mamakven Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Ok, i've got a WHOPPER for you all... First, a quick rundown on our family, Mom, dad, Alex-almost 14, Nik-10, Chloe-almost 8, Anna-5, Leif-2 i just found out tuesday, when we had my ultrasound that i am pregnant with TWINS! Twin BOYS of all ridiculolusness! LOL! But anyway, i'm having a REALLY hard time and trying not to freak out about this. Doing our budget, i was leaning toward sticking with the current virtual school we are with, part time, as our budget is super tight and most of our savings for the year has been eaten up by my dentist costs.. i've had a TON of dental visits, and in fact am maxing my insurance out and will have to get the rest done next JANUARY! UGG! unless i have an emergency dental issue, and then, i don't know WHAt i will do. So anyway, our tax return time is normally when we buy curriculum, and that's pretty much eaten up, soooo... Anyway, THEN we found out we are having twins, and NOW that means we'll need to buy 2 of everything, and one of things we never planned to buy, for example a crib, we haven't used one of those since my oldest was a baby! we just cosleep, which is best for all of us, and one less peice of furniture, ANYWAY, i digress... Money just got REALLY tight, and while the virtual school solves THAT problem, it does NOT solve the problem that i'm going to be heavily sleep deprived and very much occupied with the babies when they are born. I'm due Aug 11th so they will be here sometime in July probably. Dh suggested the possibility of putting the younger children in PS, He was thinking Leif and Anna, Leif is only almost 3 though, and so too young, and i was like, what??? but it would be TEMPORARY, right?!? I think dh was actually considering PERMANENTLY putting them in PS!! AAK! Nik and Alex really both need to be homeschooled, for various reasons... Chloe is a little behind grade level but would be probably ok in PS, but Honestly, i SO don't want to go there.. mainly because I believe that PS teaches children systematically that the science behind the Bible is WRONG, Everything, evolution, genetics, biology, geology... (can you tell i've been watching a lot of Ken Ham!?) and I SO do not want that for my children!! Another thing is that Anna is my most troublesome child.. SHE's the one that we say that we are worried of how she might turn out.. and she's the EASIEST to put in PS right now... its SCARY! \ So my question is, do you think there's any way i can pull off HS'ing my older 4 with a 3yo and 2 newborn twins to take care of as well?!?! have any of you done it?? just THINKING that in a few short months i'm going to have 7 children just blows my mind.. I'm thinking i can utilize weekends and evenings a lot, when dad is home... i was looking at some of the packages at timberdoodle http://www.timberdoodle.com/Complete_Homeschool_Curriculum_Packages_s/363.htm and like anna's (Kindergarten) would only take an HOUR a day!! and even Chloe and Nik would be 2-3 hours... alex does most of his work on his own. so maybe this is doable?!? any ideas?!? thanks, rebecca __._,_.___ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowWhite Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 ((hugs)) to you. Obviously I can't tell you for sure it's do-able, but I know if it were me I would WANT to do it. I think I'd try to figure out a way to buy something less time intense than Virtual Academy for your kiddos... maybe CLE? Or the Timberdoodle packages. Make sure you let/have your older children help out as much as they can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 It is doable, not easy, but doable. My children were 11, 9 and 3 when our twins were born. I made detailed lesson plans before the birth that my 11 and 9 yr olds could pretty well follow on their own. They were both independent readers so that helped considerable. Also, I already had curriculum so I didn't need to purchase much. During the mornings, my older 2 worked on the basics while I nursed, and during the afternoons, we read while I nursed. Actually, as I think back on it, I can't imagine having had the older two in school. I would have had to get them to school in the morning, every morning. With twins. I don't think so. I don't know if dh and I could have coordinated picking them up in the afternoons, so that might have fallen on me. That alone would have made it undoable. Plus, all the other stuff school requires. That first year I rarely left the house, and for me that's what kept my sanity. Being there to take care of the twins, no outside pressure. Also, an added benefit for us has been the relationship the older 2 have with their little sisters. They're extremely close. I remember many afternoons, me on the couch, holding babies, girls playing on the floor listening to books. Of course, none of mine were in high school yet, so I can't speak to how we would have handled that. Anyway, it is doable, but you have to be realistic. Not everything is going to get done; you must focus on the necessities/priorities and some things are going to slide. That will be different for different families. Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 No big advice for you just a HUGE congrats! I have always wanted twins but have always been greatful not to have them due to the kinds of worries you are facing right now. Thankfully you have several more months to figure it all out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 but congrats. Twin boys are the absolute best - most fun I have ever had (though granted, I only had one, not five, children when they were born!) Anyway, the first 6 months is really hard. Just incredibly hard. After that, I think two are easier than one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhudson Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Agreeing that the first six months to year are really hard and then it got so much easier. HSing twins is pretty easy as well. Of course I only have 3 kids total not 7. Congratulations!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Congratulations! I would think it would be doable. Personally, I would not want to have to adjust to twins and public school at the same time. There would be homework to deal with, not to mention getting them to and from school. I would rather have everyone at home and work on my timetable than have them at school and work on the school's timetable. How exciting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I can't tell you what to do, but it is doable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renai Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Anyway, THEN we found out we are having twins, and NOW that means we'll need to buy 2 of everything, and one of things we never planned to buy, for example a crib, we haven't used one of those since my oldest was a baby! we just cosleep, which is best for all of us, and one less peice of furniture, ANYWAY, i digress... . Dh suggested the possibility of putting the younger children in PS, He was thinking Leif and Anna, Leif is only almost 3 though, and so too young, and i was like, what??? but it would be TEMPORARY, right?!? I think dh was actually considering PERMANENTLY putting them in PS!! _ I have no advice for homeschooling with twins, as I only have one child. We put this one child in public school (February of this year), and she was out within a month. It was very hard to get up and get ready and be out of the door by the time we normally would just be getting breakfast ready. I can't imagine trying to be out the door with twins, and the other 5 children. Everyone would have to be ready to go, just to put two children in school. Your schedule will be dictated by the school schedule, not by your family's rhythms. Unless your dh said he was going to take the children to school on his way to work, so you and the other 7 don't have to get ready and leave. Is he going to those parent teacher conferences? Or are you, with all children in tow? Will school be out after the twins' nap? Or will you be waking them up, and having grumpy babies on the way to pick up siblings? Will K have homework you'll need to help with at night, after you've already homeschooled your other children (and could have done K alongside her siblings)? Logistics, logistics, logistics. Is it not possible to have the twins' siblings loving on them one at a time, while you're helping another child? Could the 14yo help the 5yo learn to read while you're changing a diaper? Or... the 14yo can change the diaper ;). Can the 8yo play with the 2yo while you're helping the 10yo with a math problem? Now, these I don't have firsthand knowledge, just picked up from families with more than two children. As far as buying two of everything, first check to see if there is a Freecycle in your area. I've received a very good Graco playpen when I needed it (took care of an infant in my home), then listed it again for someone else when I was finished. (I even got my car from Freecycle!) In our area, there are always baby and maternity things listed (offers a,nd wants). And the thrift store and garage sales are good friends :D. Just out of curiousity, why are you expecting them in July if you're due in August? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jellogirl Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I know homeschoolers with twins, and they haven't had problems with being twins and being homeschooled. I sincerely hope you are able to stick with this. You have some older kids who can help out by making dinner, doing laundry, cleaning, and watching the babies. Maybe back off on things and watch for ways to pinch pennies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 You can do it, and if you are using a virtual it won't be that bad; that should save you some major planning, right? Remember, you've got helpers in your older kids. And babies sleep a lot during the day (cant' say that for the night, lol, but believe me, nighttime feedings with twins are a not a mom-only affair! You'll need your dh to help!). I really think you'll be okay. A few hints for the twinnies: nurse them simultaneously every time (yes, wake the sleeping one and nurse them both!); if you are bottle feeding, do the same. If you change one, change both. It's easier, really. Otherwise you could literally nurse and change babies nonstop, lol. Try to take naps during the day if they are napping (if you are feeling sleep-deprived). Everything gets much easier after about 3-4 months. Give the older kids a pep-talk....they are going to really have to help out and be good about doing their schoolwork without you working as closely with them for a while. Have fun. Twins are such a blast. Ria (b/g twins age 20, and four younger boys 16, 15, 13, 12) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainforest mama Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Congratulations! I'm not you, but I would think that having 3 bigger kids would be very helpful. My 10 yo DD is sooo helpful with our 2 yo. Have you heard of Managers of the Home? It is a scheduling program that might help you. It is designed for larger families and gives lots of examples of how older kids can work/play with younger ones so you can get it all done. YMMV of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaof2andtwins Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I homeschool twins plus their older brother and sister. We started when my twins were 8 months old, but I could have homeschooled the oldest for kindergarten if I had known then how little time that would have actually taken. First if it is any encouragement, I was an insomniac for the first two weeks after we found out we were having twins, so what you are experiencing is completely NORMAL. Just go with it. Your thoughts will settle down shortly. I can tell you that in my experience it is very important that we have homeschooled our twins as they are academically very different to the point where they could be a grade apart if they were in ps. Best wishes, Jennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 No advice but - CONGRATULATIONS! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristineinKS Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Congratulations! I would also say that yes it is doable, though the first few months will be challenging (public school would be even harder!). However, since you've got older kids, you will have some helpers. I only had one when my twins were born & he was a baby himself. Congrats again, twin boys are so much fun! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Congratulations! I would also agree that it is doable. I didn't have twins, but I had 3 under 28 months due to adoption. When we adopted our 2nd daughter in July of 1999, I had a newborn, a 9mo old, a 28 mo old, a 1st grader, a 6th grader, and an 8th grader. My only advice would be to be flexible! Know that this is a season that doesn't last forever. I don't how I would have done it without my older boys. They helped so much, and they are so close to their siblings. I don't think I could have done it trying to get them to ps every morning, pick them up, handle homework in the evenings, etc. Somehow we got school done, but everyone had to go with the flow and be flexible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakven Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 thanks for all the great feedback! just a couple clarifications.. my cyberschool provides funds for curriculum, which i can basically choose myself, so its basically like regular homeschooling ut not having to pay for it all! Secondly, we live like 3 blocks from school so they could walk themselves, so that's not as bad. WOULD still have to get them up, dressed, and fed though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Congratulations! I have 6yo b-g twins. They are children #s 5 & 6 of 7 dc, and my two oldest were 12 and 10 when they are born. You absolutely will need your older children's help during the day, so I would not want to send them off to school if I were you! A friend of mine has 8 dc; her twins are identical boys (6th & 7th children). She couldn't have done it without her older children, either. Ditto on the nursing and changing both at the same time. There is a terrific pillow called EZ to Nurse Twins that I used to nurse mine. I could send it to you for the cost of shipping - pm me if you'd like it. Consider putting them on some sort of schedule. I know Babywise is controversial, but I found using their guidelines (as just that - guidelines) helpful. You don't need two of everything, but you will need two of most things. Start yardsale-ing now for deals. Be prepared to be very, very, very tired for your last trimester (or even before). I'd try to get as much homeschooling done now and through the early summer. School will be much easier when the twins are non-crawlers than when they are mobile - keep that in mind. Let us know how it all turns out! GardenMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Hi! My twins are 3 1/2 now. I'll be back later to comment more! Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 First, a quick rundown on our family, Mom, dad, Alex-almost 14, Nik-10, Chloe-almost 8, Anna-5, Leif-2 __._,_.___ Hey Rebecca, I have an idea:-) Why don't you school through the summer, so you can take off a lot of time right after the babies are born. I'd start making sure that the kids have structure...like rest times in the afternoons...and pairing up the kids...if you can do the 14 and 10 taking a certain amount of time during the day with Anna and then your 8 year old taking turns with Leif..... Just make sure that you do lots of cds like SOTW and Jim Weiss' (we check those out at the library. Also, school doesn't need to take an hour for a 5 year old. Just relax about it...do something like phonics a couple of times a week...(or 5 or 10 minutes a day) do lots of Lego building..and other manipulatives..... Also, don't worry about the crib right now...you can either put a crib or one of the little co-sleepers up to the bed....(We did our bed right up to the wall...So, that's what I'd do...Wall, co-sleeper, bed....) Also, cloth is so easy and inexpensive. You do bummis super whisper wraps....diaper service quality cloth diapers...pins are easy...or just use the wraps with no clips.... AND, I think that cloth are much better for keeping boys not on the leaking side of life:-) And, if your two year old is in diapers....cloth would work for him, too. (You will want two sizes...the regulars are really big on newborns...) Good Luck! Carrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I'd think it would be harder to be at home alone with a 3yo and twins than hsing the 4 older with the other 3. They can empty dryers, vacuum, load & unload dishwashers. Not much for them, but probably too much for you-in the beginning. There's lots of real-life character education to be had for them in this situation! I wouldn't undervalue it a bit. Now's the time for the family to really work together.You could call it health and home management. I'd expect a light year where some subjects are concerned (history,science, & foreign language). I'd stick to self-guided materials in language and math. Plan about 2-3 months off around the birth...that's only if you want to be a sane hsing mom of 7 children. Be patient with yourself and your whole family. If you can do that, you may just enjoy the whole thing. Geo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakven Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 Thank you for the wonderful ideas! i really appreciate all of your perspectives.. i really feel like i MIGHT actually be able to DO this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TengoFive Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 First off Rebecca, I know I know you from somewhere, but my mind is failing me right now. So, "Hi!" Secondly, I really think its doable for you to homeschool, but I don't have suggestions at the moment. Let me think on it and I'll get back to you LOL. I do think you'll probably need to be willing to relax on other household stuff or pass it off to your dh for a while. If you're nursing, you'll probably be sitting for most of the day anyway LOL, so you might as well be schooling at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twinmom Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Congratulations! Twin boys are just the best...a major handful in my case, but terrific fun as well. My kids were 3 1/2 and 18 months when the twins were born. It was absolutely nuts for a while. I remember little of the first 6 months, only a bit more than that of the next six! There is NO way I could have homeschooled during that time. That said, your situation is very different than mine. My twins had some special medical needs that yours will not (mine were drug positive at birth...birthmom used meth). You have kids old enough to get their own cup of juice, for example! Your kids are old enough to hold a baby, to wait their turn...heck, even to cook dinner for you in a pinch! It will be tough, but you'll have built in helpers who will probably be very happy to do so. Get together with your kiddos now and discuss what it will take to keep them at home. Make chore lists...get them used to it NOW. Get their buy-in to the understanding that the whole family will have to step it up in terms of self-sufficiency or this will not work. For a while, you and the babies will have to be first...there's not much getting around that. Working together as a family is the only thing that will get you through it with school intact. All work together, olders help the youngers, etc. The payoff is we stay at home together...and, possibly extra allowances and/or privileges for those who pull their weight accordingly. I highly recommend a previous poster's suggestion of schooling all summer to get ahead of the game! Choose extremely mom-friendly, open and go curriculum, or even things they can do completely independently. If the virtual academy will do this for you, great. If not, choose another route. Put up meals ahead of time. Paper plates are your new best friends. Double sheet the crib(s) with a liner in between to speed cleanup for those middle of the night accidents. Get the twins on a schedule together for feedings, changings, naps, whatever you can. Take all help offered to you, unless it is the kind that is really NOT helpful, IYKWIM! ;) Oh, and on the double supplies front: don't be surprised if you get lots of offers to provide the extras free of charge! Friends and family tend to donate a lot of stuff when they hear multiples are coming. I got every single last second item from the crib to the swing to the bouncy seat to the triple stroller (for the 18 month old, too!) just flat out given to me! Hand me down clothes showed up on my doorstep with no name attached. It was amazing. Just start talking twins and you'll see what I mean! If that doesn't happen for you, join your local Mothers of Multiples and hit their garage sales hard. Great deals there. Congrats and best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonshine Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I have always homeschooled and had 6 children ages 3 to 13 when my boy/girl twins were born. I can't imagine taking care of the three year old and twins with everyone else gone to school. The big kids are so much help - and my oldest 4 were boys. My girls were 3 and 5 when the twins were born. Most of the stuff that needs to be done with babies - nursing, changing diapers, etc. can be done at the same time as you homeschool. When they were toddlers, the older kids help watch them while we schooled. I will say that neither of my twins were hyper or had other reasons they took extra energy, unlike some of the other children I had. With so many older sibs around, they just kind of tagged along with everyone and blended in. I would be more concerned about not planning much outside the house at all for the last 4 - 5 months of your pregnancy, and first two months of infancy. You may need to go on bedrest. If you do, take it very seriously - a few weeks to months of rest can make their whole lives much better as opposed to a premature birth and learning and health problems for them their whole lives, along with the inconveneince (understatement) of taking them to doctor and therapy appointments their whole childhood). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 You might want to check out Managers of Their Homes. It's all about scheduling your school with lots of kids. It might give you some good ideas. I only have 4 dc with no twins, but I think if your older dc are helpful types, and you don't expect too much from everyone's schoolwork in those first few months, you should be fine. Maybe plan on starting the school year in October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I don't have twins, but I think it could be done. I would do very school lite and only wory abut the absolutely basics until you are back on your feet and able to add more. Maybe spend a year doing math, writing and engish and then having your 14 yo read history and science books from your library to the younger ones. Congratulations!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 OK, here's what I did. When I found out I was having twins, my dc were 15, 8, 6, and 16 months. While I was never officially on bed rest, I felt horrible much of the pregnancy, especially the last month or two when I could barely stand upright (my twins were 15 lbs combined, 7 1/2 lbs each). The children would come into my room and we did schoolwork on my bed until the twins were born in October, so yes, we schooled through the summer. My 15 yo took over the running of the house. After the twins were born, we all took a break from school that involved me. My dds, who were now 9 and 7, did things like listen to SOTW by themselves. After Thanksgiving, when the twins were 6 weeks old, I tried to start doing some schoolwork again, but just was not getting enough sleep so I had to stop. We started again after New Year's when the twins were 3 months old. Not many people get a lot done during the holidays anyway, and also during that time we had to travel out of state for a funeral. I nursed them exclusively. At first I nursed them together, but I regret that as I think it contributed to our difficulties with learning to latch well. Our ped was concerned that one twin was not gaining as fast as the other, so he wanted me to nurse him first. I did that for a while. Now, everyone will tell you to wake them both and nurse them both and have them on the same schedule. It was actually easier for me not to do this. I let them each be on their own timetable and I just took care of them. Yes, I probably got less sleep overall, but for me it took less energy to do it this way than to impose something artificial on them. Cosleeping with twins is very difficult, and I did not like it. With a baby on either side of me, I felt trapped. They basically slept in their swings for the better part of the first year, with occasional cosleeping. Then at 10 months, one twin began sleeping in a playpen, and at 14 months, I taught the other to sleep in the crib because he was not sleeping well. The only child of mine since the first to sleep in a crib! I am very attachment parenting oriented in babyhood, and this made it harder for me. You just CANNOT take care of twins the way you can take care of one baby. For example, I am extremely anti-carrying the car seat around. I take the baby out and carry the baby. So when we bought new car seats, I did not get that kind. Well, later I figured out that those car seats were the only way a mom of twins could carry both in somewhere. I always had to get one, bring him in, and then get the other. Or, I thought, "I don't need a double stroller; I'll just put one in the stroller and carry one in a sling." Well, the first time I had to switch babies, that didn't work so well LOL. You have to take off the sling, put the baby down, get the other out of the stroller, put that baby down, put the first one in the stroller, put the sling back on and put the other baby in it. Not happening! I hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Trying to get the babies on a schedule too early was a disaster for me. It doesn't really suit my personality. I think you have to know yourself and your parenting style and do what feels right for you, but for me, it just felt better to nurse on demand. I had this idea that when people cry, it gets them stirred up and releases negative emotional hormones (isn't that beautifully scientific) and basically is just not ideal. I tried to have babies who never cried. I didn't let them cry themselves to sleep, I nursed them when they were hungry etc. Sometimes they cried, of course. If I was nursing one, the other had to wait a bit. But I haven't regretted the way I did this. By about a year old, I had children who almost never cried. My kids did sleep through the night around 3 months, and we started working on getting more of a daytime sleep routine, but it was a gentle approach. Starting around 4 months, I started to feel like a human again because I was getting a dependable 6 hours a night (sometimes more) of sleep. You might have better luck with a more rigid schedule though - I really think it depends on personalities of the mother and the babies. I'm not a schedule person and I like to roll with the punches. I like everyone to be happy all the time and so that's what I did, but it wasn't easy. Anyway, I only had one older child at the time, but based on my limited experience, I would try to homeschool through the pregnancy and then take 3 months off - or take 3 months off of doing work that needs your supervision. I might make lesson plans for the older children that are totally self directed and have the younger children do work that the older children check. But you will need to just be caring for people, loving on them, and healing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I know you can do this. Your older children will be soooo much help. Especially the 8 yr old. I think you will be surprised to see her help alot more than you know. My son was 8.5 when his little sister came along and she was colicky and NEVER stopped screaming for almost 6 months. I would have gone crazy without him. My husband made me put him in a private school (that originally was a homeschool co-op that got huge) when his other sister came (to give me a break he thought) and it was the worst 6 months. Getting him to school, doing homework the teacher's way and not mine...not a fun thing. I would start now letting the kids know that you are so happy THEY are getting twin brothers, and THEY are going to be so busy when WE bring them home and THEY are going to love holding them and Being Big Brother and Sisters to THEIR twins. If you start now giving them a feeling of this being something the whole family will be involved with in the care and sleep deprivation. I know a family that is pregnant with #8 and she jokes with the little ones all the way to the 13 year old "poor K*** you are going to be so sleep deprived and little G*** is going to have so much fun holding her baby sister while Mommy does school with A***.....etc." They all know each child is everyones responsibility. What a fun household you will have sleep deprived and silly!! I envy you! And remember, when it is hardest and you don't feel good and you are so tired you could cry, we love you, we will listen to your ranting and raving:rant: and we will tell you it won't last too much longer. They will grow and be potty trained and sleep all night and make their own bed one day!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakven Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 Thanks all!! i'm an AP parent too, and not sure i could possibly let my child cry themselves to sleep... though, with 2 the exact same age, i'm not sure i could NOT! just logistically. This is all complicated by the fact that i'm um.. well endowed, and need to use a hand to not smother the poor baby, but i guess i do have 2 hands so as long as i don't have to use any of them to actually HOLD a baby i COULD nurse both at the same time. Maybe i could do that during the day, and seperately at night. We are planning to co-sleep, but hopefully move them into a crib eventually so i don't have 2 toddlers who refuse to sleep anywhere else, like my 2yo, and like every other 2yo i've ever had!! LOL. Also i think a crib could be important for napping and whatnot... though maybe swings would do? Though my babies get REALLY BIG fast. so?? Oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I forgot to say, that while my oldest did not get a lot of schoolwork done during that time, I did give him a full credit of Home Economics on his high school transcript, so it was not time wasted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakven Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 absolutely! great idea :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macdaddi Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 and I considered so many options for schooling my oldest (they were 9, 4, 3 at the time) but in the end I decided to continue homeschooling and it really was for the best. I had a talk with my oldest son and explained to him that I would need his help a lot if he still wanted to go to the park, visit with friends, etc once in a while. I don't think I could have done it without his help! Now he's so proud of the muscles he's developed from carrying a car seat or holding a baby for me. There wasn't a whole lot of choices for the younger 2 boys because of their age, and I spent most of the first year dealing with my defiant 3 year old. :glare: But, now even he has started helping me with the girls and playing with them while I do schoolwork with the older boys. It's definitely doable...I am having more trouble in this stage (semi-toddler) than I did during the sleep-deprived, nursing 24/7 first year. But, it's great to have help around the house. If I need to cook dinner, I tell the boys to "lock down" upstairs and they know that's code for the girls are coming upstairs, shut all bathrooms and rooms with small Legos on the floor! :lol: Good Luck! Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Jenn~ Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Well my vote is always "YES!" for homeschooling but please take my opinion with a grain of salt as I'm only homeschooling one 7 year old boy so what I think really doesn't hold much weight to your situation..lol;). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen FL Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Congratulations galore! I think that homeschooling would be a great blessing to you. I only have three children but I really miss the help of my nine year old when he is ill. I have a homeschooling friend whose children are 10, 8, 6, 3, 1 yr old twins, and a four month old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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