I have a hard time carving out time for "school"

[Psyche]

FWIW, I'm pretty informal. I aim for 30 minutes of what I deem school activity five times a week. This might be something like playing on Starfall, or a letter identification game or coloring a letter or playing with letter beads or a counting game or what not. I stink at finding the time though. There is more than enough time, but if its not at a consistent time I have a hard time motivating myself.

Most of the issue is the variablity of DH's schedule. There is no consistency in what hours he will work or days off. Jon has no consistent time he'll sleep. He woke up at 5:45 so he took at nap at 9:30. I expect he'll take another around 2. If he wakes at 7:30 he'll take one around 11:30, usually. I don't like doing school when DH is home, as I want the boys to be able to interact with him.

So WWYD to carve out a consistent time?

[TraceMama]

:cup I'm struggling with this too.

[Peridot]

:shifty and me...

[brandi]

I don't know if I would be too concerned right now about "school" time with your boys. they are young and their play time is their learning time. Maybe when they are older, then you can have an actual "school" time, and when daddy is home, he can be invovled in the lessons so that the boys are getting to spend time with daddy and are getting school done, too.

Maybe for now, you could have a specific time for reading stories, say at 10 am. If daddy is home, and awake, he can join in the story time and discussion. Then the boys are getting into a routine of school, reguardless if daddy is there or not. You can then do coloring, games, etc. throughout the day to enrich play time.

I don't know if I answered your question. This is how we make it work in our house with DH's schedule.

[mamacat]

Have you guys read the recent post in this forum about Finland etc.? If not,please do so as it could be really freeing to you about starting anything at all until later except for playing and reading and whatever you are already doing.I think unschooling should be called deschooling - a better fitting definition.One of the beautiful things about HSing IME & IME is that it is so very flexible and like we have been as a society kind of almost brainwashed in what childbirth should look like (compared to what it always was in the past)by hospital standards,so it is with school.Schooling used to be done more around the families needs rather than the other way around.

[Thankfulforgrace]

He's only four :shrug3. At this point my school is letting my child play as much as possible and making reading together a priority. And field trips ;)

[mamacat]

Yep what thankful said.You dont really have to be concerned about carving out time at this point and if you feel like you want a more scheduled time - tho with your husb.s schedule it doesnt sound like a good fit for your family - you can figure it out later..

[newday]

I would not try to do school. If you home school, why would you want to copy what schools do? maybe you could focus on learning opportunities instead. If you are able to let go of the "idea" of school, I believe your home-education experience will benefit.

I use every opportunity for learning. My children are always "in-school" if you want to put it that way. Then I never worry about their education. :shrug

I would just make sure that the things you do every day are things that encourage learning:)

[swimming with sharks]

would it work for you to have a daily schedule not associated with times? Like first we do breakfast, then Jon naps, then we read, etc. Maybe on days dh is home you could him read or do an activity although I know that could translate over to only wanting to do it when Daddy's there, but there's always ' showing daddy what we did for school' when he comes home and making the coloring page/craft for daddy ;)

[Call Her Blessed]

I second the sentiment that at young ages their play is their work. And even later, school takes much less time than is commonly supposed.

[TuneMyHeart]

We don't have a "school" time. We do crafts and read and play. Then play some more. :)