I am newer here and I know that others are as well. I want to know some of your HS secrets. Things you can share with us that will help make our days go smoother and our kids smarter. *I try to get up early and spend time with God. Than I can get started earlier with HS. Before the 3 year and 1 year old wake up and make life hard. If I do do this it is so much easier. *I also try to give lots of little breaks or recesses ~ so that the babies don't feel so left out of the loop with the older kids. *I offer some kind of treat that the kids can get each Friday if they have good behavior and attitudes as well as HS with a whole heart during the week. *I have a whole closet dedicated to just HS supplies. I organized it with baskets and magazine boxes. *I have a small church table and chairs set up in my dining room/living area for them to do school at. I find it easier having them in seeing distance from my kitchen. When I am getting lunch and breakfast ready I can keep them in line and focused. *I try to have something for my 3 year old to do. Like stamps or something for part of the school with the older kids. Basically to keep him quiet and content for a few seconds.
MOMMY TIME!!! (You know, I've said this SO MANY times that I think I should keep it in a file and just paste it in when it needs to be said again, lol!) I am a firm believer in Mommy Time. My chldren ALWAYS took afternoon naps. When it got to the place where they were no longer sleeping, they still had to go to their room. They had to take a half-hour "rest" on their bed. They were permitted to look at books, or listen to stories on tape, during this time. THEY WERE NOT PERMITTED TO COME OUT UNTIL THE TIMER WENT OFF (unless they actually saw flames, lol!) Once or twice, I told them that if they bothered Mommy again before the timer went off, I would set it for another 5 minutes when it went off!!! Believe me, they train quicly to stay in thier room with their books. (One exception was when Faythe came running downstairs all excited at age 6, to tell me "I KNOW WHAT THESE WORDS SAY!!!" It was her Ah-Hah! moment in reading!) ANYWAY, that is my Mommy Time. There is NO SCHOOLWORK OR HOUSEWORK allowed during this time! Have a cup of tea, do personal devotions, read a good book, visit with us, gab with a friend on the phone. Whatever works for you.
YES, YES, YES, to what Jackie said... and relax is a key, remember some days will not go well, but don't base it on that, we all will have good and bad days. Just when the day is going bad, throw in the towel go for a walk or read a book together. Take a deep breathe and things will get better.
I'll also agree with the mommy time. It's necessary!! I always try to get up about a half hour before my boys so I can have a bit of coffee or tea and relax before we start the day. Then I check in here after they are awake and eating breakfast. Then in the afternoon I get one hour of Mommy time the boys must go to their rooms and quietly read in bed or they may write in their notebooks or something as long as it's a QUIET activity for one hour (generally they fall asleep after about 15 minutes and then I just let them sleep until they are ready to get up). This is my time and they know it. Besides they like reading in their beds. One other thing that I've learned that makes my life better is this - If I am getting too stressed out trying to make some lesson or activity happen it's not worth it leave it alone for another day!
Well your way ahead of the game. I dont have an entire closet dedicated to homeschool stuff. What a great idea! I'd love to do that but I'm entirely too unorganized to get my act together.. whats in your closet? Maybe a list is in order! I say relax... this is a marathon and not a sprint. Buy a good curriculum and dont worry about your kids "missing something" the neighbor kids are learning this week in school. Chances are your kids way ahead of the school district teaches anyways. I was so caught up in what the neighborhood kids were learning, I was so panicky that entire 1st year. Come to find out my son is now an entire school year ahead now. So this year we are slowing WAAAY back and trying out some new things since I feel like we have some leeway to work with now. This may be our best year yet, and it's probably because I am now comfortable in my new homeschooling skin lol. I am confident I can teach my kids what they need to learn... and shocker of all shockers school doesnt have to take all day to be good. We can finish in no time if my kids are all focusing. We are 2 years into homeschooling. I am still very much a newbie but with Homeschool Forums there to hold your hand through the initial process of getting started, I think the newbie stage is much shorter these days. I'm already feeling like an old pro lol.
My kids can't go in their rooms. Bummer. By the time I rest the LOs are in the rooms sleeping. I do let them watch a show. Word world usually. It is in this time that I rest. My closet took me 3 years to finish. I lack the time to be real organized. But now it is done and is awesome. Keep the tips coming. I think we have covered the mommy time thing though. lol
Don't overdo it. What are your reasons for homeschooling? Make a list of priorities, and start with the most important things first. Just this week a mom in our homeschooling cub scout den, who has only been homeschooling since her kids finished the ps year in May, has burned out and will be returning her kids to the ps. Now, she is almost completely blind and is in the process of adopting a special needs child, and so I can see where it would be totally easy for her to get overwhelmed, but I really feel like this mom tried to do it ALL at once and didn't ease into the lifestyle of homeschooling. That's just it - homeschooling is a lifestyle. If you are getting stressed, if you are becoming overwhelmed, back off. Pick something, and drop it. Maybe it's a subject or two, maybe it's an extra-curricular activity or four. Seriously. You *can* do this. Find YOUR groove and what works for YOUR family before latching onto every opportunity that is available. Yes, realize that there are plenty of opportunities and that your kids will not lack - but please choose them wisely, and don't overwhelm your self (or your kids). I guess it all goes to not worrying about exactly what the ps is doing. You really, really don't have to find an out-of-house activity to supplement EVERY subject you do. Please don't try. One thing at a time!! Then add as your schedule and sanity allow, and as your children have interest or you have desires for your children to be involved with certain things. It's not a race. Really.
I agree with what the previous ladies said, these are very important points! In an effort to not mention what was already said I'll bring up another point: Dont' be afraid to tell your kids "I don't know", You won't know everything and don't expect yourself to! But don't forget to follow up with the response "Let's find out."
I agree wwith what Autumn just said, its okay to realise you need to know more to teach something. I found that some things in higher maths were harder to teach and the internet is a great source of Teacher helps! If you don't know how to explain it in a way that they will learn and understand the work, ask your spouse or a good friend to reinterate it. Often times you will find the person you thought was 'smarter than you' says the exact same words and they somehow 'get it' but that is okay too!
Realize you don't need to be perfect! And you don't need to "keep up with the Jones's" it's not important - your kids are. So many kids go through school with the whole "no kid left behind" thing and don't understand a dang thing. Another topic....another time (I can go off on that one) Don't over-schedule yourself and the kids. In someways I feel like I am doing that but at the same time - I want them in the activities they are in and it's our first year doing extras. Not just Mommy Time in the house - but try and get out once in awhile. I am taking RCIA classes and they are a blessing because of the time I get to take and it stimulates MY MIND on something OTHER than Algebra
I would say, if something's not working, don't feel like you've failed (or messed up your kids) - change it and move on.
The most important thing I have learned is that I can't expect Ems to learn the way I want her to learn. I have to teach her in a fashion that works for her. I think this is one of the biggest mistakes we can make as homeschool parents. Then we wonder why our children are getting frustrated. Granted, there are exceptions. I am also all for Mom Time!!!! Making a list of priorities was a great idea! Some things are more important than others. We bought a wardrobe armoire and we keep all our school supplies and my crafts in it. It is a lot bigger than I thought it would be and it has really helped keep everything manageable.
I am all for being organized. We have an office, with the desktop. but except for that it just doesn't seem to work well. (it is a little small, as it is also the pantry...there is a great long desk along one wall, but we just pile stuff up. I have my laptop on the sewing table in the guestroom. ds likes to do his computer lessons there on the bed. (everything but typing) We just got my MIL's rolltop desk wich is now in the boys room...so I think I will move the crayons and paper drawers from the dining room hutch into that. But nobody actually works in there?! (maybe I should move the extra china instead...ha ha) In my "dream house" I will have a school wall in the dininingroom/library. you know a real library with easy chairs and shelves to the ceiling and a rolling ladder. The large table can be cleaned off for formal dinners, which we have exactly twice a year. sigh. (even if I am not hs, I will have this library someday!) We read books in bed. I have been known to fall asleep while ds is reading. I am very casual about this hs thing. I just want to explore how ds learns, and where he is at. We do minimum a math lesson 5 days a week. and lots of reading, but other than that...I am pretty flexible. Yesterday he missed school because over the weekend he had an opportunity to go to Phoenix to visit grandma and the cousins...too good to pass up. We did light days on the two days that the gradeschool was off for P/T conf. (ds8 was home) and the two days the middle school was off. (we were sitting for a friend whose mom works) so I guess that equals two full days.
Pray reserch plan BUT be flexable only use pencil in you daytimer plan meals and chores & get the kids involved where they can throw in a just for fun activity once in a while have a bed time for both you and the kids eat breakfast every day spend some time outside each day destress (bubblebath if something doesn't work for your family rework it or chuck it and move on. when you have a bad day... count to 10, or breath deep, or go for a field trip (walk) It's always an adventure !
I would say work with your kid a month or two using freebie stuff from the internet prior to spending a dime! I say this because it's important to learn their style and then figure out how to tailor curriculum to their individual needs. Relax. Enjoy your kids. Learning happens even when the schoolbooks aren't open. Treat LIFE as a learning experience for everything! And take the time to answer the "why" questions by looking up the answers with them on the internet, in a book, etc. They remember the thing they learned AND that you were there for them to help them. Don't be ashamed to scrap something that's not working just b/c it looks good on paper (took me 5 years to learn this one! Any one want 4th Grade Lifepac Bible???). Take time to enjoy the little things.
