how to balance?

[hsingscrapper]

I'd like to engage in more self-education but how do you teach your dc, yourself, and get food on the table while remembering appointments and diapering the toddler instead of the proverbial watermelon?

[elegantlion]

I tend to go in spurts. My ingrained way of learning is to do a set amount each week in nice little increments. My reality is that I have spurts of time and my brain must be engaged to do anything but automatic pilot. So, I'm working to embrace the inconsistency and make sure I have materials available when that moment hits.

 

I love to read, yet there are times when I can't focus on a word. Then I'll have a period where I can whip through 2-3 books in a day or two.

 

Then there are times when my brain wants to do math, something ordered and with a definite answer.

 

The answer, for me, is to keep a running list of prioritized self-ed projects. If it has to do with teaching ds or learning with him, those take priority. If it has to do with what I might teach next year, it's a little lower. If it's something we finished with and I wanted to take a rabbit trail, it's a little lower. If it's my own curiosity, it's a little lower. I currently have reading and projects in all of these areas. The books are scattered throughout the house (in strategic locations).

 

If it's audio, I try to put it on a few devices, like my phone or MP3, so it's accessible.

 

I really have a nice long list of things I want to study. I also have gaps in my own education that I need to fill to properly facilitate ds's education. Those are my priority right now. Sometimes I end up doing whatever it is along side him and we learn together.

 

I started intentional self-education a few years ago. I still don't feel like I've found a real balance, but I'm better about accepting the ebb and flow of it all.

[Carol in Cal.]

When I was homeschooling and working fulltime, the idea of intentional self-education on top of everything else was horrendous. But, I love to read, so I bought some popularizing, well-written, engaging books about various advanced topics and stacked them up next to my bed, and *when I felt like it* I would grab one and read it for a while, before going to sleep, or in the bathtub, or at breakfast (which for some reason was usually eaten alone). This was not as good as a planned expansion of the mind, but far better than nothing, if a bit eccentric/eclectic. I read about, IIRC, pre-WWII Europe, the German, British, and American home fronts in WWII, physics, oceanography, the psychology of learning, the financial meltdown, various political sequences of the Clinton era, American Lutheranism in the 1860's and 1970's, horticulture, food science and delivery systems, the Communist Revolution in China, and a bunch of literature and poetry. I also read everything by Malcolm Gladwell and all of the Harry Potter books, along with many middle school age novels.

 

This had the advantage that it was interest driven and kind of fun, and it gave me lots to think about, it was very broad in scope, and I enjoyed it. It had the disadvantage that it was not particularly systematic, although if I ran across something very interesting I would pursue it further. Nothing else would have worked during that frantic, busy time, but this was fairly effective.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Well, if you look at the state of my bathrooms, you would have to say "not very well!" ;) It's a constant struggle. I am glad dh likes to watch sports b/c I can read after the girls are in bed without feeling guilty about being anti-social to him . . .

 

I work on my own math - a couple of levels ahead - while Miss P is working independently on Math or writing. I read the history text for my Coursera class in spurts all throughout the day, which is ok because it's broken into small sections. I can't do serious reading like that, though. Of course, this only works for me b/c I don't have a toddler under foot, and I'm just hsing one.

 

The biggest thing I do is watch lectures on my laptop and/or listen to audiobooks when I'm cleaning, fixing dinner, etc. - I watch Coursera lectures, Open Yale courses, TC lectures from the library, you name it while I'm doing mundane tasks around the house, usually in the late afternoon/evening. I have something going all the time, and the girls know not to bug me unless someone is bleeding :D.

 

I know probably none of this will work for you with a little one. But basically I just cram it in whereever I can - and if I had a toddler, I would cut myself some slack, and realize it probably isn't going to happen much for another couple of years. :grouphug:

[swimmermom3]

I'd like to engage in more self-education but how do you teach your dc, yourself, and get food on the table while remembering appointments and diapering the toddler instead of the proverbial watermelon?

 

I look for what I consider to be "dual opportunities." For example, while I cook dinner I usually listen to a Teaching Company lecture on a topic of interest or in an area that one of my teens is studying. Cooking dinner has always been an emotional drag for me. Being able to listen and learn has changed my attitude because I am now acquiring new knowledge which is permanent vs. the temporary accomplishment of getting a meal on the table. Currently my youngest is reading The Odyssey and I am listening to Elizabeth Vandiver's wonderful lectures. This fits well with my long-range plan of working my way through the Great Books a la TWTM.

 

While my two youngest have returned to public school, I find that I am still teaching math and writing, as well as reading the boys' literature selections so that we can discuss them. In order to make the time to accomplish this, I cut down on my board time and misc. computer time and try to have small daily housework routines that keep me from needing to do major cleaning. This level of self-discipline is new to me, but I think the time spent on math and writing will serve me well since I am considering adding a certification to update my MBA.

 

Another "dual opportunity" that I have taken advantage of is volunteering at my boys' high school as a mentor. The district has drastically cut its number of counselors so there is now a training program for parent volunteers who work with seniors to make sure they are on track for college and applications. I have a senior so it's helpful in that respect, but I am also considering working in a similar field.

 

I don't know if this is helpful for your situation. I know I just try and look for any opportunities that come my way and if I can fulfill more than one of my objectives, so much the better.