Critterfixer Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 Which it does, for me.... What are your plans for making the day a) shorter, thereby enabling one to (insert domestic activity here) b) more organized, thereby enabling one to (you get the idea) c) more synchronized, (for example the fifteen minute break after math is start dishes, move laundry over, feed chickens, etc.) d) more relaxing, short of major chemical intervention. It seems to me that it might be a useful exercise to discuss the options for survival for the school year. I'm thinking on how to achieve a-d, and compiling a list. I'm interested in suggestions. Since this is the curriculum board, perhaps people with instructor-heavy programs or those with children needing a lot of guidance could also share how they manage to achieve a balance between the higher calling of teaching and the mundane fact that Mount Washmore must be dealt with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenjenn Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 (edited) We arguably take "all day" but I think our days achieve what I want. Our schedule: 9am - lunch - Core subjects (math, writing, grammar/spelling) After lunch - 3 pm - anything from PE class, to history, read-alouds, science experiments, art projects, etc. Plus - carschooling everywhere we go (usually this is my time to perform informal oral quizzes of math facts, history facts, and spelling.) I really feel our days are enjoyable and not stressed at all. I didn't even stop to think in terms of it feeling like it takes all day (except for the fact that NOTHING ELSE gets done around here.. housework, etc.) And on days when I am FORCED to do housework (company coming or something), I feel it take a dent in the school day, kwim? But the stress itself of schooling is minimal, and I feel everyone is happy and learning including me. And if we have to cut school short to get stuff done around the house, I'm OK with that too. I'm not going to lose any sleep if we stop school after lunch in order to attend to other responsibilities... I have young kids though - 1st and 3rd grade. I would *like* to think that by the time when they are of age where we need to bring it up a notch, they will also be old enough that I can leave them home alone to work on an essay (or whatever) while I run errands. Even now part of what I consider an end-game goal is to get them able to study and produce work independently by middle school (not entirely devoid of guidance, but not with my *constant* guidance either.) Edited October 10, 2011 by zenjenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 a) To make my day shorter, I have decided that "non-core" subjects will happen weekly. They weren't getting done anyway (because I must drop school and clean once the house gets to the point that I can't walk across a room without tripping over stuff) , so I figure concentrating on history or science for an hour or so once a week is better than the alternative (never getting to it). b) Workboxes! I love our workboxes. They have totally streamlined my day. I don't have to spend time hunting around for the right book or a sheet of paper, etc. It's totally worth the half-hour or so I spend filling them at night. c) :bigear: d) Paradoxically, I am more relaxed when I get up and get going--when I take responsibility for keeping everyone on task. On the days when I want to crawl back into bed and let the kids goof of for half the day...nothing gets done. And I get stressed and unhappy with how little is accomplished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrdinaryTime Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 I'm much better at home management than teaching. It is sooooo hard for me to let go of domestic tasks to homeschool. I've realized that my house needs to run fairly well, if I am actually going to successfully teach during the day. A few things I do: - I help children dress, make beds, and gather laundry BEFORE I go downstairs for the day. Once I make it downstairs, it is less likely I will go back up. Knowing that one floor of the house is clean and organized makes me feel better during the chaos of the day. - Upon going downstairs, I immediately take the laundry to the laundry room and start a load. Hopefully, this sets me up to switch the laundry to the dryer and start a new load after breakfast clean-up. If that happens, then the laundry will be dry and ready to fold during the morning school break and the second load enters the dryer. That load can get folded at lunch. I put it away at bedtime. If I do this during the school week, I stay pretty caught up on the laundry. - I try to clean-up messes as we go through the day in our main living area (kitchen, dining room, living room). This is where we school. We try to put books away and clean up activities as we go. It doesn't look perfect, but it is still peaceful enough that you want to be there. The downstairs play room can get and stay messy during the day. The kids pick it up every night before bed. - I found a deep cleaning schedule frustrating. Now I just tackle mopping the floor or cleaning the bathrooms on whatever day of the week happens to be a light one. Also, I keep disinfecting wipes under every sink in the house and wipe down counters/door handles/toilets whenever I happen to use that room. It takes two minutes and helps maintain the deep cleans longer. - I have very little clutter. I think this makes housekeeping much, much easier. The kids and I know where everything belongs and can put it away without much thinking or effort. Now don't talk to me about cooking and meals! I still haven't figured out that whole ball of wax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Well, we handle Mount Washmore by having tons of clothes :lol: I try to throw a load in in the morning and swap it out sometime during the day. Our schoolroom is next to our laundry room, so it's easy to stop in there and fold a load while DD9 is doing math drills or something. I'm having trouble in this area too, and I got some good advice on my other threads. My resolution for the coming week is to be better about getting up before the kids and going over the schoolwork for the day so I can be ready with each lesson as it comes up (rather than, say, fumbling over where to find the math worksheet from last time or where the remote control is so I can play our Latin DVD lesson!). I was also reminded that some things can be multitasked (e.g., reading WWE dictation for DD9 while prepping lunch). I need to find more of those things! For lunchtime right now, we have what I call a learning lunch. I pick a documentary, and for an hour (or slightly less), the girls park on a blanket in the living room and watch while I putter around and do some needed things--fiddle with the day's lesson plans, clean a few things up, prep for the afternoon, make phone calls, just have some time to myself, etc. I don't think we're going to be fitting quiet time in anytime soon, so this serves as that time for us instead. (Plus, it's practically the only TV content I get to choose anymore, but I'm not bitter or anything :glare::tongue_smilie:). I'm :bigear: for more ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 (edited) Which it does, for me.... What are your plans for making the day a) shorter, thereby enabling one to (insert domestic activity here) I have not found a way to make the day shorter. (If you find a wormhole, can you let me know? :D) Actually, that thread was spot on for me, as this is the first year that school is going into the afternoon. Our days are going much longer and maybe it's just the evolution of our own homeschool, but I find the kids are much happier. They are engaged and more content about learning than they have ever been before. b) more organized, thereby enabling one to (you get the idea) OK, we are definitely more organized this year. I made a schedule and we're sticking to it. In the morning, I wake up before the kids and have my coffee/e-mail/news/shower time. They get up and get a bit of play time before doing morning chores. Then we have breakfast and do circle time. Then I do all the group/content work with all three kids together. This is the fun stuff, although we do work some skill stuff in (WWE with science and history, for example). Then we break for lunch & lit (I read while they eat). After lunch, I do one hour of intensive one-on-one with each kid in the afternoon. During this time, the other two each have one hour of quiet play and/or quiet time in their rooms and one hour of time with Rosetta Stone and independent reading (or educational TV for DS5--he likes Between the Lions :D). It seems like a strange arrangement because most people do their skill work in the morning. I realized that I need energy for the fun stuff and to handle them (patiently!) as a group. In the morning, I have energy. In the afternoon, I want quiet and I'm out of energy. Sitting and doing work one-on-one with each child is actually quite serene. They give their best because I am right there, constantly teaching or right there next to them for questions when they are working on something. c) more synchronized, (for example the fifteen minute break after math is start dishes, move laundry over, feed chickens, etc.) I do this. I start a load of laundry when I wake up, move it after my shower and fold & put it away right before circle time. I also typically plan a week's worth of meals on Sunday and make sure everything is defrosted for efficiency during cooking. I have many recipes that take only 30 minutes or so though, and rely on those throughout the week. I also make sure that the last group thing the kids do in the morning ends with a project they can keep going on their own while I make lunch. I eat my lunch while they finish up at the table with no worries about them needing me, then we clear and they eat while I read. Also, I have two designated chore periods during the day and it is amazing what you can get accomplished if you deliberately set time aside and work. With good music, this can double as a workout. :tongue_smilie: d) more relaxing, short of major chemical intervention. My schedule and my acceptance of "it is what it is" has been the most relaxing thing for me this year. Since this is the curriculum board, perhaps people with instructor-heavy programs or those with children needing a lot of guidance could also share how they manage to achieve a balance between the higher calling of teaching and the mundane fact that Mount Washmore must be dealt with. As I said above, I work deliberately when it's chore time. I aim for speed and efficiency. Training the kids how to do specific chores was essential also. I give them detailed lists. DS8 is responsible for their bathroom. He deep cleans it once a week and spruces it up once a day. That alone is a huge load off me and takes him no more than 5 minutes a day and 30 minutes a week. Honestly, the biggest thing that has helped me strike a balance this was embracing school and home as a job. Seriously, 100% embracing it. I even bought an apron and call it my cape. Yes, seriously. :tongue_smilie: Edited October 10, 2011 by Alte Veste Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted October 10, 2011 Author Share Posted October 10, 2011 Here are a few things that I am currently doing. a) making the day shorter: integrate material and improve speed by creating more opportunity for practice during the day. It's not a wormhole, but I hope that more efficiency will equal less time in the long-run. I have an hFA child and his twin often has trouble with some of the aspects of narration. We recently started Aesop Writing and Jacob's Ladder for reading comprehension work, and low and behold, I can morph the two. FLL and KISS Grammar work well together with a little planning. Using Wheeler's Speller eliminated the need for copywork for penmanship practice. Currently I'm considering turning our history readings and science readings into Aesop models as well, hoping that the narration and comprehension practice will carry over into those subjects. b) organized: I simply don't have time or folders enough to do more than one day's material ahead of time. But I have decided that every evening is my homework night. During it I will file the day's work, and get my copies, workbooks, etc ready for the next day. I also am designating Saturday night as schedule night, where I write out the weeks work on a schedule for each boy. As far as it pertains to housework--I used to keep a Fly Lady control journal that really didn't work too well, as I always overbooked my time. But, I think if I simply divide the house into zones, and book an hour a day for a zone, it will improve the housekeeping. Decluttering doesn't hurt either. Then there will be less to organize. c)synchronized: I already do this, in that each break after two lesson sessions goes to a set activity. In this way the dishes, laundry, critters get the attention they need. d) more relaxing: Ah, now this is the big one. First: I'm making it a priority to get to bed by 10 on school-nights. This is hard for me, because quite frankly, I'd be happy if everyone wanted to do school around midnight. I'm a freakishly nocturnal night-owl. Second: I'm making time for me in the schedule. I need time to write creatively, bake my bread, fiddle around with new recipes and read, read, read, not to mention there's that Latin I'm working on. So now books for Mom are going on the library list every week, and I plan to devote more time to taking care of my mind. Third: less chemical intervention. Typically I require a jolt of caffeine in the morning to get going, and as I don't remember to eat when I should, I'm prone to taking more caffeine than I should. But it makes me irritable. So I need to cut back. I even bought an apron and call it my cape. Yes, seriously. I'm actually considering a wardrobe that is specific to my work here at home. The right clothes are helpful for creating a sense of purpose. I know that when I choose what I want to wear here at home, instead of just trying to find something clean, the whole day feels like it will go according to plan. Not that it always does, but at least there is a chance of that happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 The right clothes are helpful for creating a sense of purpose. I know that when I choose what I want to wear here at home, instead of just trying to find something clean, the whole day feels like it will go according to plan. Not that it always does, but at least there is a chance of that happening. :iagree: and a shower. Showering and getting dressed head to toe makes me feel like I'm ready for anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurtis75 Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 I just downloaded Marilyn Rockett's book "Homeschooling at the Speed of Life" bok to my iPad to read because I'm struggling with these issues too. I saw her speak at a conference in May and really enjoyed it but I'm just now getting around to buying her book. So farbit's a goof read with some good tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 We school from 8-3/4pm most days, and this is with making it as short as possible. But it flows well for us, and none of the time feels wasted. All prep is done beforehand - all copies, all gathering of materials, everything - is put together one one bookcase and labeled by subject so he knows what to grab that day. We go over the planner first thing in the morning so independent work is fully explained at that time and he can start it whenever he wants. Subjects with me wait until I have a break from baby and housework. I have house rules that now include everyone getting dressed first thing (it makes us all more in the work mood) and routine chores at certain times of the day: morning has me throwing in a load of laundry and emptying the dishwasher as I wait for coffee and breakfast. Naptime I switch it to the dryer and fold laundry from the day before to take it upstairs. We have the world's smallest washer so doing a load a day barely keeps us going, but that's what the weekend's for. The Kid does his own laundry on one day of the week. More organized and predictable = more relaxing for us all. We have more time when we're not stressed about playing catch up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 One thing that has helped me is I took my top tasks and assigned them each a day (floors, laundry, kitchen counters, bathrooms, laundry). Those are the things that bug me the most and now I know what day to tackle them - yes, laundry gets two days. None of this is exclusive or set in stone, but if I notice Sunday night that the kids' room is cluttered and dusty I know that I will tackle that particular floor come Monday. So, I don't do the whole house - but once I've done "enough" I can log onto here for a while, or read a book, or whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketgirl Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 When I thought about this new year including all 4 of my children & all of the goals that we had for them, I made a detailed schedule to prove to myself that yes, it was possible to include every single subject that I wanted & that yes, I could meet with each child individually, every day for things like Math, Spelling, Writing, etc. But to actually follow the schedule now, with our crazy life, sets us up failure every day that we don't "start" at 8:00, every day that we don't "do" History, etc. So last week, I decided to switch to an every other day plan for Science/Social Studies, Grammar/Vocabulary, Art/Music. I also decided that we will start when we are ready. Every day is not the same here. M-F are not one way, with Saturday & Sunday "weekends". My husband's schedule makes Monday & Tuesday his weekend, when we'd be trying to get our week going. Saturday and Sunday were our weekends, etc. So anyway, starting when we are "ready" may be a different time every day but we are ready & it has been more positive. I have one who is a very motivated self starter (I can hear her emptying the dishwasher when I'm still in bed!) so some of her work she starts "independently" then she can "play" on the computer (one of the preselected ed. websites). Also since my state only requires an average of 4 hours per day, yet doesn't require me to report it, I stopped counting hours every day past 4 and switched to calling ourselves Year Round. That took the pressure of huge artificial time constraints off and lets us just learn. Its still early, although after so much time pondering these issues & finally making changes, its feeling like what we wanted from homeschooling, time to master material, time to go off on tangents if we want, freedom to stop and google for more information at that very moment that we want & need it (like last week while discussing the "Boston Massacre" my child asked "Who were the people who were killed that day?") and being able to encourage fun in & love of learning, the learning that happens all day long, not just during "school" time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 For us a couple things help 1. We work in the kitchen first thing in the morning so I can start laundry, throw dinner in the crockpot (really important) and start some laundry while they work. 2. The kids have definite chores which frees me up from taking care of pets, trash, recycling, and cleaning up lunch. 3. At 3:30 we drop whatever we're doing and pick up, vacuum, put away and generally tidy up. That 15 minutes of their help saves me 45 minutes. Many hands, etc. My youngest 4 are the only ones home during the day for this. I could probably be more efficient if the olders were around. Oh, and I try to do errands on the same day ( that doesn't always work and throws me off). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Our "school day" takes all day and often dd is finishing up some subjects in the evenings while watching a brother's sports practice but this is because she spends quite a few hours practicing violin during the day. A typical day for us looks something like this. 6-8am...I get up, pack boys lunches for school, answer emails and check this board (LOL) then get the boys off to school and give dd breakfast. 8am...shower, gather up laundry to start, wipe up bathrooms, and tell dd to get dressed and do her practicing that does not require me to be present. 8:30-9am Clean up kitchen while listening to dd doing above said practice, start laundry, then begin schoolwork with her. She usually does math first followed by whatever she decides to do next. 10:30am Turn over laundry then sit with dd while she practices some more. 11:30am Make lunch, sit dd down with PLATO science and she eats, listens, and takes notes. (On alternate days we read history during lunch.) 1-1:30pm Dd practices some more fiddling which doesn't require me and classical which does. When not needed, I might start dinner in the crock pot or get some dinner prep done and change over or fold laundry (I do a lot of laundry. Ugh!) 3pm One boy gets home from school. At 3:30 I pick up the other boy from his working out. Then prepare dinner early enough for them to eat before running off to practices. Dd has some free time to do what she wants. Rest of schoolwork done in the evening while at boys' practices. Home from practice at 8 or 9 depending which one we took and the kids practice music together for about 30-45 min. Then showers, snacks, and bed. This is an ideal day at home...but unfortunately many of our days have a lesson or orchestra rehearsal built in so don't run like this and the first thing to get left out is the housecleaning/laundry. Some ways I shorten things...history and science are done on alternating days and we work more on reading/writing (though often done together focus on one more than the other) on alternate days. This year dd has been able to do more and more schoolwork independently so I use that time to get things done especially if our upcoming weekend is too full. Major house cleaning is done with the whole family pitching in on the weekend. Husband takes care of the outside chores like mowing grass and the garden mostly. If the boys have off school or our weekend is not too packed I get done other jobs I might want to do like cleaning out closets or the basement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 What are your plans for making the day a) shorter, thereby enabling one to (insert domestic activity here) We "do school" 9am-5pm. We have fitness activities most nights 5:30pm-8:30ish (includes driving) I have no plans to make our study hours shorter. What are your plans for making the day b) more organized, thereby enabling one to (you get the idea) I have a time map/schedule. I also keep track of how we actually spend each day. We remind ourselves that how we spend our days is how we spend our lives. What are your plans for making the day c) more synchronized, (for example the fifteen minute break after math is start dishes, move laundry over, feed chickens, etc.) Dishes and laundry must keep moving every day. I average 2 loads of laundry and dishes every day. I do them morning, evening and during breaks as needed. Quick tidy times happen morning, evening and during breaks. Picking up after ourselves ideally happens all the time. Grocery store, errands and household projects on Saturday Major household cleaning on Sunday We spend several hours in the kitchen on Sunday preparing meals for the entire week. Our lessons are parent intensive--either with actual teaching/discussing/checking work/helping or just being in the same room to keep her on track. When she is working independently, I have computer time, pay bills, work on lesson planning or do my own reading/studies. We don't own a TV or play computer games. Free time is spent reading, playing outside etc. What are your plans for making the day d) more relaxing, short of major chemical intervention. I agree with Bonnie d) Paradoxically, I am more relaxed when I get up and get going--when I take responsibility for keeping everyone on task. On the days when I want to crawl back into bed and let the kids goof of for half the day...nothing gets done. And I get stressed and unhappy with how little is accomplished. In addition to the above, I try to plan a few minutes for personal projects several evenings a week right before bedtime. A few minutes of something done frequently is better than an hour every few months. I also try to go outside for a few minutes at noontide and read whenever I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 Warning: My life is by far not perfect. 1) We do all chores first thing in the morning. Chores meaning basic necessity which are: clean clothes, clean dishes, clean garbage cans, clean floors and bathrooms. 2)After the kids get up, go to the bathroom and get dressed but before they eat breakfast or do anything else: they do the chores. They each get a chore or two or else I will go nuts. 3) Each child gets trained in this chore for years or else they really never master it and never do it to the way it needs to be done. 4)If the chore is not done well, they stick with that chore until it is done well for a long period of time. 5) One child does laundry which includes bringing it down downstairs, putting it in the washer and putting the days before clothes in dryer, bringing it upstairs and sorting and putting in the clean clothes bucket for each individual to put away on their own time. 6)dishes child empty dishes and puts away, scrapes scraps in garbage, rinses, places in dishwasher, load dishwasher 7)bathroom child-goes through the bathroom and do an initial clean up-picks up toilet paper scraps, towels, wipes counter down a bit 8)floor child-does the floors-sweeps, mops, vacumn 9)garbage child-take garbage and recycling and compost out AND then we are done! Throughout the day we just make sure to put back what we took out-around noonish and 3pm and around 6pm and 9pm We do not do beds, I do not fold etc. Just the bare minimum to keep CPS away. Now I have a list of things they can get paid for --extras like clean out car, mirrors and windows, microwave, stove, refrigerator, dust the screens in the house, When they are bored and want to earn some money they go to that list and do it. I do the heavier stuff once a week when husband is home. Once the bare minimum chores are done, we school. I find there are seasons for everything. We can;t do everything everyday. I save some extras for holidays and summer time. It is tempting to do it all but you can't. This last semester we spent a lot of time driving. I really dont; want to do that again but I have to for one more semester. My son is in speech therapy and this is the year I would like for him to get his speech situation down solid. So we cut out a bunch of stuff, Besides I have no idea what the National Test will be like this year. I have no idea how to even prepare for it. We were told our charter school will test each kid this year in either math or language arts. Don;t know which subject for which kids and it will be online. I am not going to even stress about it. Just have a fun homeschooling year doing whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share Posted December 19, 2013 Wow, old thread! If I only knew then what I know now.... :laugh: Sometimes it is cool to see an old thread pop up at the end of a year so one can look back and reflect on the lessons one has learned since it was written. Day planned-check. Every day. Organized-check. I know exactly what I'll be doing and when, and I'm flexible enough to bend where I need to. Synchronized-check. I know when I'm changing laundry, when I'm walking dogs, and what I can do during a 15 minute break. Relaxing time-check and double check. I didn't understand then the power of exercise. I couldn't do much because I was so sick all the time. Diet change and almost 40 lbs lighter now, walking 2 miles 6 days a week, running...and best of all, always having a neat, clean house at the end of the day makes for a relaxed Mom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marlowefamily Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 I've been learning that managing schedule/ensuring stuff gets done each day just takes a bunch of iteration and time to get right. When one starts homeschooling, he/she is tempted to make it like real school with a defined start and stop point and leaving the weekends free. Then, one gets ambitious at the start of the year....one comes up with complicated schedules and many subjects/books/etc. What seems to be working long term here is: a) Get the kids motivated to do their work, define a minimal set of work they kids can start on their own each morning - restrict key fun activities like touching the computer until _after_ they have finished completing their minimal do-on-their-own coursework. b) There may be more sports and social activities and less schoolwork going on during weekends, but one shouldn't consciously treat any day different from any other. Kids thrive on a regular schedule and part of the key avoiding burnout is to keep school days as short of possible, which means doing a little bit every day. c) Integrate school with life - there are no defined start and stop times for school during the day, except that I expect the boys to do their chores and other obligations as soon as they wake up and to spend their last hour of the day reading and spending quiet/other time in their room. d) Define the subjects/areas that you know you will need to interactively teach, that require in depth focus, additional audio-visual materials, or that will not be completed every day. Create a dedicated daily block of 1-2hrs to teach these. For myself, I let the kids spend 9am-noon doing the minimal work, let the kids have up to 1hr for lunch and to go to the park, and then dedicated 1-3pm for english grammer, dictation, essay writing, history, and science. e) Ensure that there is a dedicated block of time late in the day for exercise, socialization, and sports - kids need to burn off energy, stay in shape, and have fun to stay motivated and healthy. But, they need to realize that fun happens after they do their work. So, sometimes between 3-5pm for our family, the academics end and the kids go off to the park again, swim, have lego robotics playdates, or just go upstairs to play wii u sports/fit. f) If there is any TV, it is via tablet and limited to 30 minutes to 1hr in the evening. The kids can alternatively play computer games, but only after all other activities are complete and not at the expense of reading time. We try to limit games to classics, exercise, or very strategic thinking types...no minecraft, no shooting pvp...so lately it is chess, bridge, stratego, or wii u. g) There is a tendency that the more one home schools to become more tolerant of the juvenile behaviour at home - after all, you need the childs cooperation the rest of the day to keep them learning. That is exactly the opposite of what is needed... stay strict but with a clear set of unchanging rules..the kids will eventually adopt the behavioural standards you set as their normal. It can take almost a year after the child leaves public school to stabilize, but eventually one can see a marked shift. h) Otherwise, let the kids control their own time. Treat them like mini-adults. You may be their demanding boss, but when they've delivered their work products and met expectations for the day..it is time to let them have their freedom. i) The long term hard stuff like science really needs the parent to focus on developing the childs interest in the subject and continuing to make activities and resources to explore that interest available. The teaching and books are still important, but are essentially worthless without the child developing the interest in the subject and finding his own value for what he is learning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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