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Tina P.
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| Posted: Feb 15 2006 at 5:03am | IP Logged
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We are moving back to the US in about six weeks and I am sooooooo not into schooling right now.  I want to purge the house of books, toys, clothes and all those thingies that, when you arrive at your destination and unpack them you wonder, "Why in the world did we take that?" or "How did that get packed?" But we are behind in all the basics.  And my kids would like to have summer to themselves. I like to spread out my years just *for* these unusual circumstances that military families always seem to have to handle. How do I keep the love of learning and being together through these tumultous times? And how in the world am I going to convince my kids that schooling during the summer is a good idea? I looked forward and counted the days down to summer when I went to school. I needed the break and so do they. But it seems like this year, because of having the baby, going on vacation in February, and now moving in March, we're taking a ton of breaks already.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
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Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Feb 15 2006 at 7:47am | IP Logged
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Tina,
I know just how you feel! I know it's hard to keep kids on track when you're preparing for an overseas PCS move. (My last one, dh was already in the USA toward the end of it all.  )
I have a couple of thoughts. First, it's OK to level with your kids and tell them they can't have their cake and eat it too. School isn't just something Mom invented, it's the law. They have to attend school. This means that taking a vacation now will mean that school will need to happen over the summer.
But...school doesn't have to be M-F, 9-2 (or whatever you normally do). You could do some mini-units or a big unit study (check out Heart and Mind's Archives). You could do math games on the computer. You can do nature study as part of your exploration of your new home town/county. The older kids could take photos or sketch what they see and make a nature journal. You could begin study of a foreign language together (Enchanted Learning has some great printouts for vocab in many languages).
In other words, summer school doesn't need to be exactly what you're doing now. It can be shaped to fit your needs.
In the meantime, to get ready for your move, why not JUST do the basics? Then, you can have your older children help look after the younger ones (maybe they can read aloud to them, or play games outside - P. E. time!) so you can have a dedicated time each day to weed out and organize your stuff. If the weather is bad or you live in an apartment and have no safe outdoor area, there are many great DVDs available that your kids could view as part of school. Our base chapel in Italy had tons of Bible story videos, etc. - even some Catholic ones! If you listen to classical music in the car and discuss it, even that time can count for some schooling...we did this a lot when we were shipping cars, going to dentist appointments an hour away, etc.
Don't forget to take care of yourself during this stressful time. Yes, the move will happen even if you don't weed out stuff, but I know you'll feel better if you do prepare for it...that's why I suggest you work with your family to free up a bit of time to get started. It might be time to pull out of extra time commitments, too.
I hope I don't sound too much like Military Mom On Soapbox. I don't mean to. I've been in your shoes and am in them even as I'm typing! (I keep having to tell myself that I just CAN'T coordinate any more science activities...!!)
Hang in there.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Willa
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| Posted: Feb 15 2006 at 7:46pm | IP Logged
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I came across this AO Help the other day and mentally bookmarked it just in case.... it's meant to be a simple curriculum for families displaced by the hurricanes but it seemed like it might be useful for new baby or medically-intensive or other "life event" times. Anyway, just in case it gives you some ideas... I personally don't think kids always need 180 school days per year. That's sort of a modern idea and partly meant for the convenience of teachers and parents as much as for the education of the child.
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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Feb 15 2006 at 10:46pm | IP Logged
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You're so right...my husband (who used to be a big fan of public schools, 20+ years ago) points out to anyone who mentions education that the public school system here was set up for the convenience of factory owners, so parents would be free to work more hours.
In the old days, school happened after the family needs were met...harvest, health (including caring for new babies), building/maintaining the home...and no one was criticized for putting those family needs first. Now it seems as though we're always under the microscope if we try to keep our families whole and healthy before we meet government-structured standards for learning.
I'm proud to tell people that we try to put God and family first. If the only thing my children learn at home (that they could not have learned in a "traditional" school) is that lesson, I think I'll have done my job.
Having said that, weathering family transitions (like moving! and babies!) is always a challenge. When you can't find the schoolbooks because they're in a box labeled "cucina" ("kitchen" in Italian, not exactly where you meant the schoolbooks to be!), it's hard to keep any kind of learning experience going. That's where all the wonderful support and the incredible prayers come in. In the worst of times (I think Willa's hurricane example is right up there), perhaps that's all we have to fall back on...and how wonderful it is to know everyone is there, praying, encouraging and sacrificing for those in the most need.
Isn't that what it's all about, really? (Praying, Tina!!!)
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Tina P.
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| Posted: Feb 21 2006 at 5:17am | IP Logged
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guitarnan wrote:
In the old days, school happened after the family needs were met...harvest, health (including caring for new babies), building/maintaining the home...and no one was criticized for putting those family needs first. Now it seems as though we're always under the microscope if we try to keep our families whole and healthy before we meet government-structured standards for learning.
I'm proud to tell people that we try to put God and family first. If the only thing my children learn at home (that they could not have learned in a "traditional" school) is that lesson, I think I'll have done my job.
Having said that, weathering family transitions (like moving! and babies!) is always a challenge. When you can't find the schoolbooks because they're in a box labeled "cucina" ("kitchen" in Italian, not exactly where you meant the schoolbooks to be!), it's hard to keep any kind of learning experience going. That's where all the wonderful support and the incredible prayers come in. In the worst of times (I think Willa's hurricane example is right up there), perhaps that's all we have to fall back on...and how wonderful it is to know everyone is there, praying, encouraging and sacrificing for those in the most need.
Isn't that what it's all about, really? (Praying, Tina!!!) |
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Thank you for your prayers. I'll try to keep my family on course as regards the move before anything. My kids want to pack their backpacks with things to keep them amused on the plane. We fly out of here 30 March! They are really stoked.
Nan, you must be a much stronger person than I. Schooling my children is leagues away from me in my current priorities. Right now I'm looking for things to discard (yes, even books) to decrease our shipment weight. I'm wanting the house to be sufficiently cleared out by 5 March, which is when our first shipment goes. That's not far off enough for me! I'd like to fine-tooth-comb every room so we go with just what we need. I'm almost paralyzed by the fact that I have to school the kids, do regular daily chores, and feed them besides deciding what goes and what stays here. I know I'll get through. I know we'll be looking at things as we pull them out of boxes saying, "Why in the world did we bring this with us?" I guess I should just relax, huh? 
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Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
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Rachel May
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| Posted: Feb 21 2006 at 12:18pm | IP Logged
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Tina,
Good Luck on the big move! Isn't it awful to try to relax when you feel like you have so much to do? When we did our big overseas move last summer, we did a sort of flylady approach by concentrating for limited time (2-3 hours per room)on a specific space (only one room on any day). I was very careful not to be distracted if I had to move about the house during that cleaning time.
I started with the very worst (the art closet) and worked towards the easier parts. I did it mostly when the kids were napping or in bed for the night, and my husband helped as much as he could. We still brought things that we didn't need, of course, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. We ended up with lower weight than we took, and we have 3 more kids! A lot of the weight savings can really be attributed to good packers and not having enough money to afford furniture.
I just unpacked our last box last week.  I've been praying for you and thinking of you. I'm asking for some angels to watch your shipment!
PS I did shamelessly use videos when necessary.....
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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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Tina P.
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| Posted: Feb 28 2006 at 8:34am | IP Logged
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We're taking two weeks off until all the *stuff* gets shipped. In the meantime, we're organizing and reorganizing, still doing morning devotions, still doing math, grammar, spelling, religion, and reading (the kids don't know we're taking time off ). We'll stick science and history in when we can. I really, *really* don't want to carry those huge Saxon math books with us, but I can't leave them sit in storage until we find a house! That'd be so much time lost. At least I'll have two kids in one book by then. Next week the hold baggage guys come and pick up what we have set aside for them, though it really has never made a difference. We never get into a house quickly enough for our hold baggage to be delivered first. We get all our stuff at the same time. The following week, *everything* goes. I'll start loving the house again. 
I'm actually getting cramps in my stomach from thinking and worrying about all that I have to do. I feel like I'm plunging into the deep end of a pool ~ from the high dive board!  Might as well stop thinking and start doing, eh? Thank you ladies for your wonderful advice and prayers.
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Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: I'm losing interest again
