First year homeschooling my 7th grader- 2 toddlers- anyone else??

Question

i am attempting to homeschool for the first time. my son is in 7th grade and super responsible and very good at school. i have a very busy two year old and three year old that are acting out due to the attention my son is receiving. i know this will smooth out, but does anyone have any advice who has been in my situation?? i am a bit overwhelmed and I'm afraid I won't be able to prepare him properly for the testing at the end of the year. thanks!

Answer 1

Ok get some " special School toys" for your toddlers like soft books or blocks , alphabet cards, number books etc. and then put them in a play pen near your school area and when your son is answering questions reading etc. Play with them like they are in school. Don't worry about the tests just go with the flow and everything will be all right!

Answer 2

You are not alone. I had a mental break down our first year of homeschooling. lol

I had a 6yr old, a 1 1/2yr old & a NEWBORN. Talk about busy. Plus we had bought a huge kit of first year stuff. By winter time I was going nuts and feeling like an awful mom. All the parents I talked to in our homeschool group suggested I slow things down. lol  So you are not alone believe me.

When my younger two were younger I'd have some special toys for them to play with during SCHOOL time. Plus there is nothing wrong with VIDEOS. They can help keep a child busy for at least an hour if needed.

Plan your most busy work during nap time. That is the key. We did that a lot.

Also your son is old enough to be able to do a good bit of the work on his own. My oldest is 12 & she does most of her work by herself which lets me help my younger two.

So look over what you are using. Maybe it just won't work for your family. It took us a long time to figure out what would for us. I was stressed our a few years ago and came across a site that was a HUGE blessing:

http://oldfashionededucation.com/

A lot of this work a 7th grader can do by himself. We follow this & my 12yr old feels so grown up doing her work on her own plus at her own pace. If she doesn't like a book we just go to: mainlesson.com & pick another book.

Math & Spelling are the main subjects that require a lot of help from me in our family. So I save that for when the younger two are busy with other things this way I can help my daughter without being bothered by the younger two.

It also takes time to adjust & work this into your life. Make sure you are not still in the PUBLIC SCHOOL frame of mind. Your son doesn't have to sit at a desk to learn or even at the kitchen table. When my daughter (12yr old) complains she can't read because of the other two kids (ages 8 & 6) she'll go to another room or even to her own room for quite.

Give yourselves a break. We will work usually 2hrs then take a break for chores, lunch, quite time and then start again 2-3hrs later. This gives the kids time to be loud, play, mommy to have some peace and alone time & stuff like that.

Hope this helps. You'll get the hang of it.

here is a link to my personal site. We haven't updated in a year but we still follow the same plan just different books -

http://www.ashley4jesus.com/ourhomeschoo...

Answer 3

give your little ones things to do. let them have a notebook like big brother praise them for a good job. let them color, put puzzles together, there is a lot they can do that will help.

I homeschool 5 children  ages 12, 8, 7 ,5 ,3 and all are doing different things at different times but I love it and wouldn't have it any other way.

And we also have BoM study every morning which helps with sunday school too! Good luck!

Answer 4

Look into the K-12 program.  That program offers traditional curriculum and teacher support.  Most school districts will pay for the tuition of the program.   The program even provides the materials you need, including a computer.

My sister has used that program with her kids for years and she loves it.  She still has the freedom to do her own thing, but has the curriculum and support.  In our area it is the only homeschooling program that allows the kids to take the state tests.

There are home school parents I have met who have not liked the program because it is too conforming to the school districts.  However for those who don't have a clue as to where to start, I think it is a great program.

You should look into it.  

Edit**

And if anybody starts about the whole social skills c**p, my sisters kids are much better behaved and more well mannered than many of their public school peers.  In fact, since they have not been public school socialized, they accept any child into their play group.  They could careless about how their hair is done or what kind of clothes they are wearing or about disabilities.  They are very open and accepting of all children.

Oh and as for the toddlers, when my sisters were all homeschooling, my one sister was working, so my mom (a school teacher) did a lot of the schooling, many times they would get together at my mom's house and do combined lessons for the different age groups, the toddlers many times would just join right in.  They found that the kids who were toddlers starting reading at an earlier age than the rest.  They weren't required to join but were welcomed to.  They usually had something for the younger ones to do though.

Answer 5

I hope you know what you are doing.

Keep in mind that your 7th graders future depends on your ability to teach, and their ability to learn.

Make sure to give him plenty of time without the little ones distracting him.

I'm a big fan of homeschooling, if done correctly - you understand my concern.  Good luck - to both of you!!

Answer 6

If you keep a good schedule for your younger children, you will be fine. Just break up their day.

Make sure they are having 2 hours nap time in the afternoon. If they don't sleep, they can play quietly on their bed but they must play independently. If you haven't been doing this all along. Play music for them. Set a timer and work up to the 2 hours. Start with 15 minutes and increase it every day. Give them a few toys on their bed.

My boys are teens and we still have down time every afternoon. They read, draw, listen to music or often times they nap.

In the morning plan time for them to sit at the table and do play-dough.

Give them room time for about 1 hour in the morning where they play independently.

Have them draw while you are reading with your older son. Read books out loud so they can participate.

Work on school while they are snacking at the table.

Buy them workbooks at Walmart and have them "do school" along with your son.

Best of Luck!

Jana

http://www.purehomeschooling.com/