That sounds hard.  It’s possible that there is a bigger issue—emotional or educational.  But could you try taking a subject (his toughest) and having Dad or big brother explain it to him?  I know that for one of my kids, my way of thinking just doesn’t jive with her way of thinking.  My explanations are like gibberish to her.  And she put up with it for a long time because she didn’t want to hurt my feelings!  But, oddly enough, Dad’s brain is a better match and his explanations and examples resonate with her.  Something to try….

I’ve found that the tween years are as emotional for boys as they are for girls.  They go through a stage of crying and drama just like the girls do.  If it has been going on a long time, maybe it is something different, but that sounds like my son at that age.  And he is also a very sensitive boy.

I don’t have any advice, but know that you are not alone. My 9 year old DS does the same thing. last night, he wrote a story for homework and there were just so many corrections, I suggested it might be easier to just recopy it from scratch on a new piece of paper, and the tears started. Same thing when we ask him to finish up his dinner, do a chore, etc. It isn’t a tantrum, he just cries quietly. It drives my DH nuts, and makes him angry. I too M looking to see what I can do to help him. Prayers for you as you do this too.

I wonder if it might also be that his tear reflexes are sensitive. Especially, if he is sensitive to positive emotions, too, like when you compliment him. It takes NOTHING to move me to tears either positive or negative. Yesterday I was less than 10 minutes late picking my son up from school (which really was not a big deal) and I was trying to blink away the tears as I got him. I think the teacher noticed, I must have looked really lame. Even happy things that aren’t particularly sentimental can get me choked up.  It has been a burden since I was a child—I can remember dissolving into tears even when I knew logically that my teacher was only teasing me, not criticizing me. And I’m female, how much worse would it be for a boy?

Can you talk to him about it (knowing that he will probably cry)? Is he really THAT upset or is it that his eyes start watering even though he’s only mildly upset. At 11, he should be able to tell you. Maybe you can work together on some ways to help him—deep breathing, maybe excusing himself and leaving the room for a moment. He may continue to struggle with this, but if both of you begin to view at as something that is both physical and emotional rather than just emotional, it might be helpful.

Just a thought.

We have 5 kids ages 2, 8, 9 11, and 12.  My husband rarely makes it home from work before 8:00 and also works weekends, so I can relate to your post.  Before the school year started I made copies that I would need for the first few months of school and keep them in files so that I have them when I need them without taking a lot of extra time.  I plan to restock my files during our Christmas break.  As far as daily lesson plans go I do them after school each day as we are cleaning up books.  Each of my kids has an assignment book I write them in.  I don’t like to plan weeks or months ahead because someone could get sick, we may need to take a day off to rake leaves for Grandma, I might decide the weather is so nice we need to take a nature field trip, etc., and then my plans would be messed up anyway.  I know a lot of moms don’t like this lack of planning and structure approach, but it works for us.

Kelly, this is my 9th year homeschooling.  I use a curriculum that tells you what to do each day of the week for each week of the school year.  It also tells you if you use a different text, how to divide that text up equally through the year (basically, divide the number of pages or lessons into the number of days or weeks).  Every SUMMER, I make an Excel spreadsheet for each grade and each week.  Now, since it is excel, I save the file, so I do not have to re-do them every year.  I usually only have to do my oldest child’s year.  I have one page for every week, Monday - Friday across the top, and down the left column are the subjects.  The assignment is in the box that matches the day.  I print them out, bind them at Staples, and refer to them all year long - the kids cross off the work as they do it.  If we get behind by a day or by some subject, we just flip back to those pages - it doesn’t bother me to flip between two or three pages for assignments, and I’ll use a highlighter if we’re really off track.  Since it’s not summer, my suggestion is that you spend an hour on the weekend making a plan for the coming week: one page for each child.  If you hand-write it, consider photocopying it so that you can keep it for the following year.  If some subjects are repetitive, like Math, you can consider just photocopying a template where you only have to go in and write the lesson number or whatever.  I have a girlfriend who takes one Saturday every other month and goes off to a coffee shop or the library and sits and writes out all her kids’ assignments for the coming 8 weeks.  I understand about the overworked husband and the busy schedule.  That’s why I do it all, in bits, during the summer.  But homeschooling is a JOB, and planning is part of that job.  If your husband can’t give you a good 6 hour window to work on planning every other month, then consider taking one week of school, and just having the kids do basic things that don’t require you: the next math lesson, a chapter in the history book, various worksheets, and you spend the time you are not teaching gearing up for the following weeks.

Thanks ladies!  I enjoy hearing about your experiences and I can see how some of those ideas could work in my situation.  Having a toddler and a baby has thrown me a little loop with my timing.  I used to manage a lot more planning when I could count on nap time.  But right now the two nappers haven’t coordinated their naps at the same time yet.  Also with more doing school (4- 5 if you count the preschooler) I’m kind of struck with how much more time it is taking me.  I am also not multitasking as well as I used to.  I’ve got tons of excuses . But I should really make the time.  Thanks again ladies