My journey - Homeschool Blogger

De cluttering for Christmas

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:13:00 -0600

Decluttering, we hear it all the time, especially in homeschooling circles - it can be a problem, your children (unlike public schooled children) are often home all day, you need educational books etc as well as their normal "toys" and they need to keep busy.

Our main problem has been birthdays and Christmas's, people buy presents and I don't like to get rid of things others have bought but I decided enough was enough when I just couldn't even find the floor in their bedroom!! So out came the black bags and the "lets be strict about this" head and I started decluttering, I decided that they could keep 1 toy box upstairs (they had 3) and we could make a corner into a little doll's corner for the two youngest, I went through the toyboxes and basically threw everything into a bag that was not useful or took too much room up. A lot of babies toys are just plastic rubbish - colourful plastic that plays a tune so out went most of those.

It has made such a difference - of course their bedroom is still not tidy (still working on training them to tidy!) but it is less messy as there are not as many toys that can be left lying on the floor! Now I'm hoping that Christmas really doesn't send us straight back to square one, but I read a motto which I think may become ours - that for every new thing that comes into the house they have to get rid of an old one!

Home Management

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:24:00 -0500

I can often be found stressed out and pulling my hair out - and the reason? My house! The state it is often in, the washing piling up, the clutter lying around, the vacuming that needs doing - I could go on the list is pretty endless, now don't get me wrong it's not like I just neglect these things, I do struggle to fit it all in around homeschooling and all the other commitments but with 4 little ones constantly undoing all the work you do it can sometimes feel like there's just no point anyway but it suddenly dawned on me the other day - although I have looked at all the various websites - flylady and how to be organised etc and have got some great ideas from them - I think my thinking has been all wrong.

Management - oh yes I've read it and think it's all good - but it suddenly sunk in - I don't view my house and housework as something I should MANAGE - it's my home, I should be able to relax, put my feet up etc, and yes I have certain things that I do to keep it running smoothly, trying to do laundry regularly, and do regular pick ups but I've never really thought about it as MANAGEMENT after all you wouldn't let a business run itself - just doing a few bits here and there, you think about what needs to be doing and make time to plan and then tackle it like a job!

There are probably lots of you out there that already have this figured out and it's old news and though I have often referred to household management it just never sank in til the other day! It's not changed my life much yet seeing as I've been ill and allowed myself to rest and recover but I have started doing a regular declutter - every couple of days I'm taking a black bag into the chidrens bedroom and putting toys in it and hoping that by Christmas there will be room for the presents! and their bedroom will be a lot easier to look after

Holding on when things go wrong

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:36:00 -0500

Lets face it - life isn't easy - if yours is then please share with me the secret!!! But how do we keep going? How do we keep believing in the face of difficult circumstances?

We are facing difficulties at the moment - we have no transport as not only did my car go wrong - my hubby's decided to also, plus I haven't liked the house we live in for quite a long time now - I keep making the best of it - 2 bedrooms, 4 children and one on way doesn't make for easy living and although I know all the answers in my head - I know there are people out there in a much worse state and I know I should be grateful for what I have got - it isn't always easy to live it out. When you want to take your son out for his birthday but it's not possible and the children have to miss out on their usual activities it can get you down.

But what does the bible say? Does God promise an easy life? No, he actually promises difficulties and persecution but He also promises to be there and go through it all with us - yes there are times when He will work in a miraculous way and show His glory ( such as three men in the fire in Daniel) but there are other times when He is just there to comfort us and love us - we have to understand that He IS sovereign and He DOES have a plan - we can't see the big picture He just asks us to trust Him.

I don't believe in pretending everything is ok and putting a smile on your face permanently no matter what but neither do I believe in moping about in self pity - we should give ourselves time to tell Him how we are feeling - have a good cry if need be, be honest and then ask Him to fill us with HIS love and HIS joy and HIS peace - they don't depend on circumstances just on us resting in Him and letting Him have control of our lives.

Blessings and Peace to you all.

Lapbooking

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:43:00 -0500

Things are still going quite well, we're managing to be consistent with our Math u see, although I'm not sure that I make sure they have got the concepts well enough before I move on to the next chapter, but it's slowly coming together. We're also doing explode the code and reading to me.

I have got galloping the globe and have been trying to do some of it for a while, we tend to do a bit then leave it, though we got up to China so have been concentrating on that for the last week, on Friday I decided that I wouldn't require them to do maths and explode the code, instead we read the story about ping, and looked at maps regarding China and the Chinese flag. I found a good resource with a free lapbook so have printed some of those activities out, I'm not sure that we'll get as far as making them into a lapbook but it's all educational, and today they have been doing the story sequencing cards. I think I worry too much about having written work when actually at their ages it's fine to do lots of reading and let them learn that way.

We've also been on a few nature walks, finding conkers and acorns and leaves, I actually now know that conkers are a seed that come from a horse chestnut tree - I know I've never had much knowledge about nature but it's great to be learning alongside the children, I can actually pinpoint a horse chestnut tree now and recognise the leaves, and the children are having so much fun they don't even realise it's "school work" lol.

On a downside I have no transport at the moment, our 7 seater landrover is off the road and we're not sure what is wrong with it, which means we cannot go anywhere as a family as we don't all fit in my hubby's car and I can't take the children anywhere that needs driving too while dh is at work. But we are busy at home, I am organising a ladies retreat for this coming weekend which is taking up quite a bit of time but also very exciting.

Doesn't time fly

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:13:00 -0500

I was gonna try and fill in my blog more often then suddenly realised it has been about 2 months oops lol.

We've started back to school now, have managed a full week and are on second week so thats good all I'm asking of them is that they complete some of their explode the code books and math u see book and read me a reading book.

My eldest dd had fun on starfall phonics today which was great she seems to be getting the desire to learn to read so that's good, I was almost ready to send her to school last week it was so hard going.

My son also went on a jump ahead cdrom doing maths, I always feel good when they are doing more educational work than I've asked :-)

Summer Activities

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:57:00 -0500

There seems to be a lot of summer activities this year, even though the "normal" things we do have broken up for summer we seem busier than ever. Next week we're off to the Robin Hood Festival at Sherwood Forest, which I can't wait for, it's always so much fun. We're also trying to take the children swimming regularly as their lessons don't start again until the end of September and they were doing well.

My ds has also got an eye test next week, and I've got a training day because I'm going to be a sub leader at a community bible study I attend.

The week after there is a holiday club run by the local methodist church which I have signed the oldest 2 up for and a homeschooling outing to The Discovery Centre which I'm hoping to attend, and then my 12 week scan so life feels very busy at the moment and I'm stil trying to fit some school work around all this, at least reading as it is my goal to have my eldest dd reading independenlty by Christmas - or at least nearly there.

I am also trying to update this a little more regularly so you'll get to see our progress :-)

Exciting News

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 06:38:00 -0500

Hi, we're still here plodding away, I feel like we're getting somewhere with my eldest dd reading though it is still often a struggle. My sister has lent me some reading books and dd enjoys those so that's good.

We've also discovered we're having another baby!!! It's only early days and I'm having to try and take it easy as I keep spotting but it's not too worrying yet, I've got my first scan the end of August so that will help put my mind at rest.

Ive no idea how we're gonna manage but I'm sure it'll all work out in the end, we really do need a bigger house now but we're busy with the business at the moment, dh has now got a unit which we've been turning into a recording studio so it's busy busy busy here.

Yesterday we went on a day trip to Cleethorpes which was great though tiring, but we got to see a carnival so the children had a really good day. It does feel strange everytihng stopping for summer but think it's gonna be a nice break - my eldest dd is funny she saw a friend who asked her if she'd broken up from school yet, she looked a little confused so I said she was homeschooled to which she quickly piped up - "yea I never get a break" lol

Everyday education

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:49:00 -0500

Hi, time is going so quickly! we're getting on very well though havin a break this week as my eldest dd is in a dancing show so it's late nights and relaxing days! One of the advantages of homeschooling - the other poor children are having to get up early for school next day.

I finally started doing my gallopin the globe curriculum, perhaps not in depth as some do it but at least I feel like my children are learning something - we've only done the introduction which involved looking at maps and i got them to draw maps, though we made them treasure maps as we're into pirates at the moment lol.

We also looked at Christopher Columbus as an explorer and drew ourselves as explorers. We did some painting too, my eldest dd (7) painted a pic of a flying house you could explore in, she is so creative.

As for the reading, my sister is a specialist in reading so she gonna come round in summer and give me some pointers for my eldest as we don't seem to be getting very far.

I'm trying to decide whether to school over summer, I think I need do reading at least as I feel like we're so far behind and I want my eldest reading independently by Christmas, but not so sure about the rest.

Anyway my dd is due home any time soon so better wrap this us lol.

How's it going

Fri, 15 May 2009 06:13:00 -0500

Thought I'd make a quick entry to update you all on how things are going - I am doing well sticking to my no nonsense routine generally, though having a cold and lack of sleep hasn't helped much, but I am slowly getting back on top of my housework, and reminding my children who is in charge I have ended up putting a travel cot up for my 1 year old bless her and she has taken to it well, I try not to "over use" it but it's handy for when I need to be in another room, sorting washing, changing beds, even schooling etc. And the older children are very good at playing with her while she is in it, I think it makes her feel safe too.

As for reading, well I've given up on hooked on phonics for my eldest dd (7) and gone back to Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons, I think it's better for her, she's certainly working hard with me and I think because there is a kinda system that suits her better it's working so far, we're going away next week and I'm planning on taking the book with us to keep up the consistency, hopefully she'll be reading independantly by christmas - thats the goal anyway. I'm keeping my ds on hooked on phonics but as he's only 5 I'm concentrating more on my dd at the moment.

Anyway I'm off to do more packing - hope the weather improves for us

Training Time!!!

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:22:00 -0500

HI, I've decided that it's training time in this household, I've been getting very stressed with children who will not do as they are told and babies that climb out of everything you put them into so it's time for action!

I was at a homeschool outing yesterday and was encouraged and inspired that this needs doing to make our lives run more smoothly (thanks deedee). I had read about boot camp on Dandelion Seeds blog but was stuck to how boot camp would work. I'm still not 100% sure but the first step is to train my 1 year old to stay where I put her whether that be the pushchair, highchair or a blanket.

I'm also trying to make sure that when I ask children to do a job I follow it through and make sure it is done, they have got away with an awful lot recently with me distracted by a lot of other things. I know that if I take a week or so out to work on this we will accomplish a lot more schoolwork than if things carry on as they are so I see it as a worthwhile sacrifice. I am struggling though as to what to occupy my older 3 with while I train my 1 year old it can't be anything that needs too much of my attention but it has to keep them busy so they don't end up fighting and messing up every room without tidying it again.

I'm thinking that part of the training should involve getting my older 2 especially (ages 7 and 5) to do sum tidying and helping out in the house but I will think of that later lol. I'm also cracking down and making them sit at the table until we've all finished and wait patiently as they had got into a habit of getting down and going off to play while I was still busy feeding the youngest.

Any ideas or advice happily accepted - I have decided that the church is seriously lacking on helping parents to train children but then complain when children are in the services disrupting it when a lot of the time the parents just don't know how to train them! And I wll keep you posted .