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Does it fit in my day to teach the CM way?
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Please have a look at my effective time in a day and tell me if that way – in a growing family (already 5 little ones and growing quite quickly – consider pregnancies, babytimes…)- if it will be possible for me to homeschool the CM way!
After we have done the morning and kitchen chores and the beginning of normal ´schooltime´: including reading the bible and singing etc, this schooltime will be only 2, maybe 2,5 hours in the morning before I have to prepare lunch. Even with effective scheduling that I practised and did for some time (and it really is better and more effective!) I find out again and again that I don´t have more time than that. PLUS I can´t fill the 30 minutes parts up! They´re more like 15-20 minutes each, since there are so many interuptions from a baby and a toddler, and even the older girls who don´t do everything the way it should…
So is that time sufficient to homeschool CM over the years – I mean with the smaller kids…? When they´re bigger they can do more school during naptime and in the afternoon, but I doubt my help in that time. I know mothers who do more school with their kids during naptime, but: 1. I am much too tired during that time, 2. There never is that much time for me during nap time, maybe an hour and not even without interuption – in between the time that I really have the last one asleep or resting and the time the first one shows up again, 3. I don´t really have other time to find to do about one important things that I can do only then – or I have to nap myself.
And time in the afternoon flies too! The time between afternoon snack and cooking is so short and again there are quite some things to be done, so I can find 1,5 hours max. Maybe 30 minutes to do something important for me or my husband and 1 hour to fit in all the rest – if I´m not bathing the kids or doing something with them! Going outside takes the whole afternoon and we´ll have time between 1 and 1.5 hours, depending on how many jackets etc we need. So we can do that only once in a while. CM-like we should go outside more often and longer: the younger the children are the more, BUT THE YOUNGER THEY are, the harder it is to get outside with the whole group… And maybe it´s more doable if you don´t have the older children that already need to do homeschooling (on is in P now and the next one will be 6 after summer).I want to be sure I can start this style of homeschooling and not be crazy to start it! Can I homeschool 2 primary children, having 2 toddlers and a baby etc etc, in that little effective time I find in a day? Not mainly using workbookds and computer? (I´d prefer not to use them…).
Thank you!
I think CM is a wonderful method for those chaotic years . It is not clear to me how old your oldest kids are but it sounds like they are fairly young still?? I would spend a lot of time with everyone sitting down together and you reading living books aloud. Maybe a little history and science every day and sometimes other things like poetry or a more literary book. And of course bible and whatever else you may usually do too. Also listening to music and looking at a work of art. These things don’t need to be done every day, just a couple a day. Some time one on one to work with reading and math with the older kids is nice but in your situation I would try to do most things as a family. Now the hardest part is this — habit training the toddlers so they learn to either draw/play quietly while you read or else they get dumped in their beds. But let them listen in to the reading if they like. Most like to be included. But you will have to be firm and consistent for a while about interruptions. Babies are tougher but might be happy to be held while you read to to roll on the floor in the midst of it all. If your kids are old enough, one can entertain the baby while you work on math etc with the other.
Nebby
Yvette,
I know that each family has different demands on their time. For example I have one child who has major medical needs. He’s 2 and in a few weeks will have his 13th surgery. More than half of his surgeries have been brain and spinal cord surgeries. It means I’ve been at the hospital and doctor’s offices a lot the last 2 years. But I have found for my family that CM homeschooling has worked wonderfully. I’m mom to 8 children. My oldest just turned 13. The other seven children are ages 9 and under. I’ve been pregnant, had a baby, and had a toddler EVERY school year since my oldest was 2 years old. (I also had 3 miscarriages, so 11 pregnancies in 13 years). It is doable. Right now I have children the following ages/grades:
13yo 8th, 9yo 4th, 8yo 3rd, 6yo 1st(gifted), 5yo Kindergarten, 3yo, 2yo, almost 1yo.
A few things that I love about the CM method:
- The emphasis on full attention given to a lesson makes it possible to have short lessons. Grades 1-3 spend no more than 15-20 minutes on a lesson and sometimes very much less (ex: copywork is 3-5 minutes, picture study is 10 minutes once a week). You also do not have to do every subject daily (ex. science, history). Grades 4-6 spend no more than 20-30 minutes per lesson and are beginning the transition to mostly independent work. Grades 7-9 spend 30-45 minutes per lesson and are very independent workers. You see how it gradually increases as a child grows.
- We can do most things all together in family studies, making the most of the time we have. Few subjects truly must be done individually. Those are skill based subjects where a child must master one skill before the next, like math and learning to read.
- The emphasis on habits in the Charlotte Mason method is a blessing. My children and I are learning good habits that help us in life and in learning. An example, the habit of orderliness has enabled my children to know where their things are (be it school books or coats and shoes) so they can be ready quickly either for lessons or for going outside.
I know it can seem overwhelming when your children are all still young like you have. Begin teaching them now to help, to do chores, to help younger siblings and mom, to put things away in the right place when finished, etc. It will make a huge difference in your workload. I always tell my children I’m working myself out of a job. I teach them how to run a home and how to learn independently because I’m raising them to be confident adults. I really am at the stage where between the 8 children I don’t have to do much of the actual housework. I have time to fill the needs of the little ones, time to talk with the oldest when she needs it, and to love on the busy middle kids when I can catch them. 🙂 Life is easier now homeschooling and homemaking with 8 children than it ever was with 4 or 5 younger children.
You may want to check out the blogs of those who have them. Click on their picture and it will take you there. I know I’m not the only blogger. And keep asking questions! This forum is a great place to find encouragement and ideas!
Yes, be sure to check out Tristan’s blog. It is sure to be helpful and encourage you. Click on her username in green, under her picture. I think you not only CAN use CM ways with your children, but you OUGHT. I am, I can, I ought, I will.
Also check on the Early Years dvd and book, plus the new Learning and Living dvd set, if you can afford it. When they are younger, like up to grade 3, their basic studies of learning to read, do a little copywork for 5 or 10 minutes, and math should take about 45 minutes. You gotta love those short lessons with CM!
Welcome Yvette!
CM is a wonderful way to get the “most bang for your time” in teaching your kids. Because you can combine for many of the subjects you don’t have to supervise as many subjects on different levels. It is also flexible- if you take time off because of a baby or someone’s medical needs, you can just pick up where you left off and keep moving forward. The early years are more about having an atmosphere that facilitates learning than having time to sit and do lessons. Kindergarten only takes us about 45 minutes a day of “school work” and much of that is built into our day around other events like quiet time or meal times, not a seperate “school time”. If you start now and work toward getting the kids in the habits of obedience and attention it will make things go MUCH more smoothly. I would suggest your first step to be reading the short free ebook on this site, Smooth and Easy Days to get an idea of what I am talking about.
Thank all of you very very much!!!! Those replies are of great help and I feel encouraged! I´ll go after the materials for P1. It´s a pity I have to order them all the way from the States (to Germany), but there´s no other way for now.
Does anyone of you know what to do with very hungry toddlers who don´t eat enough at mealtime? 3 of my little ones seem to always beg for food, but don´t eat too much when it´s time to eat… I tried many different foods, but also want to give them healthy food.. I´m thinking about giving them a lot of (coconut) milk, but on the other hand don´t want to encourage them to eat more than 5 times a day. They already have about 2 bottles beside those meals (the youngest 2, and the baby is still nursed as well)!
This begging for food, extra preparing etc is bad for schooltime!!! It disturbs us. Thank you!
For the food – we finally had to set specific times for the kitchen to be open for food. Nobody eats outside the set meals and snacks (3 meals and 3 snacks per day). And if you are not hungry that is fine too, but no whining for food if you didn’t eat enough and are hungry in between. (For perspective that means we have food available about every 2.5-3 hours).
I know for some people it works to have a shelf in the fridge with snacks the kids can just grab from (cheese cut up, fruit, veggies, etc).
Another thing – are they drinking enough water? It is easy to confuse thirst with hunger. We keep waterbottles on hand all the time and I gently encourage children to drink up, and model that myself.
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