During busier seasons how do you know you are doing enough?

[lea_lpz]

I am going to grad school part time this year and trying to wrap up lose ends to graduate. That means a comp exam and completing my thesis.

 

We have a 1 year old.

 

This year we added an "official" homeschool student---I know have a k'er and 2nd grader.

 

Some days I wonder if I am doing enough. I try to break up our day so we get stuff done when baby naps. I am trying to give my k'er all my attention for our first hour while my dd does independent work and then do some stuff together for a half hour to an hour before baby is up. Then hopefully we get to do another hour and a half or so together in the afternoon while baby takes her second nap and my k'er does quiet time. Some days we just can't get to it. It seems like it happens about 3 x a week but usually not 5. Like today I have a dentist appointment so we won't get to it. Yesterday was her birthday so we didn't do school. We went to the American Girl Store for the day. We are studying US history, so does that count as a field trip, hehe? Most nights Mon - Thur I try to do our read alouds and Bible before bed (another half hour maybe). So she still gets that but it seems like at least 2 x a week my oldest only really does her independent work and me doing Bible and reading her chapter books in the evening.

 

Is that enough?

 

Today I felt a bit discouraged. I tried to think back on our day and realized maybe it was a "full day":

 

8:30-9:30: Outside time / exercise - kids rode bikes with me on a 3- mi loop at a local park with my stroller fitness group

9:30-9:45: practiced Spanish in car together with a cd

10:00-11:00- 2nd grader read a book, did math, explode the code, handwriting, and studied for her spelling test

K'er and me did morning board, math and Lang

11-11:30- art project together

11:30-12:00- 2nd grader read science books to my k'er ----oh my a butterfly and a clam I am and looking at the caterpillars we got in the mail (science?)

 

Horse riding lessons this afternoon 4-6 (PE?)

 

Tonight I am planning to do Bible and read a ch of Kaya and a couple pages from Kaya's World and a chapter from our Cheif Joseph bio.

 

It looks ok but I still feel like I don't spend enough time working one on one.

[SnMomof7]

If you get math and phonics (or reading and LA for older children) done, you're doing fine :).

[ALB]

So from 10-11 you did one on one instruction with your K student while your 2nd grader worked on those things independently?  The only thing that would concern me is that a 2nd grader still needs lots of instruction.  I would try to divide that hour among the two of them just to be sure both are getting their needs met.

 

I agree with above, if you do math and LA plus reading aloud, that's fine for K-2 grades!  Do you have some kind of writing for your 2nd grader?  I assume MFW would include that so you probably have that covered.

 

Also, it looks like you're pretty heavy on the extras (art, Spanish, 2x PE), if you feel like your 2nd grader is missing out on some instruction time, maybe some of that could be moved to the side for awhile.  During our busy seasons, those kinds of extras don't always happen and I'm ok with that.  

[Jess4879]

So from 10-11 you did one on one instruction with your K student while your 2nd grader worked on those things independently?  The only thing that would concern me is that a 2nd grader still needs lots of instruction.  I would try to divide that hour among the two of them just to be sure both are getting their needs met.

 

I agree with above, if you do math and LA plus reading aloud, that's fine for K-2 grades!  Do you have some kind of writing for your 2nd grader?  I assume MFW would include that so you probably have that covered.

 

Also, it looks like you're pretty heavy on the extras (art, Spanish, 2x PE), if you feel like your 2nd grader is missing out on some instruction time, maybe some of that could be moved to the side for awhile.  During our busy seasons, those kinds of extras don't always happen and I'm ok with that.  

 

:iagree: