The baby now at 7 months is sleeping less so when we did Kindergarden he was sleeping ALOT more, I ultilized that time plus my 2 year old daughter sleeping in till at least 10:00 AM to do homeschool.
Our 1st day was Tuesday - what a complete train wreck! Let's just say I cried! Utterly fusterated. Not with my 6 year old but my 4 and 2 year old, they did some of the activities I pulled for them but only for a few seconds at a time then wanted something else to do. This went on for an hour and a half. My 1st grader was fusterated because this was new curriculum to him and he needed my attention. Then there is the baby who is such a mama's boy and wants to be help almost every second and cries when he's not held.
Day 2 (Wednesday) got better, I gave my 1st grader the "easier" curriculum that he didn't need me explaining to him while I sat and did our Ocean Preschool pack (Homeschool Creations) for my 4 year old and did Our Ocean Tot Pack (1+1+1=1) for my 2 year old.
Day 3 (today) - nightmare! I wound up sending the kids upstairs to play while I sat with my 1st grader. I had to do 1/2 of our homeschool this morning and the other 1/2 while my 2 year old napped. So there would be less distractions.
The activities I give my little ones should last longer, I refuse to put the t.v. on while my oldest homeschool's. In a few weeks I will be starting letter of the week with my 4 year old so I am hoping this will calm him down and sit at the table with us but then there is the wild and crazy 2 year old.
Please someone tell me it will get better, any suggestions are welcomed! Each day I am crying out to The Lord for help but I think the enemy is attacking me greatly and at times I feel burdened. I didn't have this problem for Kindergarden and for the summer we did math, Bible, handwriting and reading but now 1st grade subjects have increased.
Moms what do you do if you have a large family, how do you organize your time, what do you do with the little ones?
It was the hardest when there was a baby in the house. And then there are just weeks that are train wrecks.
ReplyDeleteJust try not to let a bad week get to you too much and continue through it. Take a break, play, let some of the school slack off a bit (especially given the ages of yours, you can definitely let some things go if you are overwhelmed).
We've been doing this for 11 years and I can tell you we've had some fabulous days, some horrendous days and some days that I was ready to throw in the towel. We've even had complete years that "I" would consider a bust. But they are all where they need to be or over. The good days make up for the bad days.
I've wondered the same thing--and my oldest, at 3, is only in preschool/kindergarten (she's ambitious)! However, I also have a 17 month old and another one due Sept. 9. I've wondered how in the world I'm going to continue teaching my eldest to read (and she reminds me to school if we don't) when caring for a tiny tot and an infant as well. I'll look forward to keeping up with the comments!
ReplyDeleteFor us we focus on reading, writing, and arithmetic until the 3rd grade. This relaxes the amount of work that we have to get through during the day. I also let the kids play and rotate play time so they can each have one on one teacher time with me. They are also "responsible" for watching the toddler that's walking around.
ReplyDeleteOh Mama, hang in there...it will get better...maybe the biggest thing I have learned is not to be married to the routine, when we school or how we school...if things are going downhill quickly I stop and regroup, we go out and nature hike or bake or something that redirects everyone to be involved in and there always seems to be a time before bed to finish our "book work"...you can make it happen, maybe not just in "your" time...but "his" time (wink wink) XO Melissa at The Joys of Home Educating
ReplyDeleteDoes she like an exersaucer? I remember having my daughter in hers while our oldest did schoolwork...and then she ran around the small fenced backyard, and her baby brother played in the exersaucer while lessons were done, and she slowly transitioned into more structured play activities...we did a lot of music and art together those days. And a lot of counting and clapping (ABeka Math games were great for that!)We also took schoolwork outside whenever possible, on a blanket! My son's favorite spot to get his independent reading done, in those days, was the big oak tree in our yard! I miss those days (crazy as they were!)
ReplyDeleteIt is so difficult when they are little. I will keep you in my prayers!
ReplyDeleteThe biggest frustration I have with homeschooling my 4 was trying to do all of the different subjects on different grade levels for each of them. Last year was so trying! I felt like I was just handing them one workbook after another! This year, I am combining a lot of subjects and am hoping that that will help.
Do your littles nap? Could you do something with your older children when they are asleep? Even if you aren't schooling during "traditional" hours, do what meets your children's schedules.
Many blessings,
Lisa
http://our4kiddos.blogspot.com
I don't have a large family but when my youngest was a toddler I had a high schooler and a 5th grader that I was homeschooling. I had to learn to be flexible and realize that I didn't have to fit school in to the 8-3 box. Sometimes I would have one kid play with the little and occupy him while I did school with the other kid. It definitely got crazy at times. It will all work out, just keep on keeping on!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry you've had a rough start! I completely empathize! It can be tough and emotionally draining with little ones at times (the active baby and small toddler phase when they are getting around and getting into everything can be especially trying), but they *do* grow up fast. Reminding ourselves to cherish the time, relax and realize that we don't have to get everything in *right now* can help. You're doing well to look to God for strength also, as that is so important.
ReplyDeleteI'm expecting my 6th, and now I have a couple who are a bit older and able to do more independently, which enables them to cover more material more quickly than I can cover with any who need more of my help. That helps a lot. I still get frustrated and definitely still have challenges, but maybe it will help you to know that it *does* get some easier -- at least you move beyond "how will this child ever learn anything?" -- as they gradually become more capable of independent learning, and very small ones grow up a bit. In the meantime, also keep in mind that strict school time isn't the only time for learning, and if you're providing an educational environment they pick up more than you may realize even when you're not doing more formal education.
It takes a while for them to get used to a routine. You can help them develop some habits that will help you to be able to do more, but it will take some time and planning on your part, during which you'll have to focus on that and likely be satisfied with less progress in the academic area. Keep in mind that academics isn't all you want them to learn -- good habits and character are really more important, so it's worth the time. In the long run it will help with academics also, when you've trained them in the habit/skill of sitting quietly for a set time with one activity, for instance.
I certainly don't have it all figured out by any means. I have been helped greatly by the book Managers of Their Homes by Steve and Teri Maxwell, which helps moms make detailed schedules for their families, especially large families. Also more recently I've found the book Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman useful for additional tips in various areas, not just related to scheduling. If you were going to start with one, I think I might recommend MOTH. LFL hits so many areas that it may be overwhelming at first if you're not careful, although she's very encouraging, especially for those who have several small ones. There are other good resources besides these, of course. Don't know if you're familiar with the "4 Moms" of large families who blog together on Thursdays, but I enjoy reading them too when I can, and this month they happen to be blogging through the LFL book. I also have links on my page under a "Large Families" tab to past things they've blogged about, including various aspects of homeschooling.
Your children are adorable. I wish you the best. You can do it -- hang in there!
Maybe you're trying to do too much. I have five boys and we've been hsing for 11 years. I would focus on reading and math with the 1st grader, then read out loud to all of them. Put away the tot school. Your 2yo will pick up more from just being with you as you teach the oldest. For the 4yo, I wouldn't stress over using any kind of curriculum. Let them do starfall.com while you work with your oldest.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to see cute stuff that others have done with their preschool age children, but they do not usually have more than one or two kids or they are not in the same season of life as you.
It WILL get easier! Hang in there! Homeschooling is a lot of trial-and-error, taking time and flexibility to figure how to juggle everything.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry for your frustration. It is frustrating sometimes, even with fewer children. Hang in there, though. You'll figure out some strategies that work fir this stage!
ReplyDeleteI am going to have a similar problem. My son is starting kindergarten in a virtual school in a couple of weeks. He has an almost four-year-old sister that will need to be kept occupied. She's old enough to benefit from some educational materials, so I'll probably buy her some educational workbooks and activity books.
ReplyDeleteVisiting from the Not Going to Blog Her blog hop!
Hang in there, the toddlers are tough. I keep telling myself it will get better. We use crib time to get some of the things done that don't need a toddler in the mix. I have bins with some fun toys that he only gets to play with during crib time. I put him in a pack and play along with a bin and we usually get 15-20 minutes. Of course now, he's trying to climb out of the crib, so that may not work too much longer :). Blessings on your time and give yourself lots of grace for this season!
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteI have been reading uyour blog for a while now. We just had our 4th child, and the oldest also just turned 4. So, while we don't fully "homeschool" yet, we do plan too. I also have the same feelings- how will I ever do homeschooling when I can barely get everything else (cleaning, dinner, etc) done now (without having to formally homeschool yet)? I read the following blog yesterday. Not sure if the link will connect, but at least you can manually type it in and scroll down to Thursday's post- it encouraged me, so I hope it will encourage you as well!
http://www.aboverubies.net/2011/08/heart-of-homeschooling-leaving-legacy.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FskZR+%28Far+Above+Rubies%29&utm_content=Yahoo%21+Mail
His,
Nancy for the Schaefers
Sorry about the rough spot :( When all I had were younger children I spent many days in intermittent tears. Press on, now they are older and love learning so that they are self-taught. Focus on helping them LOVE to learn and it will all come out in the wash. I wish I had spent less time stressing and more time enjoying :)
ReplyDeleteI have a list of ideas on my blog of what to fo with little ones while homeschooling.
Those years when you've got lots of littles can be rough. We used to school in our basement schoolroom/playroom so that my littles could play (and there wasn't anything they could damage or get into) while I schooled my oldest.
ReplyDeleteWhile they were awake, I let my oldest do things she could do with minimal help, saving the one-on-one things for nap times.
And, I *did* use the TV. Not exclusively, but if there was something that my oldest was going to need some help with (or some peace and quiet to think), I would pull out an educational video or a Veggie Tales. With it being a DVD -- actually they were VHS tapes at the time -- the younger kids were only in front of the TV for 30 minutes, which was usually enough time to work with dd.
Also, as fun as those preschool things are, it may that you have to focus on your 1st grader, at least for the first few weeks until you establish a routine, then, you can add in the fun preschool stuff.
Hope that helps!
{{Hugs}} Remember that the first 21 days of anything are the hardest, this includes trying new curriculum and getting back into the swing of HSing. I often times let my little ones play with math manipulatives while I work with my older children. I have been known to let them watch a school movie (they're all 30 mins or less) if we're in a tough patch. Sometimes I really need to be able to sit one on one with the stuggling child. I've even done work in the hallway next to the bathroom, so my littles could "swim" and I was still getting school done. How about heading out into the yard or even the park? Perhaps getting a timer will help. I read about someone who had 3 activity bags on hooks in the school room, I think she called them busy bags. If she was working with another child she would start the timer for 15 minutes, and the younger children were told that if they completed their work they could grab a busy bags and sit quietly with that until she was done with helping or the timer went off. Things will be easier next week, don't fret too much. Remember that you can always have your older child sit with you while you make dinner and do some work then. My 8 yr old does this alot, she sits right on top of the counter and reads or whatever while I'm cooking. No one is allowed in the kitchen, so it gives her some one on one time and gives me a chance to still get some things done around here. :) Good luck! Don't forget that you can always call it quits for the day or even rest for an hour.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry you've had a rough week. I don't have many answers because I only have two but you have my prayers. I imagine that it will take time to figure out what works best for your family.
ReplyDeleteOur first week wasn't good either. Bad, bad, curriculum choice here. I'm not sure it can possibly get better. Sigh...
Seasons, seasons, seasons! I keep telling myself that there are seasons of our lives. This probably isn't the season for you to totally accomplish every cute activity you have on your list. You are still giving your kids more undivided, one on one time and teaching then they could get anywhere else. You're doing fine--hang in there.
ReplyDeleteWHen I had three kiddos and a 2 yr old running around... we did a lot of the "hands on stuff together"! ALL together.... when the older ones are coloring pics for history, the little one is coloring a piece of paper. They will learn more through sitting with the older ones and being with them!
ReplyDeleteAnd I"m in agreement with some of the other comments that you might be doing too much. ONly you will know that answer:)
Also a GREAT time to train the little ones to listen and play quietly while reading aloud to the "older ones".
WE'll start 8/22!! And I'm hoping my 15 month old will be still taking 2 naps;) It will be VERY nice;) And possibly by Christmas or next year, I'll have a busy awake toddler to contend with!
Hello! I TOTALLY understand your joys and frustration! I have a 2nd grader, one that just turned 3, and a 1 1/2 year old. This is our 2nd yr homeschooling.
ReplyDeleteI would hear others schedules of how they are starting at this time, doing this subject at that time, etc...... but soon realized, that's not going to work for us.
So what did I find that works for us?
My little ones do take a nap (most days anyway) around the same times. So in the morning we have stretches, circle time, song, bible, breakfast and lunch and they play together. My 2nd grader does some independant work or her art then too. This is the time I pull out the playdoh and learning toys that they only get during this time, but the attention span is short for sure! If the little ones are real whiny or unhappy about life, I put them in their beds to play for a little while. Sometimes, they are not happy with this at first, but end up relaxing and better when they join us again. A little time alone can work wonders for all of us :)
Then at naptime, my 2nd grader and I get to work. We usually get in about 2 hours of work each day. Somedays we get it done, some days we don't. But she will read to me while I make dinner, and we do science experiments and time consuming projects on the weekend when her dad can watch the little ones.
I did have to get past the notion of not having a set schedule, but now that I am, I am much more relaxed. Traditional schools have schedules, homeschools don't have to :)
My most important job is to train my children to love the Lord, and teach them Godly character traits, and the rest will fall into place.
So for now life is a little chaotic, I have days where I do contemplate throwing in the towel, but we are growing and learning together :)
So hang in there. It is a blessing to have the opportunity to teach our children (although some days it can feel like a curse :) and remember your not alone...God is with you every step of the way!