For those of you who have a rest time...

[sunnylady303]

I'm kind of looking for some thought about how others do rest. We usually get all our skill level stuff done before lunch - latin, phonics, spelling, reading, math, copywork - all that. Then after lunch we take a rest where we all curl up in the living room with quiet activities and listen to an audiobook. After that we are, according to my schedule, supposed to get up and do some delight led learning - art, lots of hands on science, a bit of history. Here's the problem though - in the first three weeks of doing school, the after rest stuff has only gotten done one day. Just one day, out of fifteen. :ohmy:

 

This is the stuff my girls love and it just doesn't happen. What has happened is that either we get so sucked into the read aloud that we don't stop it soon enough. Or when I sit down to take a break, I just crash and can't seem to get going again - which is usually the bigger problem. I am not someone with boundless energy.

 

So while I have made the 3R's the priority for this year because DD8 especially has been at a disadvantage due to my inconsistency, I want to get to the things they love. How can I structure the day so we still have some down time that includes read alouds and still get to the "fun learning" as my girls call it?

 

Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

[Barb_]

Sigh. When you figure it out, please let me know. Usually I just push some of the skills back for a day or two and focus on the conent stuff for a few days. It all comes out in the wash.

[Tawlas]

My kids are little and we're only just about to start K so take this with a grain of salt. We have however, been doing quiet time since my youngest just turned 2 (the little stinker dropped his naps when he was 18 months!).

 

We live on a ranch and are a very outdoorsy family so our daily routine revolves around the seasons. In the summer, quiet time is sort of whenever we need it most. Summer's pretty hectic (and short around, one really nice month, two fairly nice months) so our daily routine reflects that. I try and put quiet time at the hottest point of the day. If I'm trying to do any kind of activities, they're done by lunch time.

 

Fall and winter, quiet time around here falls to aroun 3pm. In the middle of winter the sun goes behind the mountain by 2pm on many days and I want the boys to get outside and enjoy it. I don't plan anything really after quiet time, if it's not done by then it doesn't get done.

 

What about taking a 1/2 hour and go for a walk after lunch, then your delight-led projects, then quiet time? If you have supper in the crock pot you'd all be free!

[LindaOz]

Maybe it would work to have your delight directed time straight after lunch then have rest time after that before the end-of-day-leading-up-to-dinner routine. That's what we've been doing: together time after lunch, followed by quiet time.

[skeeterbug]

Maybe it would work to have your delight directed time straight after lunch then have rest time after that before the end-of-day-leading-up-to-dinner routine. That's what we've been doing: together time after lunch, followed by quiet time.

 

:iagree:Our rest time is rather late, usually 3pm. But my kids go to bed at around 9pm so it works for us. We do read-alouds and science/history/various projects straight after lunch. I tend to crash, too, so I have to keep going until that rest time. For us, rest time is on your bed and quiet for an hour. No toys, but they can read or draw. This is daily naptime for my 2yo, my 5yo sleeps not every day but 2-3 days a week, my 7yo usually does not sleep unless we've had a crazy week he might fall asleep. And I lay down too, with my 2yo until she falls asleep. This is a great break for me, I usually read a book and get a mental break, so needed! After rest time we are done for the day.