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We have about 6 more weeks until we take a summer break, so I'm reviewing our year and thinking about next year. We've had a great year academically. The children have done well. I've seen tremendous progress with all 4 of them. BUT everything else (home, paperwork, relationships) is not where I feel it should be. I've devoted myself 100% to this year being successful academically - but I've had to let so many other things go. I'm realizing that I only have about 4 hours ( on a really good day) available for teaching. Yes, the children can do work on their own and they do, but I need 5 hours to cover everything I need to cover with my 4 children. I don't have 5 hours. My oldest 14 yo will be doing RTR beefed up for high school, my next 12 yo will be doing CTC, the next one - 10 yo - will be finishing Bigger and the youngest turning 7 will continue on with LHFHG. Oddly enough the older ones seem to need more of my time than the younger ones, for grammar, math, dictation and writing instruction. I'm praying and pondering how we can make next year better. How I can get back in control of our home and other priorities at the level I once had. To me the answer is to cut back instruction to 4 hours, but if I do that ...what do I cut?

Can you combine your 12 and 14 yo's? Have the 14 do beefed up and the 12 as is? Just a thought....

They are in such different levels performance wise, I don't think I could do this. Then again...

Another thought ( that I always glean from Julie when I read her blog and schedules) - are your children doing enough chores? At their ages they should be able to pull a big part of the load. I am very guilty of doing too much myself and not training my children in this area, which is why I thought of it right away

countrymom wrote:Another thought ( that I always glean from Julie when I read her blog and schedules) - are your children doing enough chores? At their ages they should be able to pull a big part of the load. I am very guilty of doing too much myself and not training my children in this area, which is why I thought of it right away

Great question and one I evaluate often. But I do think they pull their weight. At the moment they are out splitting wood, mowing grass, cleaning the garage at present and they've been at it since 6 a.m. this morning. It's 8 o'clock now. They'll come in at 8:30 for breakfast, do inside chores - vaccuuming, dishes, fold and deliver laundry after breakfast and then begin their school work at 9:30. I've already been to the grocery store, fed the baby and washed 2 loads of laundry. So, yes, the chores are a foundational part of our day.

I've been really working this over since the fall - I simply need to spend less time on schooling. 4 hours, instead of 5.

Can't you do some of school while other chores are happening? I mean, instead of everyone working at the chores at the same time, could you do school with one while the others are doing their chores? Finish what you have to do with that one and send him off to do his chores and call in the next?

Can you train your olders to read the instructions and do the work and then report back to you? Can one of your olders do some of the reading for the youngers?

Just trying to help you brainstorm. The only other thing I thought of was does one hour REALLY matter that much?

"At the moment they are out splitting wood, mowing grass, cleaning the garage at present and they've been at it since 6 a.m. this morning. It's 8 o'clock now. They'll come in at 8:30 for breakfast, do inside chores - vaccuuming, dishes, fold and deliver laundry after breakfast and then begin their school work at 9:30. I've already been to the grocery store, fed the baby and washed 2 loads of laundry. So, yes, the chores are a foundational part of our day. "

Oh my, how productive are you!! That is AWESOME, I would love to have my kids up at 6 getting their blood pumping with some outside chores! And to have been to the store and washed some laundry before breakfast...I am impressed. Chores are a challenge around here since I didn't do a good job of training my children to work when they were young. I didn't do any chores or work growing up and I had no idea what to do with my own kids for many years. We have been working on that in earnest for the last several years and boy is it hard trying to train older kids to work. But I digress...

I hear your cry on the hours of schoolwork. There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day, does there. I really need to spend about 4 hours on schoolwork too, at least my part anyway. One thing I've done lately that has helped, is that I reorganized our schedule so that my two oldest girls are spending 45 minutes first thing when school starts teaching the right side of Little Hearts with the 7 and 5 yo. (except storytime) I then read to my 2 yo and get the baby down for her morning nap during that time, plus dictation with my two middlers. When they are done teaching I take over for another 45 minutes and finish Little Hearts with them (left side and storytime). This has shaved an hour off my day, since the two of them working with each individually gets done in 45 what it takes one of me to do in an hour. It does extend my olders' day by 45 minutes, but they can extend their independent work (usually reading) into the afternoon after lunch, which they don't need me for. Plus I want them to have the bonding time and opportunity to learn to teach and be of service by doing this as well.

Maybe you already do something like this but just wanted to share what is working for us.

I am not an expert here, so take my thoughts lightly...

It looks like you have been doing bigger, preparing and creation this year...If I have picked up correctly on this board both bigger and preparing are heavy years, since it is intense training years. I know you said it was your olders taking a lot of time, but I do think this upcoming year should be better...I think...

Hi!
Not sure if this helps, but if you only have 4 hours... What if you check off the boxes as you do them and what you get done that day you get done. The next day you start where you left off and go until your time is up. Not really half speed because some days you may get a day or more done and other days maybe only a half. You don't miss anything because you just continue where you left off. If you are worried about spending too much time with one child then rotate who you begin working with each day so that it doesn't become lop-sided.

We had to do this with our little guy in Little Hearts and Beyond because I only could get him to focus on school about an hour a day. It worked well for him, but it does take longer to get through the whole book.

I know this may be a nightmare for schedule makers

Laurie

Just thought of something...

I think its ok to "cut back" on storytimes by combining everyone and just applying their box to whatever book you are reading.

Some great ideas given to you already! I have been thinking on this topic too.

I really relate to your post! I also am homeschooling 4 children. They are 15, 13, 11, and 9. My youngest two need a lot of help from me. My 11 year old has cerebral palsy and epilepsy. He is making lots of progress but still needs me to help him. My 9 year old is around the same level as my 11 year old so I am able to combine a lot with them but his reading level isn't quite up to his grade level. I am very confidant in another year it will be and that will help me out so much. My goal is to get everyone independent except for what I need to do with HOD. Then I can spend more time checking over everyone's work and doing housework.

I think this is probably the busiest I will be in homeschooling. My oldest will be in 11th grade in the fall. I only have 2 more years with her. Then she will be out of the nest. When she is in college I will only have 3 to homeschool. I keep reminding myself that the academics and behavior are the most important jobs I have. We spend most of our weekends doing household chores but they never get completely done. I am by nature a very neat and organized person but I have had to learn to live with things not perfect.

I don't have any advice but just wanted to let you know that you are NOT alone in this!

God Bless,
Elise in NC

So many good thoughts here. Thanks everyone. This is what we've been doing this year to make it "work." And unless I can come up with a better idea, I'm still thinking this is the direction we should continue.

The children already do a tremendous amount independently and they help each other and me wonderfully. I don't think I could ask for more ... although I often do They are very productive and the 2 olders have more time for school than I do and that's not a problem. So, this is what we've done. We have our schedule of rotations in the a.m. I focus primarily on the middle 3 during this time. The younger 6 and 9 yo with very few exceptions get all their work done. The 12 yo varies. He needs me for 1 .5 hours and I only have about 1 hour for him. The 14 yo pops in for a few questions, but he is on independent mode all a.m. Then in the afternoon after lunch from 2 to 3 I meet with the 14 yo to go over dication, grammar, math, notebooking, and write with the best and the geography and/or bible study. We need more than an hour to do this, but an hour is all I've got, so we do the best we can.

In the last week of each month we play "catch-up". Everyone keeps a list of what they still need to do to be "on track" and we focus that week on bringing everyone up to speed. The 9 and 6 year old get to play alot during this week although they still do math and reading. I also try to catch up on cleaning and random projects. I didn't have this idea til about January, so we're about 4 units behind where I hoped we would be at this point, but it's working. We take July off completely. I really would like to take another month off completely, or at least 1/2 a month, but I can't seem to make it happen.