Running 4 Guides and Surviving!!

[blessedmama]

Just wanted to give a little bit of encouragement for those of you who have considered or are doing multiple guides. It can be done and no one gets hurt I will say that my older dc are in Resurrection to Reformation and Creation to Christ so that is very helpful! My two youngers are doing Bigger and Beyond.

[mom23]

So, about how many hours a day are you, personally, doing school? I know that as the guides get more advanced, the kiddos are supposed to be doing more work independently, but as I'm starting week one of CTC, Bigger, and LHFHG (Unit 14 in that one, continuing from last year) it seems I'm spending so much longer on school that I was last year with Preparing and Beyond, along with LHFHG. And we're looking at 4 guides eventually at our house, too; and I'm scared that I'm going to have no time for life outside of school. How do you do it?

[MelInKansas]

mom23 - I think you will find that it will take less time once you hit a routine and your kids know what to do. I think the guides always take longer when you first start than they do on down the road. Though since we "restarted" in the middle of two guides what I find myself running into is lazy habits we've gotten into (that I have allowed).

Thanks for sharing your success! God always gives us what we can handle, and the education is so amazing with HOD I sure hope I have what it takes to continue HSing and using it on through the guides.

[ncmomof5]

We are also doing 4 guides and finding it possible through Him Who makes All things possible.

I have 2 high schoolers in MTMM, a 6th grader finishing Preparing/starting CTC, a 3rd grader finishing Beyond/starting Bigger and a K'er starting Kindergarten. Whew! I, too, thought that my whole day would be taken up by school, and it can be if I or any one of my children don't stay on task or if we try to do too many outside activities. However, today we started on time at 8 AM and I finished with my high schoolers this afternoon by 2ish. Not bad for 5 kids and four different grades.

I spent time this summer really hammering out a schedule, and when we all stick to it, we can get it done. I don't really take much of a lunch break, but that works better for me. I like to keep moving until we are finished, so I eat on the fly while finishing up with this one or checking in on that one.

Anyway, just wanted to add to the voice of encouragement that it CAN be done, and it can even be done with joy. I can't believe that I am really able to pull off these crafts and activities with my kids all while still staying on schedule. It truly is amazing!

RuthAnn

[pjdobro]

Wow, you ladies amaze me! Great job running those multiple guides. You all are awesome!!!

[blessedmama]

Mom 23, we usually get done about 2ish if we start at 8 a.m. But that includes eating lunch and some chores in between. On some days we get done at 3 p.m. if there is a little more work to do in the boxes. I made a rough schedule and try to keep to it as much as possible and that helps. We have simple lunches that the kids can prepare while I am helping someone. Once you get into a routine it gets easier. I would say one month in we do pretty well.

God does give me the strength that I need. He knows what we need when we need it and I rely on Him for that.

God's blessings on your journey!

[jenn in nc]

This is good to hear! We start four guides on Monday...

[Yaya68]

ncmomof5... Would you be so kind as to share your schedule? I just started a new topic asking for help with scheduling Beyond and Bigger running alongside 2 high schoolers (1 of them using HOD-MtMM or new HS guide...not yet decided),
Feel free to PM me if you'd like.

Thanks,

[ncmomof5]

Sonya,

Here's my schedule, which is actually more of a routine. I don't go by the times exactly, but I do try to stay close to them. It really helps not to let one subject/child drag things out too long.

Between 7 and 8 AM Vision therapy for 20 minutes each for 2 of my boys (thankfully this won't last all year for both boys, but the benefits are worth the time and effort it has taken to do this.)
8 AM 12 yo ds - Preparing Bible, Poetry, Megawords and math intro (if time)
8:30 9 yo ds - Left side of Beyond
9:15 5 yo dd - Left side of Little Hearts
10:00 9 yo ds- Right side of Beyond
11:00 5 yo dd -Right side of Little Hearts
11:30 12 yo ds - Follow up with Preparing history, etc.
12:00 Lunch (I usually go past noon with 12 yo ds in order to get everything checked/read with him.)
1:00 15 yo dd & 13 yo ds - MTMM history follow up, grammar, worthy words, Biblical worldview, math help, etc.
2:00 If all goes well, I am done at this time. My oldest usually has one or two things left to do at this point, if she has kept to the schedule I have for her, and my 13 yo ds may have one or two things left to do because he "missed something" in the AM.

I have detailed schedules for the 3 oldest that allow them to work as independently as possible most of the AM while I am working with the younger ones. The oldest 2 do pretty well with that, but the 12 yo is not quite there, yet. But we're only three weeks in. On Tuesday, when the oldest three worked independently and diligently, our day looked very close to the schedule above. I have hope that if we keep working at it, this schedule will be a true picture of our day.

Since I will be changing out Beyond for Bigger and Preparing for CTC in about 8 - 9 weeks, our schedule will get rocked a little, then. But I am hoping that by getting a good routine in place now, the transition will be fairly smooth down the road.

I hope that helps. Let me know if you need any clarification on anything. I know it helps me to see how others do it. The "sharing our schedules" sticky was a big help to me when I was working on my schedule over the summer.

In His love,
RuthAnn