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Does anyone do "school" in the afternoon?
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Does anyone do their academics in the afternoon? My DC are 5 and 6. They always seem content to play very nicely in the morning. Something happens to them in the afternoon and they turn into wild animals that cannot get along. Right now we do “school”, lunch, outdoor play, some sort of activity and then dinner prep and such. The problem is that I have to drag them kicking and screaming from their play in the morning (they do enjoy their school activities once we get started). Then in the afternoon when I need to cook, clean, etc. they seem to need constant redirection and attention. I’m wondering if they would do better with independent activities in the morning and more directed activities in the afternoon, but I believe CM was pretty clear that mornings were the best time for learning. Any thoughts?
I’m not sure what your morning routine is or what time you get started, but for our family, there is no playtime before school for exactly that reason. (Incidentally, this works on me, too – no “my projects” before school or else I won’t stop to do school!)
So what we do is get up, dressed/bathroom, breakfast, a chore or 2, go for a walk, then straight to schoolwork when we get back. You can skip the walk (it’s new for us this year), but regardless, don’t let the kids get started on their own activities or they won’t want to stop to do something “required,” even if it is fun.
HTH!
We’ve been doing school in the late morning and afternoon — it’s really nice on the days I can get DD to nap. Does CM say mornings are best, or is the implication just to not spend all day with books, and to let the child have a large part of the day for ‘masterly inactivity’?
We school in the afternoons — I work mornings, so I don’t have much choice. My boys are in 6th and 3rd grade, though, so they do independant work in the mornings, family work and guided work in the afternoons. It works for us because it has to, though I wouldn’t say it’s ideal.
We start late in the morning. I do allow my boys to play for a little over an hour. They seem to do best when all their wiggles are out! I found this out long ago!! Boys have lots of energy! When it gets cooler I will send them outside in the morning!
It is what works for us! We are backwards to most families! LOL! We eat, play, school, chores, outside! You will have to “train” them to come when it is time…but after a while they will know this is what you do. IMO Unless you have a very strong willed child! I do..but he seems to ready to go..and if I alter play time in the morn he is very upset! He likes routine! 🙂
We do get finished later but like I said it is what works for us! They also have about a 20 min break after schooling for 2 hrs.
HTH
We also start later in the morning. After feeding animals, breakfast and chores we don’t get to things ASAP.
I then have to go to the bank, do errands and they will do work while I do those. Then lunch and usually that is when things get done or we get really going on the work. We finish up what didn’t get done in work and chores. Then dinner forgive if someone stops by or calls or we have to help someone or something out. Then there is all the fun of trying to get it all done before Friday. That way we know what we have to do before Library.
I like to get things done in the morning but it just seems like they we don’t get it all done when there is so much to do.
I think I need a maid and a cook. 🙂
We do school right after lunch. I take care of three extra kids everyday. The four year old gets picked up at noon for preschool, the twin toddlers go down for a nap, and then we do school. It makes a nice break after my kids have played with their friend all morning. If we tried to do morning school, we would all be distracted by the others. I have a 7yo and 5yo and 3yo. They do fine with afternoon school. We do things like nature study in the morning, but all our sit down work is after lunch. It’s not what CM recommended, but we have to go with what works for us.
Why don’t you try it for a week or two and see how it goes?
Joanne
I agree with Joanne, try it for a time and see how it goes. My 5yo ds does much better with school after he’s had creative free play. Also he’s most content in the morning to play alone, while I work with the older children and get needed things done around the house. He thoroughly enjoys our school time after lunch and we’ve had no problems doing it this way for now. Yours are still so young. It really depends on your individual family and needs. Also, whatever time works best for you to be at peace while schooling. Blessings, Heather
I have dd6 and ds2 and we have our free time in the mornings, then lunch, 1 hour of rest time, then school, then play and dinner prep time. It works well for us and is the time that dd and I are both at our best.
We have school like Sara B. does, with no time to start for the kids to start their own things, but go straight to school after chores and excercise. I have found that they do better in their studies (especially math) in the morning when their brains are fresher. However, this year my three oldest are taking Art and gym class at the local ps on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and while I do send some independent work with for them to work on while there, we then have to finish up in the afternoon before I head to work.
So I guess I would say, do what works for you, but don’t be afraid to try something different if it will work better for you!
My kids do school very oddly (14, 12.5, 10.5, 8 yrs) and my only expections are that they finish by dinner and that the work stays consistent in what they turn in. They do it in the mornings, the before lunch, after lunch, during naps, early evenings, after dinner, in the car.. you name it they have or do it. Each child does better at different times.
There is NO right or wrong time. It is what fits your family best. The “school’s” do it at set times because they have to. But we as home schooler.. well there is not right or wrong time. I was floored when my older ones wanted to do it in the late evening but for some their attention was way better focused then and it works for them. I have others who do better in the morning when their brain is sharp.
Do what works best for you, play around and give each new try about 2-3 weeks before switching. Good luck
We start in morning, but the girls usually have time to play a bit while I get ready, then breakfast and school begins soon after. We stop by noon for outside break then lunch, then depending on day we finish up with science, poetry, or history. The girls always practice piano in afternoon but other than that we are finished by 1:30/2:00. Most days by noon though.
Tara
I agree with Misty. No right or wrong time. Do what works for your family and your children.
I just finished up some math lessons with 2 of my sons.
This morning, we had to go grocery shopping. It was that bare around here. I knew it wasn’t going to happen later in the day.
We had our monthly 4H meeting today from 1-2:30 p.m. It is a homeschool 4H club that we attend once a month with other homeschoolers in the county.
We left at 9:45 a.m. to head to the grocery store, but stopped to drop off some due material on the way. We got home at 11:30, just in time to eat lunch before heading back out for 4H.
Crazy, yes. But this 4H mtg. is just once a month, so going grocery shopping today versus another day seemed better. Day was already off with the mtg. The boys were able to get some things done after we got home.
As for the math lessons, they often must wait until the afternoon when our 2YO is down for a nap and my next two–7YO DS and 6YO DD–are down for quiet hour. Otherwise, we get interrupted a lot. I think my older three are able to be more attentive when there are no interruptions.
Yes, the littles are not supposed to interrupt, but 2YO DD has been home just 7 months and she is still learning.
Anyway we usually start around 9 or sometimes a bit before with read-a-loud during breakfast, which usually starts at 8:30. Now before that, it isn’t uncommon for me to find our three oldest sons up and working on their Bible lesson (we attend a Community Bible Study class weekly and they are all in their own classes while we’re there) for the day and/or some other independent work while I get breakfast done. Or my oldest will sometimes make pancakes on Monday, which is the day of the week he is my assigned kitchen helper.
All of that to say we start around 9:00 officially and are hopefully done by 4 p.m. but sometimes they have homework like tonight, because we had some interruptions (4H and the grocery run).
Schedules are what you make of them I think. Do what works best for you!
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