heartofdakota.com

Hi Everyone!

Can anyone shed some light on scheduling my 4 children?

Planning to use in the Fall
11 year old - Hearts for Him
8 year old - Bigger
5 year old - ???
11 month old

It seems my days go by in a blur...never really accomplishing what I want to do. How can I keep everyone doing what they are suppose to be doing and deal with a baby????

Thanks so much for any advice.

Don't hyperventilate yet! I feel your pain! I have 3 with another on the way any day now. DD6 is completing LHFHG and DS4 is completing LHTH. DS2 is doing whatever he wants to participate in.
Next year, we are moving to Beyond and then repeating LHTH for DS4 and DS2. That will prep DS4 for Kindergarten the following year. This is my first year homeschooling and I have found the biggest thing is just sticking to a routine. Not necessarily a schedule but a routine. My kids know what to expect each morning when they get up because we have the same routine. The times may change a bit depending on what else is going on but the routine stays the same. I would say try to find a routine and then stick to it. The older 2 might benefit from the routine being posted somewhere that they can see it. It may also provide some accountability for you. I am already finding that any day that we have had to skip school for various reasons, the children tend to protest and that keeps me VERY accountable!
Maybe try getting through one side of the guides in the AM and save the other side for the PM when the 11 month old may be napping. Don't beat yourself up too much, either. Life happens! And life with a baby and trying to teach other children is definitely a challenge! I have really had to work on training my 2 year old that there are certain times of the day that Mommy has to teach the other children and he has to play by himself. Maybe have some special toys or activities just for him/her for use during that time. Then when you say you will stop teaching, make sure you do and then take some time specifically for him/her. I find that sometimes that is all it takes! A little undivided attention and my little one is on top of the world!

Hope that helps. Don't stress too much! You can do it!

Mary

Hi there! Put the hyperventilating on hold, because it's just not that stressful to teach several HOD programs at once. With a little planning and consistency, it's quite stress-free and happy to do. We start our school year with a schedule, but within a month usually move into a routine with blocks of time. If you arrow down to the "my3sons" post in this thread, that is where I tried to explain this...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5244

Another easy thing to do is teach half-speed to start with, or stagger start programs, beginning 1 guide first, and then in a week or 2 starting the next. Don't stress about this - if you have the desire to teach your dc, this is a wonderful way to do it.

In Christ,
Julie