How to feel more "relaxed" with homeschooling

[Classically Minded]

I'm a month away from delivery of my 2nd child and it has been a very difficult pregnancy with loads of complications and bed rest. This has hindered our homeschool efforts this year (3rd grade) and we have only completed 5 1/2 weeks of schooling so far.

 

How do I feel more relaxed about homeschooling? I currently feel constantly "behind" and depressed that I haven't done more before the baby comes. I also feel burdened down by all that I have to do come the future when the baby arrives. It has been 9 years since I've had a baby and this is going to be, almost, like a new world to me, especially with a 9yr old dd I'm homeschooling.

 

Any tips, advice or encouragement to beat the "behind" feeling and how to deal with a newborn and homeschooling and the house, etc.? :confused: Thanks in advance!

[klmama]

It looks to me like you are only about 2 weeks behind. That's not so bad. Just be sure your dd practices her math, reading, and writing, and give her books to read for history and science. Even Magic School Bus books will teach her a lot!

 

As for keeping up her learning when you aren't able to help as much as you'd like, does your dd use the computer yet? Here are two sites my 9yo likes:

 

www.sheppardsoftware.com has geography, math, and other learning games

www.multiplication.com

 

Can you request books from the library for you to read aloud or for her to read alone or to you? Historical fiction, particularly, to hit both reading practice and history at the same time? Even if you don't use Sonlight, Veritas Press, or Ambleside Online, their reading lists can be very helpful. Books on CD may be helpful, too. Your library probably has quite a few or could get some via ILL.

 

When the baby comes, life will go on. It's all going to be okay. What a great age for your dd to be when the baby comes! She's old enough to be very helpful to you. :)

 

ETA: I just read the curricula list in your signature. It's time to cut some things out, at least temporarily. Does she really need two spelling programs? I'd have her continue with SWO and save AAS for when you have more time (assuming it is more teacher intensive). Home ec and even Latin can probably wait until January or even next year, if the time just isn't there. I'm not sure what NAC2 is. History could wait until January, too, but audio CDs for SOTW might be a worthy purchase so you can both keep listening.

Edited October 25, 2012 by klmama

[GWOB]

I've never homeschooled with a newborn (I started homeschooling when my youngest was 1 1/2) so I cannot help you there.

 

How do you feel more relaxed about homeschooling?

 

1) Stop reading the K-8 boards! Now, these boards have been a gold mine of information for me. Really. But I had to stop reading them for a while. I fell into the comparison trap. I constantly felt as though I had to keep up with what everyone else was doing. I forgot about the people I was teaching and made it all about me:glare:.

 

2) Teach the kid(s) you have, not the kid(s) you want. After I took a board break, I had to really spend time with each kid and decide what was best for that kid. I personally would have loved to have been taught the WTM way, but my kids needed a slightly different approach. I had to teach myself to be ok with that. I had to meet them where they were and go from there. I had to throw out the idea that all homeschooled kids were ready for college by 14. Yes, I have a couple of "advanced" learners, but they lack in maturity. Unless something major happens in the next 4 years, my oldest will not be able to handle college-level work, despite being "bright".

 

3) I had to go a little unschool-y. We do the basics (math, writing, grammar) every day, but I just cannot force my little people to do everything everyday. They would balk, whine, moan, and complain. I had to get creative. I signed up the older 2 for First Lego League and we are doing an Exploravision project with another homeschool family (they are researching the future potential of teleporting radiation/radioactive material to specific cancer cells). I signed up my oldest for an online Latin class, which she loves. We are focusing on current events (the only good thing about the election). They read, read, read tons of books. We travel. I count it all.

 

4) Know your limitations. Be honest about them. In your case, you are having a baby. Squishy though they are, babies require work. A lot of work. That's ok. You just won't have the time to plan an elaborate curriculum for your 3rd grader. Realize that no one is grading you, and if someone is grading you, they need a life/hobby. It's ok to focus on the basics (reading, writing, and math) with a 3rd grader. Audiobooks are your best friends. Netflix documentaries rock. Cool autobiographies from the library spark interests. Let your 3rd grader come up with random science experiments. Talk about what happened in those experiments. No one is grading you! You are your own worst critic (said from a place of experience).

 

I hope some of this helped you. I still, after 4 years, feel unqualified to give homeschooling advice. I'm just sharing what worked for me.

[Classically Minded]

ETA: I just read the curricula list in your signature. It's time to cut some things out, at least temporarily. Does she really need two spelling programs? I'd have her continue with SWO and save AAS for when you have more time (assuming it is more teacher intensive). Home ec and even Latin can probably wait until January or even next year, if the time just isn't there. I'm not sure what NAC2 is. History could wait until January, too, but audio CDs for SOTW might be a worthy purchase so you can both keep listening.

 

My siggie curricula list is really a dream list lol, we rarely ever get to Home Ec, Art, Music (besides her piano lessons) and NAC2 is New American Cursive, which has been put on the back burner too since she is doing cursive in her Latin copybook. Latin is one subject that doesn't require me since I got the teaching DVDs, and it is her favorite subject this year, so I don't want to drop that. With spelling, we tried but we can't part with either one. With SWO, I put in the list online at Spelling City and she does the workbook, so she doesn't need me much with that one and you are right with AAS - it is very teacher intensive but she would cry if we didn't do it often. I do have the history cd's, so maybe it is time for her to use those.

[Classically Minded]

Anyone else? :bigear:

[Beth S]

You've gotten some great advice.

 

I will just quickly remind you that you are likely at your "lowest" valley right now. You are on bedrest. You are 8 months pregnant. Please remind yourself that the precious little baby growing inside you is Job #1 right now.

 

You will feel A LOT better after the baby is born, when you can get up and strengthen your muscles, etc.

 

Use this bedrest time to read aloud (both ways) with your dd. Realize she's probably learned a year's worth of Human Biology, and will have PLENTY of practical experience in Home Ec!

 

The baby will sleep a lot the first 2 weeks and will give you a bit of a chance to slowly get back on your feet. Try not to feel the pressure of the school year (you can school year-round, with breaks), but to cultivate your relationship with your dd so it is healthy, loving, and respectful--that she is eager to follow your directions and teaching.

 

Share the news when your baby arrives! :001_smile::001_smile::001_smile:

[Ellie]

Behind whom?

 

Wherever you are is...wherever you are. Your older dc is only 9. It's hard to be very "behind" with a 9yo. :)

 

You could consider changing some of your instructional materials because of overlap. For example, your siggy says you have both SWO and AAS. You could drop one, and I'd recommend dropping AAS, only because it is more parent-directed than SWO, and you're using several other things that are also parent-directed (FLL, Saxon, WWE). Although I'm certainly in favor of not expecting a 9yo to do much work independently, I'm also in favor of choosing some things which allow for a small level of independence, and less parent-directedness, especially when a new baby will be making her appearance soon. :)

 

You might consider R&S's English text instead of FLL and WWE.

 

And frankly, I'd consider dropping the science right now, and maybe Prima Latina, and stick to the basics: English skills, math, history only as a read-aloud.

[Mommy22alyns]

Camp out in bed and have your dd come to you. ;) Take care of the basics and set her free with educational games, videos, and good books for the rest. As long as you're keeping up math/LA, you're not behind anything. It might surprise you what your 9yo can do mostly on her own.

[momacacia]

I'm expecting #3 in January, with 8yo doing 2nd/3rd work. Very likely my world will come crashing down once the sleep deprivation hits, so I'm planning on doing only her CC memory work (which she really enjoys, is self-motivated with and I have songs and print-outs already organized for) in the month of January . . . maybe even into February.

 

If I weren't doing something like CC, I'd do math just with worksheets and brush up on skills that way (skipping the more teacher-intensive RS math) and wonderful read alouds as others have mentioned. I might keep up with the PR spelling lists, but those would be my 2 things. About an hour of school there, and then done---let's all enjoy the baby and each other and read.

 

Personally, I chose PL because I thought she could do it on her own, or while I was cooking, horizontal, whatever. I'm not going to pressure myself to get to that, though, after baby. And honestly, we've done one lesson of it this year, and I'm NOT on bedrest.;)

 

I completely get where you are. I feel like this is our first really good year of school and "getting it done"! I'm scared of January, too, not only because we homeschool, but because we have to eat a very specific diet for health reasons. It's just going to be a lot of work regardless. Best wishes!