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how much time to take off for a new baby
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I am due with baby #4 in a few weeks. This is our first year homeschooling and I am wondering how much time is average for a homeschooling break when the baby is born. With my last baby the two older boys went back to school the next day and it was actually nice to have them in their normal routine as they adjusted to a changed family life. But now I am wondering how much break I will need without my son getting bored or wanting to spend all his time on the computer. He is in third grade and because he isn’t a super strong reader yet, most of his subjects are still dependant on me. We started school in July, so we are ahead enough to take a break, but I am just curious how other moms approach this.
I think that can vary a LOT from family to family! Don’t stress out too much about getting back into the school routine… there is a great article out there called “the baby IS the lesson” that discusses it. Your boys can learn a lot, and can learn a lot about helping you. (In fact, I’d be tempted to take some time off “school” earlier to teach them helping skills…. for instance my son (about to turn 9) can make basic breakfasts (eggs, sandwiches, cereal, oatmeal (With a little help) etc.) he can make lunches (sandwiches), and supper (things like Mac and Cheese (I drain the pasta) and hot dogs – but other thigns too.) He can vaccuum, do garbages, take care of the cats, and some other chores. Working on these skills (if not there) can be a great blessing to you when the baby comes!
Also, although some of the things aren’t very CM, there are some independent things you can setup for “school” that will be just fine for a season. Khan Academy can be used to do some basic math on the comptuer in a fun, yet educational way. Audiobooks (libvox.org has many free ones) can let him listen to good CM type books without you having to read to him. Check out good science/geographic/nature videos he can watch. (National Geographic has a great one called “Unlocking the Pyramids” that my son has watched a few times.) Yes – not fully CM – but not way out there either. These can be setup easily, gives him some routine, and doesn’t require a lot from you. (btw – be careful on nature videos… some can be a little graphic either on reproduction, or animals hunting….)
I’d give yourself at least 6 weeks – but maybe more, depending on how you are doing.
Our 4th baby is due in Jan. I have planned to take off from before Christmas thru Jan. So about 6-8 weeks. I may keep copywork and math facts going. Dd7 reads to her brothers nearly every day also. Idon’t know how to post a link , but I think the article suzukimom mentioned is on lovetolearn.net under “free homeschool articles.” It is a great article.
It must be a good time to have a 4th baby. Ours is due in March. I started school as soon as I found out I was pregnant so we could be mostly through by then. I think I can take off 6-8 weeks and still finish school early in June.
We’ve usually gotten back to at least some school within a week or so. Newborns sleep so much and my DC need something to do all day (besides make messes), so it just makes sense for us to get right back to school. We don’t get as much school done as before, but I try to at least cover basic 3Rs and an extra subject or two (and chores). I think it’s great that some families take lots of time off, but I think that would leave me more stressed! If 6-8 weeks works for you, I’d take it!
We had a bit of delay with baby #4…she stayed a bit in the hospital and ended up catching a cold at the dr.s office so it wasn’t back to normal for quite awhile, but we did do some things pretty much right away. I had a big box of educational books and activities put together ahead of time which helped…and read-alouds are pretty easy to get through while nursing. I do agree that it can very so much from family to family…and even pregnancy to pregnancy!
My 8th baby is due in November. I generally book off 6 weeks from our homeschooling schedule, but for the last few babies, I have found that, I haven’t needed that much time. This time, I’m thinking I’ll take about 3-4 weeks completely off and then add it math and a couple of read-alouds for a few weeks.
I think it has a whole lot to do with how old your oldest children are. If they are meal-making, toddler-watching, house-cleaning age, you’re golden. If they are younger than that, you’ll definitely need more margin.
Everyone is different and every baby is different. Between my 7 we’re usually back doing school within a two weeks, beginning with independent work and mommy reading aloud. I always plan a full month off, but the kids are begging to work long before then and the routine keeps everyone sane. Things were different with my last. Mason was born via C-section and spent the first 10 days in the NICU and having surgeries. We only picked up history (read alouds) at two weeks, then other things eased back in slowly over the next several weeks.
My oldest is 8 and he can be very helpful. He can play with the toddler for short spurts and do basic chores. I was kind of planning on taking off a month from our normal schedule, but letting him do chores and some of his independent subject to earn computer time. We already use a lot of audiobooks, so I think I will go to the library and get a whole bunch right before hand so we are well stocked. Thanks.
When we brought home our latest child, #6, from China back in February, we took 1 week off. I know it may sound easy to add a 2YO but it isn’t! Actually adding #4 and #5, who we adopted at the same time at 10 years and 5 years, was HARDEST!
Anyway, I think it just depends on the season (literally and figuratively) and how things are going, how you’re feeling, etc. It was winter here when baby girl came along, so not much time outside as it rains a lot here in February and is cold. Plus I knew we would have her open-heart surgery sometime after we got her home, so I wanted to keep going.
Now with the OHS on the horizon on Oct. 4, I feel like we can take a few weeks off. She’ll be in the hospital 2-4 weeks, so we started back in July after a few weeks break in June. All of that to say I think whatever works for you. As you say, you can always do a modified version of school. Think lots of audiobooks, educational things on netflix (if you have the streaming), puzzles, simple games you could play while resting, etc.
I’m not suggesting to lengthen the time off for longer than a month, if you think that will work for you….but in my personal experierence I have found when the baby is 2-3 months old to acutally be HARDER than when they are a newborn. The newborn stage is sleepless of course, but I seem to have more energy then than I do 2 months later when I’m still getting up several times to a night to nurse. In my case I think it is the compound effect of weeks with interruped sleep that make me more fatigued than the newborn stage. Plus by then all those helpful meals have stopped showing up at my doorstep and the offers for errands etc. have expired, I guess it’s natural to assume by 2 months a routine has been established (it has) and help isn’t “necessary” (but this momma was always SO TIRED!). I’ve wished for the help at 2 and 3 months more than the newborn stage (dh takes off more time at the beginning, but can’t of course long term). Anyway, all this to say, if this happens to you too, don’t be discouraged! My energy levels affected school, more than I wanted to admit – my oldest was (and still is) dependant on me for most subjects because he is in early elementary. When I finally admitted it and adjusted for it we got more done for school, tweaking our schedule as we went along. Some days we did more than others. My expectations needed to change, and when they did things went so much better! When naps hit a regular pattern and my baby slept through the night school and (everything else) was easier. You know yourself and your family best. Do everything you can to be as prepared as possible and then go with the flow until life settles back into a regular routine that includes the new member of the family. And if all else fails – I’ll repeat something I heard here on the forum – “the new baby IS the (school) lesson”.
Enjoy your little one, I love newborns!!I’d have to agree with morgrace. I do find newborns easier than a baby a couple of months later, so if we are feeling ready, we do try to get back to work in order to give me more flexibility later on.
morgrace also made reference to an article (whether or not she realized it.) 🙂 It is here: http://www.lovetolearn.net/policies/baby.lasso
Agreeing with morgrace that the 2-3 month mark with our new DD was way harder than the first couple of weeks home. No DH here for me as he had already taken 2 weeks off to go to China and bring her home. Had to go back to work being self-employed.
As for meals, many people don’t think new adoptive Moms need any meals LOL, but we did get a few this time around. When we brought our boys home at ages 10 and 5 back in 2010, we didn’t get a single meal. It was ROUGH.
I agree on the sleepless nights. DD1 in particular, adopted at 35 months, woke us up every single night for a solid year. She also had open-heart surgery at 8 days home, so it was just CRAZY times. We did thankfully get a few meals then as well, though I would have taken more!
I would also suggest you freeze some meals now. I did that this time around and it was WONDERFUL. B/t the meals from our Sunday school class and some family members and my freezer meals, we were set for 6 weeks out. I keep saying I am going to do freezer meals again for our kids’ upcoming surgeries … ah to find the time!
I would say do what you feel like doing soon after baby is born, even if just a lighter load, so that you feel you have more grace for yourself and your kids in the coming weeks when you may become tired and just need extra time to get back in to it full-time.
I plan to take 3 weeks off while DD2 is in the hospital for her heart surgery (really hoping she comes home in 2 weeks but we shall see). I still am planning though some audiobooks, nature study work, reading assignments and some creative writing/research assignments for older boys.
We shall see.
I hadn’t even thought about the 2 to 3 month stage and how rough that can be. So much will depend on the temperment of the baby. My first was very colicky and we got no sleep for 3 months. 2nd was angelic and easy. 3rd colicky again. So this one could go either way! Making freezer meals in advance is a great idea. My family now lives far away and I don’t know many peiople here, so the chances of us getting any meals brought to us are slim to none. My hubby will be taking off two weeks and then I am on my own! So, now I know what I need to spend my next two weeks doing!!!! Luckily I have a big freezer.
Enjoy your little one, I love newborns!!Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
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