JMDRAD Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 My girls and I usually LOVE doing school. I mean, if I wake up feeling unmotivated, they are pulling books off the shelves and doing school themselves. But this year has been a nightmare for us. They aren't fighting me about doing school but we have been battling one illness after another. The kids have had numerous colds and ear infections and I've had bronchitis, sinus infections, and stomach flu (which sent me to the hospital twice). We've really had a hard time getting any school done. I'm just now starting to feel well and get a little energy back but I'm at the end of my pregnancy and the baby is due any day now. The last time I had a baby in the middle of the school year we took a few weeks off then got back on track. But we are so far behind this year. If we push hard we might be able to finish 3rd grade by the end of September. Sorry, I really don't know what kind of response I want to this post. :tongue_smilie: Maybe someone whose BTDT could reassure me that I haven't totally messed my kids up. Yes, I know it's "only third grade" but still.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMomof4 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 You haven't messed up your kids. Really. I wish I could tell you the chaos that was our life when oldest was in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. That means dd2 was right behind her and dd3 not terribly far behind that. Dh was deployed twice during that time and ds was born. I did do school with my kids but we took a LOT of breaks and it wasn't rigorous by anyone's standards. My kids are fine. Actually, my kids are really amazingly good. They're smart kids and I didn't ruin them. We worked year round in math and reading/LA - the rest of it was catch as catch can for a lot of the time. I'm sure you're doing great. Enjoy your new baby and don't push yourself. If you're already tired and beat down imagine the exhaustion after the baby is born. Give yourself time and your family time. :grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 When I was expecting my 4th, we only did school that could be done from my big king sized bed. LOL! I piled up books by the side of the bed and each child chose a corner. There are seasons in life and as long as you have a learning rich environment, I'm sure they'll get something out of the year. My kids watched a lot of PBS programs and documentaries that year. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMDRAD Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Thanks for the encouragement, Ladies. We are so far behind in our "formal" schooling but my oldest is quite a reader and she's helping her younger sister learn to read. While I was stuck in bed for a few weeks, my youngest watched the Letter Factory a bazillion times. She now knows all the first letter sounds. LOL I suppose this year is not a total loss. My oldest now knows how to do a complete load of laundry from start to finish and she's an excellent dishwasher. My middle girl has taken on more responsibility by caring for our dog and keeping the house picked up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I had a year like that. Interestingly, it was the 2nd/3rd grade year. We've made up the time just fine, and I found that having gotten the blahs and bad feelings out of the way all at once made for a better following year. I stopped tracking how far behind we were and started going day by day (or week to week) instead. It helped that my state doesn't regulate time, so we spread out school over traditional breaks and got back up to speed within a reasonable timeframe. You haven't messed up, and you haven't lost time so much as you've postponed it. Life skills and family skills are important, too. Take a bit more time off if you need it to clear your headspace, then pick back up when you know you can commit to it. Hopefully the spring weather will bring your family some relief from the physical ailments - sounds like you've had a rough fall and winter! It was after that bad year that we began year-round schooling. It's worked so much better for those unforeseen things. Even on sick days the kids can eek out one subject, or at least one page of math during breakfast or something - you know? Then we rest the remainder of the day, and don't get too far off-track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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