Scheduling the day with large gap between kids....

[usvichic]

Hi All,

I have a 3 and 9 year old. I don't really teach the 3 year old - we play, sing, build with legos, play in the sand, and read. The 9 year old I teach LA, Span, French, Hist, Science, SS, and Math to(not everything everyday). I find myself either ignoring the 3 year old to teach the 9 year old, or ignoring the 9 year old to play with the 3 year old. I really mainly ignore the 3 year old and he watches too much tv... which I HATE.

How do you divide up your day if you have a big age spread like I do? My 9 year old is pretty self sufficient, but I just feel like I should be doing more with her in terms of sitting near her and checking her work, or explaining concepts. Plus I also feel like 3 year old just gets the short end of the stick.....

 

HELP! Any suggestions as to how to divide my time, or what I could do to give my 3 yr old the attention he needs or the time to do more reading/playing?

 

Thanks.

[usvichic]

Anyone?

[JRmommy]

I'm interested in hearing responses as I will have a 6 year gap also. Baby #2 is due next month.

 

You might get more responses if you post on the K-8 forum. :)

[Ellie]

Hi All,

I have a 3 and 9 year old. I don't really teach the 3 year old - we play, sing, build with legos, play in the sand, and read. The 9 year old I teach LA, Span, French, Hist, Science, SS, and Math to(not everything everyday). I find myself either ignoring the 3 year old to teach the 9 year old, or ignoring the 9 year old to play with the 3 year old. I really mainly ignore the 3 year old and he watches too much tv... which I HATE.

How do you divide up your day if you have a big age spread like I do? My 9 year old is pretty self sufficient, but I just feel like I should be doing more with her in terms of sitting near her and checking her work, or explaining concepts. Plus I also feel like 3 year old just gets the short end of the stick.....

 

HELP! Any suggestions as to how to divide my time, or what I could do to give my 3 yr old the attention he needs or the time to do more reading/playing?

 

Thanks.

Where do y'all do your school stuff?

 

If your 9yo is pretty self sufficient, you shouldn't have to sit near her while she works. Ideally, she isn't sitting in a room all by herself.

 

It is not ignoring one child to spend one-on-one time with the other. Mothers always have to do this, whether they homeschool or not. :-)

 

Just don't turn on the TV, except for *very* limited things.

 

Is there any reason that your 3yo couldn't sit on your lap sometimes when you're correcting your 9yo's assignments?

[mom2hunangirls]

Ugh. I feel your pain. Mine are 8 and 5(just turned 5).

It's excruciating!!!

My oldest CAN do her work by herself for the most part but she doesn't want to be secluded in her room all day while sis and I play play-doh....she's too easily distracted to sit with us while we do preschool stuff. The little doesn't want to be alone for as long as older and I school but is too busy to be with us.

I know your pain. :). I hate telling either of them to go play alone (I don't mean ever and I do do it....but they don't want to be alone when the are the only one alone. Apparently only *I* like being alone while others play. :001_smile:)

So, on paper it seems like you just need to do this or that...in reality you need a third kid. :)

 

I basically have to use tv some. I try to schedule around what I need. We haven't talked science much lately? Great, I'll work with oldest while Sid is on. It ends, younger comes to get me and it forces me to give older the break she needs that I never want to take.

This year, I gave younger a timer set it for the 15 mins I'm supposed to do spelling and tell her to read books in her room until the timer goes off (she rarely cracks a book, but who cares as long as she stays occupied for 15 mins....generally speaking....this wasn't always true of this little monster.)

This year I learned to take better breaks. I'm ADD and it's a huge problem for me to constantly break...but I was still having to break to tell one or the other to do whatever, at least if they were pre planned I accomplished more.

Puzzles are working better...so there is hope.

An art box with normally unavailable stuff. They have lots of art stuff they can use any time....but I kept fabric pieces, googly eyes, etc in the school-only box.

I wish I was the type that could work with older during nap time. Unfortunately, I need to nap...or at least be alone.

I do assign homework to the oldest. So we go over the new math, she does the work during her alone time, turns it in, I check it, we go over the mistakes the next meeting. I'm able to do most of her subjects like this so it does cut down some on the time we need uninterrupted.

I take advantage of times I feel like doing extra work. Like tonight, I had a bug to do something, so I did a math lesson with her. She doesn't care what we do when we're together so she still enjoyed it...and I'm building a cushion for days that I just can't make separation work.

 

Does any of that help?

[usvichic]

Where do y'all do your school stuff?

 

If your 9yo is pretty self sufficient, you shouldn't have to sit near her while she works. Ideally, she isn't sitting in a room all by herself.

 

It is not ignoring one child to spend one-on-one time with the other. Mothers always have to do this, whether they homeschool or not. :-)

 

Just don't turn on the TV, except for *very* limited things.

 

Is there any reason that your 3yo couldn't sit on your lap sometimes when you're correcting your 9yo's assignments?

 

We do our school stuff in the living room/kitchen area and out side on the deck. So there isn't a TV for her to watch, but the little one does know how to turn on the TV by himself, so he wanders into my room(where the TV is located) and turns it on.

 

I like the idea of having him sit on my lap to correct her work. I will try that.

 

We just started homeschooling about a year ago, so I feel like I am still trying to figure things out. Figuring out how much work to do in a day, what is really important to know, how many breaks, etc. Plus throw in toddler aged 3 to the mix, gets interesting to say the least!

[usvichic]

Apparently only *I* like being alone while others play. :001_smile:)

 

HAHAHAHA! I LOVE that. I am the same way too. Actually my 9 year ld likes to be alone to play, but my 3 year old doesn't like to let her breather without him so it can create issues.

 

 

in reality you need a third kid. :)

Tell that to DH. He'd go crazy and his eyes would bug out of his head!

 

This year, I gave younger a timer set it for the 15 mins I'm supposed to do spelling and tell her to read books in her room until the timer goes off (she rarely cracks a book, but who cares as long as she stays occupied for 15 mins...

 

GREAT idea. I am off in search of a timer now that isn't attached to my Iphone!

 

An art box with normally unavailable stuff. They have lots of art stuff they can use any time....but I kept fabric pieces, googly eyes, etc in the school-only box.

Also another fantastic idea. Am going to work on that one too.

 

I am going to work on these suggestions. In our homeschooling group I am the only one with an age spread like this and who has not been homeschooling since the beginning of my kid's lives, so I get plenty of blank stares when I ask about this issue.

 

Keep the suggestions coming! I'm all :bigear: