NightOwlMama Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Needing any advice, encouragement etc. from any of you homeschooling veterans who have done it when you had an expected birth and then new baby during the school year. I'm a little nervous and not sure what to anticipate. :O This past year was my first at homeschooling and it didn't go even remotely as well as I wanted it to. It was a year of many changes and upheaval and that effected our schooling - things like getting out of the military, job change, moving and an unexpected pregnancy which, for the first time, made me so ill I was practically bedridden for 3 months:( The GOOD side is that my boys are young (4 and 5) and love imaginative play (we've had plenty of that), I STILL really want to continue homeschooling and I learned a lot from mistakes I made. I'm trying to plan this year for success - my boys will be K and K/1st. Baby #3 is due mid October. With my last child I had postpartum depression and I'm hoping I don't with this one. Is it really hard to juggle school with two excited, energetic boys and a new baby? I want this to be a good year of school for them. Also, we are in the DC area which is an awesome oppurtunity for great field trips but with my boys I had a good routine and naps - it will be hard to tromp around with a 5 & 6 yr old who don't need naps and constant feedings and a wee-folk who does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara in AZ Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Congrats on the new baby! I have found that it's never as bad homeschooling with a newborn as I expected it would be, even just recently when we added number four. There's a lot you can do while you're cuddling and nursing. It gets more difficult as they get bigger, of course. The biggest thing you have going for you, though, is no two year old! I had your spacing when number three came along and it wasn't so bad. This time around, it's the two year old that's kicking my bum. Enjoy that age gap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silliness7 Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Congratulations on your new little one. My experience has been to take a good 6-8 weeks off of schooling to get yourself feeling back to normal, for the family to get used to baby, for the baby to settle into a predictable routine and if you're very lucky....sleeping most of the night. In your shoes, I'd actually be schooling right now and then once baby came in October I would stop until after Christmas. But even if you don't feel up to doing much now, and I know towards the end it gets hard to keep up with many things, I'd still not start back til after Christmas. Your dc are so young and having a happy, healthy energetic momma would serve them better at this age than hitting the books through the crazy holiday season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Congratulations! Please take some time off to rest, take care of yourself after the birth, really put your feet up and enjoy the new baby time! The best way to heal after birth is to take a little time off! Read alouds. Arm yourself with read alouds for the boys - living science books, historical fiction, great biographies, etc. Books on Tape - Let them be your friend! Embrace a nature walk each day after the baby is a wee bit older. Truly, just getting outside and getting your Vitamin D and some fresh air will do you a world of good! Babies on field trips are a wonderful thing! Get a truly GREAT carrier (splurge!) and off you go! With baby tied on you can go anywhere this summer you'd like with a five year old and six year old. Both of your hands will be free and you won't be confined to a stroller!!! Consider your biggest priorities, after all they are only going to be 5 and 6. If you haven't looked much into Charlotte Mason, now might be a good time to embrace some of her ideas rather than overwhelming yourself with a lot of busy work with two busy little boys. Save that energy for where it's most needed and skip the silliness. Let them spend a lot of time out of doors. Take naps. Put your feet up. Let them hold the baby some. Pray your dh embraces grilling. :) You have permission to eat on paper plates, drink lots of water, and just enjoy the amazing gift of a new baby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 5 & 6 year olds. . . really only need to be reading (phonics lessons, reading alone to best of ability, hearing read alouds) and just a touch of math. I would plan to: + take 3-6 weeks OFF school after the birth just for fun family loving time + then resume just the BASICS only daily. == 20 min phonics lessons + 10-20 min reading to mom if they're doing that yet + listening to bedtime stories. == 10-20 minutes math daily + add other stuff only if everyone feels like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katherine A. Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Congratulations! It can be done, I was homeschooling a 1st grader, 3rd grader, 5th grader, 6th grader, 7th grader, and 9th grader I also had a 4 year old, 3 year old triplets, and newborn twins. We couldnt take time off, we toke off about 6 months when the triplets were born, we toke off about a month when we moved into are a built house to get everything orgainized, and we couldnt get off track with the 9th grader. We did have a stricter scheduler, and the 1st-6th graders used the same science. And they all used the same history, except the 9th grader. And all there other subjects were independent. When the kids were doing there independent work, i did preschool with the triplets and 4 year old. And even though it can be done, in your case you dont have too. Just take off the time and do what other people suggested (dont want to re-type everything when someone just posted it) ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Blue House Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 I agree with the others! Take some time off and ease back into school slowly. During our first year of homeschooling, we welcomed a new baby (Nov). We took the whole month of Dec off and slowly started back up with the basics in Jan. It was much easier than I was anticipating! When the newborn was awake, I held him while we did school and actually, most of the schooling happened during his many naps. We live in the DC area too, so we made it a priority to get out at least once a week and go do something fun. Even if it's just a walk around the Nat. Mall or something. Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Take some time off.At those ages, you can afford to take some time off. If you are worried about not covering skills, buy some computer games. I had my son doing Time4Learning.com when dd was a newborn. He was still learning, I could be next to him feeding baby (Or rocking or whatever). Honestly, other than being more tired with the baby, homeschooling with a baby was not that big of a deal. It began being troublesome after about age 18 months when she was fully mobile and into everything... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelanieM Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Congrats on the new baby! I have found that it's never as bad homeschooling with a newborn as I expected it would be, even just recently when we added number four. There's a lot you can do while you're cuddling and nursing. It gets more difficult as they get bigger, of course. The biggest thing you have going for you, though, is no two year old! I had your spacing when number three came along and it wasn't so bad. This time around, it's the two year old that's kicking my bum. Enjoy that age gap! Yes! We have the same ages of children; I'm expecting #4 in August. Having a 4 and 6 yr old with a newborn really wasn't that big a deal. In fact, it was my easiest baby transition so far! But I anticipate it being much more of a zoo with a 2 yr old in the mix this time around. :D At these ages I think the actual schooling is less of a worry (i.e. they really don't need much!) than having things to keep them occupied. I am planning ahead by stocking up file folders with worksheets (my kids love worksheets!), lapbook components already prepared and ready to go, and (hopefully) various things that will keep the toddler busy. I figure if I can open a folder and pull something it will be much more helpful than trying to actually plan something on the fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 I'm right there with you. I have a 7 year old, a 4 year old, and baby #3 due in October. I have no idea how to homeschool with a newborn! We are schooling right now (party to finish up school from last year because I had to take time off due to really bad morning sickness....and partly to get ahead for next year so that I can take time off in the fall). I like to idea of taking time off from baby's birth until the new year. I think I may do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phathui5 Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 I wouldn't worry about having a new baby in the house slowing down your homeschooling. Like the a previous poster said, a 5yo and 6yo don't need to be spending more than about 40 minutes on academic work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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