Do we get rid of the curriculum?

Tytus has his kitty, Misty, help with his Math homework. Teaching Textbooks is #SheriApproved

I found myself  falling into the same ol' home school trap -

I bought this curriculum and spent good money on it.  We are going to do it and do it all!

Now, I know we all have "those books" on our shelves that we bought at the curriculum fair with good intentions of using it and completing it, but the reality of an already filled day brought us to the conclusion we just don't have time.  Or, maybe the curriculum is more tedious than what we like.  Possibly our child struggles with the book. 

This particular curriculum is excellent; truly worth the money spent.  I don't regret purchasing it but I think I am trying to complete it during the wrong time in our life.

I will put it on the shelf in the hopes of taking it off the shelf someday when we have more time, more attention, and more energy.

If this same problem happens with a curriculum I do not want to do in the future I just sell it.  I can get at least 75% of my money back.  Yes, that is a loss of 25% but there would be an even greater loss if I plow ahead like a bulldozer and make my children finish this book at all costs - whether they like it or not - whether they learn from it or not - whether it stresses me out to no end or not!

This can become a teachable moment. Consider this moral lesson:

"Kids, we've been working on this book for a while now and I don't think it is a fit for us. It has some great things in it, but it is not something we are going to continue.  Sometimes we start things and life and have to stop them. It doesn't make us a quitter, it makes us responsible.  Finishing this book is not what is best for us so it is OK to say I made a mistake and now I'm going to stop doing it. There are times in life we choose the wrong path and we need to make a change and get back on the right path. So, even though this book looks good, it is not the right path for us."

It is not being a quitter and our kids need to learn the difference between changing direction and quitting. Help them learn.