NationStates Jolt Archive

So I've got four months to spend with my kids, and to avoid going completely batshit insane, I've determined that outside of the powwow run, we need to have a pretty good schedule. I'm giving myself this week only to slack off...then I'll be semi-abandoning NS for a while. I'm sure that will be a big relief to some of you :D

So those of you who homeschool...Smunkee, of course I have you specifically in mind...lend me your ideas s'il vous plait...

How do your organise your day? In particular, outside of lessons, how do you get all the 'other' things done? Cooking, cleaning etc...what tasks do you assign the kids while that stuff is being completed? I've got loads of teaching ideas/supplies/experience, so I'm not worried about that. I'm just worried about somehow fitting it all in together in the same space/time.

Housemoms/dads as well...if you have any sort of advice, it would be much appreciated.

Two words: "shackles" and "basement." You'll work it out. ;)

Two words: "shackles" and "basement." You'll work it out. ;)

Silly, those two words apply to me. Hardly the kind of advice I'm seeking here.

I would have thought that as "Mom" and "teacher" you would already have this down...

it's easier if your kids can read. ;)

basically we do school around my schedule, which seems to work fine since most of the school is something we can pack up and take (ie we read a LOT)

basic Smunkee day

4am wake up- fix breakfast for hubby and me, eat with hubby (the kids are still sleeping) clean up whatever I can before they wake up
7am the kids wake up, fix them breakfast, check my email, etc.
8am-10am do all the school that needs me to help (science experiments etc.)
10am-12pm I run my errands while the kids do math/reading in the car
12pm-lunch
1pm-4pm free time for the kids, while I work, mostly they end up reading anyway, but sometimes they go outside and I take my laptop and work out there
4pm kids finish whatever assignments they have for the day while I get ready for dinner, they help me cook dinner (which is actually quiz time to make sure they read what they were supposed to)
5pm we eat
6pm-8pm they hang out with daddy while I work, I am 99% sure they do all the "fun" stuff then (think mentos and diet coke)
8pm they go to bed (which means they read until they fall asleep)
11pm I go to bed. (which means I read longer than I should and fall asleep) :p

basically as far as planning, they have folders with all the work they have to do for the week, they are aware that all of it is due Friday afternoon and they manage their time as they see fit. The 3 year old likes to do one subject a day, she does all her math on Mondays and all her reading on Tuesdays and all her history on Wednesdays, ect. The 5 year old teeters between doing a little bit of everything everyday and trying to finish all her work by Tuesday so she can play on the computer all day Wednesday..and then go on to read what she wants for the rest of the week.

Like I said it's easier if they can read. Go to the library and check out a lot of books, let them explore while you are doing what has to be done, I promise no kid has ever died from reading too much. (at least I hope not) For informational purposes we check out about 45 books from the library a week, we read about 60.....if we have a good week, this week we only checked out 20 and have only read about 16.....but we will go back this afternoon and get more.

I would have thought that as "Mom" and "teacher" you would already have this down...

I was a teacher at work, and a mom at home. Never the twain were mixed. I kept work at work.

I would have thought that as "Mom" and "teacher" you would already have this down...

neither of those are easy, trying to mix them is often overwhelming.

oh and I forgot, never underestimate the value of a "summer project", something they have to work on everyday that may or may not need a lot of help from you.... try to figure out things that you can help with but they have to do mostly all of the work

*snip*
4 am? Are you nuts!? :D

I can swing 6, with them up at 7.

As for books, oh no fear...we have our own library. I went a little insane while I was teaching and stocked up on all the 'books for classrooms' deals. I recently smugly noted that they've already hit most of the kindergarten learning objectives, and I attribute most of that to the fact that they read so much. Still...they do like the library.

I sort of wish I could take on a few more kids...it would honestly be a bit easier because they could entertain one another a bit more than relying on mom to do it for them.

Thanks for the ideas!

oh and I forgot, never underestimate the value of a "summer project", something they have to work on everyday that may or may not need a lot of help from you.... try to figure out things that you can help with but they have to do mostly all of the work

"Gee kids, what do you want to do tonight?"

"The same thing we do every night, mom - Try to take over the world!"

4 am? Are you nuts!? :D

I can swing 6, with them up at 7.

As for books, oh no fear...we have our own library. I went a little insane while I was teaching and stocked up on all the 'books for classrooms' deals. I recently smugly noted that they've already hit most of the kindergarten learning objectives, and I attribute most of that to the fact that they read so much. Still...they do like the library.

I sort of wish I could take on a few more kids...it would honestly be a bit easier because they could entertain one another a bit more than relying on mom to do it for them.

Thanks for the ideas!

do you have access to a video camera? making a movie would be a really good summer project, think if it takes them a month to write the script, a month to film, and a month to edit.....there's the summer right there, I mean all you really would have to do is help with the editing.

do you have access to a video camera? making a movie would be a really good summer project, think if it takes them a month to write the script, a month to film, and a month to edit.....there's the summer right there, I mean all you really would have to do is help with the editing.
Oh boy...a video camera in the hands of a 3 and 5 year old!? It could be the next Blair Witch Project :D

Then again, maybe we could take it on the powwow trail...hmm...

Oh boy...a video camera in the hands of a 3 and 5 year old!? It could be the next Blair Witch Project :D

Then again, maybe we could take it on the powwow trail...hmm...

oh a documentary would be awesome! they could spend the time before researching and stuff and then film everyday stuff that goes on and talk about what they think about it, and stuff.....then you could spend the next year shopping it around to film festivals.......

oh a documentary would be awesome! they could spend the time before researching and stuff and then film everyday stuff that goes on and talk about what they think about it, and stuff.....then you could spend the next year shopping it around to film festivals.......

I could make a mint off of child-exploitation! *likes the idea*

This is actually quite interesting...we could interview elders, and the kids could film their exploration of their cultures...

But I doubt they'd have the attention span to make it a full-time thing. It would have to be an ancillary to the regular day.

I could make a mint off of child-exploitation! *likes the idea*

This is actually quite interesting...we could interview elders, and the kids could film their exploration of their cultures...

But I doubt they'd have the attention span to make it a full-time thing. It would have to be an ancillary to the regular day.

if nothing else it would be a good family keepsake.

and yeah, my 5 and 3 year old made a movie last year, and yeah the video camera survived......;)

they only dropped it twice :p

Oh boy...a video camera in the hands of a 3 and 5 year old!? It could be the next Blair Witch Project :D

Then again, maybe we could take it on the powwow trail...hmm...
OOOO, do another Napoleon Dynamite!

I sort of wish I could take on a few more kids...

I have one for sale

I have one for sale

I was actually thinking I'd get paid for it :D