Help! My Child Knows More Than Me!!

Latin. My daughter and I ended up simply learning together, doing the same assignments and shoring up each others' weaknesses. It was more like we were college buddies taking the same class together.

When one of my boys insisted his answer was right, and I flipped out because it didn't match the answer key, I called Teaching Textbooks. I was surprised to hear the teacher's answer: If your son says it's right, mark it right, and don't give it another thought. He is the one in the thick of studying the subject--trust his judgment (or words to that effect). That was good and liberating advice! =)

The first yr was tough now into the 2nd yr.my 2 boys (Ages 12 & 14) seem to really have the hang of it and come to me with questions if needed. We use Saxon math, daily gram , Spanish and History for grade appropriate text.Some added subjects for my older son because he's in high school but I won't bore anyone w/ that. But for the most part my kids like to be on their own and they like their own space!!!
Love all your advice because I ? Myself all the time as the high school days roll ahead !! :?
Thanks,
Staci

Yes! Online courses helped me out. I am and my son is enjoying SOS from AOP. I am going to order Monarch for my youngest soon.

Our elementary age student is more knowledgeable than his parents. He thinks that because he knows more than us that he doesn't have to obey us. We have to keep showing him that he still lacks wisdom. Hopefully we will be able to get through this season before puberty hits.
As for curriculum, we mainly use video based or online courses so he can teach himself or be taught by someone who can keep up with him academically.

One curriculum company talks of learning gaps as though it's something that can be fixed. The fact is we all having learning gaps of some kind.

I filled in some of my gaps while teaching my children by learning along with them.

[...] agree with Lee’s thoughts. And I love the way that homeschooling encourages everyone to learn more. Love [...]

Thanks Rebecca! I appreciate your encouragement!
Blessings,
Lee

Lee,

I want to say that I appreciate all that I am learning through you.

I have a 15 year-old who is so computer savvy. He helps me out when I have had problems with my computer. He protects his computer with anti-virus software that he approves of. I am very proud of him. I don't mind that he knows more than me. Sometimes, people become experts at different subjects, and that is a good thing.

Rebecca

This happened long ago, and it took me a while to get used to the idea. Now when people ask me how I teach pre-calculus, etc., I answer that I don't - I just coach!

This happens a lot with topics that particularly interest my children, and especially as they get older. My oldest was frustrated with the park specialist who did not know we have water beetles here, and had no answers about the tiny frogs we have encountered. But our homeschool support person encouraged my son to keep attending and find answers and make contacts with local staff until he can make friends and connections with knowledgeable people in his field of interest.

We as parents may not have the answers; but we can encourage and direct their attention and focus until they get to the resources or people they need.

So True! I think a lot of parents don't homeschool simply because they know they don't know all that their kids need to learn so feel inadequate. If only they realized how normal it is... and that their kids know lots of things that their public school teachers don't know, too!

Hi Kimberely,
Here is an article that may help, called "Letting Go of Teaching."
http://heartofthematteronline.com/letting-go-of-teaching/
If you need more help, call me on Wednesdays during my office hours, OK? I'd love to talk with you! Here is information about my free office hours:
http://www.thehomescholar.com/free-homeschool-consulting.php
Blessings,
Lee

I believe I have made the mistake in some areas of "over teaching" and not letting my kids "self teach"....how do I remedy this? A couple of my kids may resist this change as their personalities like me to sit next to them and "motivate" them all day to get work done.

Rather than sad, I think it's exciting!

A couple of years ago, my daughter did Bridget Ardoin's excellent "High School Physical Science in Your Home", http://scienceforhighschool.com/physcisamples.shtml . It was a good course, but the last section on rocks and minerals was a piece of cake for my daughter who obsesses on the topic. (So does my dad, but it seems to have skipped my generation.) I decided to do something I haven't hardly ever done. I gave her a test on the material. I wandered around the house and found rocks and minerals scattered everywhere on the shelves and asked her to identify them.

The exchange went about like this:
Me: What is this?
Her: Aragonite.
Me (in a conspiratorial whisper): Is that what it is?
Her: Of course!

I gave her an A.

LOL! Carol, I love this!

“mankind doesn’t have the answer to that yet”

That's awesome!
Blessings,
Lee

Hi Nikki,
My son is now 16 1/2 and it has been years since we accepted that he was smarter than both his parents. I think it is important to model how to handle being wrong gracefully as well as reminding him that knowledge is not the same as wisdom and experience ~ we have all known people who may have much book knowledge but not a lot of perspective, love and laughter. I realize that my son knows much more than I do in many areas and that my 'answers' are often wrong but I am able to laugh at myself, direct him to find the answer, as Lee says, and also in some cases say "mankind doesn't have the answer to that yet".

Yep. The only times I allow my daughter to roll her eyes at me are when 1) I butcher the pronunciation of some French word, and 2) when I attempt to talk about anything that has to do with knitting or crocheting.