x-post (General): TOG and working mix?

[Holly IN]

Hello
(I also posted this on the TOGloose and tog social!!)

We attempted to start on TOG yr 3 back in August but didn't actually
start until late September. Now it is January...Guess how far we got?
We are at week 3. gggrrrr!!

It is not the fog at all. I wanted each kids to have a workbook
because they work better that way and wanted a bit of independence due
to me working. (I have no choice in working a job so bear with me)
It keeps me sane knowing everything is together in the workbook. I
would love to hire somebody to do this for me (any takers??) but that
is not individualized is it? I need to move forward here. I know
this is a hinderance to me in getting hung up on these workbooks. I
like having everything together (no hunting down loose papers that the
kids lost, no figuring out what the kids did because I didn't want to
mark up my teacher pages in the manual and so on)

So if you work: How do you do it? How do you TOG and work?

I work 5 nights a week (soon will be 4 nights and 1 day due to my mom
just diagnosed with cancer) with two Saturdays a month where I
supervise my crew.

Here are the ages of my kids:
14 yr old (8th/9th) but in Logic stage. He is nowhere near ready for
Rhetoric
11 yr old (5th) mix of upper grammar and logic reading but does all
the logic stuff
9 yr old (autistic and LD) in pre-grammar stage. She does very little
projects. I have to do everything with her.She does have a workbook
too that I make for her.

I am just running around with my head off like a chicken. Should I
just forgo the workbooks? DH said I just need to spend an entire
weekend getting the workbooks ready for one whole unit. I did that
one weekend and only got week 1 and 2 done.

HELP!!

Am I making it way too complicated? I can't even get meals on the
table anymore or get the laundry done in ample time. DH has been very
understanding in this due to the fact I am working every night.

Should I put TOG on the back burner and get textbooks? (that would
defeat the purpose of homeschooling in my humble opinion) I love TOG
and love how it works. Very individualized with alot of hand holding!!

Holly

[momee]

Hi,
first, sorry you're so busy. We get that way sometimes.
As to the workbooks, I can offer some help.
I recently read on the TOG forums an interesting point Marcia S. made about the workbook idea.

The kids really should be able to take the questions, as formatted on the SAP pages and make their own notes and answers on a blank piece of paper, lines only, no formatting needed :)

They don't NEED the fancy mom- made workbooks. They look nice and do help with kids struggling with organization. HOwEVER :)

If mom doesn't/can't make them - that shouldn't affect their ability to do the work.

I see my main job as the book lady. Making sure they have the books they need when they need them. I also am the chief checker of work before fun. This job quite often makes me the bad guy/gal.

Unfortunately you can't be home with them as much as you'd like, but look at it as an advantage of buillding their independent work ethic. And when you are home, be as diligent as possible to catch up. If they're doing the reading as you've asked, they could be teaching you.

Spare not for their crying, work heartily as unto the Lord.
Easier said, I know. Praying for your family in this situation.
HTH.

[Holly IN]

Ok if workbook needs to be taken out of the equation...How do you stay organized? Do you use a binder or go ahead and have the workbooks but with no formatting?

I am the type that has to have everything ready to go in order for it to work. (that is one of the reasons I got rid of loose papers for homework....They all use spiral notebooks so there are no loose or lost papers)
I will need to find that post btw!!


Holly

[Holly IN]

Well I can't find that post that Marcia wrote. Can you direct me?

Holly

[Holly IN]

bump

[Sammi]

I tried doing TOG, 2 years in a row. I also work, but only 3 days a week.

My problem was each time I tried to attack it, I would have to refamiliarize myself again and again. That is what took me so long. It was just tooooo much for me. I felt so terrible, b'c I spent so much money on it. It was supposed to be a great program.

Bottom line is, I sold it and did what we have always done. Reading and writing about the books of the time periods. It works great for me!

What I decided was that if it wasn't working and the kids were not getting the history, than it wasn't right for us and I needed to accept defeat. :001_huh: Really, the bottom line is that the kids are getting in their history, not waiting for their mom to do history. Right? :thumbup:

I wish you well.