If you have a lot of littles and still get a lot accomplished

[La Condessa]

How do you do it? Do you have a strict daily schedule? Do you cut into your sleeping time? Something else?

 

I have two little girls who are not school-aged yet, but want their 'school time' with Mommy. I also have an adorable, crazy wrecking ball of a 15 month old son who never holds still, and am expecting another little one around May of next year. Right now we are managing with some difficulty to get a little phonics, violin practice, and read-aloud daily, with math happening about once or twice a week and watching Salsa a few times a week. Which is great for now, but my girls are so excited that "we get to do kindergarten!" next year (beginning of 2014, not Fall) when my older turns 5. (It will not really be K for the little sister, but they are inseparable and want to do everything together.)

 

They expect it to be some big, momentous thing--and my older daughter has been saying she wants to go to the school, and when asked why she said then she could have a real teacher who could teach her so much more. I know that if I stepped up what I'm doing now to include daily math, plus maybe some handwriting instruction, that would probably be fine for a gentle K. But my girls are craving more. I just don't know how to give it. I am stretched as it is--I am really struggling to keep up with the house, and my very social girl starts to go a little nuts if we don't get out to see folks for three days in a row. My little guy needs more attention from me, too. And I know it will only be tougher to find the time for more next year, when #4 arrives.

 

For K I would love to add in arts and crafts a couple of times a week, lengthen our read-aloud time, daily Spanish, and BFSU science, in addition to more math and handwriting, but I don't know how. Does anyone have any suggestions? I could post our current routine, if that would help.

[Um_2_4]

When the twins were little, it was really just dividing my day up and not letting little "oops" totally derail the day. Some days they did and some they didn't.

 

I had DS5 doing full Kg (he had been reading for over a year, so more intensive stuff) and DD was 3.5 (pre K stuff) so I had 5, 3.5 and twin newborns. I set aside 1 hour when twins were asleep to do x with oldest and DID IT, even though there were dishes in the sink, laundry to fold.

 

And to be honest, yes I did give up a lot of sleep. laundry can be folded quietly after bedtime, etc. I lived in a small 800 sq foot apt with 6 of us at the time, so no doing dishes/vacuuming etc after 7:00pm.

 

Read alouds were with twins in my lap on bobbies and DS and DD on the floor in front of me on pillows.

I did babywear for a while.

Also as they got older: containment, pack n plays (or those plastic play yard fences or highchair) are ok, especially if the baby might get into real trouble while your eyes are busy elsewhere. At 15 mos it might be kind of late, but get the new baby used to them for sure. For the 15 mo old maybe safe playdough, crayons, water in a cup in the high chair (put a plastic heavy table cloth underneath and just budget in some clean up time). Some special safe "school time" only toys in a playpen?? (duplos are the tops around here)

 

Also, find some "easier", less teacher intensive things to do. I know the early grades are teacher intensive mostly, really I do, but divide and conquer and all that jazz. Those things can wait till they are all older and no more diapers. Kumon workbooks? They have cut n paste ones for that age.  

 

And have the materials ready and at hand. Basket for read alouds in spot X, math book in a basket with rods on shelf, etc, etc. So when things are calm (or calmer) you can grab x and spend 15 minutes on that. Spread things around. Phonics posters or large flashcards on the wall in the laundry room, so they can help you fold/sort socks while playing I spy (I spy the letter that says /t/ etc.) Numbers on the wall in the bath room so during bath time you can count, etc.

To be honest when they were all littler DH often said he felt like he lived in a KG classroom and not a house. It's ok, it was a season, it'll pass. Now I have a schoolroom and no one would know I homeschool who walks in the front door.

 

 

Finally, to help your girls feel like they are "accomplishing" things, make a large simple "checklist" on the wall or fridge or door:

Science, math, reading, history, etc, etc. Let them put a sticker on it or laminate and do dry erase. They do not realize how much you do because they are just used to it. Tell them "good job girls, that's science for the day, go put a sticker" when you are done reading that book or drawing the flower picture and labeling.

 

[pushplaylearning]

I have a 5, 4, and 2 year old.   I use high quality educational programming like "Meet the Phonics," "meet the Sight Words," and stuff like that.   I also use short, high quality video clips on YouTube. Young children pick up things fast if its quick and fun.   All the kids will enjoys these video clips together and learn together. Why spread yourself thin if you don't have to?   you can sing and dance along with them if you feel left out.   Check out my playlists on youtube if you need a place to start.   i tried to organize them to make it easier to find the best of the best. There are a variety of counting lists, phonics, audiobooks with words, shapes, colors, spanish lists, and spanish audiobook list.     youtube.com/pushplaylearning

 

I have a youtube addiction so I highly recommend it.  We love Salsa too.  For math, get the marshmallow math book.  It is full of games to play to start teaching math concepts to early learners.  It helps you see that you can make math apart of your life style and then you wont be stressed out finding ways to fit it in.   count and add at bathtime.  count and add snacks.   that kind of thing.  

 

I also understand being bothered about formal school by a very social child, but children are easily impressionable.  Through television and daily life they get this glorified version of public school.  All I can say that its a tricky situation.  I am still trying to figure that out.  

 

 

[abba12]

I don't know if I count as having 'lots' but here's my tips.

 

Teaching the children to help with chores around the house early helps a lot! I am already seeing a difference just in having my daughter able to pick up the lounge room almost by herself

 

Utilize nap time as best you can.

 

Let things go. Fact is, in this part of my life, the house wont be spotless. When my dad came over yesterday it was a bombsite. I have just accepted that most cleaning happens on the weekend with my husbands help. My husband has also accepted that, for the next few years, he will be doing a good share of the housework. And things like cleaning cupboards and organizing shelves? That won't happen for a long time... lol. Rather than picking up through the day, my husband and I usually take an hour to pick up as soon as the kids are in bed, and we do our major cleanup friday evening and saturday morning. Everything waits until one of those times.

 

Compromise where you can. Now is not the time to cook bread from scratch and make all your own clothes. You'll have time for those things in a few years, but right now you need to let go and arrange your priorities. 

 

I don't sacrifice sleep, I can't, I have some health issues that mean I actually need more sleep than most and usually take a full nights sleep plus a nap with the kids (though I am trying to stop the nap). So I just accept I can't do everything and I accept imperfection

 

As for Kindergarten, make it special without making horrible amounts of work for yourself. Have them choose pencil cases and go stationary shopping. Give them checklists of their work to be done each day. You could even take attendence in the morning :P Try to arrange independent 'kindergarten' activities such as playing with pattern blocks and c-rods to make them feel like they're working while you have time to attend to the others. Try to do something special for 'school lunches'if you like, for example I know of one lady who's young kids kept saying they wanted to go to school. When she really dug deep, what they wanted was the square pizzas for lunch, and the cool divided lunch trays, lol!

 

I would aim also to have a longer 'intensive' session of school in the morning, with the little one having a nap and the slightly older one in a playpen with a special 'preschool time' toy (for this, I would get 5 special preschool toys, eg wooden blocks, farm animals, cars and buildings, duplos, etc, and rotate through the week). The longer morning session will help your Kers feel like they achieved something, as opposed to it being an integrated part of their day that they hardly notice. Usually I wouldn't recommend that, but in this case, it sounds like they want to feel like they're working hard. 

 

I hope there's at least a couple of points you can take from all that to help you.

[Katy]

Do as many chores together as a family as possible (You have to lower your standards).

 

Keep littles close - babywearing and a playpen are used a lot around here.  Otherwise have the general attitude that they must adapt to you rather than the other way around.  This works much better with some kids than others.  Also have the general attitude that most kids under 10 need 10-12 hours of sleep per day.

 

A lot of redirection for littles, a lot of self-teaching curriculum for kids older than about 7 (but always done in my presence so I can redirect them too).

[pushplaylearning]

I love how so many are advocates of lowering cleanliness standards. I feel so at home.   One time my 2 year old pencil drawing stayed on the wall for over a week.   I just embraced it, and my hubby is great at getting the kids to clean the house.  My five year old boy cleans the toilets and my 4 year old cleans the sinks.  The five year old hangs up his own clothes.   "The Self Propelled Advantage" by  Joanne Calderwood was probably on the most mom empowering books I read recently.   She has a great perspective and raised a lot of children too.  

[La Condessa]

Thank you all. I really do need to work on getting my little guy used to the playpen and the girls helping out with more chores. My husband tries to help out with the house when he can, but his job often doesn't allow it--he got home at ten last night and is at work again today. Special school-time in-the-playpen-only toys for my little boy might go a long way towards getting him to accept his containment. I actually have some nice sticker charts I made up a while back, thanks for the reminder to get those back out and use them. I had been thinking my girls are too young for any independent work at all yet, but assigning them to play with math manipulatives is a great idea! I'll have to look at those Kumon workbooks, too, to see if they look like they'd be a good fit. I don't want to use more screen time--watching Salsa 3 or 4 times a week is a recent concession, and more than we're used to. But I really do need to take your suggestion of teaching them to do more 'family' chores, as opposed to just things like making their own beds and cleaning their own room.

[mommymilkies]

My kids are 2-12 and I still have no idea how to juggle it all and get everything done! :lol:   Add in 4 soccer teams, coaching, and one day a week needing to be dedicated solely to Violin and I'm lucky to survive the week!

 

The best thing is honestly Netflix.  There's the Kids account now and it can be a life saver during times when you need quiet and concentration for older kids.  You can throw the littles in the bathtub with some tub paints/finger paints/shaving cream and tell them to have at it while you read or oversee math (in the bathroom) with older kids, then turn on the water and let them bathe while you oversee another subject.  Then snack while you read.  Read during meals as much as possible.  Use audiobooks in the car or during quiet times. Use bribes.  Put out chocolate chips and every time they interrupt one on one time, eat one.  I know that sounds cruel and I would only use it if I had no other choice.  Probably better for the 3-5 age range. My 2 yo would just jump up, steal them, and take off running.   :lol:

 

And remember if your kids are all really young, you really don't need much sit-down academics yet!  Lots of reading, lots of crafts, some math.  Get outside and do "nature study" and "PE".  If they're advanced and demanding more formal work, keep it in small chunks.  Even advanced little kids can only take so much at one time.  Fit it in when the other kids are busy or asleep. That gets harder as they get older, IMHO!  It's really hard to discuss, say, Jefferson's paradox about slavery when you have a 2 yo trying to tie you up with silkies and a 5 yo practicing piano in the room.

[....]

How do you do it? Do you have a strict daily schedule? Do you cut into your sleeping time? Something else?

 

 

I have an 11 yro, 10 yro, 8 yro and 5 yro.  So, I'm teaching 6th grade, 5th grade, 3rd grade and Kindergarten.  I get up around 4:30 am every morning and start my day.  :(   Unfortunately, that's been the only solution that works for me.  I don't use a schedule, but I have a routine.  

[mommymilkies]

I have an 11 yro, 10 yro, 8 yro and 5 yro.  So, I'm teaching 6th grade, 5th grade, 3rd grade and Kindergarten.  I get up around 4:30 am every morning and start my day.   :(   Unfortunately, that's been the only solution that works for me.  I don't use a schedule, but I have a routine.  

Our kids are similar ages. :)  Oh my, though.  I would be a zombie if I woke that early! Most of us here are night owls, thank goodness.

[strange_girl]

You've already gotten a lot of great advice, but I just wanted to second a few things. :)

 

Definitely let the housework go a little bit. Now, you don't have to live in filth just because you homeschool ;) but sometimes laundry and dishes and even dinner just don't get done. Don't feel bad about ordering pizza sometimes and curling up in your jammies and watching a show instead of picking up the mountain of toys :).

 

Yep, we're definitely supermoms, but even Supermoms can't do everything.

 

Also, for K, phonics and math (with some handwriting thrown in) is really all that's important. That said, my kids absolutely love workbooks, so we do more than some families. For instance, my K'er this year is doing The Reading Lesson and Explode the Code and Rod & Staff workbooks...all at his request. And he's thriving. So, do as much as you both want to, and try to relax and enjoy it!

[lea_lpz]

Have you looked at mfw k? We used it last year and we loved it because it covered all core subjects, like art, music, history, science, Bible, etc., but was laid out to be completed in about an hour and a half a day. Also my then 3 year old was able to participate in most of it. The only thing he didn't do was the seat work for phonics and math, but he did the hands on stuff for an intro. We did add about 15 minutes of Spanish a day and I spent 15 minutes a day going one on one preschool time with my 3 year old, so that put us up to 2 hours a day of school and they still covered all the areas we wanted. You could also break it down easily into 15-30 minute chunks of time. For me the convienence of a planned curriculum was worth it because it saved me time from having to do all that planning so I could focus my energies on their school.

 

I don't know if you are Christian or if you want to stick to secular materials, but mfw is a strongly Christian program so it might not work for your family but I thought I would suggest it because it is short and sweet yet covers more than just math and phonics.

 

I don't have as many littles as you so no advice there but hugs. I think it's great to have a big family and would love to have one someday :)

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

My oldest was in kindergarten the year that our 4th child was born.  The 3yo and 1yo took a nap right after lunch and that is when we did most of our work.  We did handwriting, spelling, reading, math, and faith formation during that time.  It didn't take us very much time and she still had time for quiet time/often nap time before the afternoon was over.  We did read-alouds, crafts, occasional science explorations, outside time, etc. during the morning when the younger kids were awake.  It worked well.

 

I did not really do any work with my 2nd child until he was in kindergarten.  He was academically ready much earlier but in every other way he just was not.  He learned so much math/engineering from playing with legos for hours every day since before he was 3yo that it didn't really matter.

 

Our house does suffer.  I teach the kids, make meals every night, do the laundry, and keep the floors on the main level mostly clean.  We read, play, nurse the youngest, put the nappers to sleep.  We do more cleaning on the weekend, but it still is not at quite the level we would like.  It's just where we are at now.

 

I've found that having a good schedule helps me so much.  I have certain times scheduled for teaching specific children and then work through the list, getting as much done as we can.  When I don't have my list our days are so much less productive.

 

Another thing that helps out is that our 4th child is really laid back and our 5th is pretty laid back most of the time, too.  I don't know how we'd do it with a toddler who ran around and got into every thing all of the time rather than our little guy who usually does not.

[Katy]

The chores thing:  Get up and dressed before the kids.  Every morning have everyone bring the dirty clothes from their hamper to the laundry room  (added bonus:  you can see if one kid is sneaking clean clothes into the laundry rather than going to the effort to put them away.).  Sort them together.  Do one load.  Set a timer to remind you to go move it over in 45 minutes (or however long your machine takes.  Eat breakfast together.  While the little one is in the highchair, have other kids bring dirty dishes to you.  You wash, one rinses, one dries & puts away OR you prewash, one loads dishwasher, one clears the table and wipes it off after meal time, another sweeps the kitchen floor.  Everyone goes to their own room to get dressed, make their bed, wash their faces, brush their hair and teeth.  Together they swish the toilet (keep a little listerine in the toilet brush holder) and use an antibacterial wipe to clean the sink.  Pajamas get folded and put under the pillow.  These are the morning chores.  You check that their beds are made, hamper is empty, bathroom is (semi) clean.  They get a star on their charts when it was all done.  While they're working on their morning chores, put tonight's dinner in the crockpot on low.

 

Exercise together.  We do mostly callesthenics, using a free tabata timer ap on my phone (though a kitchen timer will work just as well).  Google "tabata workout" for more information.

 

Move over the laundry together. Go to wherever you do school and do math.  Littles have to be taught directly, children who understand numbers and can read can watch a math facts video on youtube (and sing and dance along), right now it's this one:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzXcI49jdV0; then do one lesson or one workbook page.  If you have the sort of curriculum that has an answer manual, they can grade them themselves (with a red pen or red pencil), then re-work the problems they got incorrect on their own.  Usually they know how to do a problem, it's just that they rushed and weren't paying attention to detail.  At the end they show me what they got wrong, explain why, and show they re-worked it correctly.  If they truly don't understand they ask me and we work through it together.  Older kids are sometimes assigned Khan academy instead.  Have them do the work in the same room so you can redirect if when they get distracted.   After 45 minutes or an hour you're done, no matter how old.  Work year round and let older kids do half a lesson to make this work.  If littles are done, you can have them move on to a handwriting workbook page or have them do a second workbook page.

 

Next go back to the laundry room together and fold, hang, and put away all the clothes together.  If you skipped laundry over the weekend do another load.  Have everyone put their own clean laundry away (We have all the drawers labeled on the inside lip of the drawer so they all remember where everything goes).  Take a 15-20 minute break.  Everyone go to the bathroom.  Kids go outside to run around a bit.  If someone is particularly hyper or distractable, assign laps around the house.  Littles get diapers checked and changed.  Praise littles for being so good in the playpen.  Shower them with kisses and snuggles and giggles and take them outside to toddle around and watch the older kids play.  Do 100 jumping jacks together.

 

Go back in.  Move on to writing (handwriting, copywork, or a one-page essay depending on age).  Also practice spelling, grammar, or anything else you want a that time.  Littles who have already done writing can read instead. After about 45 minutes, take another 15-20 minute break.  Littles are done for the day.  Diapers, out of playpen, play outside, have fun.  Come back in and do reading.  Tell them they have to read "at least this much," however much that is, and leave the room for a few minutes to start lunch.  Think simple- peanut butter sandwiches and carrot sticks, milk, an apple, and water OR reheated leftovers from the night before.  Put lunch down in front of them to eat while they read.  After lunch, recess.  And then things like latin if you want to teach that, or co-op classes, or extra subjects for high school kids.  They practice for their music lessons on their own.  Long break, then evening activities:  lessons, gymnastics, scouts, it depends on the evening.

 

Kids help with dinner dishes after lunch & dinner.  I spend half an hour or so decluttering per day while kids play.  If there's more to do than that I have ALL of us work on it together.  Once a week we do deeper cleaning:  dusting, windows, tubs, etc.  I mostly use nontoxic homemade cleansers so kids can help, except for once a week I clean everything myself with 10% bleach (When I worked in nursing I learned many strains of stomach flu can only be killed with bleach).  I do this after everyone has gone to bed, because nothing has gotten too nasty due to daily cleaning it probably takes me 20-30 minutes, depending on how motivated I am that day.  Since I started doing that (and stopped working in nursing), no one has gotten stomach flu since.

 

We school year round so that other subjects can be incorporated into reading (history, science, etc).  Older kids have about 2 hours of assigned reading every day.  High school kids take CLEP & AP exams to verify my grades.

[MinivanMom]

They say there are only two kinds of big families: the highly organized and the hopelessly chaotic. I aspire to be highly organized and I am a big believer in schedules and organization.  We had a very strict daily schedule when I had only little ones. I still have a very strict schedule or we wouldn't be able to juggle homeschooling and 3 instrument practice sessions each day on top of everything else we do. I also have a strict weekly schedule and a cleaning schedule. I keep all of the schedules posted on the fridge along with ds8's soccer schedule and dd9's ballet rehearsal schedules. Here is what I do:

 

*Start with the baby. I always look at the baby's sleep schedule and build our day from there. When my oldest was 4-5-ish (and I had a preschooler, toddler, and was pregnant), we did schoolwork in the early afternoon when the toddler was napping. Then our morning was free for library trips, the park, museum trips, vt, grocery shopping, etc.  Right now I have a baby who loves his morning nap. I let him sleep as long as he wants (usually from 9-11:30) and knock out all the serious schoolwork with my older kids (who are now 4, 3, K, PK).

 

*Plan for chores. Seriously, the busier your life gets the more organized you have to be about everything. Plan a day and time for grocery shopping, plan all your meals for the week, make a grocery list based on that, then do not stop by the store again for any reason. Plan a day to do all the laundry and then do it. Get it all done and put away.  Make a cleaning schedule, post it somewhere visible, and do it. Make sure the goals are attainable.  I used to wash sheets every week, but I now only do it every other week. I used to dust and vacuum every week, but now dusting happens only every other week. The world has not ended. The work gets done and my house is clean. 

 

*Remember that your kids can do more than you think. I can't believe how much work my 3 and 5-yr olds do now (most of it spontaneous) compared to what my oldest two did when they were those ages. I never thought to ask them to clear their spots after dinner or sweep the floor or dust their rooms. Now I make my kids work.  We have assigned daily chores and we have a weekly cleaning day. Some things get done weekly (vacuuming), some things on alternating weeks (dusting, scrubbing bathrooms, mopping), some things monthly (cleaning fridge, scrubbing baseboards, steaming hardwoods), and some things only once or twice a year (cleaning out garage or attic, deep cleaning kitchen cupboards). I keep a schedule posted. The little ones do things that are easy (sweeping the floor, setting the table, putting away clean clothes), the older ones do things that are harder (cleaning bathrooms, dusting, laundry), and that frees me up to do the deep cleaning.

 

*Get the schoolwork done every.single.day! In our house it is actually, "Get the schoolwork and the instrument practice done every single day!" It is amazing how much you can accomplish if you pull out that math book every single morning at 9 am or if you make sure that darling child is sitting at that piano to practice every afternoon at 3 pm. There have been days where I was so morning sick that I laid on the couch and made my oldest come sit on the ground beside me so I could go over her math lesson with her, but she did her math. When we had a real emergency (tragic death in the family), it was cleaning, exercising, and sleeping that fell by the wayside while I spent nearly 9 months sorting out the bulk of the estate.  I gained 10 lbs and was a little frazzled (to say the least), but schoolwork always happened.  Know that homeschooling is always priority number one.

 

*Have fun!  Little children are fun.  Cuddling up on the couch to read a book is fun.  Baking bread inside together on a snowy day is fun.  Listening to your child practice their instrument is fun.  Homeschooling is fun!  Don't forget to enjoy homeschooling and to enjoy your children.  Don't listen to people that tell you it will get better.  It may get easier and it may be less physically draining, but it is wonderful right now!  Enjoy the time when they are little.

[Meadowlark]

I have a 6, 5, 2, 1, and 6 mo. My lifesavers are:

 

1. Morning room time- littles have a hour in their room or crib

 

2. Morning chores/routine

 

3. "territories" each child in charge of 1area of house and responsible for cleaning multiple times a day

 

4. Fold laundry at night, alone!

[tjlcc]

Set a bedtime for yourself and stick to it.  Set your alarm for the morning and don't hit the snooze button.  An hour before kids wake up is my preference.

 

Make a weekly menu plan and shop for the staple items once per month.  Perishables can be purchased weekly.  I plan two meals per day.  Example: Monday is Green Baked Oatmeal for breakfast and Roasted Crockpot Chicken for the main meal.  I make me breakfast meal the day before, store it in the fridge and in the morning it bakes while I'm getting ready for the day, hanging laundry, preparation for main meal, etc.

 

This year I've been enforcing an hour of quiet time after lunch.  It's been refreshing.

[lea_lpz]

Set a bedtime for yourself and stick to it. Set your alarm for the morning and don't hit the snooze button. An hour before kids wake up is my preference.

 

Make a weekly menu plan and shop for the staple items once per month. Perishables can be purchased weekly. I plan two meals per day. Example: Monday is Green Baked Oatmeal for breakfast and Roasted Crockpot Chicken for the main meal. I make me breakfast meal the day before, store it in the fridge and in the morning it bakes while I'm getting ready for the day, hanging laundry, preparation for main meal, etc.

 

This year I've been enforcing an hour of quiet time after lunch. It's been refreshing.

I need to work on getting up before kids because my day goes much smoother if it does. I'm pregnant though so I have a hard time waking up :)

 

I also agree an hour nap or quiet time is good for everyone. My son naps with me right now since I need the extra rest, and my dd and my dss when he's here get to have quiet time in their rooms so long as they are quiet. It gives them a chance to play alone and get a break from each other; my stepson likes to read his chapter books and my dd likes to draw and listen to audio books or play with her baby dolls or doll house.

 

We do a 1x per month staple stock up for the pantry and freezer where I either get to go alone and dh does something with kids or we do it together but when I get home everyone helps put away everything.

 

I make a weekly dinner menu and make sure the shopping and housecleaning is done over the weekend. I think about what my day will be like when I plan our meals, so i think if I have a busy afternoon, I do a make ahead dinner that can be popped in the oven for 20 minutes or cook in the crockpot. DH and kids all help clean on sat or sun morning and we knock it out in an hour or so. I clean out the fridge and make my list so I can hit the store while dh usually does something with the kids like take them to story time at the library and pick up reserves / return our books. He usually meets me at Farmers market and then we put away our groceries. We usually are hfree from noon on Sat. & Sunday.

 

Another thing that helps is to get a load of laundry accomplished a day. Right after I make my bed, I put a load in the wash and switch wet clothes into the dryer. In the evening when we watch tv, everyone will help fold and when the kids take a bath me and dh put the laundry away. If it's the kids we have them help after bath & pj's.

 

I think I might try planning breakfast though :).

 

Another thing is I plan to have 4 mornings a week were we have no where to go until 4 pm so we can accomplish doing school 4 days a week. I also have a free day a week with no commitments so that I can get caught up on things in the afternoon or be able to go to appointments, usually I try to have this be on a Wednesday so we have a mid-week breather :)

[happycc]

What on earth is Green Baked Oatmeal?

[tjlcc]

What on earth is Green Baked Oatmeal?

 

:laugh:

 

It's just my baked oatmeal recipe with added spirulina.

[Okeychowie]

Thanks for posting this topic.  I have a 5 year old almost 4 year old, 14 mo old, am due at the end of June with baby number 4.  It wasn't planned and right before school starts. All of this advice is extremely helpful.  I've never been a pack n' play user even though I have one, so I guess it will finally get some use.

 

We are offically starting K next year in a homeschool academy, to which he will go twice a week.  I have been scared to think of how the days will go at home.  We have been working a lot this year and it's been a struggle.  First we tried waiting until baby's affternoon nap time, but by that time my ds was too tired and yawning most days.  We've finally switched to mornings, which are working better. I found that dd(14 mo) will play independently for at least 30min after meals.  This is when we sneak in any work we want to do.  So, my tiny addition to the wonderful advice here is try to find patterns in baby's schedule.  Hopefully I can remember this when my next one comes around. :)

 

[4KookieKids]

And have the materials ready and at hand. Basket for read alouds in spot X, math book in a basket with rods on shelf, etc, etc. So when things are calm (or calmer) you can grab x and spend 15 minutes on that. Spread things around. Phonics posters or large flashcards on the wall in the laundry room, so they can help you fold/sort socks while playing I spy (I spy the letter that says /t/ etc.) Numbers on the wall in the bath room so during bath time you can count, etc.

To be honest when they were all littler DH often said he felt like he lived in a KG classroom and not a house. It's ok, it was a season, it'll pass. Now I have a schoolroom and no one would know I homeschool who walks in the front door.

 

 

Finally, to help your girls feel like they are "accomplishing" things, make a large simple "checklist" on the wall or fridge or door:

Science, math, reading, history, etc, etc. Let them put a sticker on it or laminate and do dry erase. They do not realize how much you do because they are just used to it. Tell them "good job girls, that's science for the day, go put a sticker" when you are done reading that book or drawing the flower picture and labeling.

 

Thanks for all the great ideas!

 

 I don't want to use more screen time--watching Salsa 3 or 4 times a week is a recent concession, and more than we're used to. But I really do need to take your suggestion of teaching them to do more 'family' chores, as opposed to just things like making their own beds and cleaning their own room.

 

I'm with you here... But at least for now (the babe is 2 months old right now and nurses constantly and is up several times a night still), I've just given up on this. It'll be a challenge to reign in their screen time more as the baby gets older, but I just don't know what else to do some mornings!

 

*Have fun!  Little children are fun.  Cuddling up on the couch to read a book is fun.  Baking bread inside together on a snowy day is fun.  Listening to your child practice their instrument is fun.  Homeschooling is fun!  Don't forget to enjoy homeschooling and to enjoy your children.  Don't listen to people that tell you it will get better.  It may get easier and it may be less physically draining, but it is wonderful right now!  Enjoy the time when they are little.

 

Also good advice. Thanks for the perspective. :)

[mindygz]

Great stuff in this thread! I wonder if my very active 15mo twins would tolerate pack n play time now...insure wish I'd done this more when they were still crawling. They are the firsts kids with whom I've even had one, so that shows my lack of experience in the area!