Sunday, February 10, 2008

Welcome!

I decided to start a new blog where I post ideas, tips, and solutions for moms, wives, and homeschoolers. You don't have to be all three to get something out of this blog. It would help if you're at least one of these, or if you at least know someone who is one of the above, or even if you've ever met someone who is one if the above- that would be good.

Anyway, I want this to be interactive where we share things that have worked 4 us to help make this calling of wife and/or mother and/or teacher more efficient, more enjoyable, and easier. Maybe a tip here or an idea there could make it less hectic, less frustrating, and may make you less likely to throw in the towel on any of these roles.

Because I have another blog that I update regularly (and because I have six little people who call me mom) I'm only going to update this weekly. I'd like to post an idea or tip on a certain subject then you can read it and then:
1) glean from it
2) learn what not to do
3) post related ideas as a comment for other readers to see. This way everyone is contributing and all I'm doing is getting the ball rolling.

Here's an example:

I post about "what to do with toddlers while you're trying to teach your school aged children". I share my idea of locking them in the closet.
In the comments:
Reader A says maybe putting them in front of the tv would be a better option.
Reader B says an intriguing learning game would be even better.
Reader C says the closet didn't work 4 her because her toddler is a little McGuyver who can
pick locks.
Reader D says she's going to report me to the authorities and ban my blog.

See everyone got something out of it. Let's give it a try and see if we just can't help each other out as we navigate these uncertain waters as women. One of my life theories is that there are plenty of women who have gone before me that I can learn from. I don't need to reinvent the wheel. We're going to make enough mistakes as it is, let's save each other from a few. Let's share what works 4 us...
(When you leave a comment you can choose to be notified when someone leaves a follow up comment. This would be a good option to choose here so you can see what others have to say about the idea. If you think this idea works 4 you, please pass the blog address along. The more people we have commenting, the more ideas we get, the more sane we become!!! It's a positive cycle- get it? :)

OK, so let's start with the toddler idea. I don't want to exclude non-homeschooling moms, so if you don't homeschool but have any ideas, please share them. If you're not a mom, you may have some insightful observations to share- so please don't be afraid to speak up.
I'd say juggling the different ages while homeschooling is one of my greatest challenges. I'm always looking for new ways to "engage" (code word for "keep them from demolishing the house") my little ones while I work with the older ones. Here are my observations on this:
* Every good solution that I've come upon for this dilemma only works for a maximum of three weeks. Seriously! Things are constantly changing, and so I need an arsenal of weapons, uh, I mean ideas, to use.
* Guilt plays heavily on my mind here at times, too. I don't want to just pacify my little ones while I pour into my older ones. You almost never feel like you're giving enough to everyone (but somehow they turn out OK :). I really don't want to lock my youngsters in the closet and I'd not like the TV to be the only choice.

Now here are some ideas that have worked 4 us:
* When I'm working with my 5 years-old, my three year old has "blankie time". We put a blanket out on the floor and put out some toys and activities that we keep up and use only for blankie time. We use a lot of different toys but some that we put out regularly are Mr. Potato Head, the keyboard, nesting blocks, magnetic dress-up dolls, board puzzles, and, of course, books. When the little one is in blankie time, she isn't allowed to interrupt my time with her older sister and she MUST stay on the blanket. Those are the rules. When we first started, I would set a timer so she would know when her time was up. She wasn't allowed to ask- she had to wait for the timer. We usually did it for 20 minutes. Now, she enjoys blankie time and doesn't usually ask so I have gotten out of the habit of using the timer. But believe me, she didn't like it at first- she had to learn and now she thinks it's great. I've tried lots of other ideas but this is what we're currently doing and for now, it works 4 us.

How about you- any past, present, or future ideas?? Don't hold back- we all need each other and can learn a lot, even from others' failures. So who's first....?

6 comments:

John, Melanie, Dillon, Faith and Audra said...

Have you figured out what to do with Westin yet? Some days, Audra is asleep, which works WONDERS, but as you know, she is starting to be mobile, which can wreak havoc on a school day. She sits in my lap during Bible story (never to young to hear God's word), but when I'm trying to give a test, it's hard for Dillon and Faith to concentrate while Audra is yelling "BUUBBBBBBAAAAAA, DAAAAAADDDDDAAA". Don't get me wrong, it's totally precious to hear her, but, well, not exactly the best test taking music :-)

Rochelle said...

Great idea for a blog. The first thing that pops in my head that works best for me, is simple consistancy. I don't always do it, but I try really hard. I want my 8-year-old to know when I say it, I mean it. I can post examples when I think of them later :)

The Sage Family said...

Before I add any posts I have a disclaimer. You don't need to check any "I have read and agree" boxes. But anybody who knows me definitely knows the purpose of it. You see if it didn't mess up the whole read a Proverb a day thing (that is why there are 31 you know) I'm sure there would have been 1 more that stated: Those who let advice proceedeth from thy lips shall have a turn in the same shoes. Unfortunately for me I always forget until afterwards. It has been all too often that a friend will ask how we corrected this or that and I will speak from my wealth of experience and knowledge (ha ha ha) how one of our dear little ones was trained away from this or that and usually within 24 hrs (although I have seen it within 24 seconds) one, two, or all three are back to that exact thing. The worst part is exactly what I had previously suggested to my friend now no longer works for me!!! So this is the disclaimer: This is not advice. I am not suggesting that anything I post should be tried in your home. Furthermore, I am not suggesting that anything I post should not be tried in your home (better safe than sorry). Lastly, I was really only joking about Proverb 32, I would never suggest adding to the Word of God.
Now as far as my post about how to occupy toddlers while schooling older children: Well, I began this post last night. At that time I had all of these wonderful creative ideas that we’ve used and liked and some that we will never do again. Then my husband got home from work (he works second shift) and I did not have time to finish. So tonight has come and quite frankly after the day that we’ve had I’m not even brave enough to post any “what didn’t work” things. I am looking forward to hearing some others’ ideas.

Jonatha said...

I'm not sure how long this will last - but my 3 year old seems to listen a lot more closely when her older sisters are involved in her school. I'm thinking she looks at it as more of a game than mommy making her do something. So, big sissy reads her bible time to her while we are all sitting together, and we all sing songs and count together. One on one - I completely lose her attention. Other than that - naptime is when we get everything done. The 2 littles sleep and we do our spelling or anything the littles would wreck havoc on.

Dreams of a Country Girl said...

we use benedryl...about 1/2 cup and they are out. it works 4 us.

circus of love said...

These two activities came from a Valerie Bendt newsletter I got this week...

Set Up Activity Centers for Your Preschoolers:

Wash the Doll Clothes

Preschoolers love to imitate Mom and Dad. Here is an activity that is sure to bring hours of fun. Be certain to place a towel or two on the floor! Once your child has washed the doll clothes, or other small items such as socks or wash cloths, he or she can blot them on a towel and then hang them on the line!


Beans, Beans, Beans!
Here is an inexpensive and fun-filled activity. Buy several packages of dried beans such as black beans, garbanzo beans, and kidney beans. Pour them into bowls and provide your preschoolers with measuring cups and scoops for lots of fun! A small plastic tub or pool helps keep dried beans in one place. Store beans in a plastic container to use again. Kids love the sound and texture of the beans. (Not intended for small children who may put the beans in their mouths, noses, ears, and so on!)

Also this tip I love because I always seem to be in the middle of working with Layton and everyone decides they are hungry...
While preparing breakfast, pack a lunch box with healthy snacks for your preschoolers. Then when they say, "I'm hungry!" you can tell them to go and get their lunch boxes and have their snacks. This helps to prevent interuptions while you are working with an older child.