Any advice on how this homeschooling mom might survive the last long month of pregnancy, given that it coincides with the end of the school year? I’ll gladly welcome any words of counsel that you can send my way.
Lots of Coffee, lots of kids. It's a peaceful life.
Hi there!
That’s a tough one. Well, I homeschooled from the couch the last month before Christmas. The kids came to me with work on clipboards.
It was funny when I mentioned this to a friend and she said, “Well, isn’t that what Our Lord said? Let the children come to me?” I laughed so hard because I don’t think He meant “…because I’m not getting up for them.”
But I couldn’t get up and I didn’t. It went as well as could be expected and my mother in law showed up for the last week and that was WONDERFUL!
Thank you, Suzanne. I was hoping you’d chime in, given that you’ve just been there!
What Suzanne said. Let them come to you. But, then, don’t sweat the small stuff, either. If you use a curriculum, the whole end of the year is going to be reviewed at the beginning of next year ~ you can catch up any cut corners then. If you are comfortable about “unschooling” this last month, now is the best time in the world for the kiddos to learn a lot about home economics ~ and watching God produce two of His greatest shows: springtime — and new life right in front of them. Blessings. Hope you’re feeling well.
Hi Margaret-
Hang in there! I became a huge fan of nature videos, especially ‘henry’s amazing animals’ during my last pregnancy! I also decided to give unschooling a try here and there, and, seriously, I was amazed what the kids came up with on their own. Praying that St. Gerard will see you through! It seems as if, when life gets tough for a while, if we can just keep moving forward on math, we’re able to keep up OK. Best wishes!!
I would advise covering only the things that would lead to most anxiety if you didn’t do them at all ie. math or whatever it is for you. Then get your husband to take them to the library and bring back your usual pile of books and let them read and pursue interests. Unschooling is a real Godsend in pregnancy and post partum recovery. It takes me months to get back on track formally but I don’t feel like we lose out.In fact my children have been known to make huge developmental leaps in their comprehension of certain mathematical concepts when we are doing least school.
Enjoy this wonderful last stretch!
Spend this last month teaching your children to be grateful, for a big belly, for a ninth month, for what is to come. Remember your years of waiting and longing, and glorify God every moment possible with everything in you. Love this last month. Take great joy in it. Show your joy to everyone around you. By example you can teach all the beauty of large families, of welcoming new life. You’ve been given the tremendous gift of a ninth month of hope and expectancy….show the world the happiness that flourishes from embracing God’s divine plan!!
If school happens somewhere in there too, terrific! š
Could you just push it all back for 6 weeks?
I have no advice, dear Margaret, but I do have to say that I loved Kristen’s words. I think I’ll have to “bookmark” them!
Be good to yourself in these few weeks to come!
We just had some pretty major health issues with one of our children last fall and everything slid for months. Then these MN winters provided us with plenty of illness. So, my normal very structured school year? Gone. And you know what, it all worked out school wise. Even my struggling/probably somewhat dyslexic child somehow caught up. God is good!
I agree with the person who said to do only what you would be stressed about them NOT doing. Let the rest slide
I presume, but I could be wrong, that you’d like to be done soon? If you pick what you really want them to do they may be able to do 2lessons a day in those subjects, you get done early, and the rest can slide.
We’ll keep you in our prayers.
One way to do Unschooling if its not ‘you’ is to make a list of things to do that are Mom approved. For certain hours thta’s what they do. And first hide the stuff that’s hard to clean up after.
(Although its really funny– I posted a friend’s list of ‘2oo things to do when you’re bored’ as a summer post on our group blog and it draws so much spam! Blech.)
Anyway, the other great project when I was expecting was having them make a book. We used Draw, Write Now first with all the pages on explorers, Native American’s and the US. Then we took President Flash cards and other books and they did a similar page about each president and each state. Their very own history book! Then we played an educational board game about US.
I also keep in mind that my school runs in some form 365 days a year. There is very little in my home that is not educational… Ok I have to stretch the definition sometimes but most is keeping them from killing each other and in Mass we are required to teach Good Behavior.
PS Suzanne— very funny!!!!
Here's what I'm doing, FWIW.
We are doubling up on the things I want to get done and saving things that are easy to do from the couch for later LIKE:
I want to be done with MATH before the middle of May, so we're concentrating on it…some kids don't do well with this (under 9 kids can have math "maturity" issues). We are planning on doing Math year round, but the summer will be review and fact memorization.
Our World and American History is being saved because I read aloud the text to ALL 5 and do map work, Q&A and outlining with the big 2. That can be done from the couch.
Spelling we do year round.
I am also doing some Lego Unit Studies…build a replica of X, or, do your best to build a map of X with Legos since all my kids play with them. It makes them think creatively…
I'm in the same boat…trying not to worry.
Perhaps a little “home ec” would be nice. My last three pregnancies resulted in extended bed rest for the last 3 months, with a difficult recovery after each. There was so much that I wanted to do to ready our home to receive each new little one, but I simply couldn’t get it done. And then I remembered…I have other children! Children who want and need to be included. I let the oldest wash and fold all the teeny, tiny clothes…I even had them choose baby’s coming home outfit. The youngers helped plan a menu for the days and weeks following, helping to cook and freeze a few meals. They helped pack mommy’s bag and I tried to spend more time just being ‘present’ for them…knowing that my time would be limited, with nursing around the clock and recovery…every extra hug and kiss is precious.
Some of the best education available takes place when the books are closed…my prayers for you as you get closer and closer to welcoming this precious new life!
Oh, Margaret! I have no advice, except, I’m in the opposite predicament (sp?) I am having my C-section August 27, so the first month of school will not happen, any advice for me?
This past 6 weeks, teaching with a broken leg has been interesting to say the least, be ok with no schedule (sometimes we start school at 11 or later and end much later) Nothing is normal right now, but it will get done (somehow)!
Didn't homeschool but had to drive a 17 seater minibus to take them to & from school, do the uniforms, lunches etc..just rested more from 6 pm onwards..take care..
We share 05/31/09 as our due dates… and I am SO there with you. I’m going to read the comments too!
Hi Margaret – It looks like I’m a little late commenting on this, but know how happy I am to hear that you’re feeling a bit better now.
I want to share with you that when our little one was born in November, I made up my mind beforehand to SAVOR this special time, before and after her birth. Savor those last days with the older kids, knowing that our world was going to change so quickly and completely again soon. Also, savoring the first month with the new little one – those days are so precious and so fleeting. It was so wonderful for me, Margaret! I was not going to let school stress me out for a minute (though that is hard with a rigorous curriculum provider that we share) and I called off school for the month following birth. It was fabulous, Margaret! Cherishing and savoring the kids, old and new, and making a point not to worry about the school. It can wait and it will be OK!!! Our kids welcomed the break and when I told them we’d have to start back on a certain date, they were happy to do so. How about taking the summer off and starting “early” in August to wrap up this year?
Margaret, my prayer for you today is that you can enjoy these final days of your miracle-baby’s pregnancy and cherish the gift of ALL of your children (and be rid of the nasty hormone business too). God is so good!!
Love you, Margaret!
No advice from me, but I’ll pray for you, Margaret. š