mo2 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 (edited) Suppose you found yourself in a situation where you had to work full time, from noon to 8 PM. Now, you *hope* that this is only temporary, but in reality, it could go on indefinitely. How would you handle your child's education? A) Try really hard to do the bulk of your schooling before noon, leaving independent subjects for them to do while you are at work. Look for curriculum that can be done independently. Let the housework suffer. Learn how to make the most of your crock pot. B) Put them in public school. (Keep in mind that you are working until 8 PM. By the time you get done working, it would be time to start sending the kids to bed.) C) Something I haven't thought of. (??) Thanks! ETA: Kids are 9 and 4, with a toddler running around just to keep things lively. Edited January 17, 2012 by mo2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Maybe what ages and what kind of support do you have? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 How old are the kids? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 How old are the kids? I edited above to add ages, 9 and 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Let's just assume no support for now, as others involved have health problems and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meggie Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Who would be watching them if you're at work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 A. Using public school means coming home to get them through homework! I'd stick to homeschool - they can get up early enough to get a lot done before you need to skidaddle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I'd homeschool. 7-11:00 should be enough time to get through their school work. Then a quick lunch and you are off. Whoever is taking care of them while you are working can add some extra reading time. It isn't a great long term solution, but I would start there. That way you at least have 4 hours/day with them. Otherwise all you'll have is time to put them to bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 If I could work it out at all, I wouldn't put them in school. If they were in school, there would be almost NO time together as a family. At those ages, you'd have to have a babysitter. I would try to get the bulk of school done in the morning and have assignments ready to be completed with minimal help of the sitter. (I wouldn't expect the sitter to "teach", but I would expect her to make sure the assignments were completed). Could the sitter have them in bed before you got home so you could have early mornings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Who would be watching them if you're at work? Grandma. A. Using public school means coming home to get them through homework! I'd stick to homeschool - they can get up early enough to get a lot done before you need to skidaddle. This is my thinking too. Plus I wouldn't see them at all during the week except to send them out the door to school and then send them to bed at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meggie Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Grandma. This is my thinking too. Plus I wouldn't see them at all during the week except to send them out the door to school and then send them to bed at night. Ok, then yes, I would be going with option A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHowell Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I agree school from 7-11 with independent work with grandma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Thanks everyone. Now the trick will be to train them to get up early! (But, we'd be doing that with PS, too.) Unfortunately I have a family of night owls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 If you have the childcare aspect covered through Grandma, I'd homeschool - they would be done by noon anyway, considering their ages. If the situation persists in the long term: older kids who need more school time can work independently in the afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I would keep homeschooling through the end of the school year and revisit the decision toward the end of the summer, assuming that the child or children can already read and can work somewhat independently to some extent, but is not high school age yet. I would prioritize skills learning above all else--math, reading, writing, literature. I would try to find pretty passive history and science alternatives--SOTW CD's, Teaching Company history DVD's (The US history one for high school is pretty engaging, and could be watched by much younger kids.), assigned work with the National Geographic DVDs of the world, Exploration Education science; that kind of thing. I would also see what else I could offload that way. If I were using Saxon, I would buy the DIVE CD's. (BTW, if you do that, it's still important to teach Saxon in addition to them, I believe.) For spelling, I might try Phonetic Zoo. For memorization, the poetry CD's from IEW. I would probably drop foreign language work altogether, but try to get some CD's of music in a target language for pronounciation practice. I would look for a one day per week class specifically for homeschoolers that would provide some academics and/or socialization--a nature awareness class, a unit study type history or literature class, a science exploration/experiment class--bonus points if it meets in the afternoon only, but that is hard to find. I would really try hard to make my time with the kids count; teaching grammar, talking about books, coaching through writing assignments, teaching math, listening to the child read aloud, reading to him, maybe dictation. I would also add a reading aloud session in the evening, a really cuddly one that involves mostly fun books and a chance to talk about life in general. And I would teach a full day on Saturday. I would try to fit in more science then in the afternoon--experiments, scientific method, visits to local natural history museums or nature walks, etc. At the beginning of the summer I would regroup. How did this go? Can I stand this? Do we all hate it? Do we hate it more than the idea of reconsidering school? Is he doing the assignments in the afternoon reasonably well (actually, you have to watch that pretty regularly, but I'm talking about a big overall assessment here.) I would consider what to change the next year and what to emphasize over the summer. I would try to find one or two science summer camps to beef up that weakish area, and consider a foreign language immersion camp like Concordia Villages as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I would do school in the morning. If you felt that you wanted the 9yo to get some work done in the afternoons, I would put all of the coloring pages for whatever SOTW level you are working on into a binder along with a pencil case of colored pencils and have her color the pages while she listens to the corresponding chapters on CD. She can also read or work on basic projects during that time. Maybe the kids and their grandma can do a really basic project together in the afternoons (raising and reading about caterpillars and butterflies, tracking the weather, growing a garden in a pot, etc). However, you should be able to get quite a bit of school done before you have to leave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black_midori Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I totally would "vote" for school in the am and a fun afternoon with Grandma after! :) My kids are in 1st & 2nd and we basically get all our schoolwork done by 12 most days of the week. In fact, we usually don't even start until 9 and still get done by 12 (although we also school year-round). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 The answer would depend, in part, on who is providing care for your children when you are not. In my case, since my husband is nearly always traveling, the only people who could/would provide care for my children would be my parents -- and that would wear them out enough, without also adding on responsibilities for supervising any school work. Who would be your child care? And how much responsibility would your childcare provider be willing to take for seeming some assignments done? FWIW, if you put the oldest in school, he/she will come home daily with homework -- who will supervise it? If your childcare provider is willing & able to supervise the PS's homework, why not yours? ;) You certainly don't want to be (a) getting up super early to start school, (b) working from 12-8 pm, and THEN © coming home to a tired, cranky PS-ed child with over an hour of homework to do from 8 to 9 pm! So, you'll have to have Homework Help in place, anyway, and.... The next factor I would consider is how could you divide the work into 2-3 categories, based on how teacher-intensive the work is: #1--Highly teacher-intensive #2--Needs some teacher time/supervision #3--Can be done completely independently by the average nine year old If you have a few items in Category 1, you might be able to HS those in the morning. If you have too much in Category 1, can you switch out the teacher-intensive materials for more self-directed curriculum? Once you've gotten the "needs-a-teacher" material down to the essentials, you could dictate a SCHOOL TIME into your family's schedule (Let's face it, if you are putting more into the same number of hours a day, maintaining that fuller schedule is going to have to become a matter of being extremely disciplined, but if the motivation is there, you can do this.) You could, say, start promptly at 9 am and work for 30 minutes with the 4 year old (while the 9'er watches the toddler), then work hard for 90 minutes with the 9 year old (while the preschooler and toddler play together). Spend some time pulling yourself together, passing the torch to ____, and go to work. :auto: The answer also depends on your student. Will your oldest be responsible to complete a pile of work without a teacher? I can give my not-quite seven year old a list in the morning and she will happily, busily work away for over an hour without any interference from me! :Angel_anim: Here's a list of what she might do (not all on the same day!) Math fact drill (computer, flash cards, work page, or math songs) Kumon math pages Copywork (she doesn't need my supervision for this anymore) Memory work practice Independent reading (10-30 minutes in various genres, as assigned) Dictionary & Reference (e.g., spend 10 minutes in the "M" section and be prepared tell me what you learned) Spelling practice (All About Spelling phonograms on the computer) French dictionary Reading for her reading program Listening to composers Looking at the current art print I expect this list could be at least twice as long for a 4th grader, but that probably varies by the student. How much work could/would your student realistically do -- day after day -- without a teacher nearby? What would the motivation be? How would you recognize and reward that higher level of maturity, cooperation, and responsibility in your student? How would you correct and reteach the work that was missed or poorly understood or completed? As for your four year old, I wouldn't stress about a four year old at all. :D :grouphug:, too, because you are in a tough situation, wanting to homeschool but seeing other needs in your family. I hope it all works out for you, sincerely. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 With your kids being 9 and 4, I think it's completely reasonable to be able to get school done before you'd have to leave for work. You gotta do what you gotta do. And if that means taking a job, then that's what you have to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I work in the afternoons, not nearly as late as you would, but my parents watch the kids and it's working. I start school at 7 am for my oldest. We work together for an hour while my 9yo is getting up, eating, etc. We read aloud for half an hour (I refuse to give this up!) and then ds11 goes off to do independent reading while ds9 and I do the bulk of our work together. At around 10 or so, they both do history together. We do science experiments on the weekends or whenever we can fit them in. While the kids are at my parents, ds9 goes over spelling words with Papa and works on latin vocab (his brother helps him). Ds11 does all of his schoolwork. I have a hanging folder at home they put their schoolwork in. I grade it at night after they are in bed and get ready for the next day. It makes for long and tiring days, but it works! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 The answer would depend, in part, on who is providing care for your children when you are not. In my case, since my husband is nearly always traveling, the only people who could/would provide care for my children would be my parents -- Grandma will be watching them, and this part is probably true for her: and that would wear them out enough, without also adding on responsibilities for supervising any school work. Who would be your child care? And how much responsibility would your childcare provider be willing to take for seeming some assignments done? FWIW, if you put the oldest in school, he/she will come home daily with homework -- who will supervise it? If your childcare provider is willing & able to supervise the PS's homework, why not yours? ;) You certainly don't want to be (a) getting up super early to start school, (b) working from 12-8 pm, and THEN © coming home to a tired, cranky PS-ed child with over an hour of homework to do from 8 to 9 pm! So, you'll have to have Homework Help in place, anyway, and.... EXACTLY. I do not want to get the kids up early, send them off to school, not see them until 8:30 pm, do homework, baths, and send them to bed. The next factor I would consider is how could you divide the work into 2-3 categories, based on how teacher-intensive the work is: #1--Highly teacher-intensive #2--Needs some teacher time/supervision #3--Can be done completely independently by the average nine year old If you have a few items in Category 1, you might be able to HS those in the morning. If you have too much in Category 1, can you switch out the teacher-intensive materials for more self-directed curriculum? This is a great way to break it down. I'm already hunting for things that can be done independently. Once you've gotten the "needs-a-teacher" material down to the essentials, you could dictate a SCHOOL TIME into your family's schedule (Let's face it, if you are putting more into the same number of hours a day, maintaining that fuller schedule is going to have to become a matter of being extremely disciplined, but if the motivation is there, you can do this.) You could, say, start promptly at 9 am and work for 30 minutes with the 4 year old (while the 9'er watches the toddler), then work hard for 90 minutes with the 9 year old (while the preschooler and toddler play together). Spend some time pulling yourself together, passing the torch to ____, and go to work. :auto: These are some good ideas. The 4yo doesn't really need much, obviously, but I would at least like to get in a phonics lesson every day. And you're right, we will have to be very disciplined. Sigh. The answer also depends on your student. Will your oldest be responsible to complete a pile of work without a teacher? I can give my not-quite seven year old a list in the morning and she will happily, busily work away for over an hour without any interference from me! :Angel_anim: Here's a list of what she might do (not all on the same day!) Math fact drill (computer, flash cards, work page, or math songs) Kumon math pages Copywork (she doesn't need my supervision for this anymore) Memory work practice Independent reading (10-30 minutes in various genres, as assigned) Dictionary & Reference (e.g., spend 10 minutes in the "M" section and be prepared tell me what you learned) Spelling practice (All About Spelling phonograms on the computer) French dictionary Reading for her reading program Listening to composers Looking at the current art print I expect this list could be at least twice as long for a 4th grader, but that probably varies by the student. How much work could/would your student realistically do -- day after day -- without a teacher nearby? What would the motivation be? How would you recognize and reward that higher level of maturity, cooperation, and responsibility in your student? How would you correct and reteach the work that was missed or poorly understood or completed? I'm thinking the 9yo could do things on her own like free reading (an hour a day), math practice (after I teach the lesson), we have a geography workbook she is working through, copywork. I might steal some of your ideas, too, like listening to composers. :) As for your four year old, I wouldn't stress about a four year old at all. :D :grouphug:, too, because you are in a tough situation, wanting to homeschool but seeing other needs in your family. I hope it all works out for you, sincerely. :grouphug: This is a truly fabulous post. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Oh, and I can do read-aloud at bedtime. :001_smile: I'm going to have to get organized, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I have always worked and homeschooled. Some years, I homeschooled before work, but one year we did it after work. When dd13 was 10-11yo we homeschooled from 9pm-midnight. Then I went to bed (I had to get up at 7am to drive her brother to school), she stayed up and did her independent work until 3am. Then she would go to bed. She would wake up about noon, finish any work she needed to do, and then play with her friends when they got home from school at 2pm. We did this for a whole year. She loved it and we got a lot of work done in the quiet of the night. There were no phone calls to distract or errands to run. It was peaceful and it worked nicely for us. Even now that she goes at private school that she loves, she still talks about coming back to homeschooling and our old schedule. :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Now that I see the ages, I would let the 4 yo sleep in until you have given your major instruction to the 9yo. Then I would read to both of them together for a while, and then I would pull out the magnetic letters and do rainbow writing with the 4 yo for about 1/2 hour, and that would be plenty for him. Among the things I would read to the kids would be Magic School Bus books--they are great for general science learning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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