This day has been a long one. Much has been accomplished so it hasn't all been in vain.
Tonight, there is a mom's support meeting for the small homeschool group to which I belong. I really wanted to go, but for a number of reasons, I decided that no matter how badly I wanted to go, my priority for this night was to be at home. The new leader of our homeschool group submitted questions that had been proposed by some of the Mom's that have younger children. I thought I would share with you these questions and my answers to them.
Have a great evening and enjoy your families!
SCHEDULES
1. When you had young children what was your schedule like?
We tried a few different things…you have to do what works for your family. Some kids like to school in the morning when they are well rested. In that case, the younger ones would sit in the high chair and “do school” with us. Whether we gave them coloring, Cheerios, or toys, they were in the room with us and we laughed at their distractions. That is part of homeschooling. Sometimes, the baby is the lesson. J Other times, we would wait until the baby was napping before we attempted school work. It is different for everyone. Try and see what fits best for your family.
2. When do you get your house work done?
You mean that is supposed to get done? HAHA! Whenever I could, I do find that if I rise before the kids…yes that is very early for some, that I could get a couple of chores done before they woke up if I was quiet. J
3. Who has a set time? To start/end. Days.
The state has regulations, but I follow them loosely. Homeschooling is 24-7. So, if I added all those hours up I would well exceed the state’s requirements. I do fill out paper work with our tentative schedule, but I don’t stress if we get a little behind.
4. Do you have an order of events like an opening?
Always pray. When the kids were little we also did the pledge and sang patriotic songs.
5. I’ve seen very elaborate schedules. Does anyone fill one out completely putting snacks/lunch/cleaning in it?
I do not. But they work for other people. They do not work for us. We found that if I have a regimented schedule that it would stress me and the children, plus I had a hard time balancing the ministry opportunities that would arise. If I adhered to the schedule, I would miss out on those opportunities to teach my children to serve and miss the blessing myself of serving others.
HOMESCHOOLING
1. When schooling more than one child do you combine them or do they still do their own subjects and grade level?
We combine if they are close. Maddie and Marcus do the same Science and History. Because we don’t do the canned curriculum like BJ or Abeka it is good and general and multi leveled. We learn as a family and that seems to work very well for us. Michael is 4 ½ years older than Maddie…that gap was a little much, but in hindsight, I would have let Maddie do a lot more with us if I had it to do over. She definitely would have been in the room where she could listen.
2. How did you keep your children focused while cleaning their rooms at an early age?
How do you do it when they are at an old age? J I made picture charts. A laundry hamper for making sure clothes were put away in the hamper, a toy box to show picking up toys and putting them away. An excellent resource is a book called: Life Skills for Kids by Christine Field
3. How do you keep the children focused while schooling and not wanting to do something else?
Some things my children learned by there not being another option. School needed to be done. That was their job. Sometimes, you have to just keep in mind who is in charge and make sure they know it too. This needs to happen at a young age but you have to remind them gently as they grow older too.
4. Does anyone have a set room to homeschool in?
Well, we have tried that, but the dining table always worked best. However, I was frustrated with cleaning up to eat and the constant array of books. So, now we are homeschooling in the basement. It’s the family room, but we do have a table there and Maddie and Marcus still school there. Michael schools at the table upstairs, because he needs more quiet for concentration. When we do our History, Science, or Read Alouds, we (Maddie, Marcus, and I) go over to the couch in the family room, where Maddie and Marc will still curl up beside me while I read. That’s my favorite part of homeschooling. J
5. What do you do when your child doesn’t seem ready for a subject but he’s falling behind “normal standards”
What is normal? The best thing about homeschooling is you get to do what is good for your child. Marcus is going to turn 10. He has struggled with reading from the beginning of phonics instruction and still struggles with it…to the point that we have now had to call in some outside help and we are still in the process of finding a solution for teaching him. However, he has not stopped learning. I read to him orally and he answers a lot of questions orally. I haven’t given up on subjects that are hard for him, because he is a sponge as children are at that age. I keep pouring the information in him and asking him to narrate it back to me. (then I know he grasp the ideas and concepts) Also, though, don’t let the public schools decide what is normal. If you had a really bright child, you wouldn’t hold them back because of what “normal” kids did. You would feed them more info and let them grow. Like I said….what is normal?
6. What do you do when your child has no interest in a subject but has to learn it.
It’s a life lesson. You tell them they have to learn some things. Life is like that. There are some things that we just have to know. I do try to make it as fun as possible. For instance, Science is not Maddie’s favorite subject, but this year I found some lap booking supplements especially for our Science curriculum. It has made all the difference in the world for her, because she is a very visual and hands on learner. She is retaining the information much better…and finding she even likes knowing some things. Try to supplement with things that they will be attracted to.
OTHER
1. What is the best way to make sure hubby is not “forgotten” while raising children, keeping house, and homeschooling?
Pray and commit it to the Lord. I have asked the Lord to specifically “help me be ready for my husband’s romantic mood” that I know would be coming later that evening. I have prayed for stamina and energy when I’m tired. Without seeking the Lord first, you are trying in the flesh. Prayer is the key to homeschooling. I have learned over the years that I need to pray about everything. Things that I didn’t consider “worthy” of praying about, I’ve found are very worthy of spending time with my Heavenly Father about…from schedules, and scheduling ideas, to curriculum decisions, to the order in which I teach subjects. He really gives answers. I think I wasted a lot of time in the beginning by not praying about those circumstances.
2. Do you turn the answering machine on while schooling or do you answer the phone?
I do not turn my answering machine on, but I do screen my calls. If I know it’s a person that I could end up in a long conversation I will not answer. I have to be very careful about that, because my children like to take that opportunity of a long conversation to sneak away from the table. I’m sure no one else has that problem, but I do, so I’m very careful. Mickey even changed our voice mail message to say we are either not at home or are homeschooling, so people understand that I have a job in the home with teaching my children. Also, if you have a good friend…Mary C. knows, when I say I can only talk for a sec, she knows I usually mean it….sometimes, we will still take more time than originally needed, but we usually know, when we say we have to go, that we need to go. If you have a friend like that, then you can probably answer the phone. Always think twice before calling a fellow homeschool mom…..email them instead. If they aren’t busy they will get it.
MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE In my opinion:
Pray, pray, and pray! Seek the Lord about all kinds of decisions. Pray for your fellow homeschooling moms and friends. We are all on this journey together. He will guide you through the decision making of motherhood. You need to seek Him first though. Also, remember it’s ok to say no to things. Even when it’s something you really want to do. I really want to be there tonight with you ladies. There was a time when I would have almost broken all our necks for me to make it there. I crave the support from other homeschooling moms too, but one of the reasons I’ve stepped back is because my children don’t need to be rushed so I can do something I want to do, even if it’s a good thing. (Good things can be a distraction and time waster for your families). I am my husband’s help mate and one of the ways I help him is by making sure I take the best possible care of the children to which He has entrusted to us. I will only have my kids for a short time in comparison with a long life. (Lord willing) We have so short of an amount of time to teach them so many things. So seek the Lord about things you volunteer for so that you don’t become too busy with things that take you away from your husband and family.
