May. 29, 2009 - Coming Soon: How I Homeschool ebook from TOS!
I knew this ebook was coming out when we started the TOS Crew review year, and I was excited about it. I love hearing how other families do homeschool. Sometimes it makes me feel better ("Hey, looks like I'm not doing so bad after all!"), and sometimes I get new ideas. Every once in a while (but not too often) I think "Darn it, what's wrong with me? I should be doing all that!"
The How I Homeschool ebook consists of honest accounts by normal homeschooling families about how their days go and how they accomplish homeschooling. Some households are hectic and crazy (by their own admission), others more structured, and a lot inbetween. And much to my surprise, there seem to be a lot of homeschooling moms that don't have everyone breakfasted and dressed by 7.30 am. That was reassuring to me. Everybody from unschoolers to highly scheduled homeschooling families will enjoy peeking into the lives of other families, to see how they do things, what they struggle with, how they schedule their days, how they get over the hurdles they encounter. It's a fairly quick read, but a gem all the same.
Look for the ebook to arrive soon at The Old Schoolhouse Store!
And now, in the spirit of How I Homeschool, a window into my day:
3.30 am: The alarm rings. Josiah and I groan and hit the snooze button. Five minutes later it rings again and we crawl out of bed to get ready for him to leave for work.
4.00 am: I figure I'm already up, might as well do something useful. I catch up on old seasons of TV shows. Fold laundry. Sit drowsily on the couch thinking "I should exercise. I really should. I should exercise...." Sometimes I do arm circles, occasionally crunches.
6.30 am: I think about waking up the boys. Then I think better of it. I sit down to catch up on writing and reviews.
7.30 am: I tear myself away from the computer and start trying to tear my kids away from their warm blankets. It takes a good 40 minutes, if I'm lucky, to get us sitting at the table ready for breakfast. We eat. Sporadically we do Bible memory and singing. The only kind of singing they really like are the songs that they can jump up and down and clap for, so all the old standard hymns are kind of out, sadly.
8.45 am: I put the kids in front of a 20 minute video (educational! it's educational!) because I'm still not ready to face the day.
9.15 am: On a good day, Asrat and I spend the next two hours on his lessons, Gebre does "computer school" (PBS kids), and I spend a lot of time running back and forth trying to help Gebre with his issues with the mouse, keep Asrat from melting down over regrouping subtraction problems, and change at least one horrendously smelling diaper courtesy of Biruk (what would I do without him?).
We are using Calvert with Asrat. He's beginning Second Grade for most subjects, but just on the verge of finishing 2nd grade math.
11.30 am: We go for a much needed hike almost daily. If we don't the kids are more insane in the afternoon than I can handle. If we have errands to run, we also do these before lunch.
12.30-1.00 pm: lunch, running in circles in the front yard, jumping on couches, avoiding with great desperation any mention of "quiet time" or worse yet, the dreaded "Nap". Josiah comes home around then, so we have some family fellowship as well.
2.00 pm: If Asrat has any bookwork to finish, we do that. Otherwise, he gets his turn on the computer, with the Time4Learning program. If he finishes his assigments there he is allowed to use Starfall.com or pbskids.org as well. The little boys like to hang around and cheer him on.
At some point in the afternoon they usually get another video so I can start supper preparations in peace. Yes, I use the TV as a babysitter. phhlllllbbbbbbt. 
4.30 pm: By this time I am usually so tired of the jumping around, throwing things, and arguing that I yell at them never to sit on the couch again (they tear it apart) and send them outside with much steam coming from my ears.
Once I cool off, I go out with them, chat with the neighbor, and enjoy the evening until supper is nearly ready.
6.30 pm: if Josiah is home, we sit down to eat. Sometimes when he's got a house to work on, we'll wait until 7 or even 8 pm hoping to be able to eat as a family, and in the intervening time I read to the kids and fend off "I'm huuuuuuuuuungry" about 8 dozen times.
8.00 pm: Family prayers, then listen to Adventures in Odyssey (that word looks soooo weird. How can it be spelled that way???) If there's time, Bible story reading.
8.30 pm: Lights out, bed-time story playing in the CD player. Whew!
And that's my typical day, in all it's glory. That's how I homeschool.
Comments
Jun. 1, 2009 - 3:30 am !??
Posted by Anonymous
You get up at 3:30 and then stay up? I'm impressed. I think I'd fall back into bed the minute he leaves.
Jun. 2, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by cappuccinosmom
I go back to bed when I'm preggers. Otherwise, i really, really, really enjoy those hours of quiet. :)
Jun. 7, 2009 - Yikes!
Posted by Anonymous
3:30. There should only be ONE of those in a day. Wow, woman! I didn't even get up with Brian when he worked, and he didn't have to get up until 6!
