Mission Trip- a friend keeping kids/homeschooling ?

[Jessi]

Hi ladies,

I'll be getting Beyond in the mail soon!!!! I decided to do the history from Beyond and the BJU history as a reader for her. So excited!!!!

Now here is my question.

At the end of September I am going to Sierra Leone, Africa for 9 days on a mission trip to work in an orphanage where we sponsor a child, a children's hospital, and the slums. My husband is staying home with the kids but will be working during the day. My friend has volunteered to keep my two kids during the day for us. This fall will be their first year to homeschool their eldest (5th) while keeping their middle child in PS for K.

So far I have been planning to not do school at all during those two weeks (to have time to just enjoy my kids and get ready prior to the trip as well as to return and get over jet lag). But I'm wondering if some semblence of order and predictability would be good for my kids while I'm gone. I've never been more than 2 days away from them. This will be hard for them and me. Have any of you been away from your kids for a long period of time and if so did you just take a school vacation or did it help your kids to stay on task so to speak?

With HOD I know my friend could do the schooling easily for me...but is that asking too much of a friend? She's got her 5th grader to worry about. What do you think? I know if I ask her she'll say she'd be happy to teach them, but she also rarely tells someone no to anything so I'm just trying to be fair.
Thanks for the advice!

[3sweeties]

Hi Jessi!

My mom did school with my then 2nd grade DS when we went to Swaziland, Africa for 11 days a few years ago. She said it was very easy to do the guide with him and was very impressed with HOD! She did have to keep my other DS (4.5 at the time) occupied, but he wasn't really doing school at that point, so I'm not sure if it would be tough on your friend to school her 5th grader and your child, but I wouldn't think it would be too bad since you are doing Beyond and it doesn't take very much time at all!

One thought: Write out the days you would like her to do school with them -- that is what I did for my mom -- Day 1, do Unit 3, Day 4, etc. along with any specifics in Math, etc. I also only asked my mom to get about 5 or so days (I think) of actual sit-down school done so that she had some flexibility and didn't feel pressured to do it with him every day that she had them--they also went on some field trips/educational excursions, etc.

I hope you have a wonderful trip -- God used my trip in a big way to impact my heart for the world!

[netpea]

It might also depend on how much time she spends working with her child. Some programs are more teacher intensive than others. Do you know what she uses?

[Jessi]

She is using CLASS. So mostly textbook based. She thinks he can do most of it alone but since she is so new to homeschooling she is nervous about that. I just don't want to overwhelm her. Although she might love teaching Emma and in turn love HOD.

Writing down exact units and days is a great idea! I think overall she would have to teach 5 days. No matter what I won't need her the first week I am gone. Just the following week. My daughter is an avid independent reader who reads well above her grade level (like 4th grade) so I think she could do a lot of it by herself if necessary. When my MIL had a major life threatening surgery, I sent my kids for the day to a homeschool friend and I just typed up Emma's list of "to-dos" and she just crossed them out as she went... maybe I could do something like that...and then Emma could only go to my friend if she was stuck or to have my friend check over her work. But that was easier because it was just textbooks. HOD is more inter-relational.

But would Emma lose much doing HOD mostly on her own for a week?

And thanks for the encouragement about the trip! I am so excited to get to hug and love on the boy we sponsor. We video skype with him once a month and exchange gifts and letters and I get lots of pics from traveling teams. YAY!!!

Edited to add: She also has a 3 year old at home.

[my3sons]

I think it depends on the person watching the dc. When I am at book fairs, we have had my dh, my dad, my mom, and a 21 yo homeschool gal watch the dc over the past 10 years. My mom and the 21 yo would rather do school with the boys. My dh would like the boys to do school if it means they can do it 99% independently, and my dad is fine either way. Sometimes it is just easier to have something routine to do if a person has dc all day for quite a few days. Maybe you could ask your friend and give her some time to think it over? She may be able to think it through and decide better then - she sounds like such a sweet lady. I hope your missions trip goes well.

In Christ,
Julie

[Jessi]

Very true, Julie. I will email her tomorrow and see what she says. Give her time to pray about it.

[mamas4loves]

Hi,

I took a 6 day trip by myself last fall to visit some family on the West Coast. This had been the longest I had ever been away from my children as well. They spent three of those days with their daddy, who took them on a field trip one day and the other two days they hung out at home, then they spent the last three days with my friend due to my hubby's work schedule. She did do school with them, RTR with the oldest, Bigger with the next oldest, and reading and math with the third oldest. I did my best to 'set' things up for her and then gave her the freedom to do what worked into their daily schedule. She did most of it and said that it really brought a good sense of order to the kids' days and helped them not dwell on the fact that I was across the country. I did include a little surprise note from me for the kids if they got to missing me too much, which the kids enjoyed. I would definitely visit with your friend to get her opinion on it. Even if doing the whole school is too much, maybe some activities from the boxes would be an option. Overall, I do think structure/routine brings security to our kiddos lives and if we can create some 'bookmarks' for their days, they really benefit.

I will be praying for you as you work all the details out!

Jess

[Jessi]

I had thought about having "goody bags" for each of my kids for every day I'll be gone. Each bag labeled for the day with their name on it. My husband could give it to them each day. I was thinking about having a personal note inside to each with something small and different each day....like silly bands for my daughter, or a bag of candy, or gift bucks to McDs for dinner with dad, Bubbles, etc. Just something so they get excited while I'm gone.

Thanks for the advice all!!!

[tnahid]

So excited for you missions trip! I love what you will be doing! I would say that while you are gone, have your child do the things he/she can do independently. Maybe make a folder just for him/her with a list of what you want them to do each day. That way they will not get way off the routine, and they will still have something to do when they are at her house, since her child will be doing school too. I would not personally ask her to do the HOD readings, etc. That is just my opinion. I recently went on a mission trip to Thailand and was gone in all about 12 days. I basically had my sons continue to do their math and reading while I was gone. If you are concerned about getting behind on Beyond, you could 2 pages of the history readings and science and storytime per day or something like that. But otherwise, I wouldn't really worry about it. Continuity is good, but I would say that it is early enough in the school year that it really isn't all that crucial, and your children are still very young.

The Lord will honor your submitting to His Plan of going to the nations with His love and gospel. He will take care of everything else! As a testimony, before I left for my trip, our house was on the market. By the time I got home, it was SOLD! What a blessing. And I didn't even have to do anything! So, just have the kids focus on praying for you each day while you are away and doing their main things, like keeping up with math and reading. Maybe ask your friend to let your child read aloud her Emergent Readers to her or if she is in DITHOR, she could just keep up her daily readings. I think you will be just fine!

Blessings to you!

[tnahid]

P.S. I gave my sons a journal before I left, a new one, and I asked them to write in it each day I was gone. I asked them to write what they did each day and to write a prayer for me, etc. They did that, and it was really sweet to read when I returned. They loved it! So, that's an idea for you. I got it at Big Lots for very cheap! It had a special pen to match. I also showed them YouTube videos of Thailand and where I would be and talked with them about what I would be doing there for a few weeks or a month before leaving. I wanted them to feel like they were a part of the entire thing. It really helped. It is hard to be gone for so long, but our Father really will bless this time. I am super excited for you to experience more of Him.

If you have any other questions for me, just ask!

[Jessi]

Tina! Thank you sooo much! I love the idea of letting them keep a journal of their time while I'm gone including what they learned and also prayers for me. My son could dictate to my friend and have her write it down. I absolutely love it!

And I am really leaning towards more independent work too. I don't want to presume too much of my friend's willingness to help. My daughter is actually very good at independent work. My son...not at all. But he is only going to be newly 5 so its ok if he doesn't do much. I'll send some workbook pages to keep him busy that he can do like tracing, cutting, etc.

God has already stretched me soooo much in preparing for this trip. In my heart I know I will be broken by what I experience...broken in a good way. My kids know a lot about Sierra Leone from videos and pictures from teams that have been there the past two years. They know I'll be seeing our sponsor child there. We are hoping to video skype while I am there with him with my family back here.