When you hear a hs'd child is taking 6-8+ hours to do school work..

[Embassy]

Our days in the early years were often 6 hours long, and I used to feel sorry for those done in 2-3! :)

 

Look at it from my POV. A 6 hour day allowed us to have a day like below:

 

HISTORY: Read a chapter of SOTW. Make clay soldier figurines to dry and bury in our 'tomb'. While waiting for them to dry, watch a youtube clip and build booby traps around the soldier area. (1.5 hours).

MATH: Watch MUS clip, pausing to allow 4th grader to work out the problems with his own manipulatives. Build more on our own, then send him off to do the 15 problems. Have him teach me while I play stupid. (30-45min)

LANGUAGE ARTS: Read passage. Have him retell in his own words. Rearrange the sentence strips. Play a quick grammar game. (30min)

SCIENCE : Do the reading in the science encyclopedia. Head outside with the pocket microscope to look at different leaves and plant cells. Draw and caption. If time, go to the link provided in the encyclopedia and learn more online. (1.5 hour)

READING: take turns reading aloud to each other. Discuss the chapter (30 min)

ELECTIVE: drawing lesson. Easily 30-45 min, or foreign language class, 1 hour.

 

And that would be a nice short day of under 5 hours.

 

Yes, I absolutely could have gotten everything done in 2-3 hours, but look at what we would have missed: projects, hands on learning, multisensory lessons.....why on earth would I want to have given that up to be "done"? All that leaves time for is the bare bones, and why? So my kid can go play legos for 6 hours? The early years are about building skills so that real hobbies can develop.

 

:iagree: I've had 5-6 hour days in Kindergarten. Now in grade 3 and 5 we have 8-9 hour days. Learning is fun and from my perspective it isn't something to get over with so you can enjoy the rest of your day. I've had many judgmental comments about the time we spend, but I think many, if not all, of these people expect that the 8 hours in my house looks like the 3 hours in their house and they can't imagine it. I think my kids would really dislike school if I took out the extras. And to top it off, my kids are advanced (not from my efforts) and I go deep and wide in our studies to keep them challenged and interested. Because of their advanced skills in some areas I get the other kind of comments too - that I'm trying to create a genius or something. :001_rolleyes: Now, if you want to talk about how long it takes to get shoes on...there is a place where I have placed much effort and have little to show for it. Oh yeah, judgement for that too :)

 

Let's face it. People judge and they will continue to judge no matter what you say or do. So just be comfortable with your schooling and how you are raising your kids and ignore the naysayers. :001_tt2:

[quark]

This is how my day would go (with 1 11yo girl and 5 little boys) if I tried to follow an above poster's plan (my day is in red): [...]

 

 

And why haven't you instilled some sort of system where your little babies *take turns* at the toilet or when sticking their hands into something, or even who gets to climb on you first, hmmm?

 

:lol: Sorry, I couldn't resist it. The way people judge...sigh. Sometimes, I read these threads *hoping* that some day someone would say something like the above just so I can have a good laugh.

 

In reality though I Dup, hats off to you and all the other parents here dealing with the chaos on a daily basis and *still* homeschooling despite it all. You guys truly rock. Makes me feel like a wimp when I am tempted to give up with my one kid.

 

BTW, this is an old thread and maybe some of the judgmental posters have already learned that things do look different in others' homes. Sometimes, we are not able to visualize what goes on...everyone's learning as we go along.

 

Loving those comments about hiding books under the table, sitting on them etc. One of the disadvantages of giving your kid a study desk with those rolling keyboard trays/ drawers...so easy to hide books and doodle pads etc in there. Ask me how I know!

[I.Dup.]

Let's face it. People judge and they will continue to judge no matter what you say or do. So just be comfortable with your schooling and how you are raising your kids and ignore the naysayers. :001_tt2:

 

 

Very good point! No matter what our family or schooling style looks like, someone will judge us.

 

 

And why haven't you instilled some sort of system where your little babies *take turns* at the toilet or when sticking their hands into something, or even who gets to climb on you first, hmmm?

 

 

 

You know, I actually wondered if someone might think that! I'm sure it seems completely chaotic and undisciplined when I write it all out but they really are very well behaved. It's just when I try to do any kind of structured activity or learning that things go completely nuts! LOL Which is why that way of doing things just does. not. work. around here.

 

Thanks for the kind words. :)

[I.Dup.]

What you described is exactly my house...except the outside microscope wouldn't go well either because they would be fighting over whose turn it is. :glare:

 

 

You are right, I wasn't thinking about taking turns with the microscope! And now that I think about it, the drawing lesson would most likely have a lot more chaos than I thought (wanting to use brother's markers or watercolors instead of crayons, not being happy with the colors they got, accidentally ripped their paper which ended in tears and screams, etc)....sigh.

[Catwoman]

Before we all debate ourselves into a frenzy, I would like to post an

 

OLD THREAD ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

This thread is from 2012.

[Mom2TheTeam]

Very good point! No matter what our family or schooling style looks like, someone will judge us.

 

 

 

 

You know, I actually wondered if someone might think that! I'm sure it seems completely chaotic and undisciplined when I write it all out but they really are very well behaved. It's just when I try to do any kind of structured activity or learning that things go completely nuts! LOL Which is why that way of doing things just does. not. work. around here.

 

Thanks for the kind words. :)

 

LOL!! I'm giggling at the bolded. I'm sure the way I describe our HS'ing people think my kids are unruly and undisciplined. I can see why. It doesn't sound that way. But, my children really are well behaved and I get complements about them all the time. This is just how life at home is with lots of littles around someone always needs something and they are siblings. We all know how siblings can be. ;)

 

 

You are right, I wasn't thinking about taking turns with the microscope! And now that I think about it, the drawing lesson would most likely have a lot more chaos than I thought (wanting to use brother's markers or watercolors instead of crayons, not being happy with the colors they got, accidentally ripped their paper which ended in tears and screams, etc)....sigh.

 

Don't forget the one of the potty training 3 year olds will pee on the floor in the middle of the drawing lesson too! :lol: Actually, I had my 3 year olds cutting strips of paper into pieces and gluing the pieces onto a big letter A today during school time. It went pretty well. And, my olders didn't beg to do what the 3 year olds were doing! Success! (Whenever I give my 3 year old something to do, it is distracting to the olders because they want to do it too. So, the 3 year olds are occupied for about 2 minutes, but the olders are distracted for 30... :cursing: )

 

Before we all debate ourselves into a frenzy, I would like to post an

 

OLD THREAD ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

This thread is from 2012.

 

LOL!! I didn't even see that. In my defense, I only read the OP and the last post I responded to. (Of course, the OP does have the date... :p )

[I.Dup.]

(Whenever I give my 3 year old something to do, it is distracting to the olders because they want to do it too. So, the 3 year olds are occupied for about 2 minutes, but the olders are distracted for 30... :cursing:

 

I feel your pain, that happens ALL the time here! ALL the time. I laid down painter's tape across the floor and furniture to make "roads" for the littles to play with their cars on. Well of course they liked it for all of 5 minutes while the older kids wanted to play with it all day. Stuff like that happens all the time.

[happymomofboys]

nm old thread.

[ItoLina]

 

 

 

:iagree: with my son who did that, it was day dreaming, dawdling, talking, distractions, etc.

 

This is my son 100%

It takes us forever to get through anything, he is happier doing things that way than if I make him power through it.

[Snow]

Our days in the early years were often 6 hours long, and I used to feel sorry for those done in 2-3! :)

 

Look at it from my POV. A 6 hour day allowed us to have a day like below:

 

HISTORY: Read a chapter of SOTW. Make clay soldier figurines to dry and bury in our 'tomb'. While waiting for them to dry, watch a youtube clip and build booby traps around the soldier area. (1.5 hours).

MATH: Watch MUS clip, pausing to allow 4th grader to work out the problems with his own manipulatives. Build more on our own, then send him off to do the 15 problems. Have him teach me while I play stupid. (30-45min)

LANGUAGE ARTS: Read passage. Have him retell in his own words. Rearrange the sentence strips. Play a quick grammar game. (30min)

SCIENCE : Do the reading in the science encyclopedia. Head outside with the pocket microscope to look at different leaves and plant cells. Draw and caption. If time, go to the link provided in the encyclopedia and learn more online. (1.5 hour)

READING: take turns reading aloud to each other. Discuss the chapter (30 min)

ELECTIVE: drawing lesson. Easily 30-45 min, or foreign language class, 1 hour.

 

And that would be a nice short day of under 5 hours.

 

Yes, I absolutely could have gotten everything done in 2-3 hours, but look at what we would have missed: projects, hands on learning, multisensory lessons.....why on earth would I want to have given that up to be "done"? All that leaves time for is the bare bones, and why? So my kid can go play legos for 6 hours? The early years are about building skills so that real hobbies can develop.

 

Aside: Thank you for this. This was a great post for me to read for what ive been thinking about lately. Perfect timing!

 

Okay, carry on....

[PachiSusan]

You just gave me a much needed attitude adjustment. Time be damned...Melissa should have all the school day if she needs it, and I should not be clock watching at all unless we have something we must do.

 

Thank you!

 

Our days in the early years were often 6 hours long, and I used to feel sorry for those done in 2-3! :)

 

Look at it from my POV. A 6 hour day allowed us to have a day like below:

 

HISTORY: Read a chapter of SOTW. Make clay soldier figurines to dry and bury in our 'tomb'. While waiting for them to dry, watch a youtube clip and build booby traps around the soldier area. (1.5 hours).

MATH: Watch MUS clip, pausing to allow 4th grader to work out the problems with his own manipulatives. Build more on our own, then send him off to do the 15 problems. Have him teach me while I play stupid. (30-45min)

LANGUAGE ARTS: Read passage. Have him retell in his own words. Rearrange the sentence strips. Play a quick grammar game. (30min)

SCIENCE : Do the reading in the science encyclopedia. Head outside with the pocket microscope to look at different leaves and plant cells. Draw and caption. If time, go to the link provided in the encyclopedia and learn more online. (1.5 hour)

READING: take turns reading aloud to each other. Discuss the chapter (30 min)

ELECTIVE: drawing lesson. Easily 30-45 min, or foreign language class, 1 hour.

 

And that would be a nice short day of under 5 hours.

 

Yes, I absolutely could have gotten everything done in 2-3 hours, but look at what we would have missed: projects, hands on learning, multisensory lessons.....why on earth would I want to have given that up to be "done"? All that leaves time for is the bare bones, and why? So my kid can go play legos for 6 hours? The early years are about building skills so that real hobbies can develop.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Well, it's just a moment. :) And to be fair, a lot of things cause me a moment of going: :confused1: I'm sure people will read what I wrote below and do the same, lol. I can assure you I'm not spending lots of time judging or criticizing what other families are doing. At all. I do enough doubting of myself to worry too much about other people.

 

This is how my day would go (with 1 11yo girl and 5 little boys) if I tried to follow an above poster's plan (my day is in red):

 

 

 

I do understand that each family has to do what works for them. I personally don't see how it would be possible for a mom to stay sane doing 6-8 hours of school work per day, but I am speaking from my own experience here (again, even taking into consideration if I just had my first 2 children). Just my opinion.

 

I had a long reply, but took it out because it doesn't really matter. I think that it's worth trying to give each homeschool family the benefit of the doubt. Start with the assumption that they do have the best interests of their family in mind and are doing the best that they can. There might be space for actual close friends to do some gently hand holding, both families who are stressed or unhappy at either end of the 2 and 8 hour spectrum.

 

Stories about how one way wouldn't work for me don't have to imply that my way must work for someone else.