TheAutumnOak Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I can never start school the day after Labor Day because two of my sons birthdays are ALWAYS that week (9/4 and 9/9)...DH vacations that week to be home for the boys birthdays, so no starting school that week...I am trying to decide if we are going to wait until the week after or start in August and just vacation that week....I wanted to start this week, but all of my books aren't here yet and it is still a lot of stuff going on for us this week with friends and fairs... Any opinions on a when to start?...I am afraid if I wait until the week after vacation, I won't finish until July, but I don't want to start now :tongue_smilie:...The Hive always gives me different ideas to consider :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Schools around here started this week, but they end at the end of May. I say start now whatever you have, then take your week off in September, and by time that's over, you'll certainly have everything and can start whatever didn't get started earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetBean Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I would just wait another week to start. I can't bear to start school before Labor Day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I agree, wait a week to gather your thoughts and just start what you already have. Then start other things as they come in or as you are ready for them. We'll be starting after Labor Day. We're visiting dh's family the last full week of August, I'll spend one week with last preparations, and be ready to start after Labor Day. We're already working on math and will start back with spelling and handwriting next week. but will wait on pretty much everything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sncstraub Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I would start now with whatever you already have. We actually started yesterday. I always prefer to start toward the beginning of August so that we can take decent breaks throughout the year and still finish by Memorial Day. The schools around here always begin the week of Labor Day, and they didn't finish this year until June 24th! That was with barely any snow days, too. I much prefer to be done before June, but that's just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 What if you started on the 22nd with what you have, and just kept it light from then thru that week in Sept, actually only taking off the boys' b-days? Maybe just do two hours of school, with nothing on their days? That would give you 14 "extra" days to do math and get started on spelling, or something like that (don't know what you have on hand). Be done by, say, 10:30 each of the 4 days dh is home--the rest of the day is yours to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaJo Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 The schools here don't start until Sept 6. Since my kids play sports we tend to roughly follow the school schedule. Do what ever is easiest for you. It is one of the primary benefits of homeschooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 We are starting the 22nd. So ofcourse that is a good day ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 We are in the same boat. We are on vacation Labor Day weekend and my husband is out of town for a few days starting the very day we get home. :glare: And 2 of my kids have dentist appointments later in the week. So....although I had planned to start when our ps starts (Aug. 29), I might just start doing core subjects (math, dictation, some grammar, etc.) and wait until the week after labor day to start full swing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trishalinn Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I decided to start gradually this year... so we started one subject a couple of weeks ago and are up to 2 subjects now. We'll add another subject either next week or the week after. I plan on being "full speed ahead" by the day after Labor Day. I've never done it this way, but am hoping it will help me to feel like we have more flexibility during the school year since we got a head start on a few subjects! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegularMom Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Same boat here. My 10yo turns 11 on 9/4. RegularDad is taking vacation the week of August 29, so I can't start that week anyway, even though that's when the district starts, because we're going camping for half the week. So, I'm going to start on August 15. This past year, we started the same day as the district did, but we took so much extra time off, that we ended up working through mid-July, which everyone detested. But I made them slog through it, because I want them to see WHY we start in mid-August. (sigh) So, August 15 it is. We'll work 2 weeks and then take a week off right when the district starts. It's as good a way of easing back in as any, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enviromommy Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I can never start school the day after Labor Day because two of my sons birthdays are ALWAYS that week (9/4 and 9/9)...DH vacations that week to be home for the boys birthdays, so no starting school that week...I am trying to decide if we are going to wait until the week after or start in August and just vacation that week....I wanted to start this week, but all of my books aren't here yet and it is still a lot of stuff going on for us this week with friends and fairs... Any opinions on a when to start?...I am afraid if I wait until the week after vacation, I won't finish until July, but I don't want to start now :tongue_smilie:...The Hive always gives me different ideas to consider :001_smile: I'm glad I'm not the only one going back and forth with decisions like this! I haven't read the other responses, so sorry if I'm missing information you gave, but if you start in August, when would you start? Like right now? If you are ready to start, I'd say as long as you get at least 2 or 3 weeks of school in before that week, it's worth it to start now and then take a vacation. Taking vacation for birthdays seems more exciting than just having off because you haven't started school yet, if you know what I mean. Also, a late start would, for me personally, make me nervous about getting behind. We have been trying to work over the summer whatever weeks are available. For DD it's been very little, because she's had ice skating camp and theater camp. For the DSs, they've had more school time, and right now we are in a two-week "school" mode, which will be followed by a two week "vacation mode" the last two weeks of August, so we can make the most of the pool when DDs camp is over. Good luck deciding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidiKC Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Schools around here started this week, but they end at the end of May. I say start now whatever you have, then take your week off in September, and by time that's over, you'll certainly have everything and can start whatever didn't get started earlier. :iagree: Our schools here start next week and are out in May. Any school I've ever gone to has started in August and ended in May. I can't even imagine going into June. That would depress the heck out of me! But anyway, I'd at least get started with some of the stuff you have, especially the stuff that is easier to teach. What a fun birthday week for your kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdalley Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 We've been doing math and Lang arts all summer but we aren't starting new stuff until after Labor Day. Golf tournament season is winding up, my Mom's surgery... It just works better to wait this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketgirl Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 (edited) If you're ready, you can start "school" without your books. I was all set to start Aug 22 with my books & schedule (when our local school starts), but found out we'll be moving that very week. So now we won't start fully with our books & schedule til after Labor Day (which is a short week anyway). But we can start gradually before then with some projects like, like the tadpoles that I hope will arrive soon :) Edited August 10, 2011 by rocketgirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketgirl Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I also tend to count a weekend or vacation day here and there because my kids are always doing things I count as "educational". So we end up ahead anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted August 10, 2011 Author Share Posted August 10, 2011 Same boat here. My 10yo turns 11 on 9/4. Wow, we gave birth on the exact same day!...Labor Day 2000!...My 10yo turns 11 on 9/4 :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted August 10, 2011 Author Share Posted August 10, 2011 I am going to start on the 15th (Monday)...The TOG books I needed came yesterday, so everything I need in the first at least 3 weeks I have here now... Anything that is a full 36 week program like TOG and Elemental Science I am starting on Monday...The other stuff that works out to less than 36 weeks I may start on the 29th so I don't feel so overwhelmed about starting everything now...DH helped me organize the schoolroom (he is much better at organization than I am), and that saved me a ton of prep work I still had to do...I only have to put minor things away now...It would have taken me about a week to do what we got done together in only 2 hours...He also set up my TOG binders while I was still working :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegularMom Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 That is so cool! What time was your son born? My dd was born at 5:01 am. (Mountain time - we were in Colorado then.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegularMom Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Last week I decluttered the dining area, where we school. I tossed most of last year's papers and took down all the posters and such. Now I'm slowly adding in what we need to start next week. I should probably stop hanging out here and go work on that some more pretty soon. (sigh... just one more cuppa...) It looks like we'll do 4-day weeks starting on the 15th. We've got some summer party stuff still in the works, but I still want to get started. Not sure if we'll get history and science going, but I'd like to try, since those are the two we were most behind on at the end of this past year. I must. get. motivated. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted August 10, 2011 Author Share Posted August 10, 2011 That is so cool! What time was your son born? My dd was born at 5:01 am. (Mountain time - we were in Colorado then.) My son was born 10:19am Eastern Standard Time...Your dd was born first :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegularMom Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Only by a few hours, though. If you'd said 7:01 am, that would have freaky, wouldn't it? Still... Labor Day babies are fun, yes? Well, of course, all babies are fun, but I did get a kick out of a coworker saying to me a couple days prior to the 4th: "What are YOU waiting for?" (Insensitive, I know! He thought he was being soooo witty.) And I looked at him all coolly and said, "Labor Day. DUH." And whaddaya know??? Labor Day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted August 11, 2011 Author Share Posted August 11, 2011 Well, of course, all babies are fun, but I did get a kick out of a coworker saying to me a couple days prior to the 4th: "What are YOU waiting for?" (Insensitive, I know! He thought he was being soooo witty.) And I looked at him all coolly and said, "Labor Day. DUH." And whaddaya know??? Labor Day! :lol: I was due 4 weeks later, so I was rather shocked with my Labor Day delievery!...He was my first and I hadn't even had my baby shower yet ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Another option would be to start after the birthdays and just double up. If I see that their scheduled reading lesson is really light, I'll plan for two that day. A little extra here and there means extra leeway for holidays (school in December usually doesn't go well here) and unexpected things like time off for sickness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I'd start the Monday after Labor Day (as long as all of your books have arrived). Happy birthdays to your dc! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaWood Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I would start now with what you have, so you can have more breaks throughout the year. That's what I am doing. The last couple of years I have started after Labor Day, and we have had so few breaks, that it has been stressful for me. And I don't want to go until the end of June, personally. Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegularMom Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 :lol: I was due 4 weeks later, so I was rather shocked with my Labor Day delievery!...He was my first and I hadn't even had my baby shower yet ;) See now, this is just weird. My dd was early too. Her due date was Sept. 23, IIRC. But I was bed rested at 31 weeks with her, to prevent preterm labor. At 36 weeks, they let me get up off the couch, saying if I had her at that point, she'd be okay. She was born about 2 days after that. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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