Simple schedule advice?

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  • May 27, 2013 at 5:31 pm
    laura.richardson
    Participant

    Hi, this is my second year to homeschool my kids & I’m really interested in the CM method & would love to educate my kids this way, but I could really use some direction as to how to fit everything in. Our kids are 7, 6, 5, and 1.5, and we are in the process of adopting two more little ones from Congo. We will probably be able to bring them home around Christmas or early next year, and they will be around 12-18 months old at the time. I would love to get a routine in place before they come that we will be able to continue to use with some flexibility after they come home. It seems too overwhelming to fit everything in & I want to make sure the kids have plenty of time to play & explore. I’m wondering if I could just focus on the most important things for now & have a less intensive schedule, but I don’t really have any idea what that looks like. Does anyone have any advice on what I should focus on? I think the most daunting part is all the read-alouds. We LOVE read-alouds & I used to read out loud to the older 3 all the time & they couldn’t get enough of it. However, since our new little princess came along it’s really been challenging to get much reading aloud done while she is awake, and I can only imagine what it will be like when we add two more toddlers to the mix. I’ve tried doing it during her naptime, but that hasn’t worked out because my 5 year old still needs a nap every day & I don’t want him to miss out on the read-alouds. Plus, the older two kids usually have quiet rest time/independent reading time in their bedrooms during nap time & I feel like I need the break! Does anyone have any ideas for a simple schedule that would be doable for a family with this many little ones? Thanks!

    May 27, 2013 at 6:09 pm
    suzukimom
    Participant

    Hi Laura!  I saw your post on the AO forum, and here.

    With this many young children, (and more on the way), I think I’d be likely to use the SCM plans instead of the AO plans IF your children work together well and don’t get competative etc.  (I love AO, but with that many young ones so close together…. SCM family plans makes more sense to me!)

    Check out this blog site of one of the mom’s that uses a lot of SCM stuff  http://ourbusyhomeschool.blogspot.ca/  Her name is Tristan, and she does come onto this forum.

    I suspect part of your priority right now should be on table-training / book training your 1.5month old.  That is, working on having her learn how to sit quietly with a couple of toys during readings or table time.  This will be a process!  The training is more important than the book being read or the table work being done at this point (although you will be reading a book, or doing table work, while doing this training.)   Tristan has a lot more info on this (it isn’t something I’ve really done….) so look through her blog or her postings on this board.

    Also, keep in mind your oldest kids are still very young.  It’ll be fine if you don’t do everything during this stage of your life and their learning.  And when your new children come home, expect to need a lot of flexibility!

    I hope this helps…

    (and congrats!)

    May 27, 2013 at 6:29 pm
    mama_nickles
    Participant

    Your situation sounds similar to ours. We have DS (almost 6), DD3.5 and DD1.5. Then we are in the process of adopting 2-3 others (younger than DS) from the foster care system. My plan is to have DS doing school stuff, as much independently as possible. Then I’m going to have “preschool” time with the younger ones. We started doing “preschool” this spring with my DDs and they enjoyed it. It’s not been academic at all, just spending quality time together (while DS was doing independent work). You could do that with the younger 3 (1 bio and 2 adopted) while the older 3 are doing independent stuff (assigned reading, copywork, drawing, etc).

    Another thing that is really helpful is that we have our little ones do “roomtime” in the mornings. For DD3.5, she plays in her room for a set period of time that Mommy decides, usually about an hour. For DD1.5, she plays in her playpen or crib with a few toys. Both enjoy having music playing. If you implemented this with your 1.5 yo, that would give you a chunk of time for RAs with the older kids. I also 2nd what suzukimom said about table time. I have my 1.5 yo do table time while we do “circle time” (Bible reading, calendar, other books). I have a rotation of something different for her each day of the week. Some days she’s not happy, but she’s learned to accept her fate. lol. We plan for about 30 minutes for that. That would also give you a bit more RA time.

    Another option since your youngest big kid is 5, is to have some set sibling play time where he’s “in charge” of the 5 yo giving you more time with the older 2.

    As for a simply schedule, obviously 3 R’s and Bible. You can make history and science really easy by just reading library books as you have time. We also really like doing read alouds during meals while all the children are contained. We have done a literature RA during lunch for at least a year now. HTH!

    Nicole

    May 27, 2013 at 6:30 pm
    mama_nickles
    Participant

    Oh yeah, also don’t forget that you can do more read aloud at bedtime (or DH). One can put the big kids to bed with a chapter book or two and one the little ones with a picture book or two.

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