Do you do it all - math, science, history, grammar, latin, art, music, spelling...

[KIN]

Bible and memory? I realized, in doing my planning for next year, that I haven't done any art this year. None. Zip. And, I had to wonder, if everyone does all the subjects??? If so, how? If you do all those subjects do you do everything else - clean house, exercise, feed your family, shop, bathe littles, extra activities, have a meaningful relationship with dh, and on and on? :rolleyes:

 

I can be on for a while with a great schedule, and then that time of the month comes or something, and wham! I loose my schedule and everything goes to pot. It takes a while to get back at everything again! Anyway... just wondering about everyone else out there!

[Sue G in PA]

I make sure we get in the core subjects like math, spelling, grammar, writing, reading, phonics for youngers, etc. We alternate days w/ Science and History (M,W for History and T,Th for Science) but when mom is pooped, those subjects get tossed or else they just read a book related to the subject. We are actually doing art today for like the 2nd time this year. BUT, my kids love to create on their own in their free time. Music...ds9 plays guitar but we can't afford lessons right now (he picked it up on his own..very musical kid). Dd11 is starting piano and I teach her when i can (which isn't often now!). No interest in Latin (blasphemy, I know!) but dd11 is starting Spanish at a co-op and we're supplementing w/ Kimber's The Fun Spanish. We don't do memory and Bible is usually Sunday School, prayer every day and scripture copywork. I'm sad to say I'm just not consistent w/ Bible. We do a bit of Geography on Friday's and that's it. They play sports during the year, have their own areas of interest during free time (woodworking, knitting, crafts, jewelry making, clay, etc.) and although I'd love to add a composer study or classical music study or instrument study...at 7mos. pregnant and baby #7 due in early April...I'm just not motivated to add anything else! We can't do it ALL. Just do what you can! Oh, my dc will be taking an art class through our church's homeschool academy on Tues. starting next week.

[WTMindy]

Every day. We get to every subject. And my kids beg for more!. Every day.

That is my story and I'm sticking to it!!

[Remudamom]

It will get easier in time. When we had five little ones six and under things were very different. The house and school work were about the only things that stayed pretty much under control. I didn't do much else. We covered everything but art, they just colored when they wanted to. And it didn't seem to harm them, we have one fantastic artist in the group. We did and still do spend hours on piano and violin.

 

Actually, I think I might have been better organized when they were all little because I had to have things in order to function. I'm much more laid back about meals and laundry now because I have the girls to help me through the day. The boys don't do any house chores except their own room and bathroom, they have to do ranch chores and I figure that's enough with school.

 

So, yes, we did all the basics, plus some extras. The house stayed functional. My only advice is that there are no tricks, just a lot of work to stay on top of. Train them to do everything they can to help. Use crockpots. Forfeit the "you" time for a bit. It won't last long and it's time well spent.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yes we do all the subjects. Some subjects are every day (math, history, Latin, reading and grammar). Some are "bundled" - our history and reading includes our writing (composition) and Bible. Our grammar includes some writing too. Latin and grammar are both really short lessons (15 min. max) because I split it over the entire week (and cut out "unnecessary" parts of R & S Grammar.) We do science 1x/ week for dd6, 2x / week for ds10. We do some things at odd times - I read aloud dd6's history at breakfast and lunch (she and ds10 are both doing the Ancients this year so there is some overlap.) Music is a bit hard to get to sometimes. We're a bit behind on it and will catch up during "vacations". Art is off of a computer disk - "The Phonics of Drawing" - I print out the lesson, ask ds10 to get the materials, and have him read off the steps for dd6 (it helps to have a 5th grader helping the 1st grader). Dh does more Bible with the kids at bedtime. Memory (Bible) is at bedtime too. The only thing we haven't gotten to since the end of September is "Japanese" class. But that is not exactly a required subject! My dd6 keeps asking me when I will get back to it though - she loves it.

 

Some things that have helped me this year:

1. I hired a "sub" to come in once a week. My neighbor comes one morning a week and works primarily with dd6 on those fun but time-consuming things like science experiments, phonics games, math games.

 

2. Ds10 is becoming more and more independant in his work. I copy out his schedule and work and put it all on a clipboard. He didn't like it at first (he missed interaction with me). But he's discovering that if he curls up in a corner (yesterday he made a nest out of pillows and worked there) he gets the work done in record time.

 

3. Dd6 is my roving scholar. I put her work on a clipboard too and she does her work where-ever I happen to be working now. If I'm folding clothes in the bedroom, she's there on the floor doing her math where I can help her immediately.

 

4. We've moved to schooling year around. I went through a real rough patch with my health earlier this school year. But I'm starting to notice how less stressed I am about school. During my health crisis it took us two weeks to get through one week's worth of schoolwork. But doing school-lite also meant that it wasn't too much of an imposition to keep schooling some (one hour? - sometimes even 1/2 hour) during the holidays. (Of course I'm not quite sure how we're going to feel about this once spring and summer hit!)

 

5. I've reallly embraced the quote that is in my signature line- "Education is a life". I used to keep "school hours." Now I'm not so rigid. School is important but so is "life". If we are in the middle of a household project, I won't stop now to enforce the schedule. If we didn't get to math and there is some time while I'm cooking dinner, I'll put the kids near me at the table and we do some math. Or if we've got some time on the weekend and we had gotten behind on music or whatever, we'll do that. Back when I kept rigid school hours my kids balked if we went over even 15 minutes, now they don't blink an eye at doing some school on Saturday or whenever because it is just part of the fabric of our life. (It's an attitude thing.)

 

6. None of it is perfect. My house can be made company ready fairly quickly (with the use of laundry baskets to whisk stuff away in!) We have routines for general cleaning. But "House Beautiful" it ain't! It's all a work in progress. For me, everything slid with my health issues and I'm slowly digging myself out. My motto for the housework is "Slow and Steady wins the race!"

[KristineIN]

Every day. We get to every subject. And my kids beg for more!. Every day.

That is my story and I'm sticking to it!!

 

Mindy, totally off topic, but I was just visiting your blog and wanted to share that we just finished The Mixed up Files...this morning. They kids all really enjoyed it.

 

Kristine

[Joanne]

No. Not routinely. Some subjects are hit and miss such as aspects of science, art, art history, memorization, creative writing.

 

Our musts, nearly every day:

 

Math

LA in some form (we utilize many)

Attempting to make Latin a must

 

Regulars:

 

Spelling

Writing

Reading, summarizing, dictation

[Robin Hood]

Something that gave me vision last year was picturing a big X on a piece of paper in a horizontal position. At the left side is beginning homeschool. At the right side is graduation. Where the X crosses, is the middle (dah!). At the beginning, the mom needs to be there 100% of the time. As the X begins to narrow, your time spent with them becomes less and less. After crossing the midpoint, they should be on their way to independence. By the time the kids are graduated, they should be independent learners. This vision has really helped me think clearly when I am going mad.

 

My dds are 9 and in 3rd grade. They can do spelling, handwriting, and math on their own, so I lump those 3 subjects together, give the girlies a pep talk, and that is my shower time. One of my dds is extremely focused and gets it done faster than I can keep up and the other needs constant prodding but it gets done.

 

One other thing I do is to put up a schedule on the wall. It helps them to know what to expect. It's a lot like school, but I remember learning to read a clock by class changes and what was to be expected when I was a young student and it worked, so I am now doing that with my kids. The schedule says Bible 9:00 - 9:30, etc and it includes breaks and lunch times. Stick with it and what they don't get done, they learn to do on their own while I have my time, after I am done with teaching school. And give lots of incentives through out the day. Perfect memorization gets a gummy bear, etc.

 

One more thing. I have begun to believe that I have been duped by my dds. I lowered my expectations because they seem to have such a hard time. I made it easier, not a bad thing, but I now believe they can do it. One dd made a Mazoulla Children's Theater try out. I would drop her off for 4 hours and then show up 1/2 hour early to pick her up and watch the end of her practice for a whole week. 2 directors had 60 kids under perfect control, my goof off dd one of them. I started watching the directors instead of the kids and learned a lot. My dd gave her all to these directors so I now know she can get the job done and I now expect it and she is doing it.

 

Your kids are still a lot younger than mine, and you've got 4 of them, so you do have it rough. Hang in there, discipline yourself (uug!) just a little at a time. You'll still get them educated in less time that it can be done in ps.

[Robin Hood]

You know, I re read your post and you sound like you're doing really well. If all you've missed is art, that is pretty good. I think you should tell me what you do to get it done.

[Krista in LA]

But, mine are 12 and 9 so it's a bit easier. At the age of yours, we didn't. Or if we did, they were very short lessons so we would be done by noon. But, I only have 2 kids so that makes it all easier.

 

Don't sweat it, it will all work out in the end.

[mcconnellboys]

Nah! We always miss some stuff. Just think, schools don't do all that stuff regularly, either. When I was in school, I think we only got music or art when traveling minstrels came through town, LOL. Or during the years when we were in the old spinster sister ladies classes. They read to us from Highlights and taught us the Virginia Reel and the Mexican Hat Dance, etc. Ole! I think that sometimes you remember stuff better when it wasn't part of the daily routine - it was more special that way..... I still buy Highlights sometimes when I can find them.....

 

Regena

[KIN]

Oh my, where did you go to school? Hehe! :) I do remember learning to square dance! I know we did music on a weekly basis in elementary school, I can't remember art though (but I art isn't my love). I just feel I should be doing something for art. :) I'm still mulling through how to do it all. And, I'm realizing if I do everything in school (now, not every day I know) I can't make my own bread, have a garden, take a lot of extra classes, etc, etc. I have to decide what to do, it can't ALL be done in ALL areas. :)

[Cindyg]

I've outsourced art, music, and PE. We do get to everything else.

 

We use a lot of video programs (HomeSat and United Streaming or Discovery Education), and we use audio a lot too (books on tape and I record his memory work). Plus, there are worksheets and reading that DS does independently work. (DS is 10.)

 

I get a lot of my personal stuff done while DS is watching, listening, reading independently.

 

I cannot imagine how we would do everything if I had lead everything myself (and I just have one child).

[PinkInTheBlue]

We skipped two subjects this week because something very necessary interrupted school. I was feeling a bit guilty about it and then I turned to my husband in the car and said "You know what? If there's a classroom in this whole city that gets as much done every single day as we do, I'll eat a stick! Bumping 2 subjects to tomorrow isn't going to kill anyone." :)

 

We get most of our stuff done mostly every day. However, we do not do art and we alternate science and history. I'm considering doing an outsourced art class but there's no way I'm teaching one here.

[Sunshine State Sue]

We did one art project last year for our recognition ceremony - we made a dog out of 2 towels - towel art we learned on a cruise.

 

This year, we've done zero art. The rest, yes, on a weekly basis, although music has always been farmed out and Latin just started being farmed out last month.

[EKS]

Except Bible and memory!

[nancypants]

I make sure we get in the core subjects like math, spelling, grammar, writing, reading, phonics for youngers, etc. We alternate days w/ Science and History (M,W for History and T,Th for Science) but when mom is pooped, those subjects get tossed or else they just read a book related to the subject. We are actually doing art today for like the 2nd time this year. BUT, my kids love to create on their own in their free time. Music...ds9 plays guitar but we can't afford lessons right now (he picked it up on his own..very musical kid). Dd11 is starting piano and I teach her when i can (which isn't often now!). No interest in Latin (blasphemy, I know!) but dd11 is starting Spanish at a co-op and we're supplementing w/ Kimber's The Fun Spanish. We don't do memory and Bible is usually Sunday School, prayer every day and scripture copywork. I'm sad to say I'm just not consistent w/ Bible. We do a bit of Geography on Friday's and that's it. They play sports during the year, have their own areas of interest during free time (woodworking, knitting, crafts, jewelry making, clay, etc.) and although I'd love to add a composer study or classical music study or instrument study...at 7mos. pregnant and baby #7 due in early April...I'm just not motivated to add anything else! We can't do it ALL. Just do what you can! Oh, my dc will be taking an art class through our church's homeschool academy on Tues. starting next week.

 

This sounds very much like us. We always do the basics. And we alternate with everything that is not basic. Things that happen routinely as part of life I don't even bother trying to make into part of school as it makes it more dreadworthy (art for example... they love it... I am not going to make a subject out of it until they feel they are ready to go to an art class of some kind.)

[mcconnellboys]

I'm VERY old and went to school in a rural area, so not much in the way of extras. And hey, why can't you get them baking artful bread by braiding it and brushing it with egg yolk and topping with sesame seeds, etc., etc.???? That's art! Then you'd have your bread and art, too. And why can't you get them to plant herb, flower or other sorts of gardens, planned out first, of course, for beautiful color, texture, smell, etc.? That's art - AND gardening......

 

Regena

[WTMindy]

Mindy, totally off topic, but I was just visiting your blog and wanted to share that we just finished The Mixed up Files...this morning. They kids all really enjoyed it.

 

Kristine

 

Be careful! They may plan an adventure. By the way, Tuesday came and went and they never made it to the mall.