How do you get it all done?

[TheGreenBeanie]

How do you organize your day to cover all you've planned - and not end up teaching/doing school from morning until dinner? One of the main reasons we decided to homeschool was to allow the kids more time to not be at the desk and in school for 6 - 7 hours a day, but I find if I try to fit everything in (definitely not everything all on the same day, every day), we're still at the table at 3pm, even if we start by 8:30am. Of course we have lunch, but... What am I doing wrong? I don't feel like we're doing too much. Heck, I don't feel like we're doing enough as it is.

I'm sure part of the problem is my motivation to teach some mornings. But I'm also sure there are tips and tricks to scheduling to keep (most) days running smoothly and not feeling like you're ditching the 'fun' stuff like science, history, geography, etc... because you've spent too much time on math and language. 

Do you alternate days for particular subjects? Do semester like blocks? How do you keep on track yourself?

Any thoughts? My two are 7 and 9 and we're finishing up our 4th year of homeschooling - I should feel just a tad more seasoned than I do! ;-) I'm pretty certain we're not doing too badly, but some days I feel like we're floundering and others like we could take over the world! And I have a suspicion that I'm not alone in feeling this way! :-)

[happypamama]

I do alternate some days for some subjects.  But also, at some point, it just takes what it takes.  Also, just because it takes YOU all day doesn't mean it necessarily takes THEM all day.  

 

Double check that you're not doubling up unnecessarily.  A lot of LA seems to overlap.  I don't do a lot of formal grammar, for instance, because the writing instruction programs cover so much, especially for the younger ones.  WWE, for instance, points out a lot of grammar, and I feel like that also gives it some context, which makes it stick better.

[boscopup]

I like to remember that my kids don't have homework after school. Then I don't feel so bad about going until 3pm. :P

 

I'm schooling 3 at a time, so it just takes a while. I've streamlined some things, and we do history and science on separate days. But if we're spending time doing read alouds and such, it's going to take a while. My kids aren't sitting at a table writing all that time though, so it's not like at school.

[HomeAgain]

We alternate fun and not fun subjects.  It is probably not the best method, but it keeps our brains fresh!

[TheGreenBeanie]

I do alternate some days for some subjects.  But also, at some point, it just takes what it takes.  Also, just because it takes YOU all day doesn't mean it necessarily takes THEM all day.  

 

Double check that you're not doubling up unnecessarily.  A lot of LA seems to overlap.  I don't do a lot of formal grammar, for instance, because the writing instruction programs cover so much, especially for the younger ones.  WWE, for instance, points out a lot of grammar, and I feel like that also gives it some context, which makes it stick better.

 

I haven't thought of it that way.. "Also, just because it takes YOU all day doesn't mean it necessarily takes THEM all day. "   There is definitely some going back and forth even with just two. I've combined where I can, but on things like language and math they work at their own level.

 

I'll keep an eye on next year's choices to see if we're over doing some of the LA. Thanks. :)

[FO4UR]

I don't.

 

I prioritize, make tough decisions, teach the older ones to work independently, let the little one have too much time to get into mischief, eat cheap & easy, let the house go the way of the dust bunny, and generally maintain my sanity by a thin thread.

 

A 7yo and 9yo can combine in more than you are probably doing right now.  Grammar repeats over and over and over again.  A noun is still a noun all those years later.  Do oral grammar lessons together in a 5min spurt before doing something else. Apply grammar individually as they do their own writing.  "Do you remember your list of helping verbs?  Can you find one in your copywork? What verb is it helping?"

 

Teach them to play math games together.  This can take the place of drill work. 

 

I make up packets of independent work for the kids to work on while I'm working one-on-one with a sibling.  My older two know that certain things have to be done before it's their turn. 

 

If they are motivated, we can do a LOT in a little time.  Most days aren't that motivated though.  It works out.

[MotherGoose]

listening in. I talk to moms who do a couple of coops and all this stuff and are done by noon and I just don't understand. I feel like I'm scrambling to get it done. But a cooperative child really does help. Next year I'll have 10, 7, and a crawling baby and I'm scared!!

[Meriwether]

I don't get it all done.

1) I try to do too much. Every year.
2) I've got 4 kids working at four different levels. It takes time.

3) While I'd like to be one of the really fabulous homeschoolers, I end up being a go play outside on this beautiful day homeschooler.

 

ETA: Fabulous as in get all the things done all the time. I'm sure the go play outside mamas are fabulous, too. :P

Edited June 3, 2016 by Meriwether

[Ellie]

When my dc were as young as yours, we put everything away at lunch and called it good.

[LMD]

I thought long and hard about what was important to us at the moment and I made some tough choices.

We do 3 longer days 9-3ish), one midweek short day (2hrs max) and one 'music lessons and poetry/art with friends' day.

 

And my house is a bomb, kids help with chores (mobilise my resources as my MIL would say lol) and I cook as minimal as I can. I used to love cooking lavish meals but no more.

I don't do it all, not even close. I do do enough of the important things, most of the time, sometimes...

[mamamoose]

*I* am at the table all day, but not one of my kids (ages 6, 8, and 10) is there all day with me--they rotate through and are off pursuing whatever they might be for the day while I'm working with whichever child at the moment! It's very time consuming for me, but not nearly so for them---and NO homework! That's a pretty big deal!

[BlsdMama]

How do you organize your day to cover all you've planned - and not end up teaching/doing school from morning until dinner? One of the main reasons we decided to homeschool was to allow the kids more time to not be at the desk and in school for 6 - 7 hours a day, but I find if I try to fit everything in (definitely not everything all on the same day, every day), we're still at the table at 3pm, even if we start by 8:30am. Of course we have lunch, but... What am I doing wrong? I don't feel like we're doing too much. Heck, I don't feel like we're doing enough as it is.

 

I'm sure part of the problem is my motivation to teach some mornings. But I'm also sure there are tips and tricks to scheduling to keep (most) days running smoothly and not feeling like you're ditching the 'fun' stuff like science, history, geography, etc... because you've spent too much time on math and language. 

 

Do you alternate days for particular subjects? Do semester like blocks? How do you keep on track yourself?

 

Any thoughts? My two are 7 and 9 and we're finishing up our 4th year of homeschooling - I should feel just a tad more seasoned than I do! ;-) I'm pretty certain we're not doing too badly, but some days I feel like we're floundering and others like we could take over the world! And I have a suspicion that I'm not alone in feeling this way! :-)

 

 

Depends what you mean by "all."  My just turned 8yo has grammar to do daily.    We do a fair bit of reading aloud.  She's done with school by noon, doesn't do more than 2 hours of school.  Then again, we don't do art formally or science at this age.  She is an advanced reader and must  read or sleep during our afternoon quiet time - my pick.  That's about 1.5-2 hours.  So, no, I don't do it "all."  Not even close.  But I have found over the years that an enthusiastic willing learner who reads fantastically, loves books, loves history, loves science can be taught just about anything.  For me, school at this age is all about laying foundations and one of those is attitude towards school and so reading aloud, reading, and more reading creates that.  

 

We get up in the AM, dress, eat breakfast, and do chores, though not necessarily in that order.  Then we do sit down table work and reading aloud/book basket/morning time - whatever one wants to call it. :)  Then outside usually for a good bit.  I believe firmly in short lessons, group memorization, reading aloud.   Lunch is followed by 1.5-2 hours of quiet time where they can read or nap.  That reading is usually structured meaning I either picked the book or it was an option from books I made available.  In the afternoon they will often listen to audiobooks, play boardgames, or be outside again.  It has a wonderful rhythm for life in general and I know having strong foundations (strong readers and willing workers) makes for outstanding high school students.  We don't really begin to pour it on until about 7th and 8th grade here.  

[Hobbes]

Depends what you mean by "all." My just turned 8yo has grammar to do daily. We do a fair bit of reading aloud. She's done with school by noon, doesn't do more than 2 hours of school.

[...]

We get up in the AM, dress, eat breakfast, and do chores, though not necessarily in that order. Then we do sit down table work and reading aloud/book basket/morning time - whatever one wants to call it. :) Then outside usually for a good bit. I believe firmly in short lessons, group memorization, reading aloud. Lunch is followed by 1.5-2 hours of quiet time where they can read or nap. That reading is usually structured meaning I either picked the book or it was an option from books I made available. In the afternoon they will often listen to audiobooks, play boardgames, or be outside again. It has a wonderful rhythm for life in general and I know having strong foundations (strong readers and willing workers) makes for outstanding high school students.

That's pretty much the same as our rhythm around here. It means that I have time do take care of babies, do housework, read, etc. I definitely don't "do it all", but keeping early academics to the solid basics frees up time and also lets the kids be kids.

[HS Mom in NC]

1. Prioritize. Stick to the most important things and let the little stuff go.

 

2. Integrate subjects.  Plenty of LA / writing can be integrated with history, science, literature and art.

 

3. Develop a severe allergy to busywork. Don't do every problem in the lesson unless they need the practice.  If they get it, they get it.

 

4. While do the next thing without much planning ahead can be the best option in some situations with some homeschoolers, consider that it also has the potential to make you feel like you need to do more when you've already done plenty because you're not keeping track.  One of the benefits to planning and prepping the year in the summer is that you know exactly when you've completed a full year's work. If you get done early, great! 1. Prioritizing and 3. Not doing every problem just because it's there still applies in this situation. 

5. Not every subject needs to get done every day.
 

6. Beware the potential busywork of many phonics curricula.  Getting the training wheels (phonics readers) off as soon as possible and just riding the bike (real books) even if they're a bit wobbly at first can make your days so much better.  This doesn't apply to the kids who really do need more practice to "get it," but people seem to want to please the imaginary curriculum police by doing every single little thing in the curriculum/guide/readers/worksheets because dog gone it, they paid for it after all and they're going to get their money's worth.

 

7. With kids who need less repetition during a lesson, look for curriculum like English Lessons Through Literature with short, simple, concise lessons that can be done in a short period of time.

 

8. Discussion and answering the questions orally is often a valid approach to an assignment.  Not everything has to be written out.

 

9. Outsource as needed or preferred.  Things like math drill can be so much easier if you have a computer game for that.  We had great results with Reflex Math for drill practice. It's $35 a year no matter how many kids use it, it keeps track of what they need and adjusts accordingly.  While one child is getting one on one with mom, the other kid can do math drill.

 

10. Conscientiously teach your children to work independently, step by step. Homeschoolers who don't and who don't have kids naturally inclined to work independently on things are headed for a real challenge.  Here are the basics in a nutshell:

After you have explained, demonstrated and worked with the child on how to do a type of assignment,

 

A. Have the child read the directions out loud to you.  (Read them to the child if they're not able to read yet.)
B. Have the child tell you back the directions in their own words.
C. Have the child look at the examples and describe to you how they were done.
D. Have the child do the first problem (if applicable) in front of you.

If those go well, move on, if not, backtrack through the steps to clarify any misunderstandings.

E. Have the child complete the assignment sitting next to you or near you in the same room so you can make sure they're on task and so you can answer any questions that come up while they're working. This is a good time to work one on one with another child.
F. Have the child show you their completed work as soon as they finish (or shortly thereafter.)  See what clarifications, if any need to be made.

Once that level of independent work is going smoothly most of the time, you can do that with 2 assignments, then 3, then a day's work, then a couple of day's work, then a week's work, and so on.  You can still have one on one time with them as needed, but when they don't need it as much don't burn time with one kid sitting idle while the other is being worked with.

[Farrar]

Hehehe. You think some of us are getting it all done. That's funny.

 

I dunno, maybe some people are. We get done what we get done. Sometimes we push through, sometimes we don't. I just make myself keep going and I try not to look back and second guess the things we didn't do. It is what it is.

[JenneinCA]

When my kids were that age we did math and writing and read a whole bunch of library books. And that was it. That was all I tried to get done. It was enough.

 

If people wanted to we painted or colored on some days. On other days we flew paper airplanes. Or played at the park. Or lots of other things.

 

(Even now with my 12 year old, we do math and English and Japanese and read books for the rest. I don't think it is necessary or useful to worry about specific history or science or anything else at this age. My big kids have done fine and I expect this one to be fine as well.)

[karminr]

I have 2 kids who are 2 years apart too, although mine are slightly older (12 & 14). We've also been doing this for 4 years and I also feel like I should be more of a "pro" / have a better handle on things than I feel like I do at this point.  We do not always get everything done that I wanted to every day either, but I agree with the other posts about getting them to work as independently as possible is helpful.  That's not as easy at those ages though.  I work full-time from home on top of homeschooling, so I've had to learn to be as organized about it as possible in order to just keep it together every day. 

 

With my kids, I found that keeping them on the same topic with history and science helped, as well as with Art / Music / Latin.  They work at their own level with things like math, grammar, spelling, etc.  What I ended up doing was getting them both going with spelling on Monday - we did a pretest of the new unit at the same time, then the rest of week they work on their individual units independently & we did another test on Friday.  History and science were done at the same time.  I would start 1 kid off with Math (do through their lesson, then turn it over to them to do the work - we use Saxon so lessons are broken up in a way that works with that) while the other was working on spelling, then do math with the 2nd kid.  Once I was done going through the math lesson with kid 2, kid 1 was usually finishing up the lesson practice from their math lesson and we then did a pause on math and I went through grammar with them, then did the same with kid 2.  They had writing & logic to do during the day, but they did those when I was either working with the other kid or after they completed all of the work they needed me for. We did history on M/W/F after I finished working with them on the other topics, and science on T/Th.  My 1 "rule" had to be that I needed to finish everything they needed me for by lunch time so I could work.  We took a break at lunch and then they finished up their work independently after lunch, usually finishing anywhere from 2-3:30 (depended on how early we started - as you mentioned, I was more motivated to get going on some days than others).

 

We're approaching HS now so I'm still trying to figure out how that is going to work and what our schedule might look like, but that is what worked for us so far.  Having said that, I feel like I'm barely keeping it together most days, but that has more to do with trying to work on top of everything else - homeschooling is a full-time job on its own. :huh:

 

On the days that I feel like we've barely done anything and I start feeling guilty about it, I just remember how much time is wasted in the school system every day, how many days they have assemblies and other activities that take away class time, how many times the teachers pull out videos & movies for them, how many distractions there are in a class with 30+ kids, etc. and I feel a little better.

 

 

 

 

[Tsuga]

 Also, just because it takes YOU all day doesn't mean it necessarily takes THEM all day.  

 

 

Sure, but you could say the same of public school. My kids are not doing worksheets all day. They alternate between light and difficult subjects, passive learning, experimenting, recess, lunch, creative learning, copywork, etc. My kids get one worksheet per day in math. Copywork, one page per day in language for the child in immersion. So if OP feels that is too much (which I tend to agree with--it's a long day) then I wouldn't say "oh well PS is more".

 

You know what, it might actually not be more.

 

OP, if you have a reasonable curriculum, my guess is that whining and dilly-dallying take up a substantial portion of the day you could cut out. I'm a huge fan of "put on a timer and when time runs out we're done and that's your mark". At their ages you are likely still on stars and smileys (if that).

 

I realize this is not going to be sufficient for kids with a learning disability, but for a typical child who simply isn't. getting. work. done. quickly. because in all likelihood they can't see the end of the tunnel, for any written / copy work, I'd read the lesson, and either do the experiment / hands-on with them, OR if it is up to them, set the timer and see what they can do in the time given.

 

Make sure to give a potty break before hitting the bell. Nothing makes a kid have to pee before the deadline.

 

Our teachers at school do this. The kids end up with breaks and fillers because of the school day, but knowing that they have to finish is helpful for the teacher and the student in some cases.

[Tsuga]

 

 

I just remember how much time is wasted in the school system every day, how many days they have assemblies and other activities that take away class time, how many times the teachers pull out videos & movies for them, how many distractions there are in a class with 30+ kids, etc. and I feel a little better.

 

But they are never wasting a whole day on entirely non-academic things. Assemblies are related to socio-emotional development or academics like social studies, Memorial Day, etc. And they aren't allowed to just put on random movies. It has to be topical.

 

I really don't think it's healthy to justify one's own shortcomings (or even, not shortcomings, simply, failure to meet one's own too-high expectations) by denigrating other people's work.

 

You don't get it all done. Nobody does. No point saying that everyone else is wasting MORE time. You don't know that. You want the best for your kids, of course--don't make excuses based on an imaginary worst case scenario. That doesn't mean you're doing a bad job. It just means, what you did you did because it was the best you could do.

 

Not because it was "at least better than public school". I mean it's almost certainly better than some public schools and that is hardly a compliment, and you're almost certainly doing worse than some public schools.

[BlsdMama]

But they are never wasting a whole day on entirely non-academic things. Assemblies are related to socio-emotional development or academics like social studies, Memorial Day, etc. And they aren't allowed to just put on random movies. It has to be topical.

 

I really don't think it's healthy to justify one's own shortcomings (or even, not shortcomings, simply, failure to meet one's own too-high expectations) by denigrating other people's work.

 

You don't get it all done. Nobody does. No point saying that everyone else is wasting MORE time. You don't know that. You want the best for your kids, of course--don't make excuses based on an imaginary worst case scenario. That doesn't mean you're doing a bad job. It just means, what you did you did because it was the best you could do.

 

Not because it was "at least better than public school". I mean it's almost certainly better than some public schools and that is hardly a compliment, and you're almost certainly doing worse than some public schools.

 

 

As an aside, as this is a *homeschool* forum, dedicated to encouraging homeschooling and from what she's listed, I'm fairly confident in saying her kids are *at least* getting an education to the equivalent or beyond what they would get at the public school.  

[BlsdMama]

Hehehe. You think some of us are getting it all done. That's funny.

 

 

 

 

:)

 

Love.

 

You know, even when I was checking boxes and doing more than I do now (like when oldest was 7 and I had three kiddos) there was always more I wanted to do... Always things I didn't get done.   

 

When you acheive A, B, and C, you start gazing into the distance and wishing you could fit in D, E, and F.   In your yearning, you find a blog where Miss Trisket IS doing D, E, and F and now you feel woefully insufficient.  

 

It has to be some kind of personality type.  I'm never getting it ALL done because if I was, I'd look for more. ;)

[FriedClams]

I would advise you to make sure you're not repeating any work. Penmanship and language arts, for example. If you do the work neatly in language arts, there's no need for penmanship. Copy work and bible verses - just copy bible verses. In your effort to be thorough, are you duplicating work? Are you doing 3 language arts programs that are merely different ways of doing the same thing? (People here do it, all the time.) I'd go through and cut whatever you have that's a double, or that can be done more efficiently. Also, what can you do orally, and what can you do together? Math drill? Recitation? Take an honest look at what's gravy. I'm not saying gravy is unnecessary, but if you want margin (which is a kind if gravy in itself), you have to make it.

[shadah]

We are night owls. I don't mean we stay up all night. I mean our brains are on after the sun goes down. When their bodies are tired their brains can concentrate.That's when all the great discussions happen, the best read-alouds, you get the idea. We can get done in 1 1/2 hours what it would take us all day to do. I do "thinking" subjects for an hour after dinner. During the day they play outside,work on projects, practice piano, do chores. But, yeah, I'm not willing to work through the morning brain fog. If it were only me I would. But even my little one seems to ask all his why questions at night.

So, when do you work best? Your kids?

[J-rap]

I didn't begin homeschooling my children til 3rd grade, so there's that.  But then, we did almost everything independently, even at that age.  When they worked independently, they could get things done pretty quickly.  We didn't do read-alouds during school time either.  (My dh would read to them every evening.)  So, we'd start at 9:00, have maybe the first 20 minutes together, and off they went!  I had their list of assignments ready for them every morning for them to do independently.  Sure, I was mostly working with them still (at least in the mornings), as usually one of them had a question or needed more of an explanation or just needed me to sit down and do the lesson with them that day.  Or we of course had days where we did it a little differently were all working together on something.  But for the most part, they were working pretty independently and at their own speed.  Many of the work we did overlapped ages, so they often had a work-buddy if they wanted to do it that way, and then sometimes they'd turn to each other with their questions.

 

It always took us a few weeks at the beginning of the year to get into the groove of the curriculum, and they'd be working till 3:00, easily.  But after that, they were generally done by 1:00 or so (longer in high school).

 

[FO4UR]

:)

 

Love.

 

You know, even when I was checking boxes and doing more than I do now (like when oldest was 7 and I had three kiddos) there was always more I wanted to do... Always things I didn't get done.   

 

When you acheive A, B, and C, you start gazing into the distance and wishing you could fit in D, E, and F.   In your yearning, you find a blog where Miss Trisket IS doing D, E, and F and now you feel woefully insufficient.  

 

It has to be some kind of personality type.  I'm never getting it ALL done because if I was, I'd look for more. ;)

 

 

I'm the same way.

 

There is also the thought that adding D, E, and F takes precious t.i.m.e away from good things, needful things, perhaps the best things.

 

Never add another school subject at the cost of peace, pretend play, creative crafting, art and music.  Don't overfeed the mind and starve the soul.

 

 

Edit: Grammatical fix. Evidently the needful thing dropped off this momma's schedule was sleep.  Ha!

Edited June 4, 2016 by 4blessingmom

[Farrar]

Yeah, I had a blog post about this awhile ago - about how I committed, more than a year ago, to start making more hot lunches. The kids needed it. They were hungry. The lunch scramble was bad. So I made myself a long list of quick lunch meals and started making much more substantial food for lunch - sometimes still frozen something but I'd go make a veggie side or a big salad if I did that and a lot more things like homemade fried rice or stir fry or quick soups or sausage and veggies. Anyway, it was great. Except... oops. I started struggling to cook dinner more.

 

And schoolwork is the same way. We get really on top of math, writing starts to drag a little, or vice versa. We get caught up in one book, I realize we let some routine, like doing word puzzles every week, slide by the wayside. Systems help a little, but mostly I think we all only have the energy we have and there's a finite amount. It's good to recommit, to circle back around, to try new ways - but also, I just try not to feel guilty about it too much. No one's getting it all done.

[nannyaunt]

We do school at the library. Monday through Friday, 10 to 1 without fail. We do reading, phonics, handwriting, spelling, memorywork, copywork and math. We take a 20 or 30 minute break about 1130. The boys are 5 1/2 and 6 1/2. This summer we are finishing up what we call Kinder/first and we will start second-grade work in the fall. At 100 clock we're done, even if some things are not done. School stays in the trunk of the car, no mess in the house.

 

This summer I expect things will change as we are adding in a few of my tutorial students and my nephew. The time will now be from 12 to 4, but I will be bringing several games and other craft items that they can do at a table once they finish their work. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that this will work out. My plan is to have a couple teenagers help me out, however, teenagers and plans are not always compatible.

[Joyofsixreboot]

The age of your kids and their personality make a difference. Also if as a family you are quick or slow movers. My older kids are at the point where I just give them the stuff and they ask if they can't figure it out. The 2nd grader is on her way to just needing me to check stuff. I know that isn't average or possible with k&1st and the beginning of 2nd. Anything they can do on their own? We are usually at it from 8-11 but they may do reading or history at bedtime.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[Tsuga]

As an aside, as this is a *homeschool* forum, dedicated to encouraging homeschooling and from what she's listed, I'm fairly confident in saying her kids are *at least* getting an education to the equivalent or beyond what they would get at the public school.

None of us know that, though. We don't know if it is better or worse. Of course we are all doing our best and we have to trust that. But when the concern is "is it enough" it does not make sense to reassure ourselves with hypotheticals.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Tsuga

[boscopup]

But they are never wasting a whole day on entirely non-academic things. Assemblies are related to socio-emotional development or academics like social studies, Memorial Day, etc. And they aren't allowed to just put on random movies. It has to be topical.

 

You clearly haven't seen what my local public schools do. :lol:

 

Yes, they absolutely put on random movies just for the entertainment of the kids. The last month of school, they do parties and movies because testing is over and they aren't teaching anymore. I'm quite serious about that. I have friends whose kids are in the schools and have verified that that's what happens at the end of the year. There are a good 3-4 weeks of no more academics.

 

When *I* was in school, we did academics until about the last week of school, and then it was parties and movies. But back then, they weren't teaching to the test. They were teaching students, and testing as part of that process, but we still learned things after the test. That is no longer the method used in many school districts across the country, sadly.

 

 

I really don't think it's healthy to justify one's own shortcomings (or even, not shortcomings, simply, failure to meet one's own too-high expectations) by denigrating other people's work.

 

This part I agree with. :)

[RootAnn]

I struggle with this every year. I'm schooling five this year.

 

My kids like some sort of structure & routine to their days, but not a lot of school. This means that I try to block out time for my youngest to work in the morning (1 - 1 1/2 hours) & then again after lunch (another hour or so). Once we are done with that time, they can go play on their own or stick around to see what their siblings will do. If I did all their work together in the morning, they would be done before lunch, but the rest of my kids would be getting a short shrift since some of their stuff is *taught* and not all self-directed. Plus, they need me to help with things.

 

The next set of kids up (dd#2 & dd#3) are combined for a lot of things and getting more independent. I get to them after I do the boys stuff in the morning. This year, I'll also have a little time for dd#3 right after lunch & right before the boys' time so that we can do writing, math, & then she's free. 

 

This means that eldest is mostly on her own - grabbing me when she has questions or needs help. DH works with her on his days off & we discuss stuff at dinner & in the evenings. Not ideal. Certainly not getting everything done. Every year, I make choices. Is this a grammar-heavy or writing-heavy year? I usually have one subject per kid (and a different one for each kid) that is a super focus that I have to let 2-4 other things slide or go easy on so that I have time to hit that one subject hard. 

 

Geography has been a lost cause in our house for years. (They do mapping as part of history & we hit states/capitals hard every three or four years, but they can be absolutely clueless about where things *really* are.)

There are so many things I'd like eldest to get to ... and it just isn't possible because there is only so much time in her day & she needs to have free time for reading & all those little interests she has (country music, coding).

[Alte Veste Academy]

And schoolwork is the same way. We get really on top of math, writing starts to drag a little, or vice versa. We get caught up in one book, I realize we let some routine, like doing word puzzles every week, slide by the wayside. Systems help a little, but mostly I think we all only have the energy we have and there's a finite amount. It's good to recommit, to circle back around, to try new ways - but also, I just try not to feel guilty about it too much. No one's getting it all done.

 

Maybe it's because I'm a hopeless optimist or because I'm good at reframing my own weaknesses so my self-esteem doesn't irreversibly plummet, LOL, but I would say that is getting it all done. What I think stymies people is that it's not necessary to "do it all" in some kind of perfect balance all the time. Instead it's a realistic balance. Maybe that's why so many people are drawn to loop scheduling? I mean, they are doing it all for school, just not every single day for perfect 15, 30, 45, or 60 minute sessions. 

 

If my house isn't too embarrassing to open the door for close friends, I've done it all for housekeeping. 

 

If my family is getting three meals a day, I've done it all there too. :tongue_smilie:

 

Plus, there's the idea of doing it all...that I actually care enough to do. Priorities. And doing it all...till it's good enough. Anti-perfectionism? (And I tend toward perfectionism.)

 

We're too hard on ourselves so much of the time. These people are still breathing and happy and slowly but surely getting educated! So, I say with pride, I do it all! ...when I'm darn good and ready, after my nap, after we've been to the pool, when I have the time and energy, when it's necessary...even if that's at the last minute. :lol: Maybe the problem is the notion of a timeline? LOL

[Alte Veste Academy]

I would advise you to make sure you're not repeating any work. 

 

I agree with this too. So many subjects can be combined, and my kids think it's more interesting when subjects aren't made too discrete. 

 

Also, loop scheduling. There are many threads here about it, but Google search will serve you better than the board search. 

[Farrar]

 

Maybe it's because I'm a hopeless optimist or because I'm good at reframing my own weaknesses so my self-esteem doesn't irreversibly plummet, LOL, but I would say that is getting it all done. What I think stymies people is that it's not necessary to "do it all" in some kind of perfect balance all the time. Instead it's a realistic balance. Maybe that's why so many people are drawn to loop scheduling? I mean, they are doing it all for school, just not every single day for perfect 15, 30, 45, or 60 minute sessions. 

 

If my house isn't too embarrassing to open the door for close friends, I've done it all for housekeeping. 

 

If my family is getting three meals a day, I've done it all there too. :tongue_smilie:

 

Plus, there's the idea of doing it all...that I actually care enough to do. Priorities. And doing it all...till it's good enough. Anti-perfectionism? (And I tend toward perfectionism.)

 

We're too hard on ourselves so much of the time. These people are still breathing and happy and slowly but surely getting educated! So, I say with pride, I do it all! ...when I'm darn good and ready, after my nap, after we've been to the pool, when I have the time and energy, when it's necessary...even if that's at the last minute. :lol: Maybe the problem is the notion of a timeline? LOL

 

 

I agree. It's all about how you frame it. In that context, absolutely I think we're getting it "all" done. Everyone is fed, clean and clothed, everyone is learning, we hit all the major bases.

 

But it's also true that there are always more experiences that kids could have, there are always roads not traveled. And no matter how good a job you do, there will always be a moment when your child says something so ignorant that you're gobsmacked. Like, no, they don't speak Mexican in Mexico. (That was awhile ago here.) Just because there will be gaps. And no one is perfect. And there will be things we don't finish that I meant to finish.  

 

So maybe a lot of it is about realizing that enough is all. And letting ourselves feel that.

[Pen]

I did things by time same as would be done at a regular school. The time itself might vary--e.g. we would likely start later than the local school. But when the time (using a timer) allotted for x was done, x was done for the day. Rather often, this meant scaling back to just the most critical subjects such that, sad to say as I reach the end of homeschool and look back on it,  some of the wonderful and fun things I'd hoped to be able to do did not happen. But schoolwork did not go  on and on .

[TheGreenBeanie]

1. Prioritize. Stick to the most important things and let the little stuff go.

 

2. Integrate subjects.  Plenty of LA / writing can be integrated with history, science, literature and art.

 

3. Develop a severe allergy to busywork. Don't do every problem in the lesson unless they need the practice.  If they get it, they get it.

 

4. While do the next thing without much planning ahead can be the best option in some situations with some homeschoolers, consider that it also has the potential to make you feel like you need to do more when you've already done plenty because you're not keeping track.  One of the benefits to planning and prepping the year in the summer is that you know exactly when you've completed a full year's work. If you get done early, great! 1. Prioritizing and 3. Not doing every problem just because it's there still applies in this situation. 

 

5. Not every subject needs to get done every day.

 

6. Beware the potential busywork of many phonics curricula.  Getting the training wheels (phonics readers) off as soon as possible and just riding the bike (real books) even if they're a bit wobbly at first can make your days so much better.  This doesn't apply to the kids who really do need more practice to "get it," but people seem to want to please the imaginary curriculum police by doing every single little thing in the curriculum/guide/readers/worksheets because dog gone it, they paid for it after all and they're going to get their money's worth.

 

7. With kids who need less repetition during a lesson, look for curriculum like English Lessons Through Literature with short, simple, concise lessons that can be done in a short period of time.

 

8. Discussion and answering the questions orally is often a valid approach to an assignment.  Not everything has to be written out.

 

9. Outsource as needed or preferred.  Things like math drill can be so much easier if you have a computer game for that.  We had great results with Reflex Math for drill practice. It's $35 a year no matter how many kids use it, it keeps track of what they need and adjusts accordingly.  While one child is getting one on one with mom, the other kid can do math drill.

 

10. Conscientiously teach your children to work independently, step by step. Homeschoolers who don't and who don't have kids naturally inclined to work independently on things are headed for a real challenge.  Here are the basics in a nutshell:

 

After you have explained, demonstrated and worked with the child on how to do a type of assignment,

 

A. Have the child read the directions out loud to you.  (Read them to the child if they're not able to read yet.)

B. Have the child tell you back the directions in their own words.

C. Have the child look at the examples and describe to you how they were done.

D. Have the child do the first problem (if applicable) in front of you.

 

If those go well, move on, if not, backtrack through the steps to clarify any misunderstandings.

 

E. Have the child complete the assignment sitting next to you or near you in the same room so you can make sure they're on task and so you can answer any questions that come up while they're working. This is a good time to work one on one with another child.

F. Have the child show you their completed work as soon as they finish (or shortly thereafter.)  See what clarifications, if any need to be made.

 

Once that level of independent work is going smoothly most of the time, you can do that with 2 assignments, then 3, then a day's work, then a couple of day's work, then a week's work, and so on.  You can still have one on one time with them as needed, but when they don't need it as much don't burn time with one kid sitting idle while the other is being worked with.

 

 

Thank you!!

 

Edited June 6, 2016 by TheGreenBeanie