In case you were wondering...
It's only 11:10am and I feel like it should be 4:00pm. Ugh.
I am tired, even after going to bed on time last night.
I am frustrated with my two year old. She's sweet but so ornery.
We have been practicing "school" for a few weeks around here to prepare for homeschooling next year. It may be more for me than the kids but it is really showing me alot! Mainly I have just been trying to structure time at home and spend intentional time with kids. For Jesse it's playing chess or math and word games. With Karis it is various sorting activities and coloring. I've been reading alot to both of them. I have started teaching Jesse how to read, hoping that I will have that out of the way before the baby arrives. He is also showing signs of being ready so I thought it would be pretty easy. Some days it is. Today it is not. Mainly because of said two year old. So, something I will have to figure out is what to do with Karis while Jesse and I are doing our reading lessons. And it needs to be something that isn't fun for Jesse so that he doesn't want to do what she is doing! I am feeling a tad overwhelmed this morning so the video went on earlier than it should have, I am trying not to feel like a failure for that. And all this is what all the homeschooling books said to anticipate, so I just take it a day at a time I suppose and learn, learn, learn. Isn't that what it's all about anyway?
Oh, and I suppose I should strap a sack of flour into a sling and carry it around all day. And then every 2-3 hours stop what I'm doing and sit on the couch for 20 mins. Then it may be a little more like next year will be like!!
3 comments:
Since you are a level ahead of me in this game, the wisest advice I could give would be to tell you to talk to a veteran homeschooler. But I'm feeling kinda foolish so I'll go ahead and run my mouth and you can take it or leave it. This is what I would try for the reading lessons- I would give younger child a few specific options, such as: she could join the class and sit with us quietly (and I'd try to throw her a few questions she could handle), she could sit quietly and color/ do puzzle/ look at books, or she could go in her room and play. Now if this were one of my children, I would also expect that some days more time might be spent disciplining Child 2 for defiantly choosing none of the above than would be spent on the actual reading lesson. But that's okay. We can remind ourselves of the bigger picture and our larger goals in parenting. Stick it out Jane! I think it will get easier as they get older too and are able to do more independently. And newborns - remember how much they sleep!? And you can totally teach and feed simultaneously. Looking forward to hearing your advice for me down the road, since yours will actually be based on experience ;)
hey jane, it's me, sunee, from gordon! i found your blog from following lisa and kit's...hope you don't mind!
anyways, i have a 4yo boy, just turned 3yo girl, and 17mo girl. judah is learning how to read/write too, and my 3yo can be distracting, too! some things i've done...
1. 3yo still takes a nap in the afternoon. i do, too, ha, but before i doze off, i sit with judah for a bit and go over a page or two from phonics pathways, our chosen reading book or read a Bob book together.
2. we all watch leapfrog letter factory together, that way tori (3yo) is learning, too!
3. i put baby #3 in playpen time daily, too. 1/2 hour max.
4. circle time in the mornings. i reread the bible story that hubby read the night before, go over bible verse, teach a letter (with handwriting without tears) and do a number with tori (1-5 only) with blocks or other objects. sometimes baby #3 is in high chair for it, sometimes she's wandering around, but tori is always involved in circle time (15-20 min?)
5. honestly, though, i'm working on consistency. i'm good if i get circle time 3xs weekly and if i don't fall asleep before reading time with judah.
ever visited the well-trained mind forums? a time-consuming activity, but very beneficial...
:)
oh, and i just instituted training times with my kiddies. that's a whole other subject, but i do do it M-F (1/2 hr with two olders and 10-15 min with 17mo) and i use that time to address any issue that annoys me, i.e. not sitting still for bible time, yelling instead of asking politely, etc. will tell you more if you want. feel free to email me
kimfam103@yahoo.com
:)
whoa, just reread your post, jane! you are pregnant??? yeah, adding in a newborn sure will be interesting! congrats on baby, by the way :) and we want a baby #4 someday, so i'll be interested in hearing how you integrate the newborn into your school day!
you are doing a GREAT job, jane!!! i never have a good week, just good days, isn't that funny?
:)
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