Ladies, I need some motivation. I am so tired.

[Mynyel]

I started working outside the home in the beginning of June. We need it. As it stands we barely break even every month with both dh and I working.

 

I don't mind my job, but I do miss being home :)

 

My schedule is sporadic, it isn't set and changes every week and my days off aren't always the same either. This makes it a little hard. It also makes me always tired. For instance I have to work 1pm to 10pm next Wednesday and then I have to be back at 7am the next day. I *will* be tired.

 

I feel as if I am failing. I use TOG and neither of my kids have done it in the last week because I never made it to the library to get the books. Dd can pretty much do everything on her own with little help from me so she is keeping up. It is ds10 I am worried about. He hasn't been doing TOG (which covers History, Geo, Vocab and a couple other things), Science or Latin. The only subjects he can really do independently is Math (he needs some help but usually very little) and Logic. I have to do *everything* else with him. Which I don't mind, it is just finding the time when I have to work 10am to 7pm. I have to leave at 9:30 and I have to start getting ready at least by 8:45am. Ds doesn't even wake up until after 9am.

 

When I am home I feel like a task master. I am always after them to get things done. Then I have to go grocery shopping which takes almost half a day around here. I have bills to pay. Cooking to do (and I try to cook extra for the evenings I am working). I don't even get to shower every day.

 

I have tried schedules at my house. They Do. Not. Work. I have driven myself into a tizzy trying to get schedules to work and it never has. However I need one but I just don't know how to get it started. I feel to overwhelmed. I do not want to have to send the kids to school here. They schools are terrible.

 

Does anyone have any pointers? How can I keep from being so tired. More sleep isn't an answer as I already try to get as much as I can. How much responsibility is too much for a 14yo and a 10yo?

 

If you read all of this thanks :) I hate to whine (because I do feel I am) but I am just so tired I don't even know what to do.

[mo2]

My husband and I both work full time and have 3 kids, my oldest being 10. It is exhausting. I am in a rush right now but I will be back later to post some ideas. Hang in there!

[fairfarmhand]

I'd probably switch to an open and go curriculum. TOG is great, but if your kids can't get to the work for all of the above listed reasons, you may have to settle for a second choice.

 

I think that once your kids have a checklist of items to complete. (and it can be the same list each day. Do the next math lesson, do the next science lesson, etc.) it may work out better.

 

Dump the idea of a schedule and move to lists. Kids, you must do a, b, and c before lunch. After lunch, you must do x, y, and z before you watch TV. When that is over I need you to complete 3 chores from the list on the marker board. I think that with a weird work schedule this will work better than a daily home schedule.

 

I'd hand the responsibility for their laundry over to the kids. (my 10 and 14 yo's do their own laundry, but it took a couple weeks to teach them the process) They'd also have "dish days" where one or the other was responsible for dishes.

 

You also need to prioritize rest for yourself.

 

You, your kids and your dh need to sit down and reevaluate everything. Write it ALL down, including dishes, laundry, mowing the grass....etc. and figure out who is going to do what and figure out how it will work best.

 

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: