Fitting School into Busy Days

We have a very busy week this week and the birth of our 5th child approaching in a few weeks. During these busy times, it's easy to let school get pushed aside in order to take care of the urgent. However, I have found that these "busy days" come more often than the school year permits. Here are some of the ways we still complete school and get things done on those too-many-things-to-do days.

1. Work together - I have found that if I just take the time to sit next to the kids and work through their school with them, they get a lot more completed in a short amount of time. I am able to keep away the distractions easier than if I am in and out of the room doing dishes and cleaning up. This is a hard one to do, just sitting there when you have other things that need doing.

2. Work and Play - When we have a lot of housework to do I find that work and play works well. We do this one of 2 ways. I have the kids in the room that I am working in. We set the timer and they work on a subject for a set amount of time. When the timer dings, they get to play for a certain amount of time. This takes more of the day, but we are accomplishing 2 things at once. The other way we do this, if I need help with the cleaning, is to make a 3 way rotation between cleaning, playing and schoolwork. Work and Play requires some time, but again with the kids right with me, I can help keep away distractions.

3. Educational Videos - If I have a lot to do at home or am sick, that is when I break out the educational videos and the interesting science books. Hand a child a cool book about a cool animal ask them to read it, then give them a paper with a section to write and draw a picture and TAADA, you have science, english and art done. It might not be for everyday, but on a busy day, it works.

4. Bring it along - I find this does not work very well for our family. But if you are going to be out running around all day you can just pack up the books and work as you go. This is also the time to break out the math, history and science cds that can be listened to on the road. Also, don't forget the grocery store math and the reading the signs on the side of the road education. The age of your children really depends on how well this will go.

5. Vacation Day - Sometimes, the day is just too filled with other things and you just have to take a vacation day for the sanity of all. I have the hardest time doing this, (the kids find it easy :) but sometimes it just has to be done.

Those are just some of the ways we make it through the busy times without letting school fall completely behind.

- Julee