I need help raising the kids! >.<?

Question

I am in my early teens, and my father is never home. My mom is home some of the time but most of the time she has to sleep so she can get up at 1 to go to her job.

So from about 8:45 AM to 2:45 PM I am usually watching kids. (Little sister, 5 almost 6 , and little brother, 3.)

And from 2:50 PM to 11:45 PM my other brother is home from school and so I watch 3 kids. (3 ,5 almost 6, 11.)

How do I get their respect and get them to listen to me when I tell them to do something. (Go to bed, be quiet, time for dinner, etc.) And get them to not make a total and complete mess of the house everyday!!!!!!!

Oh and also I have to teach my sister and get her ready for kindergarten, so like ABC's, how to write/read, tell time, etc.(Those are all of the requirements for Kindergarten where I live.)

How do I get her to sit down and get excited to learn? She gets excited at first but after she gets to the letter 'g' she has usually gotten bored and walked away several times or just refused to write.

Please help!!

-Celeste

PS I am home 24/7 because I am homeschooled. I mostly stay up till around 2 to do my homework since I can't do it during the day, but thankfully my home studies are ending this Friday but I still have to do atleast a little work until then I was thinking reading to the kids everyday for about 25 mins(counts for Language Arts), and then a hike (in our backyard or walk to the park on nature trail.) counts for science.

Answer 1

Twenty six letters is a lot. It can seem overwhelming for anyone trying to learn them. Break it up into chunks.

And it&#039;s hard for a five/six year old to sit down for a long time and learn. Maybe you could try painting the letters. Make it fun. It could go something like this:

&quot;What&#039;s your favorite color?&quot;

&quot;green.&quot;

&quot;Really? Mine is blue. I&#039;m going to paint a blue G, H, and I. Do you wanna try?&quot;

The trick is that YOU have to be excited about it too.

Answer 2

Listen dear it&#039;s not you that needs advice it&#039;s your parents.  I thinks it&#039;s insane that you have to stay home and watch these kids 24/7.  The children (including you) are your parents responsibility.  This isn&#039;t 1850! for goodness sake.  A person your age has things to do to prepare for life and adulthood and raising someonelse&#039;s children, while being deprived of your own parenting, isn&#039;t exactly the way to go.  I think you should have a serious talk with both of your parents.  Offer to watch the kids a certain amount of time each week, that&#039;s all.  Then tell them that you also require their attention, affection and guidance (although given the circumstances I don&#039;t know how much advice they can offer you)  I know this sounds harsh, because they are both working (supposedly) while you keep the house.  Remember, they are adults who chose to have all you kids, and they are responsible for caring for all of regardless of their financial choices.  If you are afraid to talk to them, please confide in a trusted adult relative, a pastor or friend and have them help you.  I hope you follow through.  You deserve much more than this.