happycc Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I will be giving birth sometime in November. EEK. What kind of homeschooling do you do the year you give birth? What low key, low teacher prep/intensive curriculums did you use? I have a feeling a very little amount of school will occur. We will still be with a charter school. I wonder if I will be able to keep up with the expectations? Should I just go ahead and use the textbooks they recommend? Would that be easier than the homeschool stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynful Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 We read a lot of books and did math. :blushing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyfulhomeschooler Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 We took two months off to just enjoy baby :) Ours was born in December. Then we did low key main subjects only for about two months after our break, before jumping back into everything at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 We take extended time off to enjoy the new baby. When we start school back up I find it much easier to homeschool with a newborn versus a toddler. With newborns you can school during naps or while nursing/feeding. I utilized the baby wearing slings so I could still use my hands. As the baby gets older, and wants to be included - eating cuisenaire rods, ripping the older girls' papers, etc- then I need to be more creative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinivanMom Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I have always planned our schedule around the birth, so that we would be able to take at least 2 months off. This time around I started our schoolyear in the middle of the summer. We finish up this week, will take our state-required standardized tests next week, and then I'm ready to give birth. I don't plan to start up again until around Labor Day, so we will have a 4-month break. I was just plain lucky with how this pregnancy timed out. I'm not sure what the rules are surrounding your charter school, but it makes sense for you to start your year earlier in the summer. Then it would be no problem to take Nov and Dec off when the baby comes. It would just be a long holiday break. I'd be tempted to take Jan off as well and then just finish up the schoolyear into the following summer. I don't know how parent intensive your homeschooling style is, but changing the way you homeschool and adding in textbooks could be more work for you. If you want to lighten your load then you might want to look for materials that can be done independently. I don't know how much flexibility you have with a charter school, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I actually found having a newborn to not be a big problem. Prior to baby, I did most of my teaching from the sofa. A few weeks off school after baby comes home to rest and enjoy the new baby. It wasn't until around 8 months to a year when they start getting mobile that the big challenge takes place. We did lots of school work outside, reading, weekend work when dad can help, and getting older children to lend a hand were how we handled it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 We take extended time off to enjoy the new baby. When we start school back up I find it much easier to homeschool with a newborn versus a toddler. With newborns you can school during naps or while nursing/feeding. I utilized the baby wearing slings so I could still use my hands. As the baby gets older, and wants to be included - eating cuisenaire rods, ripping the older girls' papers, etc- then I need to be more creative. :iagree: I did not find homeschooling with a newborn difficult. But, aiyaiyai, the toddler!!!!!!!!!!!!! That said, we had also moved twice (once btwn countries) the year I was pregnant. My oldest was only 8 but I choose curriculum that told me what to do each day: Sonlight (including their LA), Horizons, Spelling Workout, Discoveries in Music, NOEO Science, that kind of thing. Not only didn't I have to plan, but I could mark off as far as we got and just pick up again the next day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abreakfromlife Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 You don't get much done :tongue_smilie: But, aiyaiyai, the toddler!!!!!!!!!!!!! :iagree: One of the reasons we're not where I wish we were in math and grammar is b/c I kept having babies. My big focus was teaching the 2 older ones to read, and then they would just read SOTW and other lit books, and that made up most of our school years for awhile. That and playing outside. But now that I've listened to Good to Great, I don't feel guilty at all :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsrae Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Agreed--once mama feels better, baby sleep so much or rides along in the sling, so it's not so bad. I would make a TON of freezer meals and give yourself a realistic amount of time off. Work on training kids to do things for themselves (from getting dressed in the morning to making sandwiches, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 You have a lot on your plate! As for me, we did as much "teacher intensive" work as we could before the baby came, and left the "workbooky" independent work for after the baby came. Gradually I'd add in more "teacher intensive" subjects as I felt able to handle. I do think having the meals planned and frozen ahead of time was key to my not completely losing my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moniksca Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 We did school as usual right up to the week before baby was born, Christmas eve, and then took a month off completely. After the new year, ds played online math games and watched science videos. After the month off, we started with math and reading and slowly eased our way back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystie Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I am due with #5 at the end of October (which means I'll have a Nov. baby). I'm contemplating just starting our holiday break when the baby is born. But I think that much time off will mean the kids will start to go wild, particularly since I won't be able to send them outside most of the day that time of year. I'm starting to order and plan now for next year, and I am making independent-work checklists for my then 4th & 2nd grader. So they'll at least have some things to do to keep them busy. I am also planning on relying quite a bit on audio books....so all I have to do is push play. :) I'll definitely take several weeks off after the baby is born to recover and enjoy the newborn, but I agree that homeschooling with a baby (I use a wrap and wear the baby a lot) is easy, it's the toddler stage (and I have one of those, too!) that is crazy-making! Unless, that is, the baby is a terrible sleeper (I've had two of those) or you end up having to work through baby blues (done that once). Then I just keep it cut back to math & my readers spending a couple hours a day reading good books. Right now it's keeping things moving during the first trimester that's hard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaOz Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 (edited) We have a newborn - well, she's about 9 weeks old now - and we just go with the flow and work around what is happening. If she is feeding, I can read on the couch with someone. If she needs cuddling (which is often because she is colicky and doesn't settle easily, and because I just like to cuddle ) I can still read with someone, or sit at the computer while someone does computer math. When baby is asleep or settled then I can do more hands-on things with those who need it. If she is screaming (which happens because she is colicky etc etc) then I may have to cancel the current activity until all is quiet again. Go with the flow. We officiallly only had about 2 weeks off when she was born and we are adjusting to our 'new normal'. All the best. Edited April 3, 2012 by LindaOz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chanda7 Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Homeschooling with a newborn is a whole lot easier than homeschooling with extended morning sickness. Our latest edition was born in June. I planned out as many things as possible prior to his arrival, including making copies of materials. Based on my research of the Hive archives, most people said it was easier to homeschool during the newborn sleepy stage than later on. We were in the NICU for a week, and we started back with school a week after that. Things have worked out really well for us this year, and we have all enjoyed him. I try to save the teacher-intensive subjects for nap time, and go with the flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGHEALTHYMOM Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 :grouphug: CONGRATULATIONS!!! We are all different, although we need to bond with the baby, so do all of the family. I usually use a bassinet to keep the baby in sight, and a co-sleeper by the bed. It has been different with each baby depending on how rough the pregnancy was, and labor and delivery. I have had the worst times with 1 epidural and 1 natural with recovery time. I prefer natural still, and am expecting in June, so I am training my older children to help more ( again!) and offering short term and long term rewards, but also trying to get ready for this baby. My endometriosis was worse to deal with than any baby or toddler. Debilitated mom is chaos! I am already stocking up on sale items, meats, breads, veggies, and canned foods. We are having a calf slaughtered so that will help. I got a gallon of Maple syrup on the way and organic waffles on sale. I even bought an organic turkey on sale! I am not able to do the cooking and freezing, so we are blessed to have 3 others in the house who can cook, and still younger ones can prepare some foods or at least help. I am selling books to help buy these foods and pay on medical bills. Next I hope to get baby items: diapers, clothes, wash clothes, etc. Switching everything around to make room is going to be the biggest challenge! Try not to worry, and ask for help! Enjoy your pregnancy, and your baby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy2BeautifulGirls Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Good question! I have a 6-month-old who hates naps! :001_huh: :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie131 Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I'm so glad you posted this! I am due Nov 2 and am wondering just how we will manage too! Right now, the all day sickness is kicking my butt so we are just focusing in on the 3 R's and I imagine it will be much the same after baby is born. I am planning to lightly hs during the summer so that we can take a good long break after baby's birth. We are using LBC for our curriculum, I wanted something literature based so that we can do it from the couch but also wanted to have activities planned for me b/c I know that I won't have the time or energy to think up activities on my own. And yes, the toddler. Oh my, I have one of those too and yikes! They are busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classically Minded Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I'm also due in November with our 2nd child! I plan on taking off for 3 months but my dd8 will still read, do cursive, and other things she can do without me and my husband will read to her. I'm just allowing that space of time for sanity but we may not even need 3 months off. We are schooling through this summer and don't plan on breaking until the baby arrives. I also have been doing freezer cooking for years, I do 3 months at a time. So I plan on making 3 months of meals a few weeks before the baby comes, it helps us now and I'm sure it will help us then! ;) When the baby is about 3 months old and hopefully sleeping through the night, I plan on resuming homeschool and keeping the baby in the homeschool room with us and tending to it as need be. I'm interested in reading others tips! :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloggermom Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I am 37 weeks now and am due April 21st. We plan to take our "summer" off April-May and then we will school through the traditional summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted April 3, 2012 Author Share Posted April 3, 2012 however they can wreak havoc in existing todders and preschoolers who suddenly become needy and clingy. And then all the visitors...I think the good thing is that the baby will be born near the holidays. I think I will have to stop FLL and WWE temporarily during that time. I am having such a hard time keeping my 2.5 yrs old busy while older ones are studying. I can only imagine now dealing with him and the newborn. He is going to want to jump on it and squeeze it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 We always have a new baby around here it seems like! I actually find that I get a LOT of SL done with a newborn. Since I'm spending so much time nursing I just grab the books, sit in the chair and read to the kids. Keeps them out of trouble too :D! Stuff I need to direct them towards and get set up for them erm, doesn't get done so much, but lit-based stuff does, I just read and drop the extensions :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I am due with #5 at the end of October (which means I'll have a Nov. baby). ... it's the toddler stage (and I have one of those, too!) that is crazy-making! Oh my goodness! i'm due with #5 too - November 2nd! Our children are actually so close to each other in age! Mine will be 9, 6, 3, 1 in another week (one has a birthday Tuesday). The toddlers are crazy, BUT my 3-yo is actually the biggest troublemaker! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommy5 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Due with #5 any day and planning on taking about 6 weeks off ... my 1 yr old get into trouble a lot, while the older kids do school (he likes to find pieces of paper, pencils, flashcards ... anything really and then throw it around the room). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomandlorih Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 My baby is a month old and I agree my 3 yr old is harder=D We are also under a cover school with expectations and deadlines. Several months before the baby came I sat down and wrote my weekly reports out through a month after baby, then wrote out a list of what we needed to do and we added some to each days work so that when baby came we were a month ahead but I could send in the reports as usual. We just started back to school this week and I find that that was a bad thing...dd doesn't want to go back to school...lol To much time off.. Oh well, summers coming. For after baby's born.. take some time off if you can.. cut down to basics if you can.. make weekly checklists for yourself ahead of time so you can just open and go and not have to use tired brain cells to figure out what you are supposed to be doing. Congrats and good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 screams and yells and shouts and distracts everyone. He also pulls the book down. Read alouds have basically stopped because of him. Maybe I will just put the kids in Time4Learning for the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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