lmbartos wrote:... I'm wondering if it's that important to keep doing this or if I should just start there schoolwork right away instead of doing circle time. Does anyone have any experience with trying to start their day with everyone together?...
Let me preface this by saying - if you are a person doing circle time and truly loving that part of your day, and it is not detracting from accomplishing all of the work in your HOD guide - by all means, continue enjoying it!

That being said - in response to Imbartos question above... We did circle time back when I was teaching ps, and the dc's response around week 5 of doing it was exactly the same as your dc's response.

Personally, I'd stop circle time if I were you. It is supposed to be a time to 'welcome dc' into the classroom, to start their day off 'right,' and to focus on a few skills in a very concentrated way (i.e. the calendar). Homeschooling is an entirely different setting. We start our day off quite happily, in a relatively stress-free environment after a slower paced breakfast with people we - in general

- truly love.

The fingerplays/poems, Bible Study Scripture memory practice, and projects provide 'get up and get moving type' activities. The skills are hit again and again, and the proverbial calendar - well - while YES, it is a skill covered in HOD, dc also learn to use that in life, as each day typically has its own things to be accomplished.

If you have a calendar hanging in an easy to see place (ours is on our fridge), and if you jot things down on it like appointments, b-day parties, etc. - dc learn to reference it pretty quickly.

And - all of this is much more in line with 'life skills' than a felt calendar stuck on the school wall.
lmbartos wrote:After circle time I do school with my 4 year old while my 6 year old is supposed to be doing educational activities. Problem is she says they are boring and she'd rather play with her 2 year old sister or play imaginative games. Is this okay or should I work on getting her to do something more structured while she's waiting for me to finish school with her brother so I can work with her?
You lucky, lucky mom!

I worked on training my older dc to play well with my younger dc for some fair time.

What a blessing yours is doing it naturally and enjoying it too!

My 10 yo and 6 yo still start their time after breakfast with an hour long playtime together. They LOVE it! It has kept their relationship strong. It also gets their 'wiggles' out, gives them a chance to use their own creativity and imagination, and has them coming to 'school' happy and ready to learn.

I'd encourage this and enjoy working with your 4 yo uninterrupted during this time. As homeschool moms, we cannot focus on every 'one' at every time. Focus on your 4 yo, and then later, focus on your 6 yo. This is healthy!
HTH! You are doing a super job! BTW - I too have a 'horse' rider. Too cute to watch - and too soon those days will be days of the past! Ride on, cowboy (or cowgirl)!
In Christ,
Julie