I posted a month or so ago in response to someone else about what a great idea it had been when I cut my expectations for number of pages/lessons completed for phonics. How we were so much happier and the day went so much smoother and ds seemed to actually enjoy school most of the time....

Well, fast forward a couple of weeks, we finished our primer reader and started the first grade reader... complete with 2-3 pages of reading workbook per day. I started noticing my stress level rising and the old rebellious/stubborn/lazy streak recurring in ds.

So yesterday I counted the stories left in this first semester grade one reader. If we read 2 stories a week, we will finish it by the end of April! If we continue reading a story every single day, we will be reading 2nd grade stuff by fall. Not that it would be a problem for ds, he reads very well. But why am I pushing him in the workbook and stressing us both out for no reason? So I have decided we will read two stories a week, filling in with reading library books on the off days. Our workbook load will be cut in half! I will actually have time for all the fun activities and "bunny trails" I have been skipping.

If you are reading this thinking, what a dope! How ding-y can you get!? I don't blame you a bit. I am totally kicking myself. I thought I would share because sometimes I will read something like this from someone else and it will cause a lightbulb to go on for me. Hope my experience and goofiness helps someone else.

I don't think you're a dope at all. I too have "cyclical" kind of thought patterns, when I'll find myself "relearning" the same lesson I had thought I had figured out ... and often, it's the very same lesson you just described: less *is* more ;)

Glad you're in a better place now :)

I can relate. I've cut back on my 4 year old's school work this week. She was zooming through the easy stuff, and I thought she could handle doing the same amount of challenging work. This is almost the exact same thing I did with my first dd, which basically forced me to have to unschool her for 4 years to undo the damage I did. At least I've caught myself earlier this time LOL.
I am pushing the older kids pretty hard right now though. I really want to have as much done of the next grade as possible before July. I want to be able to take a long break when the baby comes and not have to worry about it. So, I'm giving myself permission to push the 2 older and relax with the younger.

Congratulations on relearning your previous lesson. Sometimes I think we're like kids and get those "Oh yeah! I remember now!" moments.