How?!? How, How, How?!?!?!

[Sharon37127]

It is almost 10:30 am and I am sitting here- emotionally paralyzed. How am I supposed to fit it all in? 4+ hours of school, meals, housework, an hour of exercise, extracurriculars that go 2-3 hours a day, grocery shopping, constantly fighting to keep the kids off the computer, oh ya- and breathing?

 

sorry for the vent- just a bit overwhelmed.

[starwarsmomma]

how old are the kids?

 

how many kids?

 

Give us some ideas of what you're up against and we can help! been there, done that!

[GinaPagnato]

I know. It's insane sometimes.

Do what you can do, and remember that there WILL be things that fall through the cracks, and that's okay. You're only human, after all.

[Miss Marple]

It is almost 10:30 am and I am sitting here- emotionally paralyzed. How am I supposed to fit it all in? 4+ hours of school, meals, housework, an hour of exercise, extracurriculars that go 2-3 hours a day, grocery shopping, constantly fighting to keep the kids off the computer, oh ya- and breathing?

 

sorry for the vent- just a bit overwhelmed.

 

When ours were younger and didn't need the computer for school, we kept it turned off. After all the chores and school were done, it could come on. One less thing to worry about during the day.:001_smile:

 

:grouphug: It's always hard beginning, but you will get into a groove - and that groove will probably change every year :D. Everyone has their way...and this is a great place to get ideas and advice.

[fairfarmhand]

How do you eat an elephant?

 

A bite at a time.

 

The first week will be hard, stressful and exhausting.

 

The next week will be a tiny bit better.

 

By week three you might feel like maybe one day, you will be able to manage this.

 

Week 4...sigh. I think I am getting the hang of this.

 

Week 5. Wow! That wasn't so hard.

 

Week 6. SUCCESS!

 

Then everyone will get the stomach flu and you will start all over again!:tongue_smilie:

 

But yes, even for those of us who've been doing this for 10 years, most of us go through the exact same routine every fall, complete with head in our hands thinking "Why do I do this to myself every year???"

[tammieb]

Put breathing at the TOP of the list! Everything else is secondary :D

 

I think we all get this way at the start of a new school year. Shoot! I get this way EVERY DAY of a school year! You can do it!! Just sit back, take a deep breath, and pick a place to start.

 

Hope your day gets better :)

[Jenny in Florida]

It is almost 10:30 am and I am sitting here- emotionally paralyzed. How am I supposed to fit it all in? 4+ hours of school, meals, housework, an hour of exercise, extracurriculars that go 2-3 hours a day, grocery shopping, constantly fighting to keep the kids off the computer, oh ya- and breathing?

 

sorry for the vent- just a bit overwhelmed.

 

For what it's worth, I've been panicking a bit about this year, too.

 

My son is entering his second year of a projected three-year high school plan. He will be carrying eight credits, including 1.5 at an honors level (following Hewitt syllabi) for which I'd like him to prepare for CLEP exams. Oh, and one of his credits is a lab science.

 

In terms of extracurriculars, he sings with a choir, dances for at least three hours per week, volunteers at the science museum, does youth group at church and does model rockets once a month. In addition, he has to ride along in the car for several one-hour round trips so we can drive my daughter to and from her part-tim job, dance classes and show rehearsals.

 

Today is our first official day of school for the year, and we sat down to make a weekly planner so he'd know what assignments he will do each day. And, as much as it looked like in one big list, his workload suddenly looked a whole lot more reasonable once we broke it down into daily chunks.

 

I'm trying now to focus on looking at the daily picture and not letting myself get overwhelmed by the whole package.

[dbmamaz]

i dont clean the house except on weekends (i am not kidding - dh does dishes), i limit outside activities to 2 per kid, and i dont exercise on my own - but one of the activities was a family martial arts class. i'm still recovering from the injury, though.

 

you cant do EVERYTHING . . . you have to be realistic. Well, unless you really are superwoman, but i'm not

[Swimtaxi234]

It is almost 10:30 am and I am sitting here- emotionally paralyzed. How am I supposed to fit it all in? 4+ hours of school, meals, housework, an hour of exercise, extracurriculars that go 2-3 hours a day, grocery shopping, constantly fighting to keep the kids off the computer, oh ya- and breathing?

 

sorry for the vent- just a bit overwhelmed.

 

 

When I was young, I remember my Daddy telling me about the juggler who was able to constantly keep so many balls in the air, etc. Some days I feel just like that juggler and occassionally I am the sad faced juggler who just dropped all of the balls.

 

Last Thursday, I was hit with another round of vertigo. I was upset because I was physically ill and because we just moved across the country and without a support system. Thankfully my husband and two children stepped up big time and took over for me.

 

Ask your family for help.

 

Get a dry erase board, etc. and draw out a "juggler" with all the balls on the ground and label each ball that you need help with, etc. laundry, dishes, housekeeping, etc.

[Shellers]

I'm having a hard time fitting everything in so I've decided to start earlier in the day. I got up at 6 am today. I'm not really a morning person, but I think it's my only real solution.

[fairfarmhand]

I'm having a hard time fitting everything in so I've decided to start earlier in the day. I got up at 6 am today. I'm not really a morning person, but I think it's my only real solution.

this is what I have had to do too.

[Rene Austen]

I'm having a hard time fitting everything in so I've decided to start earlier in the day. I got up at 6 am today. I'm not really a morning person, but I think it's my only real solution.

 

Me, too! If I don't get up at 6 am, we don't get everything done. End of story. Sigh. . .

[delaney]

How do you eat an elephant?

 

A bite at a time.

 

The first week will be hard, stressful and exhausting.

 

The next week will be a tiny bit better.

 

By week three you might feel like maybe one day, you will be able to manage this.

 

Week 4...sigh. I think I am getting the hang of this.

 

Week 5. Wow! That wasn't so hard.

 

Week 6. SUCCESS!

 

Then everyone will get the stomach flu and you will start all over again!:tongue_smilie:

 

But yes, even for those of us who've been doing this for 10 years, most of us go through the exact same routine every fall, complete with head in our hands thinking "Why do I do this to myself every year???"

 

Hah! That exactly!

[Entropymama]

I'm having a hard time fitting everything in so I've decided to start earlier in the day. I got up at 6 am today. I'm not really a morning person, but I think it's my only real solution.

 

Me too. It does definitely get easier!

 

Make a list of all the house work that needs to be done in a day. Divvy out the chores to kids and dh - spend time training them and it'll pay off. Then plan an hour per day to get those things done. Make it a race, put on some music. We do this right after school, from 3-4 and it doesn't even take the whole hour anymore.

 

Learn to use a crock pot (despite what you've heard about them here :D)

 

During school hours, do school. During work hours, do work. During play hours, do play.

 

Don't throw out a schedule until you've been doing it for at least 4 weeks. It takes time to get in a groove.

 

:grouphug:

[J-rap]

It definitely takes a week or two to get into a groove. Once you do, you'll be able to take on more in your day again. Until then, have low expectations and easy dinners!

 

Definitely set limits on the computer. The sooner you get a system for this figured out, the easier it will be. Your kids will eventually accept it. For example, we had the limit of 20 minutes every four hours, AFTER all school work had been done for the day.

 

Also, we eased into our full schedule. The first week we really only did 1/2 - 3/4 of our full load every day.

[Ellie]

It is almost 10:30 am and I am sitting here- emotionally paralyzed. How am I supposed to fit it all in? 4+ hours of school, meals, housework, an hour of exercise, extracurriculars that go 2-3 hours a day, grocery shopping, constantly fighting to keep the kids off the computer, oh ya- and breathing?

 

sorry for the vent- just a bit overwhelmed.

There, there. It will be fine. :)

 

In our home, the hour of exercise would be gone, and there would not be extracurriculars taking up 2-3 hours a day, the computer would be unplugged during the day and/or the dc would feel the Wrath of Mother if they messed with it when I had told them not to. Grocery shopping--once a week in the evening when The Father is home. That leaves Official School Stuff and daily homekeeping. And breathing. We must have breathing. :)

[momma aimee]

It is almost 10:30 am and I am sitting here- emotionally paralyzed. How am I supposed to fit it all in? 4+ hours of school, meals, housework, an hour of exercise, extracurriculars that go 2-3 hours a day, grocery shopping, constantly fighting to keep the kids off the computer, oh ya- and breathing?

 

sorry for the vent- just a bit overwhelmed.

 

password it. my Sis has her TV and her computer passworded -- kids can't get on unless SHE enters the password -- no more fights....

[Deniseibase]

In our home, the hour of exercise would be gone, and there would not be extracurriculars taking up 2-3 hours a day, the computer would be unplugged during the day and/or the dc would feel the Wrath of Mother if they messed with it when I had told them not to. Grocery shopping--once a week in the evening when The Father is home. That leaves Official School Stuff and daily homekeeping. And breathing. We must have breathing. :)

 

:iagree: Except I still manage to get in exercise, but it's 30 minutes, and if I don't manage to get it in BEFORE the kids wake up, too bad for me!

 

Seriously, if you are feeling time crunch, and the extracurriculars are taking 2-3 hours a DAY, that is the first place I'd cut.

 

Next, turn the computer off or at LEAST turn off the monitor / close the laptop and move it either where the kids can't see it/reach it, or if they are older and sneaky, put the computer RIGHT NEXT TO YOU.

 

Shopping and most cleaning can happen on the weekend. If you keep up with the dishes, vacuum a couple times, wipe down the bathroom a couple times, and do a load or two of laundry a day (depending on family size, of course), you should be able to squeak by. Remember even the littles can pick up their own rooms once they are trained and help with simple chores!!

 

Crockpot, freezer cooking, etc. too :-)

 

And it WILL all get MUCH easier after you get in a routine for a couple months, stick with it!!

[fairfarmhand]

you know, this year we did it because of finances, but I've loved it SO much that I think I will repeat next year....no extracurriculars in the month of August. No piano, no gymnastics, nothing that requires me to leave the house on a regular basis for the first month of the school year. I have really been glad of this break.

 

Make hard and fast rules about the computer.

 

1. NONE until school is done.

 

2. Time limit with a timer set on the desk.

 

3. You must ask first.

 

4. Anyone breaks the rules gets no computer time for a week.

 

Before breakfast, have everyone do a couple chores. (bring laundry to the laundry room where you are putting in the first load of the day. make the bed, get dressed, put away pajamas. Feed a pet) Before lunch, have everyone do another chore (put away school items, pick up shoes or misplaced toys, load the dishwasher) Before snack time, have everyone do a quick tidy. (our snack is at 3 pm) AFTER snack time, I would only then allow people to do computer/TV for fun.

[laughing lioness]

It is almost 10:30 am and I am sitting here- emotionally paralyzed. How am I supposed to fit it all in? 4+ hours of school, meals, housework, an hour of exercise, extracurriculars that go 2-3 hours a day, grocery shopping, constantly fighting to keep the kids off the computer, oh ya- and breathing?

 

sorry for the vent- just a bit overwhelmed.

 

Starting year 22 today and we are starting knowing it's going to be a terrifically FULL and busy year.

1. We started the day with Lingua Angelica playing- beautiful. Everyone was more peaceful and calm, and actually smiling ;)We then fed dogs, picked tomatoes and walked to the river.

2. I went over everyone's bin of work for the year - kid by kid. We made out weekly schedules together kid by kid; oldest to youngest. The youngers drew and read while waiting.

3. I got up at 5:45 a.m. Made a call (crazy, right? It was planned), spent time with dh, made breakfast, etc. If I get started earlier, the day goes much, much, much better.

4. Off the computer, got the kids going. Only the adult-ish kids get to touch the computer before 4 p.m. The youngers don't even ask.

5. Planning on working out mid afternoon.

6. Shop once a week-or less-never more.

7. Plan meals. Teach the kids to cook- they help or cook.

8. Consequences = cleaning jobs; load dishwasher, clean bathroom, etc.

9. Schedule. I'm really a type b, BUT, the only way to get everything fit into life that I want/need/have to do is to make plans, right them out publically and do them.

[Sharon37127]

Lots of great ideas.

 

I just had a moment of weakness.

 

I have a 6th grader, 3rd grader, 1st grader, and a Kindergartener. This is the first year for all 4 of them and the oldest is into middle school work.

 

Part of the problem is, at the end of last year, we decided to use Florida Virtual School- specifically because of the above. That lasted a week. We reverted to our umbrella school and our own schedule. The UPS man is finally coming today to take the 6 gigantic boxes of Public School curriculum out of my home (it was full time). :party:I will be happy to get rid of this stuff. But with that, I am trying to gather a plan for the year (you may have seen my panicky post a week or so ago). So, we are just in a time of transition and disorganization.

 

We just have to get back into a routine. I know that. I just need to :chillpill:.

 

Thanks so much for "talking me down."

[meggie]

Our computers are password protected. A definite must in my opinion (my kids are little and don't know how to self-regulate)

 

Freezer meals are good, simple meals are good, meals made on Sunday are good. A few weeks ago, on a Sunday afternoon, I made mini omelets, a week's worth of steel cut oats, 2 batches of chicken noodle soup (I did it w/o the noodles and cooked the noodles the day of), 2 batches of nacho meat, 2 batches of fried rice. Life during the day was so easy then.

 

Cleaning-teach your children to do it? If they aren't old enough to do much, at least start teaching them to pick up after themselves and do twice daily pick ups. Everyone older than 18 months can help with that.

 

Laundry-one load washed, folded, put away *DAILY*. Make the kids put it in their drawers. I personally don't worry about neatness and organization in their drawers right now; every time I try, they go and mess it up. But even my three year old knows how to put his clothes in his drawers.

[Alicia64]

It is almost 10:30 am and I am sitting here- emotionally paralyzed. How am I supposed to fit it all in? 4+ hours of school, meals, housework, an hour of exercise, extracurriculars that go 2-3 hours a day, grocery shopping, constantly fighting to keep the kids off the computer, oh ya- and breathing?

 

sorry for the vent- just a bit overwhelmed.

 

You and I are twins. I totally understand.

 

1) One thing DH and I agreed on is that he now grocery shops. It was harder in the beginning, but I'm good at giving him good lists now and we've saved A TON of money because he doesn't pick up extras like I do.

Dh is happy because we're saving big time. I'm happy because it's one less thing for me to do.

 

2) Remind yourself that you work a full-time job -- and feel pride at how much you juggle. I think it's easy to fall into the "I'm a SAHM" thing. Nonsense. Because we homeschool we have a very demanding full-time job.

 

3) I give the kids (both 9) chores that really help me. And yes it took time to train them. When I say "do your dishes" that means they have to empty 12 items plus their side of the silverware tray. Yes, they have to be bugged, but bugging them is easier than doing it all myself. Plus they're learning skills for the future. I'm now teaching them how to fill. Yay me!

 

4) Greatest thing I did for myself was had DH make it so that I can't access "fun" websites before 4:00. I had WTM forums turned off too, but realized it didn't work well because I get so many book ideas that I couldn't order books at the library until after 4:00. By then I was too pooped so I have WTM back, but my other fun ones are not accessible.

 

5) My DH doesn't show much appreciation or give it verbally. He's a wonderful guy, but I know that the very fact that he does allow homeschooling is a huge compliment from him. If he didn't think I could do this, he wouldn't be advocating homeschooling.

 

My point is: don't expect your DH to give you the kudos you'd love to have. And deserve. But, in fairness to him, nobody is likely giving him those kudos at work either.

 

You only can do the best you can do. Smile at how much you're pulling off -- because it's a ton.

 

Alley

[Canadianmumof5]

You and I are twins. I totally understand.

 

1) One thing DH and I agreed on is that he now grocery shops. It was harder in the beginning, but I'm good at giving him good lists now and we've saved A TON of money because he doesn't pick up extras like I do.

Dh is happy because we're saving big time. I'm happy because it's one less thing for me to do.

 

2) Remind yourself that you work a full-time job -- and feel pride at how much you juggle. I think it's easy to fall into the "I'm a SAHM" thing. Nonsense. Because we homeschool we have a very demanding full-time job.

 

3) I give the kids (both 9) chores that really help me. And yes it took time to train them. When I say "do your dishes" that means they have to empty 12 items plus their side of the silverware tray. Yes, they have to be bugged, but bugging them is easier than doing it all myself. Plus they're learning skills for the future. I'm now teaching them how to fill. Yay me!

 

4) Greatest thing I did for myself was had DH make it so that I can't access "fun" websites before 4:00. I had WTM forums turned off too, but realized it didn't work well because I get so many book ideas that I couldn't order books at the library until after 4:00. By then I was too pooped so I have WTM back, but my other fun ones are not accessible.

 

5) My DH doesn't show much appreciation or give it verbally. He's a wonderful guy, but I know that the very fact that he does allow homeschooling is a huge compliment from him. If he didn't think I could do this, he wouldn't be advocating homeschooling.

 

My point is: don't expect your DH to give you the kudos you'd love to have. And deserve. But, in fairness to him, nobody is likely giving him those kudos at work either.

 

You only can do the best you can do. Smile at how much you're pulling off -- because it's a ton.

 

Alley

 

We sound very similar!

 

OP - once you have your plan in place, you will probably feel more settled just by that alone. If you don't already have a schedule - get one :D

[MissKNG]

Kind of some random thoughts that help me:

 

I agree with the "start your day earlier" recommendations. I am an early bird because my girls get up very early.

 

Honestly, at 10:30am I had this completed today: beds made, kids fed and snacked, big girl worked on handwriting, 2.5 loads of laundry, dh's chicken prepped and in the fridge, pop cans returned and grocery shopping done. I'm very good at "volume producing". I think my secret is a combo of multi-tasking and non-stop movement and having a schedule/routine. I don't formally exercise, my daily life is exercise enough (ie. I'll pull the girls around in a wagon for a couple of hours or at the playground, I'll pace around the play structure instead of just sitting on the bench).

 

I clean sections of the house every day so it doesn't all pile up. I rotate with laundry like today I did my clothes, yesterday I washed the girl's and tomorrow will be dh's.

 

I'll read aloud while the girls are eating and snacking instead of letting them snack for 15 minutes then doing a RA for 30 minutes afterwards.

 

I report to the state now so I have to get stuff completed for school. I don't do everything at once, the material that I combine the girls on is done in the morning and the core stuff that needs focus is completed after my small girl goes to bed around 8.

 

I also have a schedule/routine that I really stick to. I like the structure and the girls need it.

 

I realize you have more kiddos than I do but I used to babysit two toddlers FT this past January - June. And believe it or not, having the extra kids HELPED because they all played together.

 

:grouphug: You will get into a good groove that works! We are about to head to the Dollar Tree to buy toothbrushes. And I plan on parking on the far end of the lot and walk in (sneaking in some informal exercise!):D

Edited September 5, 2012 by MissKNG

[Alicia64]

 

Thanks so much for "talking me down."

 

Thanks for helping me feel like I'm not the only one.

 

Alley

[Myeightkiddies]

FLVS is time-consuming. Just eliminating (or keeping it minimal if used in the future) will help.

 

Make a list of "must dos" for each day. Then make a list of "twice a weeks". After that make a list of "once a weeks". Make sure that your twice-a-weeks and once-a-weeks are not often scheduled on the same day. Try to schedule extra-curricular activities on less heavy days.

 

 

Plan two weeks of dinners. Shop for things that will keep at one time. Perishables can be purchased once or twice a week. Google crock pot recipes and get in the habit of using the crock pot a few times a week. It will save a lot of time.

 

Of course, I strongly encourage purging excess. I know people say that all the time, but I cannot tell you how much it has improved my life. I was putting too much value on things that really didn't matter. We still have a lot of stuff; it just isn't crazy as it was. My house is so much easier to keep clean.

 

Anyway, I hope that you are feeling better. Enjoy planning and preparing for the year. :grouphug:

[swellmomma]

How do you eat an elephant?

 

A bite at a time.

 

The first week will be hard, stressful and exhausting.

 

The next week will be a tiny bit better.

 

By week three you might feel like maybe one day, you will be able to manage this.

 

Week 4...sigh. I think I am getting the hang of this.

 

Week 5. Wow! That wasn't so hard.

 

Week 6. SUCCESS!

 

Then everyone will get the stomach flu and you will start all over again!:tongue_smilie:

 

But yes, even for those of us who've been doing this for 10 years, most of us go through the exact same routine every fall, complete with head in our hands thinking "Why do I do this to myself every year???"

 

:iagree:Especially the bolded. I was asking myself that over and over and over yesterday lol.