Frustrated with my schedule

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  • September 22, 2014 at 6:09 pm
    mrsmccardell
    Participant

    We are taking our planned break right now and I am reflecting on our last term. We started out slowly and added our full load within weeks. We were doing a very rich CM schooling. My dc are 8(last month), 6.5, 3.5, 15 mos.

    I know life happens and we are very flexible when needed. I find it very hard to get back to the full studies after going with life’s turns. Towards the end of our term we were only doing a few things: bible, phonics, math.

    I noticed a few things:

    -I start to question if they are getting enough play (I know they are as I have tracked it so I don’t know why I do this)

    -I let their chores slide mostly because chores are hard for my dd8 with special needs

    -I feel bad for the baby as she wants to be outside and I have so much to get done indoors (so I take her out usually)

    We schedule mostly around baby naps and I know that’s going to be changing again in the near future as she goes to 1 nap. I feel like part of my problem may be with training the older dc. If they start playing before our studies begin, I end up dragging them to start and then to pay attention. I know they are getting to be a little more independent but right now all of our school revolves around me. What can they do in the morning if they are not playing yet waiting for me? Even their chores don’t get done unless I remind them! I need them to be more independent in some areas.

    Why do I feel such guilt if they don’t get 3 hours outdoors daily with or without me?

    I’m kind of using this post as a means to figure out how to bring a little more peace to our day.

    Thanks for listening.

    September 22, 2014 at 6:31 pm
    mama_nickles
    Participant

    My kids are similar ages (7, 4.75 and 2.75). I have found personally that it’s better to take a day off here and there than to take a big long break and then have to work back into things. Even over the summer my oldest still had some school stuff to do so it wasn’t a huge transition when we started school.

    As for the schedule, I have my older two do “independent time,” which looks different for both of them. DS7 has a daily checklist that he does independently (I know this is not normal!). My DD4 has a binder with her calendar, weather graph, copywork, and assorted other random workbook pages. I can tell her, “Go do your independent time” and she can do that until I am ready for her. I also have some laminated math cards that she does one per day. I personally don’t let my kids just “go play” until I am ready for it. If I had nothing else to do, I’d sit them down with playdough or something until I was ready for them.

    I think it’s important, especially with special needs kids (all three of mine have SPD), to have a predictable rhythm to the day. My kids know that right after breakfast, we do some school stuff at the table, then we do our chores, then independent work, etc. Even if the times are changing, try doing things in the same order and see if that helps. I also made my DD4 a picture list for her independent/chore things: put water cups in fridge, cereal boxes away, empty silverware, weather graph, calendar, copywork, math. She knows what needs to be done without me telling her.

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