OK - I'm intrigued by the idea of no one being "up" until 8am...

[Rhondabee]

I have tried since we started hs'ing to "beat the bus" that comes by our house at 7:03 am every morning. At least to have everyone out of bed and waking up on the sofa, sipping juice or coffee or whatever. And, frankly, I am tired of being the "get up and go-er" of my family! The *idea* of me saying, "Stay in your room until 8, or else!" is *so* foreign to me. My kids would definitely think someone had stolen their mother - LOL! But, when I think of it, I feel a strange sense of .... joy!?

 

So, please!, talk to me more about this whole mind-set. I'm guessing it must tie into setting aside a certain number of minutes per subject? I think I need a better picture or an outline of what an entire day with that mindset would look like. Something I can read to my DH and my DS's and say, "Can we make this a reality in our home?"

 

And, a big, BIG "Thank you!" to everyone who has been sharing their thoughts and their plans since attending the conference!

[Amber in AUS]

Personally I think it is good for your health to wake up when your body wants to and not when the clock says so. My kids are little and in bed early 6.30pm and sometimes they will sleep as late as 8am, they normally wake around 6.30 - 7am. We just go with the flow. So long as they get the sleep they need they will function well during the day. I only wake them in the morning if we HAVE to be somewhere. I think i will continue this when they are older so long as their sleeping hours remain somewhat normal. I wouldn't support staying up really late and sleeping in really late.

[momofkhm]

I don't get anyone up. They get up when they want. DS is usually up and eaten breakfast by 6:30. For the girls, up by 7 would be early. I usually see them by 8 though.

[MamaT]

My 9yo and 10yo are usually up by 7:30. I have to get my 12yo and 15yo up, and I usually do that about 8:15. As long as we start school by 9:00 or so, I'm fine with that. If I let my 12yo and 15yo sleep until they got up, I would see them about noon. Just can't do that.:001_smile:

[Night Elf]

I homeschool because I don't want to be tied to the public school mindset. One of the great things about homeschooling is that my children do not have to wake up at an early time. Gosh, our day would just drag on and on because we would all be tired. My children can't learn if they have foggy brains. :)

[Aubrey]

Oh my goodness. Left to his own devices, my 8yo would get up at 4AM! And he'd wake his sleep-loving sis up so he wouldn't be lonely.

 

Right now, I think it's about 6, but 8yo plays w/ the littles, feeds them 1st breakfast (lol), & so...while I care a little, I haven't done anything about it since the move.

 

Before the move, it had gotten bad enough that we put a digital clock in their room. NO. getting. out. of. bed. before. 7. Because the others (esp 2yo) can just SENSE a waked-up body. But they seem to be 2 peas in a pod (the 8yo & 2yo), so they're pretty happy getting up early & sharing some food.

 

Waking up at this time is natural for ds8, but he doesn't function well, if that makes sense. He's much crankier than when I can get him to stay in bed (he'd also stay up late if I'd let him), so in our case, I should probably think about putting that clock back in there.

[The Girls' Mom]

So, please!, talk to me more about this whole mind-set. I'm guessing it must tie into setting aside a certain number of minutes per subject? I think I need a better picture or an outline of what an entire day with that mindset would look like. Something I can read to my DH and my DS's and say, "Can we make this a reality in our home?"

 

And, a big, BIG "Thank you!" to everyone who has been sharing their thoughts and their plans since attending the conference!

 

Do you have to be done by a certain time? If so, I could see that getting up later would be an issue without some heavy scheduling. Otherwise, I don't see where it would make a difference if your kids started the day an hour later.

 

We don't usually start school until 8:30 or 9. My younger two are usually awake by 8, and I drag my oldest out of bed by 8 or 8:30. It's one of the best perks of HS, in my kids opinion. They had to be awake at 6AM when they went to PS, so they love "missing the bus" :lol:

[Remudamom]

Your two oldest should be getting themselves up. Get a couple of alarm clocks, and let the baby sleep.

[Laura R (FL)]

So should I be concerned that it's 9am and both of teens are alseep? :D

 

I'm rather enjoying myself and I don't want to wake them up! Most of their school is done for the year and they only have about an hour of school for the day anyway.

[1bassoon]

And I guess my question is: if no one comes out of their room until 8 a.m., and then you have 2 hours after lunch of rest time -

 

Um -

 

 

How do you ACTUALLY get school done?

 

We're just struggling with that here - maybe b/c of my # of kids, or the age spread, but it's 8:10 as I type, I'm about to make a quick breakfast, and I'm wondering how we're going to get finished with a trip to the library/piano lessons in the middle of the the day. . . . . . .

 

Anyone do this and want to elaborate? Please?

[Kelli in TN]

It's 8:06 in my neck of the woods and I am upstairs with my coffee and my bagel and my scholars are all in bed. I will wake them when I finish this coffee.

 

I have no need to beat the bus. I crave this little bit of quiet before the day starts. I think if my husband left earlier for work I would probably get them up earlier. I need about 30 minutes in between his departure and the start of my day just to clear my head.

[The Girls' Mom]

And I guess my question is: if no one comes out of their room until 8 a.m., and then you have 2 hours after lunch of rest time -

 

Um -

 

 

How do you ACTUALLY get school done?

 

We're just struggling with that here - maybe b/c of my # of kids, or the age spread, but it's 8:10 as I type, I'm about to make a quick breakfast, and I'm wondering how we're going to get finished with a trip to the library/piano lessons in the middle of the the day. . . . . . .

 

Anyone do this and want to elaborate? Please?

 

I guess my question would be...why 2 hours of rest time after lunch? I'm looking at the ages of your kids, and with the exception of the 4 yr old, I don't see the need for a mid-day seista?

[danybug]

My two wake up when ready. Today that was 8. Their wake up can be from 7:15 to 8:30. I let them wake up on their own, otherwise it is a struggle and then I think it sets a bad precedence for the day. I feel like if their bodies need more sleep that is what is healthiest for them.

 

Now when they are teens, I am sure this is all going to be a different story:tongue_smilie:

[pooh bear]

My ds quite often is up at 8am, then he plays on his PS3 for an hour. He then comes and wakes me up at 9am.

 

We have breakfast, do some house work and start lessons about 10 ish.

 

Lunch is at 12, when we watch something educational from Netflix. Then after lunch, we finish up what needs to be done.

 

Very relaxed around.

[Tess in the Burbs]

well, my kids get up earlier than I do. Their noise usually wakes me up. They are to play quietly in their room until mom/dad get up. We are usually awake about 30 minutes after the kiddos. They wake when they wake. Some days it's 6am. Some days it 8am. So our days are flexible unless an early morning Dr appt is scheduled. Mine enjoy the chance to play first thing in the morning before school, so it works for us. Dh can get to work by 9am even on our late days.

[Carrie12345]

I'd love to have everyone sleeping until at least 8! If we had a larger house, maybe it would be possible. Once a human is up (which is sometimes pretty early for dh), the dogs are up. Once the dogs are up, one or two kids are up. Once one or two kids are up, the rest start wandering out to see what's going on. 7:30 is a late morning for us. 6:30 is average.

 

But we don't usually start any school work until at least 9. The kids might read for a little while before starting. Ds was doing some work that was put off yesterday at 8 this morning. The girls did FLL a little while ago. Ds is studying his science and social studies units.

 

We'll buckle down from 10-12. Ds will probably work intensely from 1-3. If we decide to run errands this afternoon, he'll work from 3-5 instead. Or he could do 7-9 if he really wanted to. He doesn't really want to, lol.

 

It all gets done. I don't think it'd be much harder if they were the type to sleep until 9 or 10. And I bet it would be easier... for me! :D

[abreakfromlife]

I am not a morning person, so I can't even comprehend having everyone up and going before 8 :D My boys are early risers - they are loud and energetic at 7 am. So they have to stay in their room until 8. My dd is like me and likes her sleep in the morning - she's also a night owl like me. She usually gets up at 9. If I let the boys come out before 8, she'll hear them playing and get up, and then she's crabby all day. My goal for me is to get up at 6 and have a nice quiet time in the morning before dh gets up and leaves; the days I've done this have been so nice; but unless I go to bed and go to sleep on time, that's hard to do.

 

By the time we eat breakfast and clean rooms and get dressed, we usually aren't starting school until 10. If there are days where dd doesn't get some of her work done, I'll let her do it in her bed at night, since she's up playing or reading anyways.

[ladydusk]

OK, here's the "where's this coming from". In SWBs talks, one of the things she talks about is mom's "off duty hours" Her mom's off-duty was after 8 pm - 8 am (except for big emergencies, of course) and 2 hours in the afternoon for down time. This down time is for everyone in the house ... enforced separation (no face time) to rest, reflect, do something quiet. it isn't necessarily nap time, although converting morning naps into this time is the easy way to establish it.

[budeb]

Hi there.

 

At our house the children sleep as late as they want.... which is usually not late enough for me. They are usually up at 7:30 by the latest. The odd time it is 9:00 a.m.

 

My dear hubby and I love our coffee ALONE in the mornings although we don't turn anyone away if they join us.

[musicianmom]

8 a.m.?

 

No way. How on earth would you enforce such a thing? Sometimes my 1-year-old will sleep that late, but it is a rare day when my 3-year-old sleeps past 6. I would LOVE to start the day later, but I don't expect it to happen for about 15 years or so.

[Jean in Wisc]

My kids are all older--20, 18, 16. At some stage in this marathon, the kids began doing their work on their own, and I work with them once a day or so...usually in the afternoon. They are on their own schedules and get up when they need to. Granted, they do farm chores and such, but even those, since we do not milk, can be done at 7:00, 8:00, or 9:00--no big deal.

 

I think it would bother me if someone was getting up at 12:00 every day. But since my kids are almost always studying away by 9:00 a.m., I'm cool with that.

 

:)Jean

[momtolgd]

Well, my kids sleep until 8:30 every day! I love having the time to myself to do what I want or to go back to sleep until the toddler wakes us! We are pretty relaxed about wake up times...and DH likes to have time with just me and him before he leaves for work at 7-7:15.

 

The downside to this is that our 8yo often is still awake past 10PM.

[Catwoman]

In SWBs talks, one of the things she talks about is mom's "off duty hours" Her mom's off-duty was after 8 pm - 8 am (except for big emergencies, of course) and 2 hours in the afternoon for down time.

 

This would never work in my house.

 

I wish it would... but it won't. Ever.

 

And I have to admit that I am secretly hoping that it doesn't work for lots of other people, either, because it would mean that those moms actually have time to themselves. :glare:

 

Not that I would be jealous or envious or anything... ;)

 

Cat

[gandpsmommy]

We are very relaxed about getting-up times here, unless there is somewhere we have to be early in morning (doctor's appt., Sat. gymnastics practice, etc.) On most weekdays ds is up between 7:30 and 8:30. Dd is usually getting up around 8:30-9:30, but sometimes as late as 10:00.

 

We also are very relaxed about bedtimes, mostly because dh doesn't get home until late from his job, sometimes dd has gymnastics practice until 7:30 or 8:00 and then it takes us 30 minutes to drive home. So, we can't realistically do an early bedtime. I would love (in many aspects) to be able to have my kids in bed by 8:00, but it's just not realistic for our life right now. I want my kids to be able to spend time with their dad and together as a whole family. I want us all to eat family dinners, and I want dd to be able to participate in gymnastics. So, we have to live with later bedtimes. We used to shoot for 9:00, but now it has become more like 10:00. Last night it was almost 10:00 went we finally had them cleaned up in pajamas ready for bed. Dd fell asleep within minutes while I was still reading to them from the hallway in between their rooms. But ds didn't fall asleep until after 10:30.

 

Honestly, there are many days when we don't get much done in the mornings. I get somewhere between 5:15 and 6:00 with dh to see him before he leaves for work and help him get his stuff ready for the day. He leaves at 6:30, but he usually calls me on his cell phone during his hour-long commute. So, sometimes I don't really have any truly "alone" time until 7:30. So, I'm glad for some quiet time to think and try to get a few things done before the kids get up.

 

When they get up we have to make and eat breakfast, and I have to clean up the kitchen and wash dishes (sometimes from the night before, too:001_smile:). Dd and I both have to shower. I have to get the laundry started. By the time we do all this, it is nearly lunch time. But somehow we get everything done.

 

I read a story for our Literature studies (currently we're reading through DK's Children's Story Bible) and do our history reading for the day at breakfast. Our goal is for the kids to do handwriting and math before lunch. If we can squeeze in free reading and writing for dd, that is great. Dd is supposed to practice piano while I make lunch. After lunch we usually have a little free play time. Then we finish whatever is left: writing, if it hasn't gotten done before lunch, Latin, reading, spelling, etc. Ds is variable. I try to do handwriting with him while dd does her cursive handwriting in the morning. I'm trying now to also do math with him around the same time she does math. Sometimes we squeeze in phonics in the morning, but mostly it's in the afternoon. I guess you could say we have a very flexible schedule. We know what we have to accomplish for the day, and we have a pretty solid routine of in what order we do it, but it's not really tied to time slots. Lit. and history are tied to breakfast. Handwriting and math to before lunchtime. Latin and writing and reading and spelling to sometime after lunch.

 

Somedays are more crunched than others. For example, if I know we have to leave at 4:00 for gymnastics, then I know we can't have as much free play time throughout the day. But if we don't have anywhere to go, we can take a bit longer to get everything done. This sometimes means we're still doing school at 5:00, but just because we've had our free time earlier in the day. It all evens out.

 

I would also love, love, love to have a two-hour-long quiet time in the afternoon. I could still use a nap most days! Or two hours to read, work on planning for next year, take care of phone calls or work I need to get done in quiet. That would be lovely. But, I just can't imagine how it would work. I'd love to hear the schedule of someone who does it and how it works out.

Edited May 13, 2009 by gandpsmommy

[Audrey]

Personally I think it is good for your health to wake up when your body wants to and not when the clock says so.

 

:iagree:

 

And I'll add that, I don't really understand why someone would want to "beat the bus." :confused: Why let a public school schedule rule you when you're homeschooling? Homeschooling frees you from that. Why chain yourself back up again?

[joannqn]

This would never work in my house.

 

I wish it would... but it won't. Ever.

 

And I have to admit that I am secretly hoping that it doesn't work for lots of other people, either, because it would mean that those moms actually have time to themselves. :glare:

 

Not that I would be jealous or envious or anything... ;)

 

Cat

 

 

It wouldn't work here either simply because we don't get done that early in the day. My son has taekwondo from 4-6pm; he and my husband don't get home until 6:30pm. There are days, usually when I'm pregnant, that we don't eat dinner until 8pm. Then we do our read alouds at 9pm, after which we all go to bed.

 

My sons are almost always up before I am in the morning. My daughter sleeps about the same as me. Sometimes she's up first, sometimes I am.

 

We used to start school after lunch but that hasn't been working as much lately. I've been working on getting our start time a bit before lunch because we haven't been getting to the work we used to do after dinner when taekwondo was in the mornings.

[rowan25]

I am not a morning person, so I can't even comprehend having everyone up and going before 8 :D My boys are early risers - they are loud and energetic at 7 am. So they have to stay in their room until 8. My dd is like me and likes her sleep in the morning - she's also a night owl like me. She usually gets up at 9. If I let the boys come out before 8, she'll hear them playing and get up, and then she's crabby all day. My goal for me is to get up at 6 and have a nice quiet time in the morning before dh gets up and leaves; the days I've done this have been so nice; but unless I go to bed and go to sleep on time, that's hard to do.

 

By the time we eat breakfast and clean rooms and get dressed, we usually aren't starting school until 10. If there are days where dd doesn't get some of her work done, I'll let her do it in her bed at night, since she's up playing or reading anyways.

 

This is pretty much how we're doing it. But my kids are 5 and 2, so school doesn't take all that long.

[JoyfulMama]

OK, here's the "where's this coming from". In SWBs talks, one of the things she talks about is mom's "off duty hours" Her mom's off-duty was after 8 pm - 8 am (except for big emergencies, of course) and 2 hours in the afternoon for down time. This down time is for everyone in the house ... enforced separation (no face time) to rest, reflect, do something quiet. it isn't necessarily nap time, although converting morning naps into this time is the easy way to establish it.

I do a version of this... I typically wake up (sans alarm) between 6-6:30am. When my kids can learn to read the clock, I teach them to stay in their rooms until 7. They are taught that they can read books or play quietly until that time. It gives me time to wake up and (in theory) get things started for the day.

After lunch we have family quiet time. An hour (or so) or quiet time by oneself (usually) to relax, unwind, nap, read, play quietly, so we can all be happy and ready for the rest of the day.

And the kids have a regular bedtime of 8pm. Lately my youngest is ready earlier, since she's not been napping in the afternoon. My oldest is allowed to read in bed until 9pm.

My DH usually leaves for work at 9:30, so it gives us about one hour together before he has to get ready to leave. (This is really the only time we have together.)

Once he leaves, I again have time to myself, until I myself fall asleep in a book. :lol:

[KS_]

We started doing this when ds was little, because at that time, he'd wake up very early in the mornings, and I didn't want him wandering around the house or expecting everyone else to be up and be playing with him. So we put a clock in his room and taught him to tell when it was 8am and told him he could come out then (except to use the bathroom). And after dd was old enough, we started it with her, too. Dh had to be to work by 7am, so I'd get up with him and have an hour or so of quiet time by myself in the mornings.

 

Now, ds tends to sleep late (if he doesn't take his melatonin, he might sleep til 9am or after, which is too late when we're trying to do school), but his sister often is up early. And dh has changed jobs and doesn't have to be there til 8am and we aren't getting up as early. Dd likes to say goodbye to daddy in the mornings, so she will come out to do that, but for the most part, I really don't have much quietness. And I do miss it. . .

 

For us, it really doesn't have much to do with school or anything besides just trying to have a bit of alone time in the mornings for me.

[Rhondabee]

deleted

Edited May 14, 2009 by Rhondabee

[Rhondabee]

If I let my 12yo and 15yo sleep until they got up, I would see them about noon. Just can't do that.:001_smile:

 

Yes, I understand!!!

[Rhondabee]

And I guess my question is: if no one comes out of their room until 8 a.m., and then you have 2 hours after lunch of rest time -

 

Um -

 

 

How do you ACTUALLY get school done?

 

We're just struggling with that here - maybe b/c of my # of kids, or the age spread, but it's 8:10 as I type, I'm about to make a quick breakfast, and I'm wondering how we're going to get finished with a trip to the library/piano lessons in the middle of the the day. . . . . . .

 

Anyone do this and want to elaborate? Please?

 

Yeah. What you said....

[Rhondabee]

Oh my goodness. Left to his own devices, my 8yo would get up at 4AM! And he'd wake his sleep-loving sis up so he wouldn't be lonely.

 

 

 

I can't imagine! My kids don't even wake up early on Saturday mornings...

[Rhondabee]

This would never work in my house.

 

I wish it would... but it won't. Ever.

 

And I have to admit that I am secretly hoping that it doesn't work for lots of other people, either, because it would mean that those moms actually have time to themselves. :glare:

 

Not that I would be jealous or envious or anything... ;)

 

Cat

 

Secretly I wonder if it works in the Bauer household because there is more than one adult making it work. If DH and I split the homeschool duties, and had a grandparent who could teach reading to my 3yo (4 next month - sniff! sniff!), then I could see how it could be done.

 

Realistically, DH has neither the inclination nor the time to help.

[Firefly]

We're a bunch of night owls here, which is great on weekends and during the summer, when we can all sleep in as late as we want. But on school days, we have an activity every afternoon, usually 1-3 pm. So if I want any "book" work to be done, it has to get finished in the a.m. For that reason I get up at 8am and wake the kids. That gives us an hour to eat breakfast, get dressed, and just have some down-time (or wake up time!) before we start at 9. Then we try to get a good 2-3 hours in before lunch... usually math (Saxon), Language Arts (FLL/SWO), and either a science experiment or some history (SOTW), depending on the day.

 

It is working for us, but I think as they get older and work more independently, I'll give them more leeway in wake up times-- as long as their work is getting done.

[mom4him]

I have tried since we started hs'ing to "beat the bus" that comes by our house at 7:03 am every morning. At least to have everyone out of bed and waking up on the sofa, sipping juice or coffee or whatever. And, frankly, I am tired of being the "get up and go-er" of my family! The *idea* of me saying, "Stay in your room until 8, or else!" is *so* foreign to me. My kids would definitely think someone had stolen their mother - LOL! But, when I think of it, I feel a strange sense of .... joy!?

 

So, please!, talk to me more about this whole mind-set. I'm guessing it must tie into setting aside a certain number of minutes per subject? I think I need a better picture or an outline of what an entire day with that mindset would look like. Something I can read to my DH and my DS's and say, "Can we make this a reality in our home?"

 

And, a big, BIG "Thank you!" to everyone who has been sharing their thoughts and their plans since attending the conference!

For me one of the big advantages of hs is for my kids to be able to sleep until they wake up. I try to have them in bed no later than 9 and they can read until 9:30. They get up anywhere from 7 to 9, on occation it is 9:30 or 10 but not often. When they get up they are rested, happy and ready to go.

I am up around 5:30 but I start getting my oldest son up at 6(he is in a wheel chair and works full time so has to be out of here around 9-9:30. I am rarely ready to really start school before 9:30.

We don't do the certain amount of time for each subject. I have one that would never get done with anything. :001_huh: I schedule out what has to be done each week on a daily schedule and we work each day until it is finished. Normally we have everything except science and history finished by 12-12:30, eat lunch, I rest for awhile and then we come back and finish.

I rarely wake my dc up. As they get older it might change but I really don't think so. When they get old enough that I feel they need to be up at a certain time I will have them set their alarm and they will need to be responsible to do that. I did this with our older kids. They set their alarm and they had to be responsible to get up and ready in time to make it to school in time.

[SquirrellyMama]

mom's "off duty hours"

 

 

We get those?

[Rhondabee]

Do you have to be done by a certain time?

 

I am thinking about this one....

 

Do I *have* to be...no. Sometimes I make the decision to stop school for the day, and tell the kids we'll have to go over (whatever) that night. Or, the next day.

 

But, I do *prefer* for the portion of school that involves me to be finished by 3pm. That gives me an hour to unwind before getting dinner, etc. And, I dislike doing school while DH is not working (That's just not fair!).

 

And, for my kids, it is not so bad anymore, but they are very aware of "when their friends are home" in the afternoon. It's hard to get 2 boys schooled while taking care of a 3yo by 2:30pm unless you start fairly early. (Actually, we try to have a read-aloud from 8-8:30 to 8:40, then start math at 8:45.) And, their eyes start to glaze as they start thinking of all the fun they *could* be having if only school were done.

 

I know I shouldn't care what public school does. But, I *do* care that my kids continue their friendships with their neighborhood friends. Nor does it help that our Abeka-friends are done my 10:30am or so. (That is a whole 'nuther load of guilt!)

 

I think if I could paint a picture of a different paradigm - a lifestyle. IDK - maybe it's not really a "homeschooling" paradigm. There are plenty of people who choose public school who continue that process of learning into their entire day. I feel like we aren't really making that choice (and, I think much of that decision has been my dh's). I would like to *try* to make that choice, I just don't know how to change from what we've always known. I can't make everyone in my family change - I've tried and failed too many times to naively believe that *I* can do that. I have to motivate them to change for themselves, you know?

 

sorry!- much of this wasn't really directed at you or your post. Just me thinking out loud.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Rhondabee

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Hi Rhonda,

I was just looking at your kids' ages, and it seems like we've led almost parallel lives. I got married in '91, just like you! My eldest will be 13 in July, my second is 11 1/2, and my little late-in-life surprise DD will be 4 in July.

 

Anyway, we have a wake-up-when-you-wake-up attitude around here. Actually, sleep is somewhat sacred to me. :) I hate being wakened before I'm ready, and sometimes I need more sleep than other times. And, sometimes I stay up late (cleaning, lesson planning, whatever) and I need to sleep in a bit. I find the same is true with my kids. Sometimes they need more sleep. My ds suffers with insomnia sometimes, and needs to sleep in or he's non-functional. He's usually up around 8:00, but sometimes sleeps in until 9:00. My almost-13yo dd went through a sleepy time, but is now the first one up in the mornings (usually around 7:30). My 3yodd wakes up between 7:30 and 8, but on rare occasions sleeps until 9. I hardly ever wake anyone up. I just don't see the point. :) I figure that they do their growing, and healing, and mental development while they sleep. Why mess with that? Their bodies know when it's had enough sleep, and it will stop sleeping with it's done!

 

All the kids dress and eat, and the older two practice their instruments (not necessarily in that order). We usually start school by 9:00 or 9:30. Sometimes it ends up being later, but I hate that. :p We do our core subjects in the morning and try to get them done before lunch (Bible together, then Latin, Math, Grammar, Spelling, and Handwriting or typing). We take about an hour for lunch and goofing off. Then, in the afternoon we do History, Science, Writing, and anything we missed in the morning. We are usually done by 3:00, but sometimes work until 4:00.

[The Girls' Mom]

I am thinking about this one....

 

Do I *have* to be...no. Sometimes I make the decision to stop school for the day, and tell the kids we'll have to go over (whatever) that night. Or, the next day.

 

But, I do *prefer* for the portion of school that involves me to be finished by 3pm. That gives me an hour to unwind before getting dinner, etc. And, I dislike doing school while DH is not working (That's just not fair!).

 

And, for my kids, it is not so bad anymore, but they are very aware of "when their friends are home" in the afternoon. It's hard to get 2 boys schooled while taking care of a 3yo by 2:30pm unless you start fairly early. (Actually, we try to have a read-aloud from 8-8:30 to 8:40, then start math at 8:45.) And, their eyes start to glaze as they start thinking of all the fun they *could* be having if only school were done.

 

I know - I'm a horrible homeschool mother for caring about the bus. I get it. I shouldn't care what public school does. But, I *do* care that my kids continue their friendships with their neighborhood friends. Nor does it help that our Abeka-friends are done my 10:30am or so. (That is a whole 'nuther load of guilt!)

 

I think if I could paint a picture of a different paradigm - a lifestyle. IDK - maybe it's not really a "homeschooling" paradigm. There are plenty of people who choose public school who continue that process of learning into their entire day. I feel like we aren't really making that choice (and, I think much of that decision has been my dh's). I would like to *try* to make that choice, I just don't know how to change from what we've always known. I can't make everyone in my family change - I've tried and failed too many times to naively believe that *I* can do that. I have to motivate them to change for themselves, you know?

 

sorry!- much of this wasn't really directed at you or your post. Just me thinking out loud.

 

 

Ok, I see where you are coming from now. You aren't a horrible homeschooling mother, IMO. You have to do what works for your family, and it sounds like you are stressing a bit about something that would NOT work for you and yours. I know that with my family, taking a two hour break after lunch would NOT work. We'd never get anything done. We start school by 9, work until lunch, take a 20 minute break for lunch, then try to be done by 2 or 3. (doesn't always happen) We do have speech 2x a week mid-day, girl-scouts, and Raptor center...so that's why we try to get things done by 2ish.

[Tree House Academy]

I guess I am confused on the "don't come out of your room until 8AM" conversation from the start. Reading through this, I thought I would just share our way of life to add to the mix. LOL

 

My kids get up whenever they want. If I am not up, they don't bother me, persay, unless they start fighting or screaming at each other.

 

The kids go to bed between 8:30 and 10. Most of the time, the younger is asleep by 8:45, but the older is usually up until 10pm reading. Lately, my younger has gotten up around 8 and then ran in to wake up the older. This does NOT go over well. LOL

 

I guess my point is that we just go with the flow here. No one has to be up at a certain time (unless we have an appointment to get to or something), I don't wake my kids up to do school, I am not terribly strict on when school start (though if it gets to be 10am and no one has started for the day, I do get butts moving!), and we finish when we finish. There are no mandatory naps for my kids at ages almost 10 and almost 6, but I will sometimes have them separate to their own rooms and play quietly if they are fighting a lot or something.

 

Now...off to see what everyone is talking about and who recommended the "in your room till 8am" and why.

[Lovedtodeath]

Well, considering a 7 year old is supposed to get 11 hours of sleep and bedtime is around 10 pm... no way am I getting her up early!! If I wanted to fight our natural tendency to stay up late, and take time away from the family by having my kids in bed soon after their Dad gets home, then I would actually have less of a problem with PS. lol

[Matryoshka]

Not having to get up for the bus is one of the reasons I'm homeschooling (a minor one, perhaps, but it figures in there somewhere :))

 

My kids get to bed around 9:30-10. They are "supposed" to be up by 8, get dressed and eat breakfast and be ready to practice their instruments by 9 and ready to start school at 10. Often things slide later, and it's usually because they aren't awake at 8.

 

We do have to be up a bit earlier and out of the house by 8:10 or 8:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, but the rest of the days they sleep till about then.

 

But, that's what works for our family. I only have two levels to homeschool, and we have no neighborhood kids (the bus stops for the house across the street, but they have two high school aged boys - pretty much of zero interest to my much-younger girls). I am also *not* a morning person, and starting by the time the bus left would be like some kind of torture for me.

[Lovedtodeath]

Not having to get up for the bus is one of the reasons I'm homeschooling (a minor one, perhaps, but it figures in there somewhere :))

 

:cheers2: Here is how it figures in for me: When homeschooling is going so badly that I think about throwing in the towel, I am reminded of the torture of getting DD up and ready early in the morning. It is just as bad as teaching her, resulting in the same amount of fighting and tears. (But then she is gone the rest of the day. Sometimes that looks like a good thing. lol)

[Tree House Academy]

I am also *not* a morning person, and starting by the time the bus left would be like some kind of torture for me.

 

:iagree: :lol:

[JudoMom]

OK, here's the "where's this coming from". In SWBs talks, one of the things she talks about is mom's "off duty hours" Her mom's off-duty was after 8 pm - 8 am (except for big emergencies, of course) and 2 hours in the afternoon for down time. This down time is for everyone in the house ... enforced separation (no face time) to rest, reflect, do something quiet. it isn't necessarily nap time, although converting morning naps into this time is the easy way to establish it.

 

I get up early (4:45) and my boys aren't allowed out of their rooms until 7:30 (until recently most of them would sleep until 8 or 9, but they've started waking up earlier). This means I have 2 hours 45 minutes in the morning without being interrupted.

 

We have quiet time after lunch. Sometimes this means they are each on their beds reading or resting for 1-2 hours. Sometimes this means they are in the playroom with orders to play quietly without bothering me. This means I have 1-2 hours in the afternoon without (for the most part) being interrupted.

 

We eat dinner with dh anywhere from 6:30-8:00. We have family time until about 9:00, and then we all go to bed and read until we fall asleep.

 

On average, we school from 8/9 until noon, then do 1-2 hours in the afternoon if needed. I do spend my morning time doing some chores, but it's also when I exercise and study Latin, History, and Math for myself.

[Lovedtodeath]

OK, here's the "where's this coming from". In SWBs talks, one of the things she talks about is mom's "off duty hours" Her mom's off-duty was after 8 pm - 8 am (except for big emergencies, of course) and 2 hours in the afternoon for down time. This down time is for everyone in the house ... enforced separation (no face time) to rest, reflect, do something quiet. it isn't necessarily nap time, although converting morning naps into this time is the easy way to establish it.

 

WOW! That would be amazing!

[PollyOR]

My 13yo and 11yo are both grouching at me this morning because I woke them around 9:30.:glare:

 

My teen has no problem sleeping until 1pm. She is being treated for depression and her psychologist says she's getting too much sleep. I'm not a morning person either, so I understand. At the same time, I hate helping her with her school work at 4 or 5 p.m.:thumbdown:

[Rhondabee]

Ok, I see where you are coming from now. You aren't a horrible homeschooling mother, IMO. You have to do what works for your family, and it sounds like you are stressing a bit about something that would NOT work for you and yours. I know that with my family, taking a two hour break after lunch would NOT work. We'd never get anything done. We start school by 9, work until lunch, take a 20 minute break for lunch, then try to be done by 2 or 3. (doesn't always happen) We do have speech 2x a week mid-day, girl-scouts, and Raptor center...so that's why we try to get things done by 2ish.

 

Thanks - LOL - actually, I was coming on to take out my facetious comment. I am *not* a bad homeschooling mother - I do let the caustic comments of some posters get me in a tizzy - LOL!

 

And, after some lunch, I realized that I have to live with *my* husband, *my* kids, *my* neighbors and church friends (in the redneck haven of Acworth, Ga. no less - LOL!) and still have time for me for work on me.

 

It *is* good to compare notes - to hear how other people do things, especially creative things that I would never think of. But sometimes it is best to let things lie. (For example, I *never* *ever* *ever* discuss homeschooling AT ALL with my dear church friend who uses Abeka, and who is done with school every day before 10:30am. That could never lead to a positive experience for either one of us - LOL!)

 

So, *thank you* for hearing me, and understanding. I know my DH doesn't need anything else on his plate right now - least of all me nagging about something that isn't broken - it's just not *my* ideal. It would be like him telling me I had to have the house sparkling clean every day by 5 - :lol: - like that'll ever happen - :lol::lol:!

 

Blessings~

[Mrs Mungo]

Rhonda-I definitely hear you. I know lots of "oh, we start at 6:30 am and we're all done for the day by noon, hooray!" And I think "that's crazy!" Then some other friend tells me how her kids stay up until midnight and get up at noon and they are doing school until 8 pm and I think "what? That's crazy!"

 

Ultimately, you have to do what is best for you and your kids. If you need permission from someone to make that happen, I will offer mine. :D

 

My two two youngest get up on their own by 7. I think my eldest would sleep *all day* if I let her so I make her get up at 8 if she isn't up already. It's our goal to start by 9 most mornings. We have one morning that we start sooner to accommodate a class we have midday.