How in the world will this work???

[choirfarm]

As I start planning out next year, I'm looking at things and... how in the world does all of this fit??? I have always tried to do the child's worst subject in the morning while they are fresh. But now there are so many that are tough. My oldest has always been independent and has required very little of me for math, science or TOG, but I will need to watch the Chalkdust Geometry videos, help him adjust to rhetoric level TOG and we are considering dropping co-op for next year so I would have to do labs??? Also, house set up. There are tables in the living room and kitchen, but the piano is in the living room. (Boys practice twice a day.) So if someone is practicing then I can't help my daughter as we can't think. The playroom also has a table, but that is where the computer and VCR are, so if someone is doing something on the computer or watching a lesson, once again it would distract me and/or my daughter. The logistics are mind boggling. Here is next year:

Brian- 9th grade
Piano (either living room)
Chalkdust Geometry (video in playroom for instruction, I will need to watch too)
Chemistry- Either Apologia with Teaching Company videos or Thinkwell ( so either playroom computer or DVD player)
TOG year 3- ( requires Monday conference with me and Friday discussion time. He has been completely independent for this, but will move up to rhetoric this year. Literature is going to kill him and will require me to walk with him as this is his weakest area. Most of this could be done anywhere, but papers are done on the computer in the playroom)
Computer Course (computer in playroom)
Rosetta Stone ( computer in playroom)
IEW Essay Intensive- sort of independent, but writing is his weakest skill and he will need work with me to bring him to honors level 9th grade work

Jonathan- 7th grade
Piano ( living room)
TT Prealgebra ( computer in playroom)This is his weakest subject and often needs tutoring from me throughout the year.
Apologia General Science- will require some of my involvement, especially the first chapter as I will have to teach him HOW to read a textbook and how to study for an upper level science course. Gradually be more independent as the year progresses.
TOG- English and History ( Monday conference with me and Friday discussion time) Very independent, but needs writing assignment input from me
Rosetta Stone ( computer in playroom)
Handwriting/Wordly Wise/RS
Typing Course- (computer in playroom)

Megan- 2nd grade
Vision Therapy- my involvement ( my bedroom)
Violin- requires my involvement (my bedroom)
Phonics- my involvement
Math- my involvement
Handwriting
TOG- either me or boys
Apologia Astronomy??- my involvement


I am going insane. This doesn't count figuring out where piano and violin lessons go as well as vision therapy once a week at the office.

Christine

[choirfarm]

And then all of the doctor's, dentist , car appointments, etc. Plus taking care of my disabled father. He does have bladder and lung cancer it looks like, but his lung capacity is already only 20 percent, so we aren't doing anything. The spot in his lung is just changing slowly.. So.. sigh...

[hsmamainva]

I'm using Chalkdust for my 14yo and what I did is I took the small TV that we used to have in our bedroom (I hardly ever watched it) and put it in my living room. I bought a DVD player for $35 at Wal-Mart and set him up in there, because it's the quietest room in the house!

I forgot to add about the Chalkdust. My son doesn't watch the DVD every day. Most of the lessons take two days to complete. He'll watch the DVD and then do half of the problems. He'll then do the other half the next day, but he doesn't watch the DVD lesson again. Some lessons are short (around 40-50 problems, especially the reviews and tests), but many of the lessons have 150 problems -- so I'll divide them in half and then split the remaining 70-75 problems over a two-day period.

My 9yo is using TT Math, and that's on the computer, and my 7yo plays computer games in her free time, so the computer is sort of 'juggled' between the children.

I give each child a list of school assignments and I try to split it up -- if I'm working one-on-one with one child, the other ones are doing independent work.

My 7yo can only do math and handwriting without me. My 9yo can do everything on his own, except for science...and my 14yo does everything on his own.

I can completely relate to the therapy demands!! I take my 7yo to speech and occupational therapy twice a week.

The only other suggestion that could make is to possibly drop TOG. My children use Sonlight. My 14yo reads everything himself, even the read alouds. My 9yo reads everything but the read alouds, and we read those whenever the schedule allows -- sometimes, it's at bedtime. The same thing happens with my 7yo, but she isn't reading independently yet (I've shelved the reading program in Core 1 and we just do the read alouds -- she uses Sing Spell Read and Write for phonics).

I hope this helps a little -- and that you receive lots of advice!! Good luck!

[Another Lynn]

I don't have any suggestions on logistics, but I was wondering if your oldest ds might be okay in dialectic just for literature for one more year? I haven't used TOG yet and I don't have one that old so take with a huge grain of salt. But maybe he could move up to rhetoric for the history but stay dialectic for the lit. taking a load off both of you and then move on to rhetoric lit. the next year?

Just a thought. Wish you the best as you plan ahead and sort it out, especially as you take care of your Dad!

[SnowWhite]

Would it be possible to buy a keyboard with headphones for the piano practicing? I also believe that afternoon is a sharper time for some kiddoes than morning. See which of your students will be a good candidate for afternoon "intense" learning and that may help you schedule more easily.

[Chris in VA]

Use headphones for the computer, too. Can one of your kiddos play with or read to the littlest, up in her room, for part of the time? Managers of Their Homes encourages moms to let the olders care for the youngers for half an hour--if they both took turns, you'd have that time for a more intensive meeting.
How are bedtimes at your house? Could the Chalkdust video be watched either very early or later, after dinner? Perhaps you could watch it separately from your son, so you could be available during that time for your other son or for your dd.

[swellmomma]

We got a portable dvd player for xmas which is awesome for school. I can pop a dvd on that a child needs with a set of headphones and continue teaching another child without interruption or distraction.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

the piano is in the living room. (Boys practice twice a day.) So if someone is practicing then I can't help my daughter as we can't think.

I'm not sure that the boys need to practice twice a day unless they are preparing for a specific upcoming performance. I took over 10 years of piano lessons and never practiced twice a day. One idea would be to cut back to one lesson a day. As far as practice piano making it hard to concentrate, I would suggest having one son practice at breakfast time and the other at lunch time. They could eat their meal either a little earlier or a little later whichever works best, but at least there wouldn't be anyone trying to concentrate at the same time.

The playroom also has a table, but that is where the computer and VCR are, so if someone is doing something on the computer or watching a lesson, once again it would distract me and/or my daughter.
I would suggest moving either the computer or the VCR into a different room. If it were my choice, I would probably move the VCR into one of the bedrooms. Using headsets with both whenever possible will also be helpful.

The logistics are mind boggling.

The way I see it you have three main limitations: VCR time, computer time, and time with Mom. I would start by making a list for each child for each category. What subjects require your 9th grader to use the VCR and for how long? Your 7th grader? Do the same for computer time and time with you. If you're like me, the amount of time required with Mom on the initial list will be too much so you'll have to look for ways to simplify. I don't know what exactly your second grader does for phonics or handwriting, but perhaps it would be possible for her to do some of the work with one of her brothers. They could certainly listen to her read part of a book a few days a week or watch her write something. That might free up some time for you.

The 7th and 9th grader should be able to alternate time on the computer and time doing some kind of reading or book work. Then you just need to set aside specific times to work one on one with each of them. My children are much younger than yours, but in order to work one on one with each of them, I spend most of my day alternating between them. When they are not working with me, they either work independently or help watch the younger kids.

HTH

[Honey Bee]

Would moving the piano to your bedroom and buying some headphones for the computer work?

[inashoe]

To juggle all of this I drew up a schedule in Excel.

I put in a column for me, and one for each kid (including the preschooler)

I then put in the subjects that they need me for, and made sure that two kids are not working on a subject that needs me at the same time.

I then scheduled when they are each doing their subjects which need the computer, again making sure to avoid conflicts.

As we go along I have needed to tweak a bit, maybe I thought a subject would take 30 minutes, but it took a bit longer, so things needed to be adjusted.

I print out a schedule for each child each week - their subjects down the left, and then a column for each day of the week.
If they don't do a subject every day, then I put in X's for that subject on the day they don't do it.

They have to stick to the order - otherwise everything falls apart.
They then tick off as they go along - I can then quickly glance at their schedule and see who will need me next.

So much time has been saved since we started this. My 5th grader used to work until 3pm, he is now finished by noon.:001_smile:

[choirfarm]

You guys are great. Yes, I have a column planner that I do were I have a column for everyone and I was starting to list out everyone's plans so I could do that and just got overwhelmed.

Headphones...DUH. Ok, the piano cannot be moved, BUT we also have an electric 88 key piano with weighted keys that we can use a headphone on in the playroom. It needs one of those with the giant plug, but we happen to have one from hubby's old stereo. They can't even finish what they are supposed to practice in those two sessions. She wants them to play their contemporary piece once to keep it fresh ( already did the contemporary festival but will play it on the recital), they have two back pieces to play three or four times each until they decide which one to do fof the festival in March, two Karp pieces to practice for the festival in April, a Sonatina piece to practice 4 times a day for the competition in May and then a couple of other pieces. So two practice sessions are needed..

Then the computer... my dh has some cool sound cancelling headphones for his ipod that we could use. I've never used headphones with a computer, but this could work!!! Thank yall so much!! Now I just need to figure out where I will be when.

People keep saying that have your older children work with your younger children, but my oldest has such a tough academic schedule for next year and he deserves time to play as well. Somehow it just doesn't seem fair to him.. Now my middle one can and does. He already does AWANA verses with her and got her to memorize the 23rd Psalm the other day. I had already planned to have him read her TOG history to her.

Anyway, you have some great ideas that may make this work.

Christine

[MicheleinMN]

Christine, my older two also have too much on their plates to help handle the younger ones, so I know how you feel.

My dd helped me to put together a schedule that has a meeting time daily with each person. My younger dc know that they must meet with me at their time or I will not be available again to help them until it's their play time.

And yes, we use headphones for the computers too.

HTH