Does it get easier?

[SunnyDays]

DS just started 6th grade at private school after three years of homeschooling.  This is our third week of classes.  There are things he enjoys about it, along with a few points we're watching... a typical mixed bag.  :)

 

But the days are SOOOO long for him.  I know that's common when starting back and we're giving it some time.  But right now, and in the foreseeable future, we barely have the energy to get his homework done and handle all the logistics, let alone his normal extracurriculars or any meaningful afterschooling.  Tennis started yesterday, which he loves (just a 1-2 day a week thing, not a heavy schedule)... he begged to skip it and come home after school because he was just exhausted.  (I made him go anyway, big meanie that I am, and he ended up having fun, of course.)

 

I'm sympathetic to him... it's been a huge change for all of us, and I know how long those days can get, especially when he's not being challenged yet, or moving at his own pace like we did at home.  I just hate seeing him lose interest and energy for the fun things.

 

Did you have this problem with the transition?  How long before you got "used" to the long days and hectic schedule?  Any hope for me that eventually he'll want to not only go to sports practice but also maybe do some computer programming and read a book for fun?!?  :)

 

[SKL]

I may be the biggest meanie, because I push them forward to do their extracurriculars, after having a gap time to decompress.  (But not too much gap, lest they sneak off to bed.  ;) )  The exercise/distraction is an antidote for the stress fatigue, and it can even provide a "second wind" afterwards.  It also helps get the sleep regular, boosts stamina, and prevents questionable habits such as excess screen time from developing.

 

I think the time it takes to adjust will vary greatly among kids.  One of mine pretty much goes with the flow, while the other will exhibit signs of a stressful adjustment for months.

 

My philosophy may be the minority view.  It seems to work well for us.

[SunnyDays]

That's partly why I pushed him to go to tennis... I figured the activity and fresh air would do him some good!! 

 

I don't think this is solely physical for him... it factors in, since he's not used to being out of the house 8-10 hours per day!  But I think this is mostly still a mental/emotional adjustment.

[linders]

Exact same problem here. The DS14 and DS11 started private school, and I've been pleasantly surprised by the rigor of DS14's classes. But he is a competitive swimmer, loves swimming, and for the past 2 days has begged frantically to skip practice. I am hoping it gets better with time.

[Jennifer N.]

We limit our after school activities.  It's just too much running around for my kids.  My kids really need the downtime at home.  Time to decompress, read, play.  My oldest child in particular needs "alone" time.  He gets really cranky and wound up when he doesn't get it.  I do try to make sure they get outside time every day and fresh air but it is unstructured time which is what my kids need.

 

If you are not willing to limit after school activities, maybe you can try ensuring that your child gets quiet time in the later evening.  In my house, the younger ones go to bed at 8pm but the older two are allowed to stay up (one in his room, the other in the sitting room because he shares with a younger brother) til 9 or 9:30 reading books, listening to books on cd, etc.

 

I think I am in the minority here but if my child were asking me not to go to an activity, I'd seriously consider re-evaluating our schedule.  We don't do organized sports here yet but my older sons do Scouts and love to be involved in all the activities of the group. 

[SunnyDays]

We may be settling in after all. Yesterday and today were much better. Last night he cheerfully came home, had a snack and did homework, and then went to tennis. Today he ran errands with me and even carried all the groceries inside! And seemed his normal cheerful self.

 

Now *I* just need to settle in and not miss him so much every day! ☺ï¸

[SKL]

I was just thinking about how much better this week ended than last week.  :)

[LLMom]

I think it does take former homeschooled children time to get used to the long day, but they do!  Children adapt well.  It's the parents that tend to have a harder time, IMO.  

[readinmom]

Dd started 6th a few weeks ago.  It's definitely an adjustment, particularly hard in the mornings.  Like others said, I'm sure it will all fall into a routine soon.  She has always gone to bed early so that's not a problem.  The days are just long with no breaks in between.  

[Reefgazer]

I think most B+M students experience this; we did, every year.  I always had to plan to give it a month to get into the swing of things and new sleep habits, because we are extremely unstructured and late owls in the summer.  He'll likely be OK and adjust by October.

DS just started 6th grade at private school after three years of homeschooling.  This is our third week of classes.  There are things he enjoys about it, along with a few points we're watching... a typical mixed bag.  :)

 

But the days are SOOOO long for him.  I know that's common when starting back and we're giving it some time.  But right now, and in the foreseeable future, we barely have the energy to get his homework done and handle all the logistics, let alone his normal extracurriculars or any meaningful afterschooling.  Tennis started yesterday, which he loves (just a 1-2 day a week thing, not a heavy schedule)... he begged to skip it and come home after school because he was just exhausted.  (I made him go anyway, big meanie that I am, and he ended up having fun, of course.)

 

I'm sympathetic to him... it's been a huge change for all of us, and I know how long those days can get, especially when he's not being challenged yet, or moving at his own pace like we did at home.  I just hate seeing him lose interest and energy for the fun things.

 

Did you have this problem with the transition?  How long before you got "used" to the long days and hectic schedule?  Any hope for me that eventually he'll want to not only go to sports practice but also maybe do some computer programming and read a book for fun?!?  :)

 

[Beth in SW WA]

Dd11 is exhausted after long school days (9AM - 4PM) so we're taking a break from tennis until I see she can handle this new schedule and 2-3 hours of homework/night.  I'm encouraging her to drink lots of water during the day, eat a healthy lunch, get 10 hours of sleep per night. Thankfully she loves her new teachers and classes and is eager to dive in to homework thus far.

[mathnerd]

In our home, the first month back to school is always chaotic and stress filled. Because, DS has his plate full already with his after school enrichment activities and adding in a new school schedule along with new homework requirements and test review screws up all our well laid plans. In addition, there is the stress of adjusting to new classmates, teachers etc. DS is always spaced out by the end of the day during the first 2-3 weeks that we go easy on the extracurriculars (attending the minimum number of classes required etc). I also sit with him in the evenings in the first 2 weeks to go over his school folders and homework file to train him into the routine. I make sure that he gets 9 hours of sleep and drinks a lot of water.

 

We have seen that by October, DS usually bounces back and we can handle the new routines comfortably. This year, he loves his teachers and his new set of classmates (bullying issues in the last year) that the stress of classroom adjustment is zero. We are after schooling math lightly using a whiteboard and introducing fun concepts, but will pick up our books when things get comfortable.