Alright, this is one of those posts where I reach out to the readers to help.
You might know the tradition some have at a wedding shower where the older women who’ve been married for quite some time write down their best piece of marriage advice. It might be something like, “Never go to bed angry” or “Be willing to compromise.”
Well, I’m asking for advice similar to that. We’re going to start homeschooling in just 4 short weeks.
I’m excited and so nervous. I’m also thankful that all my kids are so interested in learning. They like to learn, and that will hopefully make my job easier.
I’ve spent the last few weeks ordering books and choosing curriculum, and we’re mostly set on that front.
However, as the time draws near, I’m starting to panic a little about getting everything done.
Why?
There’s much to do!
- Because of our food intolerances, I have to cook everything from scratch. That takes a lot of time, and all that cooking creates quite a few messy dishes and pots and pans.
- I freelance, staff write and do virtual assistant work about 20 to 25 hours every week.
- I’ll have three kids homeschooling–a 4th grader, a preschool/kindergartener, and a preschooler.
So, moms, what are your best time management tips?
- How do you keep the little ones occupied while working with the older kids?
- What chore system works best for you?
- If you work from home, how do you get it all done while still watching the kids (and homeschooling them if you do that)?
- What’s your most valuable time management tip?
Give me what you got. I need all the help I can get!
Dedicated time slots. Do one thing for 20 minutes, but do just that. And mini tasks to cross off your list and feel going about achieving so much! A quick 20 min of cleaning goes a long way compared to picking socks while cooking while watching the kids while typing something.
I love this advice, Pauline. I’m notorious for trying to do everything at once and getting nothing done. A schedule will need to be a must, I know.
Thanks! I like the 20 minutes idea.
I try to generally let my child(9 year old) work for the most part on her own. She does her science and history reading by herself and answers the end of the section work too. After two years of doing math first( her hardest subject) we tried letting her do it later in the afternoon while our 1 year old napped. This way I could help if she got stuck. At dinner we would discuss what she read that day with my husband the history buff to add insights. Science experiments are fun if the whole family are involved( sometimes)! Remember nothing is set in stone and homeschooling is not like public schooling! If I could tell you just one thing that would be it. Some kids learn best sitting at a table while others learn best on the couch or even their beds! Some like textbooks while others love reading random history books from the library. Just kinda go with the flow and as long as the major subjects are covered let the child kind of lead the way 🙂
Thanks, Elizabeth. I’ve heard from others that he should be working on his own for the most part. How do you make sure he “gets” all the information? Through discussion and writing and quizzes?
We usually discuss it during dinner, in the car, during random conversations throughout the day. I personally don’t quiz too much but if I am concerned she isn’t getting it, I sometimes look over what she was reading that day and see if she is remembering thing by asking pointed questions. She surprises me a lot because I am sure at her age I would have been trying to pull a fast one on mom from time to time 🙂
Having one that DOES try to pull a fast one on me at times, I have to discuss what he learns after each lesson. Sometimes I have him read his lesson out loud to me while I’m cooking/cleaning/etc…that way we can talk about things he may not be fully comprehending. I’m “killing two birds with one stone”. School is going on and we get to eat nutritious meals off of clean dishes. 🙂
That’s a great idea. I’ll have to implement it.
Wow… that’s all I got to say. Hats off to you Melissa. I can’t do anything with my kids around. I have to totally surrender all work when I get home. I think Pauline’s advise is the way to go.
I’m a little intimidated myself. 🙂
I haven’t started hs yet, but I read somewhere on a different blog that you could start with the younger two while the older one works on his easier work. Once the younger two are busy, you can talk with the older on trickier subjects.
As for the whole day’s work, I’m not sure how to schedule that in your case since my situation is much different.
I’ve heard of that too. I think it will work good for the kids. The girls are happy to play after I’ve spent some time with them.
Are you planning on schooling the two girls together? The older may be more advanced, but you can easily bring them to the same level, which will make future homeschooling years a little bit easier.
I have also seen other moms utilize audio books with color/doodling time so that the moms can get something done. I cant wait to read of your adventures
Yes I’ve been thinking of teaching the girls together. I just can’t decide about that because their abilities are so different at this young age.
Everyone has an optimal time of day for productivity, where your attention level is at its highest. Find that time and try to do as much as possible during that time.
This book has a lot of great tips in it – it is a fast read and free if you have a Kindle and can borrow it – if not $2.99 and read it on the Kindle app – http://www.amazon.com/Simplify-Your-Homeschool-Day-ebook/dp/B00DAILR06/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374229732&sr=8-1&keywords=simplify+homeschool+day
Thanks! I’m borrowing it tonight!
One more thing to check out -work box system – hope it helps – http://heartofwisdom.com/blog/need-to-get-organized-check-out-homeschool-workboxes/
Thanks so much, Ashley. Do you homeschool? I thought your kids were too young, but maybe I’m wrong. If you do homeschool or you’re planning to, I’d love to hear your experiences.
You are right, I still have a baby. I am just obsessed with learning and homeschooling and enjoy learning about it – so I couldnt help but pass on what I found. I definitely don’t have any tips from personal experience yet 🙂 But I am so excited to read about your adventures. I am just amazed at how much stuff there is on the blogs and pinterest about homeschooling. I don’t want my baby to grow up any faster than she has to, but I am excited about starting homeschooling in the future.
Well, I appreciate you sharing what you’ve found. You’ve passed on some excellent resources that have helped me! You’re also blessed to know from the get go that you’ll homeschool. I’m glad that I’ll be able to homeschool my daughters from the beginning. And you’re right; there’s so much info out there! It’s a great time to be a homeschooler.