“It’s morning, Mommy!”
As usual, I start the day with my 4-year-old daughter’s cheerful greeting. After a hug and a kiss, she runs off to get ready for the day and “make her bed,” and I hop in the shower. Since my homeschool day with almost 9-year-old, 4-year-old, and almost 1-year-old kids (Raisin, Strawberry, and Kitty) is about to begin, it’s best I squeeze in time to get myself ready before I face the day running. My homeschool mom schedule is not for wimps.
One of my favorite blogs, Simple Homeschool, has been running a Day in the Life of… series. I decided it was time I highlighted a day in my homeschool! Today was not a “normal” homeschool day since we had our co-op’s Valentine’s Day bowling party.
But I’m starting to realize that no day is ever “normal” when I am homeschooling a first grader and a toddler!
A few months ago I mentioned I’d be going “full-steam ahead” with schooling during the summer. Hah. My plan for formal learning has fizzled. I have come to realize that Raisin needs a break as much as I do. Given the fact that Raisin is still five, but working on a first grade or above level, I have realized that forcing him to do school should not be a requirement for his summer days.
I’ve learned a lot over the past 12 months to 16 months since I decided for sure to begin homeschooling, versus sending my son away to school. While I believe I’d work best with a clear schedule to follow — complete with boxes to check off — this is not the way my child best learns. He learns when he’s ready. He learns when I’m not forcing him. He learns when we’re driving to a museum and he asks about the signs he sees. Continue Reading
When I decided to homeschool this year, it was about this time last year. My baby was newborn and my son was in a local private preschool. He loved it! But every time I picked him up from his 2 1/2 hour class, he’d be tired. He wanted to learn more and I wanted to encourage his interest, but preschool took him away from me at his peak hours. I knew I could do a better job of taping in to his interests if I had him home for those morning hours.
We informally did school on demand during the summer, and then in September we started more formally with kindergarten. Here’s what we’ve been doing. My daily homeschool schedule and our curriculum choices for my gifted 5 year old (plus infant) are pretty enjoyable.
