I am needing some help.
This year has really thrown us for a loop. I feel a peace in my soul when things are running smoothly and simply. We just haven't seemed to find our rhythm yet.
First grade started homework for Matthew. Everyday, he comes home with sheets to do and a reading assignment at night. We also have to do piano lessons. Throw in a game or two, maybe a practice, Wednesday night church, etc. and the day is over in a snap.
I also feel like Matthew needs some down time as well. He dreads doing his work at the end of the day because all he wants to do is throw the football in the backyard with his brother. I can't say I blame him, but the work needs to be done as well.
The piano and reading need to be done with me supervising. This is no easy task as I have two little ones who still need me and dinner to make.
Does anyone have any tips to make afternoons run more smoothly?
Had a thought.
15 hours ago
15 comments:
Tracy,
I am surprised that she has homework in kindergarten! Matthew didn't have any until this year.
Gracie had homework last year. She had to read 15 minutes at least 5 nights a week. She also had a handful of things to turn in BUT they had a week to complete them.
This year she does have homework each night. Luckily, she loves it and is usually done about 1/2 an hour after she gets home. I do think that makes a difference: having them do the homework FIRST THING when they get home. We look at the things in her folder then she grabs the homework and does it. Katie goes down for a nap AS SOON as we walk in the door so that definitely helps.
We just finished soccer and I understand about feeling like things like that take up time. We typically had a game or practice 2 nights a week + Wed. night church. Honestly, we were thinking about starting basketball but we decided to take a break. We really didn't like having so many things to run to during the weeknights. We loved soccer BUT it seemed like a little much some nights, especially when the game was scheduled for 6:45-7:45.
I know Matthew loves sports so i don't know how he would feel about giving that up......
I am a homebody by nature so for me the answer to slowing things down is not to have too many "extra" things scheduled for after school. Church on Wed. night is a priority but I don't want to have too many other things. I do think Gracie needs that time to just play or watch a video, etc.
That's just from my perspective. I don't want you to think I'm saying you're doing anything wrong by having him in sports & piano. It's just that for us, we try to take it slower by not scheduling alot of other things.
Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you! (I would love for G to take piano, but we don't have a piano!)
Thanks, Jacinda!
On the days that ME is still napping when Matthew comes home, things run much smoother. When this happens, though, I run the risk of her being up until 10 p.m!
I am a total homebody as well, which usually makes me LOVE my mornings and dread the afternoons!
I have drawn the line with one sport and one music per child. This was the rule for us growing up and it seemed to work. Matthew has asked to be in Boy Scouts which was met with a resounding NO!
Right now, ME is in nothing, and Thomas is in one sport. I do wonder what it will be like when they are all three involved in extracurricular activities.
I think another thing that is hard is straddling the life of a mother of a school age child, toddler, and preschooler. It is hard to meet all of their needs at any given moment.
No advice from me. I'm not there yet, but I do hope you can find that happy medium. I know how unorganized and chaotic I feel when I don't have it.
~"I think another thing that is hard is straddling the life of a mother of a school age child, toddler, and preschooler. It is hard to meet all of their needs at any given moment."~
I agree Elizabeth!
Something that helps with our sports/music activities: we alternate boys who are in activities. Every other season we rotate who gets to play. This way we can all fully support the brother that is playing. Especially when they get older, 2 games per week and practice. It works for us and the boy that is playing feels so special that we can ALL support him without running to something else.
As far as homework, it only gets worse! We have one in 4th, 1st and Pre-school. With all boys, they NEED that play time and we found that as soon as they get home, they have 30-45 minutes to do whatever they want. Then they just know it's time for homework.
It has been so much more relaxing for our family to cut out the excess and just enjoy each other and what we are involved in. Good luck!
I have a 15 year old and 11 year old. So we've struggled until we found a groove that works here.
We had to just set limits. We decided which sports to play. We can't do them all and still be sane. We chose Golf and Football.
Here's our afternoon routine.
Whatever practice there might be.
Followed by: homework then chore list or dinner which ever comes first.
Down time comes when homework, chores and dinner are complete.
I'm finding that limiting TV during the school week makes our life run more smoothly and allows for more down time.
Don't get caught up in all the extra curricular. I have a friend who is not satisfied unless her children play ALL sports and are constantly on the go with practice and games.
It makes for tired kids.
My family just seems to rock along better with a schedule in the afternoons. That way we all know what's going on and who is to do what and when. And I'm not a real good scheduler. But I had to make an exception with this.
Oh, man! I don't have any advice for you, but I did just have a panic attack thinking of what life will be like in a few short years!
This is a hard thing - I echo TMK that it only gets harder. I am sure people with Jr. High and High School age kids could tell us the same.
We tried "down time" after school with little success. It seemed difficult to cut that off and start back to work. We have a snack, I look through their folders and then they do homework. Usually this all takes till about 5:00. But, I do not have a 2 year old after my attention! When Alyssa was 3 and I kept kids it was harder. You will find a groove that works.
We only do one sport/activity at a time and no TV M-Thurs. There simply isn't time for TV during the school week. Good luck!
Carrie
This is all such great advice...I'm taking notes!
I just got home from the day and loved reading everyones comments.
TMK-Great idea about having one child play per season. Definitely something to consider.
Carrie-I think maybe doing everything before play time is a good idea. It seems hard for him to reengage after playing outside.
As far as extracurriculars go, I thought I was doing well only doing two! Many of my friends do much more than that. I have been thinking it over today and can't part with music and sports. I think only Matthew will play basketball this winter so it will be a little calmer.
We had a sermon a few months ago about overscheduled kids. I had lots of unscheduled time as a child and it is important to me to have the same for my kids. I don't think any of them are overscheduled, its just hard to find a system to balance the scheduled vs. unscheduled time!
Thanks for the advice!
Well, mine is just now 4 so I think I'll print out all these great ideas for later on down the line! Sorry I can't help out this time....
As a mother of a 3rd grader I can testify that the homework will only get worse. Hannah is only involved in 1 thing. (Does not include Girl Scouts) which meets right after school, at the school, every other week. Her other thing is horseback riding which is on the weekends. I love coming home in the afternoon. She does her homework in the car on the way home (we have a long commute) and she can play at home. So much research has just come out that our kids are not PLAYING enough. Maybe you could save the one sport for the summer and let the school year consist of throwing football in the backyard. I can't imagine having three kids which equals 6 afterschool activities. You go girl!
I've enjoyed reading these comments and hearing everyone's perspective.
And I echo the sentiment to limit extra activities. We have three girls, and with each one in one activity plus church that's all we can fit in. Our oldest is the only one in two things right now because she enjoys piano and sports. I see piano almost like school, though. They need to learn music in my opinion!
We get the homework knocked out right after school. The older girls don't have time for t.v. My fifth grader has three or four hours of homework some nights. Plus projects. It seems like she is learning things I was learning in eighth grade!
And I love it when it rains and things get cancelled! We are homebodys, and so the unexpected rain keeps us all home together for the evening.
Amy-
I feel the same way about piano. I just can't quit that! I also love when it rains. I bet that happens much more frequently where you live!
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