mornings
Latoya Hanson
My children are sleeping later and later in the mornings. I have
been trying to give unschooling a chance so we can both learn more
about it.
They go to bed usually at 9pm and don't awake until 9am.
So I decided to have bed time earlier, 7:30pm, for the past 2 days.
They are waking at 8am. It takes them about a half hour to be up.
Then to eat and get dressed, takes an hour. so by time they are
done, it will be 10:30. my kids ages are 10,3,1. the 3 and 1 year
old NEEDS to go down for a nap by 1:30.
I have to start cooking by 3pm.I work in the evenings when my
husband comes home so I want to do things with them in the mornings.
The little time we get between 10:30-12 is spent fussing over who
needs my attention. Because the 10 year old wants to have more of my
attention than the smaller children.
Also if I don't think of something to do between those times, the 10
year old either wants to watch TV or paint or play games on the
computer. My 3 year old is always so busy doing something and the
one year old follows. Some times the 10 year old will follow the
two of them.
When and wheredoes the school work come in with homeschooling???
been trying to give unschooling a chance so we can both learn more
about it.
They go to bed usually at 9pm and don't awake until 9am.
So I decided to have bed time earlier, 7:30pm, for the past 2 days.
They are waking at 8am. It takes them about a half hour to be up.
Then to eat and get dressed, takes an hour. so by time they are
done, it will be 10:30. my kids ages are 10,3,1. the 3 and 1 year
old NEEDS to go down for a nap by 1:30.
I have to start cooking by 3pm.I work in the evenings when my
husband comes home so I want to do things with them in the mornings.
The little time we get between 10:30-12 is spent fussing over who
needs my attention. Because the 10 year old wants to have more of my
attention than the smaller children.
Also if I don't think of something to do between those times, the 10
year old either wants to watch TV or paint or play games on the
computer. My 3 year old is always so busy doing something and the
one year old follows. Some times the 10 year old will follow the
two of them.
When and wheredoes the school work come in with homeschooling???
J. Stauffer
<<<When and wheredoes the school work come in with homeschooling???>>>
You said you were wanting to unschool? There is often very little in unschooling that looks like schoolwork. The kids play, paint, do computer stuff, explore, etc.
May I suggest reading some books by John Holt and reading some of the essays at www.unschooling.com
Julie S.
You said you were wanting to unschool? There is often very little in unschooling that looks like schoolwork. The kids play, paint, do computer stuff, explore, etc.
May I suggest reading some books by John Holt and reading some of the essays at www.unschooling.com
Julie S.
----- Original Message -----
From: Latoya Hanson
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2005 7:31 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] mornings
My children are sleeping later and later in the mornings. I have
been trying to give unschooling a chance so we can both learn more
about it.
They go to bed usually at 9pm and don't awake until 9am.
So I decided to have bed time earlier, 7:30pm, for the past 2 days.
They are waking at 8am. It takes them about a half hour to be up.
Then to eat and get dressed, takes an hour. so by time they are
done, it will be 10:30. my kids ages are 10,3,1. the 3 and 1 year
old NEEDS to go down for a nap by 1:30.
I have to start cooking by 3pm.I work in the evenings when my
husband comes home so I want to do things with them in the mornings.
The little time we get between 10:30-12 is spent fussing over who
needs my attention. Because the 10 year old wants to have more of my
attention than the smaller children.
Also if I don't think of something to do between those times, the 10
year old either wants to watch TV or paint or play games on the
computer. My 3 year old is always so busy doing something and the
one year old follows. Some times the 10 year old will follow the
two of them.
When and wheredoes the school work come in with homeschooling???
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Deb Lewis
***When and wheredoes the school work come in with homeschooling???***
Homeschooling is different than unschooling. Unschooling is just what it
sounds like. Not schooling. So, what will happen in your unschooling
life with your children will probably never look like "school work."
You can read more about unschooling at www.sandradodd.com.
You're worried about not being able to make time in the day for "school
work." I hope you can find time to read more about unschooling. Not
only to see if it's right for you but to gain some better understanding
about how living with your children as happily as possible can be the
foundation for all the learning they will naturally do their whole lives
long.
If you really decide unschooling is the right thing for your family your
focus can (and will) shift from trying to make time for school work, to
valuing every moment you spend happily with your kids.
***The little time we get between 10:30-12 is spent fussing over who
needs my attention. Because the 10 year old wants to have more of my
attention than the smaller children.***
This sounds not so much like a sleep time issue as it does a "quality
time with mom" issue. If the choice you're making to direct their sleep
and have them waking at a certain time is creating a stressful morning
for you all, you won't have the quality of time shared that you otherwise
might. I understand your desire to have more time with them before you
have to go to work. But maybe instead of focusing on the amount of
hours, focus on the quality of the hours. A shorter, happy interaction
with you is worth more than a longer stressful one.
My son started sleeping later at about that age. He now stays up until
two or three some mornings and sleeps until anywhere between ten and
noon. I think, in part, a body that age is beginning it's transition to
teen hood and I believe teens require more sleep time. However, even in
young children sleep requirements can change often and drastically. Your
ten year old is really the only one who can decide how much sleep he or
she needs.
***Also if I don't think of something to do between those times, the 10
year old either wants to watch TV or paint or play games on the
computer.***
I think those are good, creative solutions. All of those choices are
"something to do". All of those things are valuable. You can show
interest in what your ten year old is watching, painting or playing. You
can listen to his or her ideas and excitement about what's going on, you
can share in the fun and you will be doing something together.
***I have to start cooking by 3pm.I work in the evenings when my
husband comes home so I want to do things with them in the mornings.***
Can your husband share the cooking? Can he cook a few days and you cook
the other days?
Can you cook on weekends and put food in the freezer that can then be
yanked out and heated in the microwave?
Can you choose two or three days a week where you eat commercially
prepared stuff that won't require a lot of your time?
Send out for Pizza? Have your husband grab some take out on his way
home?
Seeing more than one option could open up two or three or more days a
week for you to spend more quality time with your kids.
You could have music playing and you could all be dancing while you cook,
or a movie on that you can all watch and talk about, or you could invent
some silly game to play while you're cooking and your kids are nearby so
that you *will* be spending time with them even though you're doing the
other things you want to do.
Deb
Homeschooling is different than unschooling. Unschooling is just what it
sounds like. Not schooling. So, what will happen in your unschooling
life with your children will probably never look like "school work."
You can read more about unschooling at www.sandradodd.com.
You're worried about not being able to make time in the day for "school
work." I hope you can find time to read more about unschooling. Not
only to see if it's right for you but to gain some better understanding
about how living with your children as happily as possible can be the
foundation for all the learning they will naturally do their whole lives
long.
If you really decide unschooling is the right thing for your family your
focus can (and will) shift from trying to make time for school work, to
valuing every moment you spend happily with your kids.
***The little time we get between 10:30-12 is spent fussing over who
needs my attention. Because the 10 year old wants to have more of my
attention than the smaller children.***
This sounds not so much like a sleep time issue as it does a "quality
time with mom" issue. If the choice you're making to direct their sleep
and have them waking at a certain time is creating a stressful morning
for you all, you won't have the quality of time shared that you otherwise
might. I understand your desire to have more time with them before you
have to go to work. But maybe instead of focusing on the amount of
hours, focus on the quality of the hours. A shorter, happy interaction
with you is worth more than a longer stressful one.
My son started sleeping later at about that age. He now stays up until
two or three some mornings and sleeps until anywhere between ten and
noon. I think, in part, a body that age is beginning it's transition to
teen hood and I believe teens require more sleep time. However, even in
young children sleep requirements can change often and drastically. Your
ten year old is really the only one who can decide how much sleep he or
she needs.
***Also if I don't think of something to do between those times, the 10
year old either wants to watch TV or paint or play games on the
computer.***
I think those are good, creative solutions. All of those choices are
"something to do". All of those things are valuable. You can show
interest in what your ten year old is watching, painting or playing. You
can listen to his or her ideas and excitement about what's going on, you
can share in the fun and you will be doing something together.
***I have to start cooking by 3pm.I work in the evenings when my
husband comes home so I want to do things with them in the mornings.***
Can your husband share the cooking? Can he cook a few days and you cook
the other days?
Can you cook on weekends and put food in the freezer that can then be
yanked out and heated in the microwave?
Can you choose two or three days a week where you eat commercially
prepared stuff that won't require a lot of your time?
Send out for Pizza? Have your husband grab some take out on his way
home?
Seeing more than one option could open up two or three or more days a
week for you to spend more quality time with your kids.
You could have music playing and you could all be dancing while you cook,
or a movie on that you can all watch and talk about, or you could invent
some silly game to play while you're cooking and your kids are nearby so
that you *will* be spending time with them even though you're doing the
other things you want to do.
Deb
scrapgal
--- In [email protected], Deb Lewis <ddzimlew@j...>
wrote:
helping in the kitchen since the could stand on a chair and slice
olives with an egg slicer! Not that I force them, it's more of a
case of them wanting to be in there with me. I have tons of tools
(mostly Pampered Chef) that my kids all know how to use. Food
choppers, cheese graters (like the kind that Olive Garden used to
use to grate parmesan cheese), egg slicers, measuring cups,
measuring spoons, bamboo spoons for stirring, real knives and
cutting boards, rolling pins, flour sugar shakers, etc. My kids are
*constantly* wanting to cook or help cook. The agreement in today's
household is that if they help me clear the work counter they can
make cookies. There is *always* a project of some sort to do! The
like helping with dinner, lunches and breakfasts. I've taught my
kids to do many things on their own so they are more self-
sufficient. They know how to make ramen in the microwave and the
older two can make mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs and mac-n-
cheese. They all know how to make toast and grilled cheese
sandwiches. I work outside the home on various evenings (I'm a
Pampered Chef consultant - so yes; cooking is my life LOL!) and I do
many of the things that Deb suggested. I make meals ahead of time,
have something that their dad can prepare, plan in a meal out or a
meal brought in.
And cooking is such a wonderful "tool" to enlightenment. My kids
have looked up the history of spaghetti and how to grow pumpkins
just because of cooking. The internet is a wonderful "tool" for
unschoolers because they can easily allow children to go from
one "tangent" to another. They start looking up the history of
spaghetti and that leads them to a website about Italy which leads
them to a website about the Medici family which leads them to a
website about the plague in Europe which leads them to a website
about France which leads them to the History Channel and voila! The
kids are in front of the television watching a show about the French
Revolution! All because we decided to have spaghetti for dinner. :-
)
Michelle
wrote:
>you cook
> Can your husband share the cooking? Can he cook a few days and
> the other days?be
> Can you cook on weekends and put food in the freezer that can then
> yanked out and heated in the microwave?way
> Can you choose two or three days a week where you eat commercially
> prepared stuff that won't require a lot of your time?
> Send out for Pizza? Have your husband grab some take out on his
> home?And children love to be engaged in the kitchen!! My kids have been
helping in the kitchen since the could stand on a chair and slice
olives with an egg slicer! Not that I force them, it's more of a
case of them wanting to be in there with me. I have tons of tools
(mostly Pampered Chef) that my kids all know how to use. Food
choppers, cheese graters (like the kind that Olive Garden used to
use to grate parmesan cheese), egg slicers, measuring cups,
measuring spoons, bamboo spoons for stirring, real knives and
cutting boards, rolling pins, flour sugar shakers, etc. My kids are
*constantly* wanting to cook or help cook. The agreement in today's
household is that if they help me clear the work counter they can
make cookies. There is *always* a project of some sort to do! The
like helping with dinner, lunches and breakfasts. I've taught my
kids to do many things on their own so they are more self-
sufficient. They know how to make ramen in the microwave and the
older two can make mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs and mac-n-
cheese. They all know how to make toast and grilled cheese
sandwiches. I work outside the home on various evenings (I'm a
Pampered Chef consultant - so yes; cooking is my life LOL!) and I do
many of the things that Deb suggested. I make meals ahead of time,
have something that their dad can prepare, plan in a meal out or a
meal brought in.
And cooking is such a wonderful "tool" to enlightenment. My kids
have looked up the history of spaghetti and how to grow pumpkins
just because of cooking. The internet is a wonderful "tool" for
unschoolers because they can easily allow children to go from
one "tangent" to another. They start looking up the history of
spaghetti and that leads them to a website about Italy which leads
them to a website about the Medici family which leads them to a
website about the plague in Europe which leads them to a website
about France which leads them to the History Channel and voila! The
kids are in front of the television watching a show about the French
Revolution! All because we decided to have spaghetti for dinner. :-
)
Michelle