No idea how I'm going to make it work...

[MommyLiberty5013]

Home schooling my first year with two students and two LOs. I've done K and 1st with DS. DD is in K this year. It's my first year teaching two kids. I'm a wreck.

 

Other DD (1 year old) is a whiny pork chop. DS (4) is super active. When winter in MN comes we will be stuck inside a lot.

 

We pretty rigidly follow Veritas curriculum. And I'm seriously in a panic over the work load for DS in 2nd. I've been planning out our year on a calendar/grid I designed. I keep telling DH it's too much work. His response is to not do it all and just gloss over the more repetitive things (like Saxon math's math meetings (ugh)). I'm a check the boxes kind of gal so that is hard for me.

 

I'm going to be adapting this year. A lot. But I feel so overwhelmed by this friggin school work load. DS 7 has math, reading, history, geography, bible, spelling, grammar, Latin, and handwriting.

 

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. I feel a meltdown coming on in October.

[SparklyUnicorn]

whiny pork chop....LOL

 

I always feel overwhelmed at the start too!

 

:grouphug:

[JudoMom]

Home schooling my first year with two students and two LOs. I've done K and 1st with DS. DD is in K this year. It's my first year teaching two kids. I'm a wreck.

 

Other DD (1 year old) is a whiny pork chop. DS (4) is super active. When winter in MN comes we will be stuck inside a lot.

 

We pretty rigidly follow Veritas curriculum. And I'm seriously in a panic over the work load for DS in 2nd. I've been planning out our year on a calendar/grid I designed. I keep telling DH it's too much work. His response is to not do it all and just gloss over the more repetitive things (like Saxon math's math meetings (ugh)). I'm a check the boxes kind of gal so that is hard for me.

 

I'm going to be adapting this year. A lot. But I feel so overwhelmed by this friggin school work load. DS 7 has math, reading, history, geography, bible, spelling, grammar, Latin, and handwriting.

 

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. I feel a meltdown coming on in October.

 

As an overachieving box checker with regrets, here's my advice and what I wish I would've done with my guys when they were elementary age:

 

1.  Your dh is right.  Don't do the morning meetings.  It will be fine.  I skipped them most days with most of my boys.  

2.  Drop Latin.  Really, it'll be okay if you don't start until later.  I put so much pressure on myself to do Latin in elementary and then I just suffered guilt when we didn't do it well.  

3.  You don't have to do every subject every year.  Look at your time budget.  Pare down what you plan until your plans fit your time budget.  Don't fib or be overly ambitious.

4.  Enjoy the younger years.  They pass too quickly, and before you know it your time is not your own. 

Edited August 12, 2017 by JudoMom

[SparklyUnicorn]

I agree with dropping Latin.  BTDT....it was pointless....really....

 

I mean no, I didn't break my kid by doing Latin so young, but I nearly broke myself... so...LOL

 

 

[Laurie4b]

Home schooling my first year with two students and two LOs. I've done K and 1st with DS. DD is in K this year. It's my first year teaching two kids. I'm a wreck.

 

Other DD (1 year old) is a whiny pork chop. DS (4) is super active. When winter in MN comes we will be stuck inside a lot.

 

We pretty rigidly follow Veritas curriculum. And I'm seriously in a panic over the work load for DS in 2nd. I've been planning out our year on a calendar/grid I designed. I keep telling DH it's too much work. His response is to not do it all and just gloss over the more repetitive things (like Saxon math's math meetings (ugh)). I'm a check the boxes kind of gal so that is hard for me.

 

I'm going to be adapting this year. A lot. But I feel so overwhelmed by this friggin school work load. DS 7 has math, reading, history, geography, bible, spelling, grammar, Latin, and handwriting.

 

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. I feel a meltdown coming on in October.

 

I am now done homeschooling. 4 boys. All got into excellent universities. (We homeschooled through 10th grade for each)

 

My main comment is: you have lots of room to relax without your children suffering one iota in their education. 

 

In second grade, in terms of formal academics, reading and math are your most important subjects. Writing is fine to add if your child has the fine motor coordination to do it without stressing. SWB's advice on writing in spot on. Mine didn't write a whole lot of anything until 3rd grade or even 4th. They all write well, even the one with disabilities. 

 

Leave loads of unstructured free time for them to play, make up stuff, experiment with art materials, build with Legos,explore nature. That is critical to a child's brain development. 

 

Music is a good pursuit to start now. 

 

Make sure they get lots of physical exercise. BUild it into your schedule. (Something I didn't do and regret.) 

 

Make sure they develop good work attitude. (I wasn't good at that and it is something else I would do differently. Fortunately, their grandfather had them for 2 weeks every summer and taught them that!) 

 

Instill your spiritual values by talking with them about stories they read, history, etc. and how your faith fits in. 

 

1-2 hours per day is totally adequate for formal academics. 

 

The rest you can pretty much let go with NO adverse affects. 

 

 

If you are going to do language early, I would do a living language while your kids' brains are still geared to naturally absorbing language. Latin, I think, can be delayed until later elementary or middle school when a child can use logic stage thinking to learn. Do it if you like it, but only if you like it. It is not necessary in 1st and 2nd grade. 

 

My kids LOVED Story of the World for history. Loved it. We had the audio. They still know history much better than most adults.

 

Try to follow their lead and sense of wonder with science. 

[Jaybee]

Plan in some one-on-one time with the littles before you start school each day. Read a couple of books and cuddle, etc., run outside for a bit with the 4yo, and so on. Giving my littles attention before I started school with the olders made a huge difference in how many attention-seeking interruptions we had. They usually played a lot more happily on their own after they had their needs (or most of them) met.

[foxbridgeacademy]

As an overachieving box checker with regrets, here's my advice and what I wish I would've done with my guys when they were elementary age:

 

1.  Your dh is right.  Don't do the morning meetings.  It will be fine.  I skipped them most days with most of my boys.  

2.  Drop Latin.  Really, it'll be okay if you don't start until later.  I put so much pressure on myself to do Latin in elementary and then I just suffered guilt when we didn't do it well.  

3.  You don't have to do every subject every year.  Look at your time budget.  Pare down what you plan until your plans fit your time budget.  Don't fib or be overly ambitious.

4.  Enjoy the younger years.  They pass too quickly, and before you know it your time is not your own. 

:iagree: X1000+  Enjoy the time with them now, relax and have fun.  The less you try to teach them the more they will actually remember.  I'm a box checker too and what I had to do was find a different set of boxes to check.  

[Anne]

I am now done homeschooling. 4 boys. All got into excellent universities. (We homeschooled through 10th grade for each)

 

My main comment is: you have lots of room to relax without your children suffering one iota in their education.

 

In second grade, in terms of formal academics, reading and math are your most important subjects. Writing is fine to add if your child has the fine motor coordination to do it without stressing. SWB's advice on writing in spot on. Mine didn't write a whole lot of anything until 3rd grade or even 4th. They all write well, even the one with disabilities.

 

Leave loads of unstructured free time for them to play, make up stuff, experiment with art materials, build with Legos,explore nature. That is critical to a child's brain development.

 

Music is a good pursuit to start now.

 

Make sure they get lots of physical exercise. BUild it into your schedule. (Something I didn't do and regret.)

 

Make sure they develop good work attitude. (I wasn't good at that and it is something else I would do differently. Fortunately, their grandfather had them for 2 weeks every summer and taught them that!)

 

Instill your spiritual values by talking with them about stories they read, history, etc. and how your faith fits in.

 

1-2 hours per day is totally adequate for formal academics.

 

The rest you can pretty much let go with NO adverse affects.

 

 

If you are going to do language early, I would do a living language while your kids' brains are still geared to naturally absorbing language. Latin, I think, can be delayed until later elementary or middle school when a child can use logic stage thinking to learn. Do it if you like it, but only if you like it. It is not necessary in 1st and 2nd grade.

 

My kids LOVED Story of the World for history. Loved it. We had the audio. They still know history much better than most adults.

 

Try to follow their lead and sense of wonder with science.

THIS. Exactly. I homeschooled my children through high school. They got into good colleges and are intelligent, functioning adults who hold down good jobs - one is even a public school teacher!! And LaurieB is spot-on here. Focus on math & reading, use stories and books for history and don't stress yourself out!

 

Anne

[Anne]

:iagree: X1000+ Enjoy the time with them now, relax and have fun. The less you try to teach them the more they will actually remember. I'm a box checker too and what I had to do was find a different set of boxes to check.

I love the way you put this - Find a different set of boxes to check!!

 

Anne

[Bluegoat]

Don't do so much!

 

As was said, math and reading, with some writing practice, is what you need for grade 2, academically.

 

Read out loud a lot, or use audio books, for literature.

 

Latin, IMO, is mostly wasted in lower elementary.  You don't get the real benefit of the grammar, and you don't take advantage of the ability to pick up a natural language that younger students have.  And once they get old enough to really dig into Latin, they have been doing it for so many years it seems like a huge slog.  I'd try a little French or Spanish, or a modern language you peak or have an interest in instead, if you have the time.  Especially singing.

 

For history, I would get an audio book that you enjoy - SOTW, OIS, CHOW, and listen to it regularly.  Even something like 50 Famous Stories.  You don't need much output from this at the age.  And similarly with science and art - read, listen, watch documentaries, go out into the community.  Don't worry about output.  they will remember a lot if you keep listening and they think it is a fun story.

 

Spend some time making art, music, crafts, cooking - working with their hands and bodies.  Spend time in some favourite natural environments, as a family.

[Guest]

You sound like a stress bomb ready to explode. Lol

 

Take the advice of those of us who have been there. I have homeschooled 3 kids from K into college. I have a senior this year, a 6th grader, and one special needs student. Yes, you counted right, that's six kids. And for several years I was schooling all six at once.

 

Listen to your husband and those who posted before me. Your children are so young. Just work on the 3 R's and get those down solidly. Read together, play together, explore together.

 

You can do this if you strive for "good enough" instead of "perfection". Perfection will burn you and your kids out. Good enough will get it done and everyone will be happy.

Edited August 12, 2017 by Kinsa

[medawyn]

You have really good advice from veteran mom's of many.

 

I'm just going to chime in on the Latin thing...

 

I used to teach at a Classical school that also used Veritas heavily.  They started Latin in 3rd grade.  The teacher was awesome; she truly was wonderful working with children AND had an M.A. in Classical Languages, emphasis in Latin.  Of course, many students came into the school after grade 3, so she devised a tutoring system to help catch those children up.  As the only other faculty member who had Latin experience (2 years of the AP exam, and 2 years of college Latin), I helped with the tutoring load when I started working there.  For students entering 7th or 8th grade, the tutoring schedule was 2 hours/week for six weeks, then those kids were (usually) caught up and ready to start with their classmates.  Let that sink in: for the middle schoolers, most could catch up to FOUR YEARS of instruction in SIX WEEKS.

 

Not that there wasn't value in Latin for the younger grades; the middle schoolers used Wheelock's at a faster pace than most middle schoolers probably would be able.  But, they had an expert teacher whose sole job was to instruct in Latin, not a mom who was trying to learn along side her kids, juggle all the rest of the subjects in multiple grades, not to mention not-yet-school age children, and oh, yeah, that whole housekeeping/cooking/marriage thing.

 

I'm a Latin lover.  I have big plans for Latin in my homeschool (the pretend one, with kids actually big enough to teach).  But I won't even think about starting Latin until at least 6th grade, and possibly later.  Work on phonics, fluent reading, spelling, grammar.  You have lots and lots of time to teach Latin.  (And history and science and probably pretty much everything else, but I'd listen to those ladies who actually know what they are doing in this regard instead of me.)