How do you manage school with a newborn?

[MommyInTraining]

I could really use some advice!

 

Baby #6 just turned 3 weeks old and seems to be starting to not sleep as much. I would love to hear your advice for how to homeschool when all it seems like you are doing is feeding the baby, changing diapers, fixing meals, and trying to contain the natives!

 

I have Managers of Their Home and School. I don't do well with sticking to a timed schedule. I had Heart of Dakota to use for this year and it is not working out. My oldest is getting ready to turn 11 and I also have 2 others school age (8 & 6). My 6 year old said school is boring :( . I have used MFW in the past. I was wanting to drop HOD and start using Student of the Word. But, I don't know how I could accomplish that either. So, I am thinking we should just go the textbook route even though I keep fighting it.

 

I guess what I am trying to figure out right now is just how to survive the next few months until baby is on more of a normal schedule. I can't just let things go, the children needs some guidance. I already feel so behind.

 

I know people have suggested reading while I nurse, but I just can't get into that. I guess I am just not a "read out loud while you nurse" kind of gal.

So, I am just wondering how the rest of you handle taking care of the other children and their schoolwork when you have a newborn/infant.

 

Thanks for any words of wisdom!

Edited January 22, 2010 by MommyInTraining

[Terabith]

I never had a hand free to hold the book with!

[GaHadley]

:lurk5:

 

do you wear him any in a sling or something? May be he would be soothed by that and you can do school like that?

 

Some things are going to have to go - may be you can just let the school kids do math and reading and when you're having a good day y'all can do more :)

 

I'm not really sure what to say, but I'll be watching this thread since I'm due in 6 weeks with #3!

[mommyto3]

I'm due 6/1 and am nervous about this also! My mom is making a sling and I plan to wear baby a lot. I also have a bouncy seat for baby to sit in.

[Lucy in Australia]

I asked a similar question not long ago. Maybe some of the replies will help you.

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149146

[Susan in TN]

I can sympathize, my baby #6 just turned one and what a year it was (NOT!). I can't read and nurse at the same time, either. :) (BTW, who is that baby on your avitar? SO CUTE!)

 

I know it might not be your ideal, but I would go with workbooks / worksheets for a while - even a month or two until you can get your bearings. See what you can print off of websites and staple together to make a "workbook" or put into a 3-ringed-binder. You can make history / science coloring sheets for everyone and have your oldest write a couple sentences about it on the back. Math / spelling / vocabulary worksheets are easy. Get a bunch of easy readers and have your 10yo and 8yo read to the littles.

 

I tried to maintain a schedule "of sorts" in the mornings - breakfast, chores, 3 or 4 quick subjects, then break and lunch. After lunch the younger ones would go in for nap and I'd see what could be managed with the older ones, if anything.

[Goodallmomma]

I've been in your shoes twice in the past 2 1/2 years. Of course, I only had 1 child to teach. If you think you can get the baby on a better schedule in a month or 2, why not have the kids do some review work? Or let them pick out educational videos from the library and a book to go along with it. Have the older one write a paper on it and the younger ones tell you about what they saw and read. You're oldest could read to the younger ones everyday for 30 minutes or an hour (however long they will stay in one place). If you have a computer there are a good bit of learning cd-roms. There is a website a girlfriend of mine used with her twin girls, when her son was born. It's time4learning.com. You have to pay for it, but all their work is done online. I'm not saying to start following these types of learning from here on out, but maybe just until the baby is on a better schedule and you've had some "rest". Personally, right after my last son was born, my daughter was getting burned out. Since we HS all year round, I took a month break. She got a little summer vacation in the spring and I was able to adapt having a 3rd child. I hope you will be able to figure out a plan of action soon! GL!:grouphug:

[Goodallmomma]

I'm due 6/1 and am nervous about this also! My mom is making a sling and I plan to wear baby a lot. I also have a bouncy seat for baby to sit in.

 

I hope the sling works out for you. Mine hung waaaay to low and I kept bumping the baby into stuff. That sounds horrible...but I don't mean I was bashing him into stuff..LOL! He was never HURT in the process, but it made it fairly difficult to move around without the worry of bumping him into a desk or counter top. Whenever I get blessed with #4, I'm going to invest in one that wraps the baby to my body. I had one of the shoulder strap ones. I would not recommend it.

[farmmom4him]

Honestly, I would forego, "regular" school for a few weeks, until you are into your new normal.

 

I have six children, about the same ages--now 10 yob, 7 yog, 4 yog, 3yob, 2 yob, 1 yog.

 

Last year when my baby was born, (brought her home from nicu one year ago today actually). I had to change all my plans and let God guide me through his plans.

 

It meant that my then 9 yr old read a lot, my 6 yr old just copied out of books, and the rest of us did puzzles, and other easy things that the olders were able to help clean up. By March 1, we went back to our regular school, but we have since had REQUIRED quiet/nap/reading time for 2 hours in the afternoon. I have to lay down most days as that 12 mo old does not sleep through the night-or anything close to it yet.

 

Your older children can take this time to learn a servants heart. Have them helping with all chores, meals, and with baby. Just today, we went on a field trip, afterwards, we stopped for lunch. The 7 and 10 yr olds stayed in my sight, but with baby while we took turns going through the buffet line. When it was time to go, they got baby ready to go--coat on, packed up diaper bag, while I paid. It was just the 4 of us today--felt like a vacation. :lol:

 

Routines work much better for our family--morning, lunch, after lunch, afternoon, evening. Times do not work, as we don't always wake at the same time--if baby kept more then two of us up in the night, we sleep in. I can tolerate more and more less sleep. :lol:

 

HTH