Nervous about adding fourth student—moms of more than a few chime in

[Kidlit]

My baby turned five yesterday (sniff, sniff), so I guess next year I will be adding him into the official homeschool mix. Although I know that K only takes a little bit of time, I’m still nervous about making that time.  Our schedule already feels overstuffed.  The only thing I can figure for it is to start school earlier in the day, but that’s going to require a whole new level of organization on my part. (Either that, a housekeeper, or an increased tolerance for clutter and mess, and that’s already pretty high.) I will have a 9th grader, a 7th grader, and a 3rd grader next year, in addition to the K-er. Anybody out there want to talk me down, share their schedule, or link me to previous threads where this has (surely!) been discussed? 

Edited April 3, 2018 by hopeistheword
Fat thumbs plus emojis don’t play well here

[freesia]

Uh, an increased tolerance for clutter and mess. .. . .

Ok, I'll give it a shot.  Written schedules will be your friend.  Write one up, post it, follow it until you get a sense of the flow.  Spend the first few weeks making sure everyone knows what they are suppose to be doing and when you are available for questions or you will go crazy.

For your ninth grader--If s/he has outsourced classes, spend a week getting dc comfortable with how to do them.  For classes you are doing at home, I suggest writing a syllabus during the summer. Do this for anything other than math.  I did it for my ninth grader this year and it has been so awesome.  I did it even for Apologia Science, she knows what she should do every week and so do I.  I did it for her literature and writing.  I did it for history.  I check in with her once a day and have discussions with her at scheduled times.

Plan your 7th and 3rd graders work in a planner each week.

As for daily schedule, my fourth Kindergartner did something like this (my next oldest was a third grader that year)

9 Meet with mom for math and handwriting and phonics--10 minutes each

9:30-10:30 Watch Peg Plus Cat and the Cat in the Hat  while I worked with the 3rd and 8th graders-30 minutes each

10:30 Snack and outside play with third grader.I worked with 5th grader. 8th grader did independent work

11:00 I read books aloud to her, she listened to books on tape, sometimes art activities or science experiments.  The other children did independent work

12: Lunch

1-2 Quiet Time in her room with books on tape

 

[Holly]

I have 5, ages 15 to 4.  We generally do our heavy subjects in the morning (3Rs, Latin, Logic) and lighter ones in the afternoon (history, literature, science, art, etc).  We go from 9-12, break for an hour or so at lunchtime, and go for 2-3 hours in the afternoon.  We take a few mini-breaks as needed.  We have free time after that, then gather for a devotion and read aloud before bed.  The older ones have some quiet time in their rooms for an hour or so after that.  We don’t follow a strict schedule but have more of a routine.

I just started some school-like activities for my 4yo and it’s working to fit his activities in the middle of everything.  If I get a few minutes free, we can squeeze in a book or activity.  I’m not being terribly consistent about it at this point, so it’s more interest based on his part.  For my older ones, I have them grouped somewhat.  My 7th and 9th graders are doing several of the same books and my 3rd and 6th graders are sharing some materials.  It works well because the younger of each pair is a bit more ambitious than the older two.

I am a single mom, and I have greatly simplied meal times and chore times.  We eat off paper plates often.  Fruit cups, bagged salad mixes, and pre-cooked chicken are staples in my kitchen.  Laundry and heavy chores are done on the weekends.  I have decluttered much and need to do more.  It’s been a great help.

[Junie]

I miss having my signature...

I am homeschooling 6, ages 17, 15, 13, 11, 10, and 7.

When we added dd7 to the mix, I waited until October to get her started.  This was a tremendous help because everyone else was already started and plugging along.

We generally school year-round, but we do kind of re-group in the fall when traditional school starts.  Waiting until October gave me a little bit of time to get used to having all of them going at the same time.

[happypamama]

I'll be honest with you -- somewhere in there, you may need to outsource something, because no matter how well you organize your time, you still only have 24 hours in your day.  Maybe that means an online class for your high schooler, or very independent programs for some subjects for your middle schooler, or a housekeeper, or whatever.  (In my house, we outsource Spanish for our high schooler currently, and I'm really hoping to outsource science and English for her next year as well.  My middle schooler, who will be in 8th next year, is a very independent worker, so that helps a lot.)

 

This is what my ideal schedule looks like (and it never actually all happens this way).  I let my littler ones stay up later with the older ones at night so that they sleep in later in the morning.  The younger ones are also happy to play on their own, or listen to audio books, or watch a YouTube playlist I set up with science/history/art videos in the first part of the day.  I give the five of them breakfast, and they dress and do a couple of basic morning chores, as they wake up.  

 

7/7:30 -- 7th grader gets up and starts his independent work (his choice).  I do laundry, dinner prep, whatever other household stuff I need to do before 8:30.

 

8:30-10:00ish -- I work with 7th grader on math, Latin, logic, and anything like writing where he needs my guidance or input.  He then finishes his independent work at his leisure; current 3rd grader has a list of independent work he can do whenever in the day he chooses, but there are no screens until the work is done.  Current 10th grader has plenty of things she can do on her own as well in the morning, with priorities going to anything she needs to read or have ready before I work with her.

 

10:00-12:00ish -- I work with 10th grader on anything where she needs guidance or teaching.

 

12:00-1:00ish -- Lunch, switch the laundry, etc.

 

1:00-3:30ish -- Group work with the three little guys (currently 3rd, 1st, and preK-4 -- I'm not required to report anything in my state until age 8, so that takes some of the pressure off regarding the little ones), plus individual time for me to work on math, reading, and other skill subjects with each of them.  I know some people prefer to work with younger ones earlier, but this seems to work best for us.  Since they don't get up super early, they still have the stamina for math and reading a little later in the day, and it doesn't take a lot of time to provide a rich learning environment for early elementary.  The older kids work on their independent work if they haven't finished it.  (7th grader is usually done by then; 10th grader is not and will often work in the evening too.)

 

I really like to stop my active teaching by about 3:30, maybe 4, although I'm fine with answering questions as needed.  I need that afternoon time to fold laundry, clean, make dinner, check work, get stuff ready for the next day, etc.

[hollyhock2]

When I added my 4th, I worked with him first thing while my older kids did independent work. When he was finished, then I could work with everyone else. The older ones had their own planners with everything written in them, so they knew what to do, and my K-er's work didn't take more than about half an hour, so that helped. Even so, it was a bit chaotic for a few years, but it passed. I'm planning on implementing the same routine when I add my 5th this fall.

[Bronze]

If you can make room in the budget, housekeeping help isn't a bad idea.

 

You've got just a few years with all of them at home; outsourcing some cleaning during those years could be a worthwhile investment.

[Momto4inSoCal]

I added in my twins this year and went from homeschooling 2 to 4. I thought I could homeschool the twins together but that didn't work out. I work with one twin then the other twin and then work on math with my 6th grader. We break for lunch and after lunch I see if my 7th grader needs any help. I have my older kids working on independent work first thing in the morning. They know they have time with me and not to interrupt when I am working with another child. I have realized that I need work that can be assigned for my older kids. I try and not have too much that needs to be taught one on one.  If a subject is very teacher intensive it needs to be balanced with another subject that can be done independently.

[prairiewindmomma]

I tried it this year, and then ended up sending one to school (and one briefly to preschool, but she came back home). Mine are 10th, 6th, 3rd, and PK.

My age span was too wide to combine kids, I couldn't farm out oldest to all online classes because of finances, and I had too many that needed me 1:1 for most subjects. I could make it work if I really needed to, but even on paper with scheduled half hour blocks, it's scary.

I was waking at 5 am, going to bed at 10pm, and off-loading whatever I could, and quickly burning out.  My 3rd grader is now in public school, and I after school her in math and english. I plan on pulling her out at jr. high, as the local jr high is super scary and my nest will have begun to empty out by then.

[BlsdMama]

What do you feel you would really need to add in for K?  That might help you quantify it....

 

For example, rather than use a K curriculum or separate plan, why not fold her into your next youngest's read alouds?  It would be appropriate for him/her to listen to a 3rd grader's books and good for his/her vocabulary.  
If you do a circle time or table time, add in the alphabet or counting or do a recitation at table time -about ten minutes.
I don't do handwriting in K.

 

[RootAnn]

I would give similar advice as freesia as it seems like I do many of the same things as she does (schedule, write out, work planned ahead of time).

I am not superwoman, so I can only teach three (3) kids full time. That doesn't mean I can't homeschool five, but it does mean that I chose to outsource some and facilitate some subjects (vs teaching them).

When my oldest was in 9th, I also had 7th, 4th/5th (Jan-Dec school yr), 2nd, and K. The oldest was outsourced for foreign language, taught for 1-2 subjects, and I just over saw the rest. I was teaching the 7th and 4th/5th content subjects together (so only math & LA separate), teaching the 2nd grader everything, and rolling in a K kid as much as I could.

This year, I teach the 2nd & 4th grader content subjects together, math, spelling, and reading separate. The 9th grader has me teaching science and math (2-3 days each with homework on non-teaching days) and French. I combine religion for her and the 6th grader (switched her this year to Aug-May schedule) and the Freshman does the rest of her subjects independently. I am a grader, sounding board, scheduler.) The 6th grader has foreign language and writing (and some of her science) outsourced this year, religion with older sister (and me teaching), and does the rest of the subjects on her own. Eldest is all outsourced or on her own. I nag, oversee, and check on. I'm there for math help or if she needed someone to proofread a paper.

See, add it all up and it is only teaching 3 full time (but I spread it around).

It really depends on the type of resources you use, the needs of your kids, the independent level of your kids, and how much you can outsource (teaching or cleaning).  

My kids all do morning and weekly chores. I have had to let somethings go every year because I can't fit it all in.

This year, I did science with my two youngest four days a week first semester and history four days per week second semester. I couldn't have done both at the same time, so some of the extras that I like to do in SOTW got left behind. That's life for me.

Also, it matters what your kids need. My two youngest still need to be working on their reading. My kids usually need spelling as a subject until at least 8th grade (except for current 6th grader who is my only on-time reader and halfway decent speller). These things make a big difference in scheduling if you don't have to do them all the time.

We start grammar late (3rd/4th), do it heavy every other year and hit writing hard in the off (grammar) year.

[fairfarmhand]

With teaching 4, I have to be intentional about saving at least one afternoon in my home to regroup. I grade papers, clean, organize and schedule things on Monday afternoons. We try to never go anywhere on Monday afternoons, although it does give me one afternoon to schedule dentist and doctors appointments.

 

Also, I tried to start thinking of myself as a working mom at that point (I was. but I needed to start thinking of myself in that way) So I shop on Saturday mornings like everyone else in town. I clean in the evenings and do laundry first and last thing in the day. We still go to the library in the middle of the week, but it's like at 2 pm, instead of 11-12. Having the kids work at cooking and dishes and yard work in the later afternoon and evening. I found structuring my day that way really helped. Although it is annoying to constrain ourselves to the hours that everyone else in town is doing stuff, I just can't get any traction if we leave the house too early in the day.

 

Basically we are home from morning until at least 1:30-2 almost every day. 

[Momto6inIN]

I don't know what your regular schedule is currently, but I find that schooling 5 kids takes about 6 hours of *my* day (not all the kids are doing school that many hours!) We have a morning meeting all together at 8:45, do school from 9-12, take a big break over lunch from 12-2 which is also when we do our read aloud, and do our 2nd session of school from 2-5. The K'er and the 4th grader drop in and out of that schedule periodically through the day, and the 8th, 10th, and 12th graders are pretty much busy for the whole 6 hours.

Starting a bit later gives me time to pray and exercise and get out some meat for supper and start some laundry before we start school.

I plan our day in chunks of how much work I think we can do in approximately 1 hour. For instance, in 1 hour I can usually watch a math video with the 10th and 8th grader and get the 4th grader going on her math assignment. In another hour I can usually fit in the 4th grader's grammar and writing and be available for the 10th grader when he's ready to discuss his writing assignment. Etc. etc.

I like to fit the K'er in right after lunch because I'm fresh and so is she because they often play outside over lunch break so she's got all the wiggles out by then. It really does only take about a half an hour to do her math and handwriting and phonics lesson. She often likes to listen in when I do history and science with the 4th grader, but I don't require her to.

I swap out laundry and read a chapter or two of a book and sneak spoofuls of Nutella during lunch break to recharge :)

I haven't cleaned my house in years - it's all the kids' job on Saturday mornings. They have 2 hours to get all they can done and whatever doesn't get done, doesn't get done and they have the rest of the day free to do whatever. It's a season in life and I have reached the point where I refuse to feel guilty about it anymore.

Making lunch is now my 8th graders home ec class and it was the. best. homeschool. decision. ever. Seriously.

[Targhee]

I used the kids to help me out.  We rotated through working with mom, working independently, or reading to/helping/playing with sibling. We did as much combined as possible, and reserved one:one worth for where they needed help/skills (usually writing, spelling, math).  And most content area work was self-directed and interest-based.

[Kidlit]

Thank you all for you replies.  I'm taking it all in!  I apologize for how long it has taken me to come back and respond. I have tried and tried to log in from my phone but have been unable to do so. Getting on the actual computer is one thing that has fallen by the wayside as I've had more children. LOL

[Kidlit]

On 4/3/2018 at 6:24 PM, freesia said:

Uh, an increased tolerance for clutter and mess. .. . .

Ok, I'll give it a shot.  Written schedules will be your friend.  Write one up, post it, follow it until you get a sense of the flow.  Spend the first few weeks making sure everyone knows what they are suppose to be doing and when you are available for questions or you will go crazy.

For your ninth grader--If s/he has outsourced classes, spend a week getting dc comfortable with how to do them.  For classes you are doing at home, I suggest writing a syllabus during the summer. Do this for anything other than math.  I did it for my ninth grader this year and it has been so awesome.  I did it even for Apologia Science, she knows what she should do every week and so do I.  I did it for her literature and writing.  I did it for history.  I check in with her once a day and have discussions with her at scheduled times.

Plan your 7th and 3rd graders work in a planner each week.

As for daily schedule, my fourth Kindergartner did something like this (my next oldest was a third grader that year)

9 Meet with mom for math and handwriting and phonics--10 minutes each

9:30-10:30 Watch Peg Plus Cat and the Cat in the Hat  while I worked with the 3rd and 8th graders-30 minutes each

10:30 Snack and outside play with third grader.I worked with 5th grader. 8th grader did independent work

11:00 I read books aloud to her, she listened to books on tape, sometimes art activities or science experiments.  The other children did independent work

12: Lunch

1-2 Quiet Time in her room with books on tape

 

Thank you, Freesia. Seeing your schedule is helpful. I feel like I shouldn't need this help since I've already done this a few times (adding a K-er), but it feels more daunting than ever. I think you're right about actually writing out a schedule that EVERYONE can see at first, especially. 

[Kidlit]

On 4/3/2018 at 6:47 PM, Holly said:

I have 5, ages 15 to 4.  We generally do our heavy subjects in the morning (3Rs, Latin, Logic) and lighter ones in the afternoon (history, literature, science, art, etc).  We go from 9-12, break for an hour or so at lunchtime, and go for 2-3 hours in the afternoon.  We take a few mini-breaks as needed.  We have free time after that, then gather for a devotion and read aloud before bed.  The older ones have some quiet time in their rooms for an hour or so after that.  We don’t follow a strict schedule but have more of a routine.

I just started some school-like activities for my 4yo and it’s working to fit his activities in the middle of everything.  If I get a few minutes free, we can squeeze in a book or activity.  I’m not being terribly consistent about it at this point, so it’s more interest based on his part.  For my older ones, I have them grouped somewhat.  My 7th and 9th graders are doing several of the same books and my 3rd and 6th graders are sharing some materials.  It works well because the younger of each pair is a bit more ambitious than the older two.

I am a single mom, and I have greatly simplied meal times and chore times.  We eat off paper plates often.  Fruit cups, bagged salad mixes, and pre-cooked chicken are staples in my kitchen.  Laundry and heavy chores are done on the weekends.  I have decluttered much and need to do more.  It’s been a great help.

As my children have gotten older (especially my girls, who are the older pair), I find it harder to combine. I think this is mostly my issue because they're so close in age (18 months apart).  It feels like if I combine them too much I might as well put them in the same grade. I find it challenging to NOT do that, though my younger daughter is pretty much on the same level as her older sister except in math. 

[Kidlit]

On 4/3/2018 at 6:53 PM, Junie said:

I miss having my signature...

I am homeschooling 6, ages 17, 15, 13, 11, 10, and 7.

When we added dd7 to the mix, I waited until October to get her started.  This was a tremendous help because everyone else was already started and plugging along.

We generally school year-round, but we do kind of re-group in the fall when traditional school starts.  Waiting until October gave me a little bit of time to get used to having all of them going at the same time.

Starting in October is a great idea!

[Kidlit]

On 4/3/2018 at 7:14 PM, happypamama said:

I'll be honest with you -- somewhere in there, you may need to outsource something, because no matter how well you organize your time, you still only have 24 hours in your day.  Maybe that means an online class for your high schooler, or very independent programs for some subjects for your middle schooler, or a housekeeper, or whatever.  (In my house, we outsource Spanish for our high schooler currently, and I'm really hoping to outsource science and English for her next year as well.  My middle schooler, who will be in 8th next year, is a very independent worker, so that helps a lot.)

 

This is what my ideal schedule looks like (and it never actually all happens this way).  I let my littler ones stay up later with the older ones at night so that they sleep in later in the morning.  The younger ones are also happy to play on their own, or listen to audio books, or watch a YouTube playlist I set up with science/history/art videos in the first part of the day.  I give the five of them breakfast, and they dress and do a couple of basic morning chores, as they wake up.  

 

7/7:30 -- 7th grader gets up and starts his independent work (his choice).  I do laundry, dinner prep, whatever other household stuff I need to do before 8:30.

 

8:30-10:00ish -- I work with 7th grader on math, Latin, logic, and anything like writing where he needs my guidance or input.  He then finishes his independent work at his leisure; current 3rd grader has a list of independent work he can do whenever in the day he chooses, but there are no screens until the work is done.  Current 10th grader has plenty of things she can do on her own as well in the morning, with priorities going to anything she needs to read or have ready before I work with her.

 

10:00-12:00ish -- I work with 10th grader on anything where she needs guidance or teaching.

 

12:00-1:00ish -- Lunch, switch the laundry, etc.

 

1:00-3:30ish -- Group work with the three little guys (currently 3rd, 1st, and preK-4 -- I'm not required to report anything in my state until age 8, so that takes some of the pressure off regarding the little ones), plus individual time for me to work on math, reading, and other skill subjects with each of them.  I know some people prefer to work with younger ones earlier, but this seems to work best for us.  Since they don't get up super early, they still have the stamina for math and reading a little later in the day, and it doesn't take a lot of time to provide a rich learning environment for early elementary.  The older kids work on their independent work if they haven't finished it.  (7th grader is usually done by then; 10th grader is not and will often work in the evening too.)

 

I really like to stop my active teaching by about 3:30, maybe 4, although I'm fine with answering questions as needed.  I need that afternoon time to fold laundry, clean, make dinner, check work, get stuff ready for the next day, etc.

I should've clarified that I am outsourcing several things for my eldest dd next year.  If all goes as planned right now, she'll be doing DO geometry, history with WTMA, and my dh (a science educator himself) will be teaching a weekly biology class for homeschooled high school students that she and her sister will both take. I will oversee her work but he will meet weekly with them to discuss and do labs. The only things I'll actively teach her are her writing and literature. We haven't fully decided on electives yet.

Keeping your littles up later is a great idea!

[Kidlit]

On 4/3/2018 at 10:10 PM, hollyhock2 said:

When I added my 4th, I worked with him first thing while my older kids did independent work. When he was finished, then I could work with everyone else. The older ones had their own planners with everything written in them, so they knew what to do, and my K-er's work didn't take more than about half an hour, so that helped. Even so, it was a bit chaotic for a few years, but it passed. I'm planning on implementing the same routine when I add my 5th this fall.

It's the "bit chaotic" part I'm dreading.  Ha!  I tend to work with my younger students first and then cut them loose to play. It seems to work better around here than trying to round them back up again. 

[Kidlit]

On 4/3/2018 at 10:21 PM, Bronze said:

If you can make room in the budget, housekeeping help isn't a bad idea.

 

You've got just a few years with all of them at home; outsourcing some cleaning during those years could be a worthwhile investment.

If only. . . . 

[Kidlit]

On 4/3/2018 at 10:47 PM, Momto4inSoCal said:

I added in my twins this year and went from homeschooling 2 to 4. I thought I could homeschool the twins together but that didn't work out. I work with one twin then the other twin and then work on math with my 6th grader. We break for lunch and after lunch I see if my 7th grader needs any help. I have my older kids working on independent work first thing in the morning. They know they have time with me and not to interrupt when I am working with another child. I have realized that I need work that can be assigned for my older kids. I try and not have too much that needs to be taught one on one.  If a subject is very teacher intensive it needs to be balanced with another subject that can be done independently.

Yes, the balancing act!  It's so elusive!

[Kidlit]

On 4/4/2018 at 4:58 PM, prairiewindmomma said:

I tried it this year, and then ended up sending one to school (and one briefly to preschool, but she came back home). Mine are 10th, 6th, 3rd, and PK.

My age span was too wide to combine kids, I couldn't farm out oldest to all online classes because of finances, and I had too many that needed me 1:1 for most subjects. I could make it work if I really needed to, but even on paper with scheduled half hour blocks, it's scary.

I was waking at 5 am, going to bed at 10pm, and off-loading whatever I could, and quickly burning out.  My 3rd grader is now in public school, and I after school her in math and english. I plan on pulling her out at jr. high, as the local jr high is super scary and my nest will have begun to empty out by then.

I honestly feel like that's almost where I am, too, some days--probably because I haven't combined enough. I'm trying to be proactive about next year. 

[Kidlit]

On 4/5/2018 at 6:40 AM, BlsdMama said:

What do you feel you would really need to add in for K?  That might help you quantify it....

 

For example, rather than use a K curriculum or separate plan, why not fold her into your next youngest's read alouds?  It would be appropriate for him/her to listen to a 3rd grader's books and good for his/her vocabulary.  
If you do a circle time or table time, add in the alphabet or counting or do a recitation at table time -about ten minutes.
I don't do handwriting in K.

 

This is a great question! My K-er knows his letters,mostly, and his numbers, colors--all of those things that can be picked up atmospherically. Generally my "must dos" for K have been OPGTTR, RightStart Math level A, a bit of handwriting, and reading aloud. I aspire to do more but haven't really had time since my eldest was in K. LOL

[Kidlit]

On 4/6/2018 at 7:48 AM, RootAnn said:

I would give similar advice as freesia as it seems like I do many of the same things as she does (schedule, write out, work planned ahead of time).

I am not superwoman, so I can only teach three (3) kids full time. That doesn't mean I can't homeschool five, but it does mean that I chose to outsource some and facilitate some subjects (vs teaching them).

When my oldest was in 9th, I also had 7th, 4th/5th (Jan-Dec school yr), 2nd, and K. The oldest was outsourced for foreign language, taught for 1-2 subjects, and I just over saw the rest. I was teaching the 7th and 4th/5th content subjects together (so only math & LA separate), teaching the 2nd grader everything, and rolling in a K kid as much as I could.

This year, I teach the 2nd & 4th grader content subjects together, math, spelling, and reading separate. The 9th grader has me teaching science and math (2-3 days each with homework on non-teaching days) and French. I combine religion for her and the 6th grader (switched her this year to Aug-May schedule) and the Freshman does the rest of her subjects independently. I am a grader, sounding board, scheduler.) The 6th grader has foreign language and writing (and some of her science) outsourced this year, religion with older sister (and me teaching), and does the rest of the subjects on her own. Eldest is all outsourced or on her own. I nag, oversee, and check on. I'm there for math help or if she needed someone to proofread a paper.

See, add it all up and it is only teaching 3 full time (but I spread it around).

It really depends on the type of resources you use, the needs of your kids, the independent level of your kids, and how much you can outsource (teaching or cleaning).  

My kids all do morning and weekly chores. I have had to let somethings go every year because I can't fit it all in.

This year, I did science with my two youngest four days a week first semester and history four days per week second semester. I couldn't have done both at the same time, so some of the extras that I like to do in SOTW got left behind. That's life for me.

Also, it matters what your kids need. My two youngest still need to be working on their reading. My kids usually need spelling as a subject until at least 8th grade (except for current 6th grader who is my only on-time reader and halfway decent speller). These things make a big difference in scheduling if you don't have to do them all the time.

We start grammar late (3rd/4th), do it heavy every other year and hit writing hard in the off (grammar) year.

Thank you! This is very helpful. As I responded to a previous poster, I am outsourcing a good bit for my upcoming 9th grader this year.  It is very helpful to think about how much you're *actually* teaching.

[Kidlit]

On 4/6/2018 at 12:53 PM, fairfarmhand said:

With teaching 4, I have to be intentional about saving at least one afternoon in my home to regroup. I grade papers, clean, organize and schedule things on Monday afternoons. We try to never go anywhere on Monday afternoons, although it does give me one afternoon to schedule dentist and doctors appointments.

 

Also, I tried to start thinking of myself as a working mom at that point (I was. but I needed to start thinking of myself in that way) So I shop on Saturday mornings like everyone else in town. I clean in the evenings and do laundry first and last thing in the day. We still go to the library in the middle of the week, but it's like at 2 pm, instead of 11-12. Having the kids work at cooking and dishes and yard work in the later afternoon and evening. I found structuring my day that way really helped. Although it is annoying to constrain ourselves to the hours that everyone else in town is doing stuff, I just can't get any traction if we leave the house too early in the day.

 

Basically we are home from morning until at least 1:30-2 almost every day. 

Yes to the regrouping! We attend a weekly co-op (at which I teach several classes), so I try pretty hard not to schedule other regular things out of the house. However, it is inevitable that things crop up, it seems--especially in the late afternoons. I'm going to have to think long and hard about long-term commitments that affect our days. 

This is the first year that I've really felt like a working mom, so I can only imagine that it will feel even more like that next year!

 

[Kidlit]

6 hours ago, Momto5inIN said:

I don't know what your regular schedule is currently, but I find that schooling 5 kids takes about 6 hours of *my* day (not all the kids are doing school that many hours!) We have a morning meeting all together at 8:45, do school from 9-12, take a big break over lunch from 12-2 which is also when we do our read aloud, and do our 2nd session of school from 2-5. The K'er and the 4th grader drop in and out of that schedule periodically through the day, and the 8th, 10th, and 12th graders are pretty much busy for the whole 6 hours.

Starting a bit later gives me time to pray and exercise and get out some meat for supper and start some laundry before we start school.

I plan our day in chunks of how much work I think we can do in approximately 1 hour. For instance, in 1 hour I can usually watch a math video with the 10th and 8th grader and get the 4th grader going on her math assignment. In another hour I can usually fit in the 4th grader's grammar and writing and be available for the 10th grader when he's ready to discuss his writing assignment. Etc. etc.

I like to fit the K'er in right after lunch because I'm fresh and so is she because they often play outside over lunch break so she's got all the wiggles out by then. It really does only take about a half an hour to do her math and handwriting and phonics lesson. She often likes to listen in when I do history and science with the 4th grader, but I don't require her to.

I swap out laundry and read a chapter or two of a book and sneak spoofuls of Nutella during lunch break to recharge :)

I haven't cleaned my house in years - it's all the kids' job on Saturday mornings. They have 2 hours to get all they can done and whatever doesn't get done, doesn't get done and they have the rest of the day free to do whatever. It's a season in life and I have reached the point where I refuse to feel guilty about it anymore.

Making lunch is now my 8th graders home ec class and it was the. best. homeschool. decision. ever. Seriously.

I love the idea of making lunch the eighth grader's home ec!  Also, the thinking in one hour increments is very helpful. Thank you!

 

4 hours ago, Targhee said:

I used the kids to help me out.  We rotated through working with mom, working independently, or reading to/helping/playing with sibling. We did as much combined as possible, and reserved one:one worth for where they needed help/skills (usually writing, spelling, math).  And most content area work was self-directed and interest-based.

I've tried this in the past but need to be more diligent about it. It seems like the kids are as busy as I am!  

[Momto4inSoCal]

Something I also do when figuring out our curriculum is make sure and pick a few things that I know can be self directed or done independently. I love having discussing about literature and history so I plan to have time set aside for that. Everything my olders do can't be teacher intensive because I can't sit with them all day long. Also I will sometimes have one of my girls play with one of the twins while I work with the other one. It helps to have one on one time without any other kids there and my twins tend to stick together so distracting one helps. 

[blondeviolin]

I sit down and schedule out who will have independent time with me when. I am folding in kid #5 next year.  He's lucky that my kindy plans for him include finishing some preK books and learning to read. He is not a morning kid so I will likely start him somewhere in between my kids' two morning blocks. 

I get up at 6, exercise, breakfast, scriptures, unload the dishwasher. Kids trickle out of bed around seven-ish. They get breakfast on their own. 

Morning meeting is from 8-8:30.  They do chores from 8:30 (simple morning routine stuff). Schoolwork starts at 9. The kids follow a loose schedule.  We are at this point of the school year where they are finishing things and end up with more break than is represented here. But I plan a schedule like this every year.

We do one LA block in the morning, then a math block, lunch from noon to one, and the last block of finishing up in the afternoon. 

My oldest currently has her own checklist that doesn't have to follow this exact outline. If she does follow it, she's done at about this time. She typically choose to do what she deems "fun" first and then ends up doing all of the heavy lifting (Latin and writing) after lunch...which means she's not as fresh and she dawdles a lot. But she doesn't care so I let her. Lol

[blondeviolin]

Oh, and we only school M-Th. Friday is either co-op or catch up or cleaning house or running errands.

[Holly]

On 4/7/2018 at 9:09 PM, hopeistheword said:

As my children have gotten older (especially my girls, who are the older pair), I find it harder to combine. I think this is mostly my issue because they're so close in age (18 months apart).  It feels like if I combine them too much I might as well put them in the same grade. I find it challenging to NOT do that, though my younger daughter is pretty much on the same level as her older sister except in math. 

 

It has worked well for us, as each pair has an “average” older student and a more advanced younger student.  I think seeing their younger sibling at their level motivates the older half of the pair a bit more.  I can see how family dynamics wouldn’t always play out this way, but it’s generally worked for us.  

[NotesFromTheParsonage]

Just adding what our schduel looks like: 

9am- Noon: Morning Basket Time: All ages together. We have a Bible memory verse each week. We read our science, history, and literature selections. Once a week we discuss a poet and read some of their work. Once a week we discuss an artists and look at some of their work. We may or may not do an art project related to the artist. Depends on how crazy the kids are acting. 

Noon- 1: Lunch

1-3: I work with the little ones on whatever it is we are doing for the day. Though we do a Bible lesson in the morning as a group, they have their own smaller lessons with me in the afternoons. We work on phonics. (Neither of mine are to the reading stage yet.) We do math games and hands on type things. I read to them from whatever story we happen to be doing. We just finished up all the Beatrix Potter books and are moving on to the Winnie the Pooh books this term.

1-4pm: Older kids work independently. If they have questions or need help, they wait until I am done with the little guys. 

3-4: Twice a week I do fallacy with the older kids. 

On Friday, I start checking work for the week at 3. 

Independence has been key to making it work with so many kids at all different levels. Having a big chunk of the time spent working together also helps. The older kids have additional science, literature, and history supplements to go through on their own in the afternoons. We also do Wild Explorers Club one day a week.