Scheduling help with a newborn...

[Allison TX]

Hi everyone. We have used HOD for years and it has been such a blessing.

However, I had baby #4 a little over two months ago, and have not been able to get school done very easily. I feel like I'm not doing a good job teaching the "T" boxes, or following up on the "I" boxes. We are not getting to quite a few of the boxes each day (this has not been a problem before).

We did take off about a month after baby was born, which worked out nicely with the delivery of the MTMM guide, but we are only on week 5 of MTMM and week 8 of Preparing.

Does anyone have any scheduling tips for me? I am feeling very overwhelmed , and I really dislike feeling so behind. We are using Preparing with my 9 year old, and MTMM with my 13 & 14 year olds. Thank you.

[chillin'inandover]

I see you have a "gap" in your kid's ages just like I do. When I had my youngest child I had a Freshman in high school and another in jr high and it was February in MN with -20* windchill. Frankly I was older (read less energy too) and slightly overwhelmed being she was a premie with extra needs. I had my dd help with care of newborn and/or preschooler while I taught a subject to the other child. I took full advantage of naps of newborn and we didn't go out much as I was concerned about RSV and germs. We went outside just not out. This was a drawing in period for our family. Each child became more independent in their life skills and in their schooling. My dds learned valuable life skills lessons about caring for children, balancing schedules, and counting our blessings. I used these skills as a class for high school credit with real life applications, no need for a fake baby! My dds have graduated and tell me how blessed they feel to have been homeschooled compared to ps friends. They are attending college and have been on the Dean's List each semester. I didn't use the wonderful HOD guide but I have Awesome God who meets us in our weakness and makes us more than a conqueror!

I see you are on unit 8 of Preparing and my ds (10) just finished unit 9 of CTC and we are following ps schedule. Doesn't seem you are behind. Some wisdom I gained at a workshop to prepare for teaching high school was that a high school credit was 120 hours and equivalent to 75% of a textbook. What that means to me is if you do 75% of a guide in a year that is a full year. What it doesn't mean is to only do 75% of a guide then go on to the next guide. What I mean is that if you get at least 75% of the guide done you will have been successful! Seems to me you are making great progress with your kiddos. Enjoy your lil bundle! I don't have any specific wisdom about scheduling just a word of encouragement to stay the course. Praying that as you seek answers from the One who has all wisdom you receive direction. Tammy

[MelInKansas]

I just wanted to encourage you. It's a short season and it will get easier soon! I think the biggest part of the problem for me with schooling with a newborn, is the lack of sleep and therefore you are not at your best. But I would encourage you to relax and try to go with your baby's rhythms. It can be hard, maybe its even harder with older kiddos, to not have a regular routine and to deal with interruptions because of the baby's needs. It takes a lot of grace. Some people like to get their baby on a schedule. I was never much good at that. I find it easier to go with the flow of the baby's needs, but that makes schooling more of a challenge.

I found a wrap to be a VERY useful thing to have while schooling with a newborn. I use a Moby Wrap - it's a bit tricky to figure out at first but it is so cozy and comfy and my babies love to just go right to sleep in there without requiring any help from me. My 3rd and 4th children both did that. The main down side to that was that it worked better to be standing or walking, so I did do some of my reading, or listening to my kids read, while standing. Then naps for baby were not really an issue, just feeding and diaper changes. If the baby didn't need fed or changed, the baby was in the wrap, awake or asleep, I didn't have to worry about it. He/she would just go to sleep when he/she was ready.

The routine as it works right now for us, is my oldest does a lot of her independent work first thing in the morning. So right after she finished breakfast she is off. She's not completely independent yet, just in Bigger Hearts, but there are several things she can do without me having to be right there so that's what she does. Math, Handwriting, English. At that time I'm getting baby ready, feeding him, then usually he has his happiest time of the day right after he's up and fed so I can sometimes get DITHR or History/Bible/Storytime done. Otherwise those things wait until he is down for a nap (which now that he's 7 MO naptime is consistent, but as a newborn it was not). My oldest gets recess and piano practice time a lot earlier than makes sense to me, but that's because again I am caring for the baby and those are things she can do while I'm doing that.

I don't know if this is helpful at all, but I hope you can figure out a way to make it work for your family! I know you have a lot more work to do because your kids are older than mine, but also hopefully they can be independent as long as they are able to stay on task by themselves (which may be something you will have to be working on).

[Allison TX]

Thank you both for your words of encouragement.

Tammy, I do need to rely on the Lord more during this time. I have found that I'm even pushing my quiet time away lately because of being short on time and energy, and that is probably making things much worse. Thanks for the reminder. I also realize that I do need to have my olders helping out more. With chores and also helping with the baby. It's nice to hear from someone who has been in a similar situation with the large age gap between kids.

Mel, I have the baby in a Beco (similar to a moby) right now. I need to use it more often. Thank you for the reminder that this season is short and I need to go with the flow of the baby for a while. That alone should help me not feel as stressed.

I guess it's really not as much of a scheduling issue as an adjustment issue. Thank you both for your kind words.

Allison

[MelInKansas]

Congrats on the baby BTW. The other poster is right, your kids will learn so much about how to care for a little one, from REAL life, not from a health class where they have to carry an egg around for a week. They are such blessings.

[my3sons]

Hugs! I remember just feeling so emotional and tired with our last little guy, especially since he was so premature and in the NICU unit for nearly a month. It will get better, but give yourself some grace! Blanket time near us in a playpen (for safety from others stepping on him ), and with one of those plastic hanging over him toys with things hanging down for him to bat and mirrors etc. placed upright all around the interior of the playpen was good for around 30 minutes several times a day. Also, a sit-up seat on table near me while I schooled was good. I kept a little basket of hard books and teething type toys near us to entertain. Eventually, the saucer was a HUGE blessing as well. Moving Storytime to night-time bedtime ritual was a help. Reading "Reading about History" while feeding baby and having older ds hold open the book was good. Perhaps your meeting time could be during baby's nap. Hope something here helps, but I've prayed for you as well!

In Christ,
Julie