Nearly the end of term, nearly Easter, 8 weeks until baby number 7 arrives and we’re all doing well here. We’ve settled into our homeschool routine and school seems like a distant memory. I take notes of everything we do each day in a little notebook I keep and one of the biggest realisations has been just how much ‘out and about’ we get done every day. Instead of being ‘locked away’ and away from us between 7.30 and 4 we are ducking into the shops or the post office or visiting the OB or the dentist and our behaviour is getting so much better in all situations. It’s just another benefit I wasn’t expecting to happen so soon. Another tick for homeschooling a little person with special needs.
We are counting to 10 perfectly, we are starting to identify more of the numbers to 10, our cutting is getting so much better, we get through a lot of things each day and I love that art and craft is run by my older girl. One afternoon she told us she was teaching the kids how to make plastic straw flutes and she told me what she needed and then had 3 little helpers at the table, youtube on and got to work. We also did 3 batches of scones in one weekend and the big girls take control and everyone joins in. I just need to train them better in the art of cleaning up messes.
Each day we do some educational games which she enjoys. These don’t have to cost a lot and I picked up a few in the clearance section here.
The pregnancy is going really well. I’m trying to remember to wear my compression socks each day for my varicose vein that has decided to play up, I’m having a growth scan next tuesday because little baby isn’t so little (story of my life), we are apparently back to the drawing board on the name even though I have the perfect one chosen and I’m starting to gather up things for the hospital bag and working out where all of the baby things are around the house and what I still need. Oh and my weight gain is off the charts as I’m weighing what I did when I gave birth to the last 2 boys. That’s how I knew I was having a girl though…..always bigger with girls.
There has been a little bit of knitting, I made this adorable hat for a baby shower. I’m convinced it’s a bit too small so told the mum to be that I’ll have to make a larger one. The pattern is a free one called Beloved which you can find here and a super easy pattern to make.
And that’s about it.
We had great success with app based educational games, especially reading eggs and targeting maths..great for in the car on the go but also used it as part of our structured learning each day. Having been told our boy would never read at the age of 11 we have shown them otherwise! Have to say later on minecraft was a dynamo for motivation to read and spell as he wanted to engage in the chat however it did take over 3 years of me spelling every word and pre writing every sentence to get there but we did it and so very proud of all his hard work and my tears. You sound like you are going great guns.
yes apps are great especially for busy days! I really am enjoying it and wish more people would consider it as an option!
Thanks for the encouragement:)
Thanks for that link to the games – awesome.
yep they are great to keep in the bookshelf and all the kids love them without realising they are learning:)
Glad to hear homeschooling is working so well for you! If you need a simple way of recording learning there is a free program called Keptme, I’ve been using it for a few weeks and it makes recording really simple using the app on my phone. Only 8 weeks to go, how exciting!
thank you, you’re the 2nd person to mention that to me so I might look into it! If I don’t write things down that day I tend to forget all the great things we did that day!
Corrie:)
We are in the midst of making the huge decision on whether to pull our special needs child out of school and homeschool or not, so I’m enjoying reading all about your homeschool experience and your resource links have been amazing. I think i know deep down its what we need to do for him but its scary all the same.
If you need to message me then please do, I can’t believe how much we are doing every day and I know that it’s daunting thinking about having them home with you all day but honestly they find their own things to do, are happy, are more involved in the community, behaviour improves, speech improves and she now finds activities to do and wants to sit down and do her work. Good luck, if you need someone to talk to just email me:)