Ok, now that she is signed up, help me figure out HOW to fit in school

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Ok, you can see dd8th grades FULL schedule in my siggy. Now, after today she is signed up for an outside art class, computer class, vocal class (choir) and courtroom re-enactment class. The classes alternate and it will amount to 2 hours a day. (only about 10 mins drive time each way so not a big deal there)

 

PLUS she is in 4H, she is an Awana Leader (for cubbies :001_smile:) she has youth group and she plays Volleyball (that is the shortest commitment thank goodness!)

 

 

Now that its all said and done, and I am looking at schedules I am going :willy_nilly: trying to figure out when and how to actually get school done :001_huh:

 

 

And they worry about homeschoolers not getting enough social interaction..... ugh

 

So, my thoughts- we do not have the schedule for the Choir, Art, Computers or Courtroom re-enactments. Those are all at the same place (2 classes alternate every other day) so I am going to try for around noon or early afternoon.

 

Bible, Math, English, MOH, Science and vocabulary before the outside classes then MFW ECC together as a family after outside classes?

 

Please tell me now if I am a complete fool for signing her up for everything. But do it nicely- Volleyball practice is at 5:30am so I am exhausted already :001_huh: It's going to be a long year :001_huh:

Edited August 15, 2011 by wy_kid_wrangler04

[RootAnn]

Well, look at it this way, by the end of the year, you two will either have figured out time management or learned not to repeat signing up for so much plus trying to get school done. :D

 

(And I have a similar though lesser problem this year due to three school-aged kids with their extra-curriculars, lots of great stuff planned for our local HS group, and weekly all-day trips to the Big City (1 1/2 hrs away) due to my family issues.)

[johnandtinagilbert]

Well, look at it this way, by the end of the year, you two will either have figured out time management or learned not to repeat signing up for so much plus trying to get school done. :D

 

(And I have a similar though lesser problem this year due to three school-aged kids with their extra-curriculars, lots of great stuff planned for our local HS group, and weekly all-day trips to the Big City (1 1/2 hrs away) due to my family issues.)

:lol::lol: for real!

 

I'm just telling you...ME TOO! I put all the info on the calendar and between dual enrollment at 2 schools (for sports), church, their schooling and my schooling....yeah, I'm over it already and we've only just begun! Lord help me! I do believe we are going to have to learn to do school on weekend evenings if necessary. I don't see any other way b/c of practices and obligations.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I'm just telling you...ME TOO! I put all the info on the calendar and between dual enrollment at 2 schools (for sports), church, their schooling and my schooling....yeah, I'm over it already and we've only just begun! Lord help me! I do believe we are going to have to learn to do school on weekend evenings if necessary. I don't see any other way b/c of practices and obligations.

 

 

 

Atleast I am not alone :lol:

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Well, look at it this way, by the end of the year, you two will either have figured out time management or learned not to repeat signing up for so much plus trying to get school done. :D

 

(And I have a similar though lesser problem this year due to three school-aged kids with their extra-curriculars, lots of great stuff planned for our local HS group, and weekly all-day trips to the Big City (1 1/2 hrs away) due to my family issues.)

 

 

 

:lol: Exactly!

 

 

Do you live by us?? LOL We have an hour and a half drive to the big city also! Thats for decently priced groceries and everything :001_huh:

[KarenNC]

:lol: Exactly!

 

 

Do you live by us?? LOL We have an hour and a half drive to the big city also! Thats for decently priced groceries and everything :001_huh:

 

How much can they do in the car? I only have one, so we just pop audiobooks in the cd drive---with more that may require individual devices. That's how I tend to get some of the historical fiction in the mix and how we covered books for the book group I co-led last year. If you have the space, I just picked up a light plastic lapdesk thing at Michaels with deep pockets on each side. Lot of math homework can be done in an hour and a half.

 

For my 6th grader, I'm trying to set up a schedule where we do instruction all at once, then give her the parts of the work that she can do independently to do as "homework." We're set up for a science class x2/month, art class, PE class, Science Olympiad (these three weekly, but at same location), Girl Scouts, park day weekly, skating x1/month, church, youth group, book group, aikido x1/week. Because I coordinate our day of classes this year, she will be there with me on Tuesdays from 9-3:30, but only in class 3.5 hours of that. She will have some time for lunch, but will also be taking assignments to do while there. Luckily we now have a laptop if I need to bring it, though they don't have wi-fi yet, so no Spanish online class that day.

 

On the plus side, I did say no to 4H, Battle of the Books, First Lego League, and several other activities. That's progress, right?:tongue_smilie:

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

How much can they do in the car? I only have one, so we just pop audiobooks in the cd drive---with more that may require individual devices. That's how I tend to get some of the historical fiction in the mix and how we covered books for the book group I co-led last year. If you have the space, I just picked up a light plastic lapdesk thing at Michaels with deep pockets on each side. Lot of math homework can be done in an hour and a half.

 

For my 6th grader, I'm trying to set up a schedule where we do instruction all at once, then give her the parts of the work that she can do independently to do as "homework." We're set up for a science class x2/month, art class, PE class, Science Olympiad (these three weekly, but at same location), Girl Scouts, park day weekly, skating x1/month, church, youth group, book group, aikido x1/week. Because I coordinate our day of classes this year, she will be there with me on Tuesdays from 9-3:30, but only in class 3.5 hours of that. She will have some time for lunch, but will also be taking assignments to do while there. Luckily we now have a laptop if I need to bring it, though they don't have wi-fi yet, so no Spanish online class that day.

 

On the plus side, I did say no to 4H, Battle of the Books, First Lego League, and several other activities. That's progress, right?:tongue_smilie:

 

Oh I forgot about book club. Thanks for the reminder :001_huh: :lol: That does not include any activities with the homeschool group. They do ATLEAST 1 activity a week.

[Rhonda in TX]

This is when I break out the post-it notes. Each post-it a half-hour time period. I write down subjects on them. Some will take more than one post-it. Some less. I then start shuffling them around, trying to make everything fit.

 

I could never do your schedule, but I'm an introvert who can't handle being on the go that much. I put the "home" in "homeschooling". :) Some people thrive on that kind of schedule, though, so more power to you!

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

 

I could never do your schedule, but I'm an introvert who can't handle being on the go that much. I put the "home" in "homeschooling". :) Some people thrive on that kind of schedule, though, so more power to you!

 

 

I am VERY much an introvert also- unfortunately my kids and hubby are VERY much extroverts :glare: Figures

[KarenNC]

I am VERY much an introvert also- unfortunately my kids and hubby are VERY much extroverts :glare: Figures

 

I feel for you. My husband and I are very much introverts (he more so than I), but our daughter is inexplicably very extroverted. That's the primary reason she went to preschool. I had to find someone else to be the recipient of all that extrovertedness for at least a few hours a week so that I could survive. There were many days I felt physically assaulted by sound.

 

For her birthday, she wanted to go to the local outlet mall on Saturday of tax free weekend to go shopping with her girlfriend...along with about a bazillion others (the mall was also having a super sale--:eek:). Since they are 10 and 11, they needed transportation and a chaperone.

 

When I told my husband this, he got a deer in the headlights look. I told him I would go and he didn't have to. His response was, "Thank the Gods! I promise I'll do something nice for you, but... thank the Gods!":)

[johnandtinagilbert]

This is when I break out the post-it notes. Each post-it a half-hour time period. I write down subjects on them. Some will take more than one post-it. Some less. I then start shuffling them around, trying to make everything fit.

 

I could never do your schedule, but I'm an introvert who can't handle being on the go that much. I put the "home" in "homeschooling". :) Some people thrive on that kind of schedule, though, so more power to you!

Post-it-notes are my favorite way to figure out schedules. It works great for overall high school planning, too.

 

I am VERY much an introvert also- unfortunately my kids and hubby are VERY much extroverts :glare: Figures

:iagree:

 

I feel for you. My husband and I are very much introverts (he more so than I), but our daughter is inexplicably very extroverted. That's the primary reason she went to preschool. I had to find someone else to be the recipient of all that extrovertedness for at least a few hours a week so that I could survive. There were many days I felt physically assaulted by sound.

 

For her birthday, she wanted to go to the local outlet mall on Saturday of tax free weekend to go shopping with her girlfriend...along with about a bazillion others (the mall was also having a super sale--:eek:). Since they are 10 and 11, they needed transportation and a chaperone.

 

When I told my husband this, he got a deer in the headlights look. I told him I would go and he didn't have to. His response was, "Thank the Gods! I promise I'll do something nice for you, but... thank the Gods!":)

:lol::lol::lol: HILARIOUS!

[RootAnn]

:lol: Exactly!

 

Do you live by us?? LOL We have an hour and a half drive to the big city also! Thats for decently priced groceries and everything :001_huh:

 

Yep, groceries & shoes.

 

How much can they do in the car?.... Lot of math homework can be done in an hour and a half.

 

We usually listen to audiobooks on our drives & review latin vocab (the latter which takes about 10 min). I wish we could get other written work done in the car, but so far they all take after me & get car-sick if they try to read, write, or draw while riding. :eek:

 

I could never do your schedule, but I'm an introvert who can't handle being on the go that much. I put the "home" in "homeschooling". :) Some people thrive on that kind of schedule, though, so more power to you!

 

The horrible thing is that I'm the type who can't have more than one activity on the calendar per week without feeling overloaded. I can't stand the on-the-go schedules and would rather curl up with a book than be with people. This year will really test my sanity.

[Rhonda in TX]

I am VERY much an introvert also- unfortunately my kids and hubby are VERY much extroverts :glare: Figures

 

Oh, dear. I am so, so sorry. You're a good mom, though. I don't know if I could do it.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Oh, dear. I am so, so sorry. You're a good mom, though. I don't know if I could do it.

 

 

Remind me of that in a few weeks :001_huh: I have never had such a busy schedule before. I like my homeschool with once weekly or bi-weekly trips to the library and this is going to rock my whole world. Ugh

[jjins]

This is when I break out the post-it notes. Each post-it a half-hour time period. I write down subjects on them. Some will take more than one post-it. Some less. I then start shuffling them around, trying to make everything fit.

 

I could never do your schedule, but I'm an introvert who can't handle being on the go that much. I put the "home" in "homeschooling". :) Some people thrive on that kind of schedule, though, so more power to you!

 

 

This is the BEST idea I have ever heard! I am going to schedule this way this year. TY

[Ali in OR]

I haven't totally figured out how to fit everything in, but I have made myself a visual map of our week. In excel, I made a column that shows time of day in 15 minute increments. It starts at 6 am and goes to 8 pm. The next 5 columns are the days of the week. Then I blocked out our known activities in different colors. I will be taking my 6th grader to the public school for band everyday--with travel time that's a 1.5 hour yellow chunk through the middle of the day all week. One dd has ballet MW from 6-7:30, one has it TTh from 4:30 to 6--those are pink boxes on the map. Piano lessons are blocked out in orange. I blocked out the time it takes me to get up, exercise, shower, and eat breakfast. Etc. Anything that is still white is our home school time. It shows me that our best chunks of time will be mornings--I've got to make the most of those. With band, we'll be out of the house everyday.

 

My kids got backpacks for the first time ever because I anticipate that we'll be taking the home school show on the road. When dd is in band, her sister and I may be in the car doing math. When band is over, we may head to the library for an hour before I pick up my oldest from school. The band girl may need to do schoolwork late in the afternoon when her sister is at ballet. I don't think I'm going to schedule out when we do each subject because I like some flexibility, but I do think we'll have to discipline ourselves a bit more to use the time that we have well.

[katilac]

A very busy 8th grader, who is 4 grades above the next kid? Keep her on her own (ie ditch MFW as a family class). With that kind of schedule, she is going to need to work when and where she can, and that is much easier to do if she can work on her own, much harder to do if you are trying to work as a family every day. Instead, I would work on making sure that she has opportunity for discussion at other times (ie, just with you, with both parents at the dinner table, etc).

 

I don't think keeping her folded into MFW is going to save time in this case, and I think the discussion benefits are more limited when she is that much older than the other kids.