Learning and Working at Home
Let's start with Gideon quotes:
"Ok, it's my day."
We have days of the week. On Monday, it's Seth's day. He says family prayers. If we go somewhere, he gets front seat (or first seat of choice after adults). If there's a decision to be made that ends in us picking someone, we pick Seth because Monday is Seth's day.
We each have a day, and it's mostly for the kids. For the adults, it really only affects who says family prayers on Saturday/Sunday. Gideon shares our days. When Seth graduates and goes on a mission (and Gideon is about 4 years old), Gideon can have Monday. Until then, he needs help praying and he can't sit in the front or lead us in quoting something aloud, so he just shares the weekend with Rob and me.
However, EVERY time we say something like, "Natalie, it's Thursday, you pray." Gideon responds with "OK, it's my day."
"Tweet! Tweet! The baby bird needs a tissue."
Last Friday, it was really warm, so we set up the inflatable pool for after school time.
Alee is getting faster, but it usually takes her most of the typical school day to get hers done. If she takes a break for "recess" for an hour or does anything else between subjects, it takes her until 4 pm.
Gideon was very opposed to others touching HIS float.
Seth and Carolyn weren't interested in pool time. (Gideon has both swim diaper and swim trunks. He just chose not to wear the trunks.)
Getting into the hang of eLearning...
Besides asking every morning if we're going to take the kids to school, Gideon's other hard adjustment is that he cannot entertain himself! Right now, he is momentarily "entertaining himself" as he lies on the floor singing a Daniel Tiger song about cleaning up...and ignoring the pile of books he dumped and is supposed to ACTUALLY be cleaning up. Usually, though, he's messing with anyone and everyone he can convince to be distracted.
Gideon is not cooperative about letting everyone learn. But, this is a great time to potty train since Gideon isn't allowed to go anywhere (other than a walk around the block with us).
Sundays at home are different, but we have felt the Spirit and enjoyed focusing on the Savior as we do church at home.
The first week, we had 4 households over for a total of 10 people beyond our family. The second week, we had only 1 person over as the recommendations for social distancing are getting more strict. There was still interaction somewhat since Rob and Seth can take the sacrament over to individuals or families who can't do it on their own. I'm not sure how this week will look?
Sunday afternoon game time.
The sippy cup is supporting the phone so that Natalie's best friend can see her cards. She's playing UNO from across the video call! How's that for social distancing + friend time!?
More Game Time
Notes: Gideon is a sore loser and sometimes cheats. He also has no strategy. He's two.
Trying to get stuff done; trying to distract Gideon.
When I went to Aldi to get some groceries we needed, they had birdhouses. Several of the kids have asked for a birdhouse in the past, so I got one. We have really enjoyed bird watching. :)
It has also been helpful as Alee's science assignments this week included a daily bird journal. (Carolyn will be doing some bird watching when we get to the last module in her biology course.)
Gideon likes to sing, and he likes Rob to "race" on his phone. (Here he's enjoying a 5-minute race before bedtime.)
The usual spots
Rob prefers my sewing desk for quiet and focus. (He's also tried the den and kitchen and dining.)
Seth and Natalie prefer the couch; for Seth, that seat specifically.
Kaitlyn and Alee prefer a table. Kaitlyn's usually in the kitchen, but today she joined Alee in the dining room.
Carolyn uses the couch in her room. (When only she was homeschooling, she did her computer work in the den or kitchen and her paper work in her room or den. Now that we have 6 "working" from home, she has stuck to her room for the same need for focus. She's pushing through her English course and planning to finish it early.)
The truck?? That's the new bishop's office! The truck in the garage is the only place he can have privacy for confidential and personal phone calls. (He had to pause his conversation for me to take this picture and also when I went out a few minutes later to grab some canned vegetables.)
HOW'S IT GOING?
The house is getting better (not a complete disaster while we try to be productive all day), the kids are getting better at getting work done at home.
I didn't make a special color-coded organized schedule for keeping things "normal" while they school-at-home because this is NOT normal! :) Sounds like something I'd do, doesn't it? I've been homeschooling a year already and I know learning at home looks different.
Instead, we kept a consistent wake up time (7am) with a fairly regular morning start. This week we started reciting the youth themes for young men and young women after morning prayer, then we have breakfast (together or fend-for-yourself), and everyone is left to get school work done on their own timing and order. The oldest 2 do seminary from 7-8 while the rest of us read scriptures and get ready. Fridays are "late start" and I let them all have a 1-hour delay to the morning start times.
The only other completely consistent thing we have done is trying to get a walk in every day. I can tell it matters and makes a difference to get outdoors for 20 minutes and get some air and exercise.
Family scripture study sometimes happens earlier in the afternoon since we can do that now, and it makes the evening routine easier if Rob or someone has evening zoom meetings. Sometimes it's still in the evening. Last Thursday we even did a family movie.
(Real world hit with Rob's classes back in full force this week, so we'll be doing good if he gets a movie tonight after he turns in homework online.)
"Tweet! Tweet! The baby bird needs a tissue."
All of my kids have sat in my "nest" (see previous posts for explanation), but Gideon is the first to tweet or to refer to himself as "the baby bird"! Haha
Gideon trying to make Kaitlyn accept his offer of goldfish crackers (that he had been given a day or 2 before and probably touched all over).
Last Friday, it was really warm, so we set up the inflatable pool for after school time.
Alee is getting faster, but it usually takes her most of the typical school day to get hers done. If she takes a break for "recess" for an hour or does anything else between subjects, it takes her until 4 pm.
Gideon was very opposed to others touching HIS float.
Seth and Carolyn weren't interested in pool time. (Gideon has both swim diaper and swim trunks. He just chose not to wear the trunks.)
Getting into the hang of eLearning...
Gideon is not cooperative about letting everyone learn. But, this is a great time to potty train since Gideon isn't allowed to go anywhere (other than a walk around the block with us).
Sunday afternoon game time.
Alee is using this time to draw closer to Christ.
Notes: Gideon is a sore loser and sometimes cheats. He also has no strategy. He's two.
Trying to get stuff done; trying to distract Gideon.
When I went to Aldi to get some groceries we needed, they had birdhouses. Several of the kids have asked for a birdhouse in the past, so I got one. We have really enjoyed bird watching. :)
It has also been helpful as Alee's science assignments this week included a daily bird journal. (Carolyn will be doing some bird watching when we get to the last module in her biology course.)
Gideon likes to sing, and he likes Rob to "race" on his phone. (Here he's enjoying a 5-minute race before bedtime.)
Seth and Natalie prefer the couch; for Seth, that seat specifically.
Kaitlyn and Alee prefer a table. Kaitlyn's usually in the kitchen, but today she joined Alee in the dining room.
Carolyn uses the couch in her room. (When only she was homeschooling, she did her computer work in the den or kitchen and her paper work in her room or den. Now that we have 6 "working" from home, she has stuck to her room for the same need for focus. She's pushing through her English course and planning to finish it early.)
The truck?? That's the new bishop's office! The truck in the garage is the only place he can have privacy for confidential and personal phone calls. (He had to pause his conversation for me to take this picture and also when I went out a few minutes later to grab some canned vegetables.)
HOW'S IT GOING?
The house is getting better (not a complete disaster while we try to be productive all day), the kids are getting better at getting work done at home.
I didn't make a special color-coded organized schedule for keeping things "normal" while they school-at-home because this is NOT normal! :) Sounds like something I'd do, doesn't it? I've been homeschooling a year already and I know learning at home looks different.
Instead, we kept a consistent wake up time (7am) with a fairly regular morning start. This week we started reciting the youth themes for young men and young women after morning prayer, then we have breakfast (together or fend-for-yourself), and everyone is left to get school work done on their own timing and order. The oldest 2 do seminary from 7-8 while the rest of us read scriptures and get ready. Fridays are "late start" and I let them all have a 1-hour delay to the morning start times.
The only other completely consistent thing we have done is trying to get a walk in every day. I can tell it matters and makes a difference to get outdoors for 20 minutes and get some air and exercise.
Family scripture study sometimes happens earlier in the afternoon since we can do that now, and it makes the evening routine easier if Rob or someone has evening zoom meetings. Sometimes it's still in the evening. Last Thursday we even did a family movie.
(Real world hit with Rob's classes back in full force this week, so we'll be doing good if he gets a movie tonight after he turns in homework online.)
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