School Rules...please share yours!

[RobinM]

Up until now we really haven't 'laid down the law' in regards to school rules. It hasn't been an issue until now... I know I need to make some rules and stick to them. Please help me out by sharing the rules that have been an important part of your homeschool.

 

Here's what I have so far:

 

-work quietly

-raise hand and wait to be recognized before speaking (while I'm giving directions or explaining something, for example)

-do not interrupt while someone else is speaking

 

Edited to add: my children are 6 and 4. (My 6 yr old is the only one doing school lessons at this time.)

 

Thanks so much for the help!

Edited January 26, 2012 by RobinM
ETA ages.

[Mandylubug]

we are quite relaxed. I have four kids learning all at once. Our only true rules are:

 

Don't talk to me till I have coffee... well j/k..sorta. ha ha

No toys during lessons, at the table, during reading, etc.

No tv or electronics until 5pm no matter how early we finish

No assisting others with assignments unless directed to

No hovering over others while they are working.

 

We are typically spread out ALL over the house and I am coming and going between each kid. There are timers ticking everywhere, classical music playing. One on the computer, some at the table working, some sprawled out in the floor, one son is kinesthetic and prefers to stand so he is at our front entrance at a higher standing table that happens to be perfect for his height while standing... No way that I could have "normal classroom rules" so I don't attempt to.

[5LittleMonkeys]

We are similar to Mandylubug. We have school going on all over the house too and at varying times of the day.

 

My big rules are:

 

1. Don't interrupt me when I'm teaching one on one with someone.

2. Don't be bothersome or distracting to someone who is working on schoolwork.

3. No electronics while you are doing schoolwork - which is about to get changed to no electronics until after 4pm. (Not eating lunch so you can get 20 extra minutes on the computer during lunch break was becoming a bad habit.)

4. If it is your turn to watch dd3 then you need to keep her occupied and out of the room I'm teaching in.

5. My time is just as important as yours...if you waste my time by being whiny, uncooperative or slow then you will pay me back with your free time.

[SorrelZG]

Besides the general respect and cooperation rules that stand whether we're doing school or not, the only one I can think of off hand is: No storytelling until after lessons.

 

Well, I do insist they are out of their pjs and dressed by the time they get to the table but I break that one myself all the time.

[ebrindam]

Up until now we really haven't 'laid down the law' in regards to school rules. It hasn't been an issue until now... I know I need to make some rules and stick to them. Please help me out by sharing the rules that have been an important part of your homeschool.

 

Here's what I have so far:

 

-work quietly

-raise hand and wait to be recognized before speaking

-do not interrupt while someone else is speaking

 

 

Wow...raising hands to speak? Are most people so formal with their own kids? Is it just during school time?

[RobinM]

I promise... we are not formal in our schooling! We are very laid back... this rule (raising hand to speak) is not one that is enforced at the moment but something needs to change. I want my son to learn to work quietly and stop the talking... it has really been a struggle lately and I need to have some rules in place. Really, we are not that formal. I know I cannot recreate a school setting in my home and I really have no desire to do that... I just need some rules in place so we can get things accomplished without so much time wasted.

 

ETA I don't think this rule would need to be in effect at all times, but there are many times when I'm trying to give directions and I need everyone else to just listen and stop talking. So if I'm explaining something I would like the children to raise their hands if they need me to clarify something instead of just opening their mouth. I guess it is similar to the 'do not interrupt' rule but with that I'm mostly referring to my 4 year old coming up to ask me something while I'm explaining something to my 6 year old.

Edited January 26, 2012 by RobinM

[jillian]

Relaxed here too. Some basic ones are:

 

1. Try your best, even if it's hard, try your best.

2. Ask for help, it's okay.

3. Use kind words and be respectful

4. Do not through things (dd throws when she's frustrated)

5. Clean up when you are finished.

[Mommee & Baba]

• No tv or computer time until school work is complete.
  
• Be respectful with your voice volume.
  
• Use house rules during school time. This includes using manners, use your inside voice, don't play with your school supplies, no doodling, ect.
  
• Clean up when complete.
  

[Spetzi]

No WHINING!

 

If there is a complaint or issue, that will be addressed as long as there is no whining. This was big when ds was in 1st grade and it helped *me* not to get annoyed with him.

[frugalmama]

We're pretty laid back - here is ours:

 

Must be in school clothes {but if it's cold we skip this one}. For us this is a white blouse or polo with plaid jumper and shoes.

No computer time until we are finished for the day

no PBS kids until we are finished for the day

If you don't like how something is being taught say so and we will work TOGETHER to find another way to cover the same material

Crayons, Markers, and pencils stay in their respective buckets when not in your hand

You are always welcome to work ahead, but you must finish what is expected daily in all subjects

[Dmmetler]

This won't help, but you might get a giggle :). We are now effectively in our 5th month of playing school-DD really wanted "real school stuff", so our school room is set up like a classroom with everything DD thinks is part of a "Real school", including schedules, incentive charts, and, of course, rules. And she dearly enjoys having her "classmates" get in trouble. Of course, her "classmates" are generally made of cloth and filled with fiberfill or plastic beans.

 

So we have a list of class rules which is ever growing-here are a few highlights

 

1) Don't eat your classmates or the class pet, even if you are a predator and they're your natural prey.

 

2) If you're mythical, you can't write about mythology and call it history.

 

3) Just because you don't exist doesn't mean you don't have to do your homework.

 

Plus a few that I've added

 

4) If a page looks blank, I'm going to assume you haven't done it yet and ask you to do it again (She'd been reading about spies and did her copywork in lemon juice)

 

5) If I can't read it without resorting to a code wheel, it's wrong

(same day)

 

6) Assignments are to be done in the language assigned (Even if it was kind of clever to do your Latin in Spanish and your Spanish in Latin, and probably required more work to figure out the translations and look up words you didn't know)

 

Gotta love creative kids!

[Homeschooling6]

Wow...raising hands to speak? Are most people so formal with their own kids? Is it just during school time?

 

My children raise their hands. I started this way back when I had 6 children ages 6 and under. With six children trying to talk to one mama, the hand raising really helps.

I also teach two children or more together, so again, I have them raise their hands.

 

I use a bell too :blush:. Makes life so much easier when you need all the children to come at once. Ya, it sounds like a heard of elephants but it works :tongue_smilie:

[MeganW]

Do your best, with a smile. (That covers at least 75% of offenses - not trying or having an attitude.)

 

Obey cheerfully, quickly, and thoroughly.

 

Be nice. (That covers everything from sharing your pencils to not kicking your sister to waiting your turn.)

[MeganW]

Wow...raising hands to speak? Are most people so formal with their own kids? Is it just during school time?

 

That's a rule in my house anytime there is more than 1 kid in the same place as me. Otherwise, it takes about 0.4 seconds for interrupting and yelling over one another to start. We talk ALL THE TIME about listening to see if someone else is talking before you start talking, but that whole concept seems to be beyond my children...

[RobinM]

Thanks for all of the wonderful feedback ladies! Some of the suggestions don't apply yet but I will make note of them! I imagine things will change as I begin teaching more than one at a time...

 

We have been 'schooling' for about a year and a half now but I still feel really new at this. We aren't doing anything really formal yet, just short lessons for reading and writing, and some math activities. I want to get some rules in place now before we begin the formal stuff.

 

I also think part of my problem is that my DS is at that age of pushing limits... at 4-5 he was really compliant and helpful... now his attitude has changed and he would rather do everything his way with 'no rules and no school'. SIGH It has been a struggle to get through school some days... other days he keeps a good attitude and we fly right through. I'm hoping some rules will help with consistency...

 

(MeganW, your triplets are the same age as my DS.. he will be 7 in April...I don't know if they are going through the same thing with pushing limits but if so, hang in there!)

[happypamama]

My main rule is "no light sabers/swords/noisy toys in the schoolroom during school hours." Too distracting. (3yo can bring quiet toys in, but the playroom is right next to the schoolroom, so he can play with noisier toys in there without being too far away.)

 

My other rule is, "if I'm talking, you should not be," with regard to readalouds. I'm happy to read aloud to them, but they either have to be quiet, or leave the room.

 

I also routinely find myself saying, "Yes, he's cute, but you still need to do your work" with regards to the tiny brother who is usually in my lap. Lessons often are interrupted to cover him with kisses. But that isn't really a problem; I'd rather foster sibling love over academics. :)

[Mommyfaithe]

Do your work

Shut your mouth

 

Pretty much...that is all

[Captivated]

I wrote these in 2001 the night before starting our second year of homeschool. They have served us well...

 

 

 

Our School Rules!!

 

School starts at 9:00am

He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, but he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.

Proverbs 15:32

 

Put away EVERYTHING when you are done with it.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

Colossians 3:23

 

When having a tough time stop and pray.

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

 

Work diligently.

The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor.

Proverbs 12:24

Do see a man who excels in his work?

He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men.

Proverbs 22:29

 

Remember...Mom loves you and wants to help!!!

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief for that would be unprofitable for you.

Hebrews 13:17

[MeganW]

I also think part of my problem is that my DS is at that age of pushing limits... at 4-5 he was really compliant and helpful... now his attitude has changed and he would rather do everything his way with 'no rules and no school'. SIGH It has been a struggle to get through school some days... other days he keeps a good attitude and we fly right through. I'm hoping some rules will help with consistency...

 

(MeganW, your triplets are the same age as my DS.. he will be 7 in April...I don't know if they are going through the same thing with pushing limits but if so, hang in there!)

 

Exact opposite at my house. 3 & 4 were the challenging ages, 5 was the golden age where they were so sweet & compliant. 6 seems to be the emotional age for us. Sometimes they are laughing and happy, and seriously one second later they are in tears. Like hormonal teenage girls! But I'll take that over the 3s ANYDAY!!! I look back and really don't know how I survived those years...

 

I have gotten pretty consistent with increasing the work for unreasonable complaints. The kid who rolls her eyes about being asked to fold the laundry ends up doing it all herself instead of with 3 siblings helping. The one who tries to hide while everyone is cleaning up the playroom ends up doing it all by herself.

 

And schoolwork continues until you have done a reasonable amount with a good attitude. My kid who hates reading has to read me 2 pages a day with a smile (these are easy pages, well below her ability). Some days, she reads 10 pages tearfully before getting into it, and some days she is done with 2 pages in 2 minutes. The thing is that once she gets going with a good attitude, she gets into it and actually enjoys it. It seems to be getting going that is the issue, not the reading itself. And I always reading to end on a positive, so this is what it has become.

 

I have one kid who has had to do a handwriting sheet over 10 times in a row rather than take his time and do it right. It seems to be sinking in slowly - it doesn't happen nearly as much now as it used to.

[julikins]

I wrote these in 2001 the night before starting our second year of homeschool. They have served us well...

 

 

 

Our School Rules!!

 

School starts at 9:00am

He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, but he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.

Proverbs 15:32

 

Put away EVERYTHING when you are done with it.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

Colossians 3:23

 

When having a tough time stop and pray.

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

 

Work diligently.

The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor.

Proverbs 12:24

Do see a man who excels in his work?

He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men.

Proverbs 22:29

 

Remember...Mom loves you and wants to help!!!

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief for that would be unprofitable for you.

Hebrews 13:17

 

Love this! Thanks for sharing! We use a praise and consequences chart with Bible verses, but never thought about applying it to school rules. Thanks!

[nrself]

I read somewhere that even ages were the happy years and odd ages the trying ones. We're only up to 11, but it has been mostly accurate for us so far. :001_smile:

[RobinM]

I read somewhere that even ages were the happy years and odd ages the trying ones. We're only up to 11, but it has been mostly accurate for us so far. :001_smile:

 

This might be the opposite for us... maybe 7 will be more peaceful. The past few months have been full of ups and downs... one day he has a great attitude and the next day he's crying because his life is so horrible. He thinks he has too many rules, doesn't agree that he should be doing school (which amounts to 1 to 1 1/2 hours per day, 4 days/week)... and he wants more free time. I'm sure it's just a difficult age of pushing the limits. We are trying to be consistent but that is easier said than done!

[RobinM]

Exact opposite at my house. 3 & 4 were the challenging ages, 5 was the golden age where they were so sweet & compliant. 6 seems to be the emotional age for us. Sometimes they are laughing and happy, and seriously one second later they are in tears. Like hormonal teenage girls! But I'll take that over the 3s ANYDAY!!! I look back and really don't know how I survived those years...

 

I have gotten pretty consistent with increasing the work for unreasonable complaints. The kid who rolls her eyes about being asked to fold the laundry ends up doing it all herself instead of with 3 siblings helping. The one who tries to hide while everyone is cleaning up the playroom ends up doing it all by herself.

 

And schoolwork continues until you have done a reasonable amount with a good attitude. My kid who hates reading has to read me 2 pages a day with a smile (these are easy pages, well below her ability). Some days, she reads 10 pages tearfully before getting into it, and some days she is done with 2 pages in 2 minutes. The thing is that once she gets going with a good attitude, she gets into it and actually enjoys it. It seems to be getting going that is the issue, not the reading itself. And I always reading to end on a positive, so this is what it has become.

 

I have one kid who has had to do a handwriting sheet over 10 times in a row rather than take his time and do it right. It seems to be sinking in slowly - it doesn't happen nearly as much now as it used to.

 

It seems to be an emotional year for my DS as well...he lets things get to him easily. Three at the same age must have been difficult!!

[RobinM]

Love this! Thanks for sharing! We use a praise and consequences chart with Bible verses, but never thought about applying it to school rules. Thanks!

 

Yes I agree....what a great idea! We have the Doorposts 'If...Then' Chart and it is similar.

[foxbridgeacademy]

1. All schooling that requires a pencil is to be done at the table.

2. No heads on the table, eyes must stay open.

3. No electronics between 10am and 3pm unless for school (DE videos)

That's about it. I would have more like no whining, if I actually thought I could enforce it.

 

The kids have a rule too....

If the weather has been nasty for the past week and today is nice, then only 1/2 day of school.

This is a new rule but they took full advantage of it this week.

[justamouse]

Don't throw pencils on the floor.

 

 

If you see a pencil on the floor, pick it up.

 

 

 

 

 

:glare:

[*Lulu*]

In addition to the house rules we have the following:

 

-do not comment on other people's work

-do not interrupt mom working with another student; go to the waiting patiently area instead

-no wii until after school

[MeganW]

Oh yeah, and if I am reviewing/correcting someone else's work, KEEP YOUR NOSE OUT!!!

 

Makes me insane that my kids always want to be in the midst of someone else getting punished or having work corrected.

[welovetoread]

Don't talk to me till I have coffee... well j/k..sorta. ha ha

This is number 1 for us!!!! Okay, maybe not number ONE, maybe 1.5????? :D

[lakshmi]

 

Gotta love creative kids!

 

Think I may steal all your "rules"!"

 

 

Wow, I guess I am REALLY laid back. We have no rules for school. Just basic behavior stuff. Like, interrupting a lessons is being rude to the person receiving the one-on-one attention.

 

But no one has to raise a hand, either at home or in co-op.

 

I guess I have rules but I don't phrase it as such. As I type I am defining them in my head.

:confused:

[JudoMom]

Do your work

Shut your mouth

 

Pretty much...that is all

 

:lol: Yeah, that sums it up here, too.

 

Oh, keep your head above your feet is a standing rule during school time.

[stm4him]

Wow! I think need a poster, as "schoolish" as that is. With my oldest who is a girl following rules is rarely a problem. If there is any problem with her it is usually that her papers are falling on the floor or disorganized or she's getting upset b/c something is too hard (but this is rare). But my boys (ages 7 and 5) are constantly getting in trouble for talking, being goofy and distracting everyone or sneaking off to go do something else (just to name a few). I do constantly remind them of the rules, but maybe it needs to be posted somewhere. (Not that my 5 year old can read, but he could memorize them pretty quickly).

 

1. Stay at your desk (notice I didn't say chair b/c I just heard an audio about how boys do better standing up)

2. Ask if you need to leave your desk

3. Work silently unless you have a question or are working with Mom

4. Keep your hands to yourself

5. Toys stay in your room

6. Speak in a respectful, obedient tone at all times

7. Keep your desk area organized

8. If you drop it pick it up. If you spill it, clean it up.

9. No liquids in the schoolroom.

10. Don't interrupt others, especially Mom!

 

I'll have to look at the others on here and see if there is anything to add......

 

I phrased those all in positive terms b/c I heard that was good, but I think it is funnier to do it like this:

 

1. No moving!

2. No bothering!

3. No talking!

4. No laughing!

5. No whining!

6. No drinking!

7. No interrupting!

8. No mess!

9. No noise!

10. No toys!

 

stm4him

[Tapasnaturalles]

I'm too laid back to have rules, I guess.

I just try to make them think about what is in important to make it work. And for now, that actually works. "What do you think?" is a comman phrase here. Or "would you like it when your sisters do that when I'm working with you?"

That mostly does it...

[Candid]

Probably not what you want:

 

1.No yelling

2.No crying

3.No WTM forum during school time

4.No calling the ps to find out where you are on the school bus route

5.No hiding in the next room eating chocolate because your kids can't remember anything you have ever taught them

Sometimes I break these rules and when I do I send myself to

my room for a time out!

[fraidycat]

Probably not what you want:

 

1.No yelling

2.No crying

3.No WTM forum during school time

4.No calling the ps to find out where you are on the school bus route

5.No hiding in the next room eating chocolate because your kids can't remember anything you have ever taught them

Sometimes I break these rules and when I do I send myself to

my room for a time out!

 

:lol::lol:

[ThreeBlessings]

1. Give others the respect you would like to get.

 

2. Keep your hands to yourself.

 

3. Silence during quiet, independent study time.

 

4. Listen attentively when others are speaking. Hold questions or comments until the speaker is finished.

 

5. Stay focused on your work.

 

6. Respond politely and helpfully if your actions are disrupting or bothering another student.