mainly just misinformed (surprise). The hard part is I keep having this reoccurring waking nightmare that he is missing out on something. Every great new classroom activity or idea brings with it a wave of guilt. Now I may or may not teach with my degree. I am interested in education and the improvement of it in this country. Like it or not, a lot of our future leaders are in public school today (hopefully they are not all in private institutions). I guess I am a little socialist at heart and want the common good for every child. Not everyone has the privilege of homeschooling. It is also heartbreaking to learn of the real consequences of poverty in the public schools. It tears me apart to see children go to school in buildings that are operating under building code waivers while 50 miles away another group of kids enjoy exciting state of the art equipment.
But I digress. I have to purposefully recite every day the reasons I home-school. To teach him to think. To teach him responsibility. To teach him diversity. To teach him history. To escape the stringent schedules and rules. To keep our family close, a place of refuge. To show him that he is a citizen of the world, not just such and such school. I have to remind myself that those things are more important than any cool new teaching method coming down the pike.
It saddens me to hear about these inequities in the school system. Maybe the purveyors of “No Child Left Behind” should forget about all their tests and statistics and start addressing things like this.
I am glad you are pursuing your own academic goals and your son is taking on more independent responsibility in the process. It sounds like a very healthy thing for everybody.
I think all home schooling moms … heck ALL parents, whether they home school or not … must have waking nightmares that they’re not doing enough for their kids. It’s only natrual. It sounds like you all are doing beautifully to me.
Thank you for always making me feel good! ~ Siouxjoe Steph