KiinMI Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Between driving my 14 year old everywhere, my 12 year old constantly doing things to annoy other people on purpose, my 8 year olds attitude, (Sometimes I think it's worse than my teenagers!) my 4 year olds clingyness and my 2 year old getting into everything I'm about to lose it. :willy_nilly: I also have a 16 year old but she is BUSY (school, CC, a job, etc), I rarely even see her anymore! My 14 year old is gone from 12-6 if not later at our dance studio. Something needs to change. I'm at the point I just want to put them in school. I burn out every year usually after the holidays but by March we're usually doing better. Not this year. How do you manage everything? I use to to be able to do it, I don't know whats changed that much, My kids have gotten older. I feel like I'm not doing my best in anything I do because I'm stretching myself to thin. I'm all :bigear:'s? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tohru Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 :grouphug: Eliminate activities. Coordinate with some one else to help. Managers of Their Homes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I don't do everything. There's always a ball or two I'm dropping at any given time. Nobody ever said this homeschooling thing was easy. Oh wait. Yes, they did, but they lied! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I gave up sleep a couple years ago. No, not really. I just couldn't resist. I'm no help today. I would try to coordinate rides/activities to best maximize time. See? No help. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Between driving my 14 year old everywhere, my 12 year old constantly doing things to annoy other people on purpose, my 8 year olds attitude, (Sometimes I think it's worse than my teenagers!) my 4 year olds clingyness and my 2 year old getting into everything I'm about to lose it. :willy_nilly: I also have a 16 year old but she is BUSY (school, CC, a job, etc), I rarely even see her anymore! My 14 year old is gone from 12-6 if not later at our dance studio. Something needs to change. I'm at the point I just want to put them in school. I burn out every year usually after the holidays but by March we're usually doing better. Not this year. How do you manage everything? I use to to be able to do it, I don't know whats changed that much, My kids have gotten older. I feel like I'm not doing my best in anything I do because I'm stretching myself to thin. I'm all :bigear:'s? IME if I have reached the conclusion I'm streched too thin, I am really past that point. Somehow I never notice I'm over scheduling until we hit critical. The solution: Prioritize everything from activites to chores, meals to mom intensive curriculum. Seriously, make a list with everything in order of importance. Decide how much you can really handle and draw a line. Everything under the line has to either go or be changed to streamline your life. Once you get the changes rolling add the secret weapon, saying "no". Practice yelling it in the mirror with mad mom face, it will get you ready for when you need to use it on a really persistant person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiinMI Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 The biggest thing I want to drop is Co-op. It's not really academic (there are a few classes that are) but it takes up almost a whole day. My biggest problem with that is my kids love it! They have a lot of friends and they love being a part of the classes and there are some subjects we wouldn't cover otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I don't. I drop things on the bottom of the priority list. Although one of my girlfriends always tells me, "I can't do all this myself. I need a wife!":D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 The biggest thing I want to drop is Co-op. It's not really academic (there are a few classes that are) but it takes up almost a whole day. My biggest problem with that is my kids love it! They have a lot of friends and they love being a part of the classes and there are some subjects we wouldn't cover otherwise. If they love it and have friends there, try to stick with it if you can. I know it sometimes seems like there aren't enough hours in the day for "real school," but the fun stuff is important, too. I absolutely understand being concerned about losing the whole day, though -- I felt the same way when we were in a co-op. (We ended up dropping out, but only because neither ds nor I felt it was working for us. I would have let him stay in the group if he'd had a lot of friends there.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tohru Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 If they love it and have friends there, try to stick with it if you can. I know it sometimes seems like there aren't enough hours in the day for "real school," but the fun stuff is important, too. I absolutely understand being concerned about losing the whole day, though -- I felt the same way when we were in a co-op. (We ended up dropping out, but only because neither ds nor I felt it was working for us. I would have let him stay in the group if he'd had a lot of friends there.) :iagree: Friends are important. Family is too, but IMO friend-importance is downplayed too often in homeschooling circles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Simple--I don't! I used to try, but finally came to realize that I can't be good at everything, so instead I'll be great at a few things. Streamline and prioritize. Sounds easy, but it's not. There are many things I had to give up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I simply don't do everything. ;) :D :iagree: Aim for a few and be happy with one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 :D I do not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidwesternMom Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 It is too much if you try to do it all. I put my preschooler in a half day program so that I could concentrate on my high schooler and middle schoolers for at least those hours of the day. He was fine. I gave up a lot of things that involved driving, or shared driving with other parents to minimize interruptions. I simplified meals to the point that my kids think it's a special occasion if we have pancakes and eggs for dinner. I save the complicated cooking for weekends. Weekends in the future, that is ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Yet another vote for letting something go. That doesn't necessarily mean stopping activities, though. It may be that you need to delegate some things. Is your dc's father involved in the transportation of the dc for activities? If not, could he be? Maybe he could pick up the 14 yo from dance so you don't have to make another trip. Maybe he could spend more time with the 8yo, who may need more one-on-one attention right now to improve the attitude. Do your dc share in the housework? Do they clean it up as much as they mess it up (the older ones, that is)? There's no reason kids age 8-16 can't do laundry, fold it, and put it away; vacuum; dust; wash, dry, and put away dishes; pack their own lunches for outings; pack their own bags for activities; clean bathrooms; and clean up their bedrooms and any other rooms they've been in daily before leaving the house. They should be able to watch the little ones so you can do things you need to do. That doesn't mean they become the sole housekeepers or babysitters, of course, but they should be doing their share to help. I often refuse to leave the house until it looks like something I am willing to return to - it's amazing how fast the dc move to clean up their messes when something they want to do is on the line. Their willingness to do their share of the work leaves me enough energy to do the rest of what needs to be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I simply don't do everything. ;) :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 IME if I have reached the conclusion I'm streched too thin, I am really past that point. Somehow I never notice I'm over scheduling until we hit critical. The solution: Prioritize everything from activites to chores, meals to mom intensive curriculum. Seriously, make a list with everything in order of importance. Decide how much you can really handle and draw a line. Everything under the line has to either go or be changed to streamline your life. Once you get the changes rolling add the secret weapon, saying "no". Practice yelling it in the mirror with mad mom face, it will get you ready for when you need to use it on a really persistant person. :iagree: If your kids balk at giving up activities, I would show them the list. "Dear, do you really think that this activity is more important than eating or having clean clothes? If you want to take over x ALL the time, without my having to tell you, then I might be able to consider y." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2hunangirls Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Could you make a list of all the things you could give up (i.e. school wouldn't be on list :)) and sit down with everyone and say "we've got to cut one thing...what should it be?" We were waaaay over-committed this year and co-op was one of those things. While it was hard to say we were dropping it because we all had relationships there, we did figure out that we COULD manage to do the one Tuesday a month skate day with the co-op and make a full day of that. That freed up the other 3 Tuesday's. But even still, I drop many, many balls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 IME if I have reached the conclusion I'm streched too thin, I am really past that point. Somehow I never notice I'm over scheduling until we hit critical. The solution: Prioritize everything from activites to chores, meals to mom intensive curriculum. Seriously, make a list with everything in order of importance. Decide how much you can really handle and draw a line. Everything under the line has to either go or be changed to streamline your life. Once you get the changes rolling add the secret weapon, saying "no". Practice yelling it in the mirror with mad mom face, it will get you ready for when you need to use it on a really persistant person. :iagree:Plus I decided sleep is for amateurs ;) It is amazing how much more you can do when you decide not to sleep anymore. Of course drving the kids to everything becomes more iffy by day 3-4. Actually I am chronically sleep deprived and then we got a puppy. Did you know a puppy is up every couple hours to go potty? I knew it but didn't really think of the implications of that. I figured it would be like when I had a newborn here. But it is not. my newborns never needed me to stand outside in my housecoat at 3am to wait for them to potty. It is more like having a newborn that is formula fed and in a crib. In otherwords you have to leave your own warm bed for a solid 20 minutes min. When one is down to 4 hours of sleep, the constant interuppted sleep can lead to some serious deprivation. SO if you decide to be tough like me and give up sleep, make sure you still get 4, less than that and you will start acting a little weird ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I gave up sleep a couple years ago. No, not really. I just couldn't resist. I'm no help today. I would try to coordinate rides/activities to best maximize time. See? No help. :) :D I understand. This semester is particularly difficult for us, schedule wise. Tuesdays we pretty much live in our van. Fortunately, some of it is temporary - just another couple months. My 16yo can now get his drivers license, but I'm not sure if that will help us or not :glare:. (Certainly won't help my nerves ;)) Can you make it through the semester and then work to streamline things? :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilliums Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Get a kid into quantum physics and they can stretch the spece time continuum for you. No, really! All they need to do is fold over the fabric of space and post select the proper conditions that, er, would have been. Good luck with your scheduling. We also juggle commitments regularly. The kids are also learning time management: DS just declined an activity because he felt it would overload him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birkenkathy Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 For me, I have to take some time for myself. We take Fridays off. . .from everything. We don't have school. I don't work. And I refuse almost every invitation for Fridays. I let my kids eat frozen junkfood that day and I usually don't even cook unless I feel like making a fun breakfast. If I do this I find that I can deal with being busy during the week. Also, I try to simplify and eliminate stuff wherever I can. Other than that there is just alot we don't do. We actually dropped out of CC after one semester because it was too much for us. For me, it helps just to get out by myself just to breathe for a little while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.