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MarilynW
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| Posted: Aug 26 2007 at 8:40pm | IP Logged
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Elizabeth gave me the idea for this thread after I posted on the prayer forum. I am struggling at 6 weeks postpartum - I am pleased when I manage to do all the laundry and get meals on the table - and am worried about how to fit in our learning. I am trying to figure out how to set up the next month so that the kids can be learning without me getting irritable and cranky because I am sleep-deprived and struggling. I keep reminding myself that we are living a learning lifetstyle and that it is the relationships that are important.
I am still planning but ideas so far - we are going to spend a lot of time outdoors once the weather cools down - fall in No Va is beautiful. We will be working on Nature notebooks and art and picnics. (In fact we are kicking off our school year with a couple of days trip to the beach!)We are also focusing on art and music and lots of books. We will also have our prayer pegs- which right now helps me get through the day.
Please share your ideas.
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Marilyn
Blessed with 6 gifts from God
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KristinaP
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Marilyn, I'm in the same boat as you and throw in that this is my first year of homeschooling. Just to keep things simple and maintain my sanity, I've decided to use CHC since its already planned out and still flexible- although, my 5 yr old will be attending the local parish school. I'm completely awed by the amount of planning that people do for their curriculum and there's no way I could handle that right now.  I'd be interested in hearing more experienced responses, too. :-)
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amyable
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Marilyn, I will be right there with you in a few weeks also! Could you please share the ages and/or levels of your children? It might help me brainstorm (for both of us  )
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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of 
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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Mare
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Marilyn,
My baby is 4 months now. We did what you are planning on doing: nature learning, art, music and literature. I eased back into schooling at the start of July adding a new subject each week. That seemed to work out nicely for us. I use my dds' morning and afternoon nap times to get the one on one learning done.
HTH,
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MarieC
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I used a lot of audiobooks last year (baby was 4 mos. old when school started). I spent much of the year too sleepy to stay awake to read and this saved me. Two of my girls (5 & 7) have ended up loving books on tape and always have a couple out from the library that they listen to on their own.
Good luck in the coming year. The plans you have so far sound really lovely.
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Marie
mom to 6
dds-98, 00, 02 and 09 & dss-03 and 06
Out in the Orchard
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time4tea
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I am in the same boat as the rest of you with my little dd, now only 2-1/2 weeks old. I have a 9th, 7th, 2nd and K to school, and it has been hard. I have started to take the kids books to the living room with me each morning (this is where the computer is, if anyone needs to type or anything) and I basically have the kids do their work right there where I am. The older two do take some of their work to other parts of the downstairs if they need more quiet, focused time, but they know where I can be found - on the sofa, nursing the baby - if they need me for anything. While this hasn't eliminated all of the stress, it has helped somewhat, I think it has helped for me to be in one central location for the kids to come to me, instead of me walking around to each child.
Hope this helps!
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Blessings to you!
~Tea
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time4tea
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One more thing - I am also using the MODG Syllabi this year for 2nd and K, and some of their 9th Grade Syllabi (Religion and English). It has helped to have some of the lessons planned out each day for me, so that I don't really have to "plan" lessons, just teach them.
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Joelle
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All of these little blessings, how wonderful!!
I am in the same boat as well, with a 5 week old (and very little sleep). I think the books on tape is an excellent idea. Put the toddlers down for a nap and nurse the baby while the you and the olders listen to the books (or nap while the olders listen--that is what usually happens here). Sometimes, I use that precious time to do subjects that the olders need my quiet attention to, but I find that on those days, I am more tired and cranky for missing the down time. I am finding I have to lower my expectations during baby years, and these ARE such blessed years. We also use MODG and this year (due to the baby and other family circumstances that are taking much time & energy), we are using a teacher from MODG for a few subjects. This ensures certain things are covered for my 6th grader (though I must say that it is mainly due to the other circumstances rather than a new baby that led us to that choice).
Laundry here can be daunting!! Many days, I just get the loads washed & dried--then have the kids (and dh also helps) fold & put away later in the day or early evening. Granted this leaves some things wrinkled, but I can only do so much and that is lower on my list--I just run a quick iron over any clothes that need it when we put them on (ok, before we put them on--I'm not that sleep-deprived  ).
For meals, it's casseroles prepared when hubby is home and those that make 2 meals--and we use the crock pot a decent amount. Meal planning & simple, healthy meals are what we're about in that area!
I'm also finding I cannot go a lot of places--we need to be home basically all day if everyone is going to finish what needs to be done. This has been hard for me, but the with number of little people and especially GAS  we cannot run around to all of the activities we used to.
Thanks for asking the question, I am curious how others are doing it as well  .
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God Bless, Joelle
Mom to 7: Boy (96), Girls (00, 02, 04), Boy (05), Girl (07), Boy (09)
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Sarah
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You ARE my lost twin! (Marilyn and I live parallel realities and follow each other around this board with similar problems! )
I am not kidding when I say that I just came now to the forum to start a post entitled, "schooling with a new baby."
I will follow this thread closely. 
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Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
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MarilynW
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Sarah wrote:
You ARE my lost twin! (Marilyn and I live parallel realities and follow each other around this board with similar problems! )
I will follow this thread closely. |
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OK - now I am all medicated and starting to feel like a human being again - I will start thinking about schooling again.
I started off today with some very basic basics - I demonstrated chores and basics of tidyness to all the older kids - they have been doing them for ages but it is amazing how they forget We live in a smaller house and it is imperative that everyone is relatively tidy. So instead of getting irritated and assuming that they know what I expect - I demonstrated everything - much to their amusement often!!
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Marilyn
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MarilynW
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I should add that I also typed up new chore schedules - and I am going to laminate them and hang them up - my 8 year old twin boys forget everything (or argue about them!) unless they see it in black and white!! I have used some of Kim's home management graphics or found some new ones.
I figure out that learning will not go smoothly if we have a disorganized house. And being in bed for the last few days, I have realized what does not get done....
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Marilyn
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DeAnn M
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Hi There,
I'm resurrecting this thread because I would love to know what really worked for you guys during this phase. I have a two month old now. I have hated not really having an official start to our school year. We have eased into it and I am still struggling. Sleep deprivation throws a kink into everything as I'm sure many of you know all too well. I just find I'm missing feast days, not making time to plan school for the week because I need the weekends to catch up on housework that I neglected during the week. (My husband is wonderful and helps where he can but travels quite a bit)
I'm sure I'm coming from a place many of you have been many times before so I would appreciate some helpful hints. My kids are 10, 8, 5, 4, 2 and 2 months. I'm really about ready to throw in the towel and send the older ones away on that nice yellow bus that drives by my house every morning, but I know that's mostly just tiredness and hormones talking!
Thanks Ladies,
DeAnn
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Lisbet
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okay, DeAnn, I'm gonna think on this and come back to it, but for a second there, I thought Marilyn had something to share with all of us!
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
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gwendyt
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I'm in the same boat this year with a new little one as well. (I've got 7th grader, 5th, 2nd, and K - plus one preschooler, one toddler and the 3 month old) Here's what I decided to do, and so far it is working, although I will say that I am working very hard to not waste a minute of time - if I'm lazy at all, things don't go as planned (and this is hard when you're tired!) Some more frequent daily Masses, when possible, and making sure I get my morning offering in, and Rosary while I'm nursing, has really helped!
I decided to schedule my subjects in blocks of time, one block per subject. One thing that I was getting so frustrated with is that I didn't have enough time to cover a subject with all four kids in the "short lesson" format. Either I needed more time or they did. Plus, if baby wanted to nurse, or dirty diapers, mishaps, etc happened - we'd get thrown too far off our time schedule (even tho' I am flexible and don't need to stay EXACTLY on time). Instead of trying to do a subject 3,4, or even 5x each week - I'd thought I'd try one extended time and then assign work for the rest of the week in that subject. For example, here's what I currently have going:
M - History (am), Language Arts (pm) *Music practice and chores are everyday
T - Science (am), Literature and Art (pm)
W - Music and Foreign Language (am), Geography and Life Skills (hobbies, 4H, learning new chores, etc) (pm)
R - Math (am), Co-op classes and Religion (pm)
F - Phy Ed (am), Nature Study (pm)
(*I did back off this year on the number of different things to study - tried to keep it basic and simple)
Each block is 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Sometimes I do use the whole time completely focused on my school aged kids, but more often than not the time is a combination of rotating kids, group lessons, and tending to the littles in between. We feel more relaxed and haven't had a problem finishing things. Most assignments given are due the following week on the day of that block, so I don't have to correct or go over all subjects on the weekend - often I have time to go over assignments during the block time. I try to find one block of time on the weekend to plan out the week, and I will admit this is a crazy few hours as I rush about printing schedules, assignment sheets, putting books on hold, switching out materials, toys, etc! Someone has to watch the kids for me during that time - I totally focus on doing what I need to do as quickly as possible Also, we have once a month meetings on Fridays, and we often like to go somewhere for Nature Study, so Fridays I kept for Nature Study and Phy Ed - this makes it easy schedule in these things OR if we've really had a rough week, I chuck Phy Ed and Nature Study and spend the day catching up on things that need attention, whether school or house! I will say, as a result of trying to simplify, I've cut back quite a bit on the number of Feast days we celebrate and the amount of things we do to celebrate - I focus on the major Liturgical Feasts and stick to our tried and true traditions. After I plan something, I "cut it in half", then I know I probably will be able to carry it out. Also, I try to work in audio stuff, DVDS, independent reading and projects/crafts as much as possible. They've saved me planning time and given me afternoon nap time more than once!
The other thing I decided to do that helped me greatly is to schedule "terms" in four week increments, and then take a week off. While I know in general where I want to be by the end of the year, it is easier for me to only think of the next four weeks. This helps, as different times of the year tend to be busier than others, so I can accomodate for this when I look at what we can cover and reasonably expect to accomplish. The week off allows me a rest from the usual schedule, time to catch up on those things that inevitably seem to pile up, and focus more time to planning out the next four weeks, so that my weekly planning is kept to a minimum. I schedule appointments and catch up on phone calls, bills, etc during this week too.
Other things I did was to really evaluate what chores needed to be done to keep the house reasonably clean and tidy and for me to keep my sanity, and chucked the longer chore list, for now. I don't answer the phone at all during the day - my DH knows to call twice in a row if he needs to talk to me I only run into town one day a week for errands. DH does anything else for me in town if I need it on way home from work or over his lunch hour. If I do fall behind, we are home enough evenings that I can cover something with the kids then or just be available to help them with their assignments. I've found that at night, when they start to quiet down naturally, has been a great time reading books out of our science/history bins and read-alouds. The other thing that's helped is to make myself get up at the same time and do the same routine myself each morning, getting a jumpstart on chores/baking and get 10-15 minutes of exercise and prayer in. I'm a morning person, so I feel like actually doing this stuff when I get up  , but if you're a night person, you could do this routine at night (although if you're little one is anything like mine, he likes to have Mom to nurse and fall asleep with each night!) Anyway, those are the major changes I've made this year - hope it helps you in some small way
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Wendy
Married to DH Joe 18 yrs., 8 beautiful children - 2 girls, 6 boys (14,12,9,7,5,3,1,newbie born 3/1/2010)
A Little of This, A Little of That
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Rachel May
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I think this is along the lines of what Wendy said, but I'll share too.
This year I made chore cards for each child and then set a school schedule in blocks and put them on cards with my chores and daily schedule. My friend Michelle put pictures of hers here. Each day at 9 each child does "roll call" and we go through their ring of cards to be sure they have done everything before school starts. The cards save me from having to remember who does what and what the general "to do" list is and it gives me the opportunity to walk behind them and make sure their work is done correctly. Also, they are hung on hooks near our school work so they are easy to keep track of.
On their rings, everyone 4yrs and up has:
- brush/floss/wash face
- clean room
- put away laundry
Individual chores include:- recycle
- pass out vitamins
- wash a bathroom (2 kids each wash a bathroom)
- feed cat
- clean kitty litter
- unload dishwasher
- load dishwasher
- throw trash from around the house into the kitchen trash
- vacuum under the dining room table
- clean the garage before Dad comes home so he can park the car
There is just a quick description on one side and then the actual directions onhow to do the chore are on the other. They are laminated.
That created space in my brain for other things.
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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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DeAnn M
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Thanks for the thoughtful responses, ladies. The block idea is intriguing and as I think about it could have the potential to relieve a lot of pressure. I really like the card idea as well. I need to begin a chore schedule with the kids and that seems like a great way to have all of the info in one place.
Blessings!
DeAnn
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Rachel May
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Oooh, I do have one other good general idea. My friend mentioned that she likes to tie new things to an old habit. So for example, she ties poetry time--a new thing--to morning prayer time or read alouds--something that gets bumped easily--to lunchtime. We've tried it this year with success.
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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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Susana
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One thing I did to help.... ask St. Joseph to help my husband work from home so that he could help me to homeschool and my prayers were answered! :) I know it may seemed far fetched to some people, but I have a lot of faith and it has been such a blessing having my husband at home to help me with the little one's who are not schooling. It is an absolute miracle for us that my husband is supporting our family of 7 as a musician!... Anyway..
Other than that suggestion, for me what has also helped is decluttering and keeping things simple in the home. For me it is a challenge to homeschool when I have clutter and mess calling me in the back of my mind. As far as actual learning, it has helped me to realize that everything can be a learning experience, and knowing that our post-partum time doesn't last forever. It is nice to come up with a general loose and flexible plan for those days that just don't go as ideal as we would like them to be. Having a shelf or shelves set up to where the children can do some work on their own is especially nice for those days.
I had been feeling especially overwhelmed after my post-partum this year because I was on post-partum bedrest for 2 weeks and then was sick with bronchitis and asthma for another 2 weeks after that! Having a goal of working from 9-Noon helped give us structure, and having written down some work to present to the children helped as well. If we are having a difficult day or week, I can point the children in the direction of something that they can do and comprehend on their own. This is one of the reasons Montessori works so well in the home for us. I hope this can help you a bit. Try not to get too frustrated and know that God always provides, especially when it comes to raising and educating our little one's. God Bless you!
-Susana
My Montessori Homeschooling Blog:
http://www.montessoricandy.com
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Learning/teaching with a new baby
