Emmy Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I have known for a while that I'm expecting again, but I just found out yesterday it's twins. I am reeling from the news to say the least and feeling really overwhelmed about adding 2 more babies to our crew. My boys will be 9 (3rd/4th grade), 7 (2nd grade), 5 (kindergarten) and 3 this fall for school. I am really wondering if it's possible for me to homeschool them this year. Between the risks with a twin pregnancy and then dealing with 2 newborns and lack of sleep, I just don't know. Anyone have some encouragement or advice for me? I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and wondering if I can do this. Enrolling them in school for just a year appeals somewhat but my local PS is problematic - they do school of choice so this late in the summer my only options would likely be the really bad schools in the really bad areas...I'm not sure that would alleviate much stress kwim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I would keep them home and just plan to do very minimal school that involves you. When my twins were born, my dc were 15, 9, 7, and 2. The 9 and 7 yos had checklists of things they could do on their own, which I checked at some point throughout the day. We didn't do any school that required me until the twins were 3 months old - they were born Oct. 2, so I waited until the holidays were over as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christielee7278 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I really like the previous suggestion!! Would you be able to beef up school maybe until you can no longer handle it and then back off until the babies are a few months old? Just do some basics or take vacation time off from school. What about using an online program like Time 4 Learning during that down time? Read in bed. Watch educational videos. Actually quite a bit of school work can be done orally while snuggling in bed. You can do it!!! Congrats on the twins!! My stepson and his wife are also expecting twins! They are due Nov 2nd. I am an identical twin and always hoped to have twins myself. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhudson Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I have twins but I only have three kids in total and my oldest was only three so I don't have that experience. I think I would start school early, plan only to do the basics and then take at least 2 months off when the babies were born. As I watch friends who have kids in the PS, it seems that they are just as busy as I am only they are constantly running here and there instead of just being busy at home. Then they also have the behavior issues to deal with after school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Congrats on your news! I would keep the children home with you. Plan what looks reasonable - as things level out, you can re-assess and then add in what you missed. When I was pg with our twins, this is what really helped us (I was not homeschooling at the time, but we did have dd who was just a year old). It is possible that at some time you will be limited as far as going up and down the steps - if you have a multi-level home, set up a place where you can do everything you need to do on one level. In our case, b/c I was on bedrest for about the final 6 weeks, DH set up a 'pantry' on the second floor of our house - we had a mini-fridge, a micro-wave, and everything dd and I needed to get through a day in case no one was coming over to help while DH was at the office. I did also spend the months when I was quite mobile preparing and freezing meals, and I enlisted the help of every person who asked what they could do to help. I think that the twins were 3 mos old when I finally had to start cooking again. I Christmas shopped as soon as I knew we were having multiples, wrapped, and put everything away. G-d bless you and your family -- :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I would keep them home too and do only the bare minimum. I'd do grammar, math and writing with the 9 year and 7 year olds and get books on tape for science, history and literature. The rest can wait until things settle down somewhat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Oh, I forgot to say that I continued doing school with them in my bed during the pregnancy. I couldn't do much else but I could do that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmy Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 Thanks for all the responses. It helps! When we first talked about the pregnancy my dh was very much of the mindset that as long as they did math and we read a bunch it would be fine - but sometimes I think he overestimates me! :D I am more worried about the last trimester than after the babies come - although that will bring challenges as well. I just have this vision of me trapped on the couch trying to avoid preterm labor or my blood pressure spiking while my children race around, arguing and fighting. :glare: I'll think about down scaling our plans (I just bought a unit of TOG!!) and putting together some checklists and maybe a daily routine chart. It's nice to hear others have been through this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Congrats!!! I haven't had twins, but I agree with the others about just scaling back your plans! When I was pregnant with #3, I had complications and spent 5 months on complete bedrest. My kids were 2nd/3rd grade and Kindergarten and they survived! We read alot of books and my oldest did a few workbooks for math and that was about it! But having my kids home with me was wonderful. Even though my oldest was only 8, she could make a peanut butter sandwich, or put a load of laundry into the dryer or fetch the mail from the box at the end of the driveway, etc. TOG isn't a bad idea because (I think!) it's literature-based and you can always read while lying on the couch! I'd just do that and some math, and call it a school year! Your oldest is only 9 and even grammar can be put on the backburner for a little while. You mentioned something about the possibility of being tired as you enter that last trimester and I'm wondering if you know of a homeschooled preteen or teen who'd be willing to come over to your home for a few hours each week and play with the kids while you rest. Perhaps there's someone in the neighborhood, your homeschool group, church, etc., who'd be able to do this for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudreyTN Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Wow, Congratulations! Nothing else to add... :D:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Congrats! I don't have any experience with twins, so I'll leave the twin advice to others. Off the top of my head, I would consider enrolling your 3 yr old in a preschool program. Depending on your five yr old's birthday, I would look into enrolling him in a prek or young five's class. Alternatively, a private kindergarten might work. That way you would have two less little ones under foot, and it might make it easier both to relax without worrying about itty bitties getting creative and it might make it easier to school your older two. Your older two could be genuinely helpful, but it might be nice for your littles to have their own space while you are busy with being very pregnant or having newborn twins. How good a reader is your seven yr old? If your five yr old is at home, is he reading yet? I would consider what your kids can do independently. Time4Learning is a pretty good supplement. It would make a nice supplement for when you're doing minimum school. You could use something like Reading Eggs or Headsprout or Study Dog with your five yr old. Your seven yr old might do well with one of those too, if he's not a strong reader. I'd plan to do math and lots of reading. Your husband is right. That's the minimum, particularly after the twins come. Make a book list of books for science/ history/ geography/ literature study/ read alouds/ books you want your kids to read. That way you can go online and reserve them and somebody can pick them up for you. If you're on bedrest, a lot of school can be done pretty easily from horizontal positions. Look into some more independent workbooks: handwriting, spelling, something like Growing with Grammar. And don't forget about educational television! Educationally, I suspect you'll be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Ah, yes. My idea about signing 3 and 5 yr olds up for preschool is much better if you can convince some saint that what they could do to help would be to bring your kids home. Could your husband drop them off in the mornings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dani3boys Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I have twins , but won't be of too much help because my oldest was only 20 months old when they were born. There has been some great advice already. Get as much done ahead of time as you can and take all the help you can get. I was on bedrest for two months before they were born. I lived on the couch during the day and read, read, read to my ds. I think that is where his love of reading came from! Just do what you can each day. It would be good to have a schedule, but only do what you can and move the rest to the next day. That way you will know what you would like to accomplish, but don't worry if it doesn't all get done. Your kids will be fine and before you know it your twins will be almost 11 like mine are!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I don't have twins, but in the midst of adopting our #4 dd and #6 dd we ended up with #5 ds (surprise, surprise). That year when I started school I had a one month old, 10 month old, 29 month old, 6yo, 11yo, and 13yo. I hired a homeschool teenager to come over every morning to do the housework, laundry, help with the babies, etc. I don't know how I could have done it without her. I agree with what everyone else said about scaling things back. I would definitely keep them home though. It would be harder to get everyone out the door for school, home again, homework, etc. If you're on bedrest the last part of your pregnancy, you could still read with them, etc. I would have a talk with the olders about how much you are going to need their help. I couldn't have done it without my oldest two sons. You can do this! Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea1 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Congratulations! One mom of a homeschool-mom-blog that I read recently had a baby and she has 5 at home and homeschools. One tip she gave that I thought was a great idea was that she kept a list of things to do on the fridge and a couple of times a day she would have each child do two of the things on the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowWhite Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 (edited) Oh, WOW! Congrats, Emmy. I had no idea there were more babies in your future. I think you will do just fine homeschooling if you relax and take it one day at a time. :grouphug: In your shoes, I would totally check out Time4Learning. Edited July 9, 2009 by SnowWhite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmy Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 I had no idea there were more babies in your future. Neither did we! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmy Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 I really am getting some great ideas - thank you all. I love the idea of having a list on the fridge for the kids and another one for people that offer to help. I can't quite imagine sending my 3yo to preschool - he won't be 3 until the end of July and he's still a very "young" guy. He also has a serious food allergy (milk) which is problematic. I do have a wonderful homeschool coop with many nice families - I may have to check with them later on to see if there are any girls that might want a small job of helping clean or watching kids sometimes. Thanks so much for the encouragement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Congratulations! Keep them home and do the best you can. There is plenty of time to catch up if you need to. I also like the idea of a little pre-K if it suits you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BizyPenguin Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 No advice. Just wanted to say congratulations!! How exciting!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jg_puppy Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 That is so exciting. I just wanted to say congrats. Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveBaby Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Congratulations, mama! That is so exciting! I'll be praying for a healthy happy pregnancy and lot's of strength and grace to get you through this exciting, albeit, overwhelming time!! If it were me, I'd keep the other children home and spend lots of time repeating the mantra "the babies *are* the lesson, the babies *are* the lesson!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macdaddi Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 My twins (#4 & 5) are 16 months old now, and although the last year or so has been a blur, I do think we got *some* schoolwork done because we've progressed nicely in most areas. I tried to send the 3yo off to preschool (I mean he was 3 for 1 week when then twins were born) but he was very upset by it. He would come home and hit the babies and was very angry at me - he felt like I was trying to get rid of him. I thought he'd enjoy it, but it was more trouble than it was worth! I know it can be done and your older children will be an immense help. Now that mine are toddlers, it is more difficult, so I have to put them in their room with the gate up for a little while to get some schoolwork done with the boys. They cry at first, but they have each other, so they start playing together pretty quickly. It's really great - they always have each other! Good Luck! Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I have known for a while that I'm expecting again, but I just found out yesterday it's twins. Oh my goodness, Emmy! I was SO excited when I saw it was you who posted this! You make such beautiful babies. Congratulations! I read somewhere that redheads will be extinct by the year 2100, and I thought, not if Emmy and her husband can help it! I, too, would worry about the kids going crazy in the house while you need to be the opposite of crazy. My kids go nuts when I'm not directing their activities. To a certain extent, I can let them loose, though. Like, I can say, "Your choices for the next hour are drawing at separate tables, playing with Lego on your floor, or reading on the couch. When the hour's up, we'll switch." Keeping them occupied and separated like this sometimes works when I am down and out, and sometimes does not, depending on them. I can't imagine it working for three months. On the other hand, maybe you'd get into a routine with it. How long do you have to figure something out? I would say, either drill the kids in cooking and organization skills now, or find helpers for the last trimester. Or both. If the kids would be in a bad school, your struggle to deal with that and with them after hours would cancel out any peace you get while they're away. Wishing you sleepy babies and sedate siblings! -- Rose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I have not read all the responses but i vote keep the kids home. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to get everyone ready and out the door for school drop off and pick up with newborn twins. Life is learning, your older ones will learn so much through helping/watching what you do with the babies, much more than they could at school. When things get tough scale back they are not going to be academically ruined if they don't get any formal history or science for 6m or so. The main thing is to keep up their math and reading. If you can read, you can learn anything. Math is a far too important skill to let slip for a long period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Sandra Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I have twins--but that's all. It's hard, but you have the benefit of being an experienced mom and experienced homeschool teacher. You can do it! My boys are 9, like your son. That's an age of taking on more responsibility. Perhaps you could delegate to your 3rd and 4th grader. My boys love reading stories to younger kids. Maybe your 3rd and 4th grader can read aloud to the younger ones, help them with coloring and preschool/K activities. Your 2nd grader can help with that too. It will make them feel more grown up and if you find you have to use more of a workbook approach with them in their own studies, it will bring some welcome variety. Also, the two oldest can get take charge of healthy snacks for themselves and the littles. And don't forget having them help with laundry! If you find you have to streamline the academics this year, the life skills and maturity that your dc will gain will be invaluable. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Congrats! I don't have twins, but I do have a Moby Wrap and the book shows two different holds for twins. I would definitely try this if I had twins. It's been a lifesaver for the last 1 1/2 years with my one baby. I would try to get as much ready ahead of time. Freeze meals and get easy-to-use homeschooling supplies. Gather your supplies now while you've got the time and energy. Even if you scale back for a while, you'll still be busy once you do add other things back in. And I agree with the others. I think it would be more difficult to get in the car with all of the kids to take your kids to school than to teach them at home. I hate to wake up my babies to do things out of the house too. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherInWI Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Haven't had twins, but have hsed while chronically ill and after surgery that exhausted me for three months. My advice would be to keep them at home, but start training them as to what they'll need to do now. I'd have them schooling now with lists for the older two to complete, plus shifts of helping/watching/playing with their little brother. That way, by the time the babies were born, or bedrest was needed, they'd know what to do and it would be routine, plus, some of the schoolwork for the year would already be completed. I'd also stock up on educational videos and books-on-tape, as well as educational computer games -- those can really be mom-savers and the dc can learn a lot! Also, if your dc aren't already self-feeding, training them to be can help. After my surgery, I kept premade sandwiches, cut fruit, etc., in bags in the fridge so that the children could get meals for themselves when needed, and even bring me some when I was stuck in bed. That helped, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmy Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 Thank you all - more great ideas. I do think I should start training them to get meals together and help entertain our youngest guy. We've never been hard routine people and I am regretful of that now. I am 13 weeks now so I certainly have some time to transition us to a good routine that includes chores and helping little brothers and making lunch. And if I'm going to do this, I should probaby start school pretty soon. yikes. :) Rose - you are so kind! Your note just made me smile and I needed that, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 No experience, but just wanted to say :party::party::party: CONGRATULATIONS!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleischdoc Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 My twins are 2 now, and my older 2 were 6 and 9 when they were born. The older ones can be a great help with babies, and entertaining younger siblings. I was fortunate enough to avoid bed rest and made it to 37 weeks, so I had to take it easy but was able to school up to the twins birth. My best advice is try to arrange and accept as much help as possible in the beginning. I was blessed to have my parents near by and had almost daily help with babies, and keeping the older 2 at least doing a minimum of work. The first year is totally exhausting, so just plan to lower your expectations :) Focus on the majors (reading, math, writing)-and keeping everyone fed and clean. It is an awesome journey, and you can now be part of the twin club! This means strangers will ask you if they are identical (even if they are boy/girl like mine) and if twins run in the family ( I told people I was just old :001_smile:). Oh, one lady at my work asked me if they were from in-vitro! Seems like all questions become fair game with twins! Congrats! Lisa in Missouri (mom of 4- 11, 8, and 2 year old twinados) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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