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Getting nervous & worried about starting school, advice?


julie4
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Everything is almost ready to go, But I'm just plain ole nervous about starting my first year. Worried about juggling all 3 kids plus a toddler.

 

I decided to start my 8th grader a week before the other 2. And I'm starting with just the basic 3 r's for the first several weeks than add a new class every week. Both ideas that I got here.

 

Any other suggestions for a smooth beginning for a newbie?

 

Thanks,

Julie

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Most of us can totally relate. I feel the same way and this year is my third year in. I don't think the nervousness goes away. You will have good days and there will be bad days. But you can share your joys/fears/let downs here at the hive. :grouphug: Wishing you a fantastic year.

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I'm missing your 8th grader, but I'm feeling about the same right now. I'm starting on Wed the 29th and mine will be using Saxon 5/4, Saxon 2, AAS, and Faith and Life, too.

 

Last night I began going page by page through everything, listing exactly what I'll need to have the first week so I don't need to make last-minute copies or trips to the store for paint.

 

I haven't decided yet whether I'll begin science, writing, music, art, and catechism the first week or not. For history, we'll just be reading from the spine those first 3 days and I'll add more books and projects to it the next week. I know we'll do math, spelling, history, and literature for those initial days. Then Labor Day week will only be 4 days. So at least we'll be working up to 5 day weeks.

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Not even a newbie (5th year in), but I'm a bit nervous because this is the first year I'll be homeschooling two, with a busy toddler in the mix too. Dd 18 mos is busy busy all the time.

 

Sending you some good vibrations :)

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I wouldn't have high expectations. I used to get so frustrated when I'd start and expect everyone to be as excited as me. We'd all sit down and then the bickering would start and before I knew it, I'd be getting onto them and frustrated. I still haven't had all of us at the table at the same time yet this year, lol. I'm waiting to get other things rolling before our together time..

 

Sounds like you have a great plan. I used to keep everyone on the same day. For years I schooled like this, then when one was sick, we'd all have a sick day. Now I keep schooling, as long as I feel like it, and they school when they can. All 3 of mine are on different days, but we'll all end close to the same day next year, so no big deal.

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My advice - breath, relax, it isn't a race, nor a competition.

 

Make sure your house is in order, that you have behaviors under control, that you have a good system for maintaining house cleaning, laundry, and cooking, that EVERYONE is helping maintain the smooth running of your household.

 

Enlist your 8th grader, and anyone else old enough to watch the toddler, as babysitters so you can get one on one time with each dc. Give each dc a set time for playing with the toddler, plan an activity for them to do with him\her and rush off to a quiet room (and a door) to get a lesson or two done with someone else.

 

Guard your school time. Don't let outside influences derail you or your dc. Turn off the phone, put a sign on the door, stay away from the computer\laptop\ipad. Let your dc see that schoolwork is priority.

 

Accept and expect that things will not go smoothly. You don't mention the ages of all of your dc, but I'm assuming you have several grammar stage. With very young dc it's a juggling act to know when to gently push to get them through a lesson and when that pushing becomes counterproductive and it's just best to put the lesson away for the next day and move onto something else or take a break.

 

Teach the child not the curriculum. Don't be a slave to the program you're using. Sometimes lessons can be skipped, and not all problems on a page have to be done. Sometimes lessons have to be repeated. Progress according to your child's ability, and understanding, not just because the book says to do x lessons in a week, or x activities in a day.

 

Move your young dc (and your older one if he\she isn't there yet) toward taking ownership of their education. Get them involved in choosing curriculum, understanding and setting goals, and establishing routines and schedules. Teach them how to manage their time, to know what resources to use to deepen their understanding of a topic\skill they have questions about, struggle with or are interested in, and how to look ahead in their subjects to determine supplies, books, or other resources they will need for lessons.

 

There are other things I've learned while I've been homeschooling, but those are the big ones IMO.

 

The fact that you're nervous is good. It means you care about the job you're doing. You're going to have a great year!:D

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All very good advice! Good luck....it will all work out in the end.

 

My advice - breath, relax, it isn't a race, nor a competition.

 

Make sure your house is in order, that you have behaviors under control, that you have a good system for maintaining house cleaning, laundry, and cooking, that EVERYONE is helping maintain the smooth running of your household.

 

Enlist your 8th grader, and anyone else old enough to watch the toddler, as babysitters so you can get one on one time with each dc. Give each dc a set time for playing with the toddler, plan an activity for them to do with him\her and rush off to a quiet room (and a door) to get a lesson or two done with someone else.

 

Guard your school time. Don't let outside influences derail you or your dc. Turn off the phone, put a sign on the door, stay away from the computer\laptop\ipad. Let your dc see that schoolwork is priority.

 

Accept and expect that things will not go smoothly. You don't mention the ages of all of your dc, but I'm assuming you have several grammar stage. With very young dc it's a juggling act to know when to gently push to get them through a lesson and when that pushing becomes counterproductive and it's just best to put the lesson away for the next day and move onto something else or take a break.

 

Teach the child not the curriculum. Don't be a slave to the program you're using. Sometimes lessons can be skipped, and not all problems on a page have to be done. Sometimes lessons have to be repeated. Progress according to your child's ability, and understanding, not just because the book says to do x lessons in a week, or x activities in a day.

 

Move your young dc (and your older one if he\she isn't there yet) toward taking ownership of their education. Get them involved in choosing curriculum, understanding and setting goals, and establishing routines and schedules. Teach them how to manage their time, to know what resources to use to deepen their understanding of a topic\skill they have questions about, struggle with or are interested in, and how to look ahead in their subjects to determine supplies, books, or other resources they will need for lessons.

 

There are other things I've learned while I've been homeschooling, but those are the big ones IMO.

 

The fact that you're nervous is good. It means you care about the job you're doing. You're going to have a great year!:D

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Chocolate.

 

Seriously, you're gonna be awesome. Your plan to stagger them, with the older starting early, sounds really good. You'll get in your groove, solve problems, and things will be fine. I actually like my kid this year and am looking forward to 8th. Hopefully you'll enjoy it too. :)

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My advice - breath, relax, it isn't a race, nor a competition.

 

Make sure your house is in order, that you have behaviors under control, that you have a good system for maintaining house cleaning, laundry, and cooking, that EVERYONE is helping maintain the smooth running of your household.

 

Enlist your 8th grader, and anyone else old enough to watch the toddler, as babysitters so you can get one on one time with each dc. Give each dc a set time for playing with the toddler, plan an activity for them to do with him\her and rush off to a quiet room (and a door) to get a lesson or two done with someone else.

 

Guard your school time. Don't let outside influences derail you or your dc. Turn off the phone, put a sign on the door, stay away from the computer\laptop\ipad. Let your dc see that schoolwork is priority.

 

Accept and expect that things will not go smoothly. You don't mention the ages of all of your dc, but I'm assuming you have several grammar stage. With very young dc it's a juggling act to know when to gently push to get them through a lesson and when that pushing becomes counterproductive and it's just best to put the lesson away for the next day and move onto something else or take a break.

 

Teach the child not the curriculum. Don't be a slave to the program you're using. Sometimes lessons can be skipped, and not all problems on a page have to be done. Sometimes lessons have to be repeated. Progress according to your child's ability, and understanding, not just because the book says to do x lessons in a week, or x activities in a day.

 

Move your young dc (and your older one if he\she isn't there yet) toward taking ownership of their education. Get them involved in choosing curriculum, understanding and setting goals, and establishing routines and schedules. Teach them how to manage their time, to know what resources to use to deepen their understanding of a topic\skill they have questions about, struggle with or are interested in, and how to look ahead in their subjects to determine supplies, books, or other resources they will need for lessons.

 

There are other things I've learned while I've been homeschooling, but those are the big ones IMO.

 

The fact that you're nervous is good. It means you care about the job you're doing. You're going to have a great year!:D

 

 

This is great advice. Print this and post it somewhere you can see it at all times. I really agree with the suggestion about the phone and computer. Turn your ringer off during school time its to much of a temptation.

 

Set your school time and be serious about that time. You will find that others will want to take up your time or randomly drop by since you are home. Guard your school time fiercely.

 

Lastly keep to a routine with household duties. Get the kids involved as well. It helps when everyone cleans together as a family. If your space is disorganized and messy you will find that it affects your ability to think clearly and will negatively affect your ability to hs your children.

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My advice - breath, relax, it isn't a race, nor a competition.

 

Make sure your house is in order, that you have behaviors under control, that you have a good system for maintaining house cleaning, laundry, and cooking, that EVERYONE is helping maintain the smooth running of your household.

 

Enlist your 8th grader, and anyone else old enough to watch the toddler, as babysitters so you can get one on one time with each dc. Give each dc a set time for playing with the toddler, plan an activity for them to do with him\her and rush off to a quiet room (and a door) to get a lesson or two done with someone else.

 

Guard your school time. Don't let outside influences derail you or your dc. Turn off the phone, put a sign on the door, stay away from the computer\laptop\ipad. Let your dc see that schoolwork is priority.

 

Accept and expect that things will not go smoothly. You don't mention the ages of all of your dc, but I'm assuming you have several grammar stage. With very young dc it's a juggling act to know when to gently push to get them through a lesson and when that pushing becomes counterproductive and it's just best to put the lesson away for the next day and move onto something else or take a break.

 

Teach the child not the curriculum. Don't be a slave to the program you're using. Sometimes lessons can be skipped, and not all problems on a page have to be done. Sometimes lessons have to be repeated. Progress according to your child's ability, and understanding, not just because the book says to do x lessons in a week, or x activities in a day.

 

Move your young dc (and your older one if he\she isn't there yet) toward taking ownership of their education. Get them involved in choosing curriculum, understanding and setting goals, and establishing routines and schedules. Teach them how to manage their time, to know what resources to use to deepen their understanding of a topic\skill they have questions about, struggle with or are interested in, and how to look ahead in their subjects to determine supplies, books, or other resources they will need for lessons.

 

There are other things I've learned while I've been homeschooling, but those are the big ones IMO.

 

The fact that you're nervous is good. It means you care about the job you're doing. You're going to have a great year!:D

 

This is awesome advice!...I chose to highlight part of it in bold, but this is all great advice :001_smile:

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Nervousness is normal when trecking into a new journey, or a new routine no one is used to. For your toddler...playing in a box of corn (corn feed corn) or rice with some measuring cups and spoons and things to fill will keep them busy for at least 30 minutes. Look into having some ACTIVITY BAGS or BUSY BAGS for your toddler (here is a link that has ideas or explains them http://www.walkingbytheway.com/blog/?cat=72 ). They are wonderful things. My two youngest like to pull them out and play with them. I have put many of their toys in ziploc bags - you can take them with you to a restaurant too to keep your toddler busy. An older child can get the bags out and do that with the toddler while you are working one-on-one with another child.

 

We homeschool year round, so that is a good way for the nervousness not to happen after you have been doing it. Keep the routine going a few days a week in the summer, so then they don't struggle with lost knowledge and an old routine they haven't been doing. Of course if you go on a cool month-long vacation or something, this will be hard. If you get busy during the year and do a lot of field trips and outside activities, doing school in the summer will help you stay ahead, important especially when they are older and there is more work they need to do. :) I know some people need the break...my break in the summer is to not have to drive somewhere every day. It is so much easier to get school work done without all the field trips and such. :)

 

You will do fine.

Good luck!

Edited by vfnelson2
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