Help me have free afternoons

[Excelsior! Academy]

Okay maybe I'm in wish land, but I really, really want my afternoons free or at least light. I have 8 dc in my home. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 13. We use MFW, Saxon math, Rod and Staff English, Latin from Memoria Press, and HWT.

 

After watching SWB videos I am really wanting to send all of the kids away from 1-3 every day. It works for her, so surely I can make it work for me, right??

 

Help, please.

[Starr]

Get school started at 5 am. :D

 

I could do this with 2 children in elementary grades but not as they've gotten older. Start with as many as you can and work from there. I would go from the youngest up. You'll be able to see what needs to change. And the littles will learn that it is part of their day.

[Lara in Colo]

Just make this the time of day they do quiet, independent stuff. Little ones nap, big guys read or write or listen to music/book. This is what do, of course I also let them watch a movie sometimes too (esp if the videa corresponds to the lesson --ie: a video about making mummies during a lesson about Egypt)

 

Lara

[Excelsior! Academy]

Starting at 5 AM now that IS wish land. :lol:

 

bumping for more ideas

[Barb_]

Okay maybe I'm in wish land, but I really, really want my afternoons free or at least light. I have 8 dc in my home. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 13. We use MFW, Saxon math, Rod and Staff English, Latin from Memoria Press, and HWT.

 

After watching SWB videos I am really wanting to send all of the kids away from 1-3 every day. It works for her, so surely I can make it work for me, right??

 

Help, please.

 

I no longer have so many children at home. One is in college, the two oldest are in a classical charter and the 5yo is in a Montessori preschool. But I wish I would have hit on this idea ages ago. Mornings are for core subjects. We start the morning at the exact same time each day. Kids are to be dressed and fed by 9, no exceptions. Chores are supposed to be done too, but if they aren't there is no free time after schoolwork until chores are done.

 

We start the morning with either grammar or vocabulary. We try to keep the lesson short...under 20 min. Then we either do writing (Writing With Ease) or latin (which I consider a core subject). Usually 30-45 minutes. Then a 10min recess and a small snack (fruit, granola bar, etc). Math is next. I used to start the day with Math but would find that any struggles would suck the motivation right out of them for the rest of the morning. They are much more willing to work hard when the know their morning is almost over. Math takes about in hour. If we aren't done after an hour, we put it away anyway. We do Math by time, not by lesson, so some days we do 3 lessons and others are spent primarily teaching a difficult concept with little or no written work. After Math, I give one more 10-15 min recess and I usually require trampoline jumping to air out their brains. When they come back in, we do WWE or Latin. Then we're done. I figure that even if we do nothing else the rest of the day, they've done a respectable amount of work.

 

If there is any time left before 12:30 and they aren't ravenous, we squeeze in a history reading, or poetry, or a couple of book chapters. At 12-12:30 they are to clean off the table and put away all their books and supplies. They have lunch and do their chores. After lunch we are a lot more loosy-goosy. We may do fun projects that tie in with History or I may plan something arty or crafty. We may do Science or History with K12 or we may do a Science project. Or I may break out the coloring pencils that are hidden away most of the time and give them a beautiful Dover picture to color while listening to a challenging audiobook. Afternoons aren't learning-free, but they are filled with more "want-to's" than "have-to's". I admit there are some days that I turn them out in the back yard and have a nap or read a book and call it a half day. I wish I would have discovered this system years ago as I think I would have enjoyed homeschooling so much more through the years.

 

You have very little ones outnumbering the helpers, so your afternoons would be filled with baby care, I'm sure. I remember those days fondly, but I'm glad to have the balance tipped in the other direction :)

 

Barb

 

Barb

[Starr]

Starting at 5 AM now that IS wish land. :lol:

 

bumping for more ideas

 

Of course I haven't seen 5:00 AM for years. :lol:

[Peela]

I do it. The kids have to be sitting at their desks by 8.30am, all chores done, dressed and breakfasted, piano practice done. Easy as long as everyone is up by 7am- and thats the deal. Dd15 tends to be slack (long morning showers)- if she cant be ready by 8.30 am, she has to get up by 6.30 for a while.

 

Then we just work steadily. We dont have official morning tea or even lunch breaks. They just stop whenever they need to and grab a snack, and at midday either I make them something or they make themselves something. We do "togther work" for an hour or so in the middle of the morning. I dont do housework during schooltime- I am in the room with them, available.

 

I tend to "need" an afternoon rest time- I have a kind of chronic fatigue that comes and goes. Afternoon rests make all the difference. So...early afternoon I just go to my room. That means the kids are on their own. They can handle it. Dd continues whatever she is doing at her desk, usually, or reads. Ds usually leaves his reading till last, but also works quickly and is often finished by then.

We have pretty much always done it this way. I never "made" them have afternoon rests but they were older. If they were younger, I would have done it the way SWB suggests. As it is, they know to leave me alone and they do.

 

To me...its a priority because on the days I really need a rest, if I dont get one..I am a right off for the rest of the day. We are not the most academic family, but we do do our daily work and it gets done, consistently. I do know my limitations in regards to how much I can help the kids and in what subjects. Compromises are made at times, but we are consistent in our routine.

 

I suggest you just do it. If it makes a difference in your quality of life- if it makes you a nicer mommy, it's worth a little sacrifice here and there, surely? You just have to make it a priority, like doing Maths, and then it will happen.