Guest Changs Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 this will be my first attempt in homeschooling for my daughters(soon to be 6 in march and 4 in july) and a son (14months). we pretty much picked out the curricula for them, but i am wondering about the schedules of moms. how do you manage cooking and other house works? also, i am not a native english speaker. do you guys know anyone like me who is not a native speaker, yet homeschools their kids? i am somewhat nervous about the whole thing and praying that i can do this. thanks all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roanna Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I am new to schooling also and purchased Managers of their home from http://www.titus2.com Just keep in mind depending on what grade your 6 yr old is in school should be pretty short...like 1/2 hr to 1 hour. I am doing first grade and pretty much do 15 min increments. I do our read aloud at lunch time while my toddler is held captive and eating :001_smile: Your writing portrays an English speaker so if you are being intentional when you teach I think you will do great and even learn as you go..as we all do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 :grouphug: If you check in over at the Bilingual Education Board, you will see that there are several homeschooling moms here whose native language is not English. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=8 If your native language is highly phonetic like Spanish, German, or Russian, I would recommend teaching reading with phonics in that language first before switching to English. If your native language is French, that's only marginally better than English, but there are some good free programs online that teach syllabic phonics in French. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellers Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I don't think you need to be a native English speaker to teach your own kids. how do you manage cooking and other house works? I like to start school first thing in the morning. Before starting, I will get a load of laundry going. I'll put clothes in the dryer and start another load while my DS takes a break. I put clothes away or clean up the kitchen while DS does independent work. We are normally done with school by 1 pm, so that leaves plenty of time for cleaning up and getting dinner started. I think most people new to homeschooling are a little nervous. It's normal. You can do this! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 I have a dd6 and ds3, who will be 7 and 4 in the next month. As far as housework goes, my two pieces of advice are (1) include the children wherever possible, and (2) let it go. My dd6 cleans her own room daily. I help her if it has gotten really bad for whatever reason. Both kids help clear the table after meals. Both kids together sort the kids' laundry and put it away when it is done. They both help me with cleaning the bathroom. I got a couple of small spray bottles from Walmart (one for each kid), and dd6's has cleaning solution, and ds3's has just water. Sometimes they ask me if they can clean, and I just let them do it. Dd6 feeds the pet rabbits completely on her own. For cooking, I have discovered Once-a-Month Cooking. I cook for one day and have food in the freezer for about 2 months. I don't always do it, because I don't always have that full day to devote. But I have been able to apply the principles. Sometimes I make double and freeze half. Yesterday, I made six bags of fish marinade and froze it. I also like to make mixes. Right now, I have a white sauce mix in the fridge--1/3 C. of mix to 1 C. liquid, and I have a sauce I can add to noodles, rice, meat, etc. Add cheese for a cheese sauce (makes great mac n' cheese). And I am not opposed to an occasional prepared meal or even going out if we have the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 For housework, I just do what I can. I do 1-2 loads of laundry everyday, starting the first load after the morning showers. I sweep and vacuum either after I've started dd on some schoolwork that she can do on her own, while dinner is in the oven, or right after the kids go to bed. The kids play pretty well together, which leaves time for making dinner. Lunch is leftovers so I don't have to waste time making food during the day. DH does all of the dishes from that day after the kids go to bed. I just rinse and stack the dishes after each meal. Bathrooms, washing floors, etc. gets done either in the late evenings after the kids go to bed or on the weekend. Other more involved cleaning projects are also done on the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAS in LA Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 You could look into audio materials, such as Jim Weiss's WONDERFUL storytelling cds. http://www.greathall.com He has also recorded the Story of the World books, which are used for world history. Audio books could be great for you and your children to listen to together. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Changs Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 thanks for the encouragement and the shared information. i will try my best to take all the advices. :) i have one more question. how long do you guys usually prepare for the lessons for the kids? thank you all and i am sure that i'll be visiting here a lot more from now on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellers Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 how long do you guys usually prepare for the lessons for the kids? I don't do very much preparing. All the curriculum I'm using is open and go. We just pick up where we left off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3peasinapod Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 If I have any lesson preparation, I do it on the weekends. In fact, since I am always moving and doing something on the weekdays, sometimes I finish everything on the weekends and get a little bored. That's okay for me! I get to take a nap or read a book. :001_smile: Many new homeschoolers feel inadequate, I know I did. After you find a groove, you'll find that you can do this if you put your heart and mind into it! Every day I do dishes, sweeping, a load of laundry, picking up, wiping kitchen. Then I choose one thing like clean our bathroom one day, clean kids' bathroom another, vacuum one day, mop another. I will clean up on weekends too. My kids help me with all of these things. I don't do them all myself. They help sort laundry, fold and put away their own clothes, help unload dishwasher/put away some items, clean up after meal, dust, wipe microwave, wipe counters (bathroom and kitchen), empty bathroom trashes, pick up their own toys. They do a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 i have one more question. how long do you guys usually prepare for the lessons for the kids? I use a lot of teacher intensive programs, so I do most of my lesson prep over the summer. During the school year, I just schedule the lessons and read them over before teaching. I think it takes less than an hour per week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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