HOMESCHOOLING Moms with children under 5?

Question

I am considering homeschooling but I wonder how can I be a teacher, mom (3 children under 5 ) , wife , housekeeper,cook,etc etc ... and keep my sanity ?? How do you do it moms with multiple young children ?

Answer 1

My mom just has one kid play with the non schooling age kid while teaching the other older kid, then she trades. My mom is homeschooling 5 kids right now and there are still 2 little ones.

Answer 2

I have three kids 9, 5, and 23 months. I'm not sure that I am sane anymore. LOL! We do it by having a plan, it helps that Sonlight has the lesson plans ready for you, the rest of it comes a bit harder. Naps here are a must for the youngest  that's when we get 90% of the school work done. The rest is done with the baby awake and playing quietly nearby. My 5 yo is a little different. We work on one subject then he goes and plays for a little while and I work with my oldest. Then he comes back for the next subject and is off again. He repeats this all day because his attention span is short he can only concentrate so long before he's bored. I don't expect too much this year but next year he should be able to sit a little longer and really start school.

The house work gets put off until the weekend at times because I also have a job. As long as the dishes are done and the house isn't falling apart when I go to bed we're OK. Cooking is done by planning. I plan our meals every 2 weeks (when we get paid) and buy everything I need to cook it. No multiple trips to the store except for milk.

The wife part that just comes naturally. I do a few little things that make him feel important. I put him before our children (as the Bible tells us we should).

Don't look at home schooling like your adding another J. O. B. to your list. It helps to look at it more like most home school moms do. I've already taught them to walk, eat, talk, dress them selves, their colors, numbers, shapes and letters. I am their teacher, I have been the teacher for 5 years. I can do this!

God Bless!

Answer 3

You manage the same way you're managing now :-)  

You just need to get away from the vision of a little school room in your kitchen with the children sitting with pen and paper while you teach at them.

Do activities that all 3 can join in with to some degree. When you're starting to teach the oldest to read it can be story time for the others. When the oldest is learning to write the others can be drawing and scribbling. Look at the things you need to do anyway for ways that they're educational. While you're cooking you can teach them counting, weighing, measuring and telling the time.

Answer 4

I am homeschooling a 7, 4 and 1 year old.  I think in the early years it helps to keep things pretty relaxed.  Focus on the basics of teaching them to read and basic math skills and spend the rest of that time enjoying each other - reading aloud and going on field trips, park days, library, outings, etc.

Involve your children as much as possible in what you are doing.  Start having your 5 year old help you with chores.  Teach the younger ones to pick up their own toys, put their clothes in the laundry basket, etc.

I started teaching my children young, and now my 7 and 4 year old do a great deal around the house.  My 1 year old likes to "help".  :)  We really work as a team with everything - school, housekeeping, etc.

Keep your focus on learning at home.  Not bringing "school" into the home.

Hope that helps!