We have 8 kids from 1yr to 14yrs. This is our 8th year homeschooling. The last few years have been a challenge. With adding to our family each year and me being tired and what not it has been an uphill climb. Now our family is complete, 8 is great
! Now I am working really hard to get our days in a nice flow. Which is slightly crazy with this crew. If you have run multiple guides I would love to hear any ideas on how to make this all work. After trying to combine for so many years I am convinced having each in their own guide will work better. SO here goes.....Our 9th grader is using WG. She is in week 8 and doing really well. Her days take about 8hrs. She gets distracted fairly easily but never complains about the workload. She is really happy with HOD. We are using everying with the exception of MUS Algebra for math.
Our 7th grader is in week 18 of MFW ECC. She is doing this mostly on her own and doing very well. She really wanted to finish ECC before switching. She is working so well independently that I know when she switches to MTMM she is going to soar.
Our 5th grader is in week 2 of CtoC. He can get quite easily overwhelmed with work. I was concerned how CtoC would be for him. Much to my amazement he is doing FANTASTIC! I think being in his own guide, moving at his own pace has been huge for him. Grammar is a bit of a struggle for him. He is using everything HOD recommends except using Horizons for math. I really wanted to switch him to Singapore but wasn't sure where to start.
Our 3rd grader is using BHFHG. He is in week 8. He is doing well. He does a few boxes on his own. We are also using All About Spelling for him and First Language Lessons 2/3. If I can catch him in the morning we can knock out quit of his day. He is up at 6am each day raring to go.
Our 1st grader is using LHFHG. He is really bright. He loves to learn. Most days I feel like I can't keep up teaching him. I am using All About Reading for phonics. He moves really quickly through his day. He loves art and spends most of his free time creating masterpieces.
Then we have our 4 and 3 yr olds using LHTH. I have a hard time getting this in each day. It is a beautiful program and I want to use it. Some days I just run out of time. Our 4yr old loves to do school. He knows most of his letters and sounds. Our 3yr old is not far behind.
Then we have our 1yr old that is so much fun. She loves to hang with the kids. She is a super easy baby which has been a welcomed change.
So how can I make all of this work? I have made reusable assignment sheets for the kids to follow. This has helped them and also at a glance I can see what has been done at any time. I guess in a lot of ways things are already running pretty well. I just think they could be better. So if you have any tips to share on running multiple guides I would love to hear them. So sorry for the novel.
Just wanted to share a quick update. We actually ended up splitting everyone up and it is going SO WELL! It is amazing and exhausting.
We are getting so much done each day. Yet we still have time to do the fun activities along the way. I am so proud of the kids. We really found the curriculum that truly fits our family. It was a struggle at first. Far more for me I think than the kids. I had to let go of not being able to teach them all together anymore. That was tough. Really tough. I know there are moms that make it work beautifully. It wasn't happening for us. The kids are still very much involved in what the others are learning. Yes, art projects get drawn out a bit longer due to everyone wanting to join in. It is all part of the fun. I wanted to quit several times when we first started. It was a big adjustment. Now I am seeing the kids grow and blossom in such incredible ways. I am so very thankful for HOD. It's in my signature but just in case here is our lineup.
V 9th week 14 WG
J 7th will start MTMM in April
A 5th week 4 of CtoC
G 3rd week 11 of BHFHG
P 1st week 11 of LHFHG
Q and E week 3 of LHTH--taking it slowly
The way HOD guides gradually work students toward more independence each year really helps a mama keep all those plates spinning! I absolutely love that I'm still involved in even my oldest one's day. I work with each child at different times during the day, and the older's are able to do their independent work in between those times we meet together. I can't believe how much we're getting accomplished each day, even while doing five guides!!