Our First Day of Homeschool Kindergarten

So after a few years of contemplating the idea of homeschooling. I decided to finally make the leap this year after my photography business started to blossom and having to maintain a very flexible schedule.

With also being a pastor's family we are constantly given weird work schedules for my husband. Some weekends, he is gone and some weeknights he is gone. We also travel once a month from Thursday to Saturday to go up to see my mom in DC. So public school was not in the cards for the kids.

But for the past three years, we have done the same routine everyday:

1: Do workbooks of some kind/learning time

2: Go on a fieldtrip (aquarium/zoo/children's museum/park)

3: Do quiet time/ educational TV

4: Read books

5: Do musictime/exercise time

6: Clean the house/

7: Make dinner

8: Play time/family time

9: Get ready for bed by 8:30

So by the time that Alyvia was actually old enough to officially enter kindergarten, it was no major transition for her.

Have I had to explain to Alyvia why she can't go with her neighbors and friends to "real" school? Sure. I have to be honest that we need a flexible schedule to spend for time as a family and to see her relatives.

It was really hard this morning to see her friends get on the bus. But honestly, I think her friends seemed a little jealous that she was still in her robe and PJ's at 8:00 in the morning.

Our morning started by the kids doing a sticker chart about opening a "bake shop" and counting the number of items in the store. We also made pretend prices for them and "bought" things.

Now, at this point, Alyvia was happy. I have to make sure that she is having some kind of choice in the activity that I plan. She has been having a hard time knowing that her brother is now here with her, "learning" along side her. She would have 100% attention to herself if she could. That has been the hardest transition for her.

They always fight over who holds the flag for the pledge time. That's usually a time that I have to break up a fight. I really to buy two flags- but what's the fun in that?

We have a curriculum book from Amazon, but Alyvia loves doing workbooks and sitting down. She LOVES math. If I do anything that she has to read or write down things, then she gets frustrated. Sometimes so frustrated that she starts to cry or start to throw things.

In fact today, she said, "I don't even like Caleb being here" because she was so frustrated. I made her have a time-out and clean her bathroom.

(Yes, I make my kids do chores when they are in trouble. First of all, it teaches them responsibility. And secondly, I get my house clean!)

Book time is always a great time to snuggle. We check out 60 books a week from the library (we went there today by the way). It's a great free activity that lets my kids have something constructive to do in the (they get over 45 mins of quiet reading time a day there!) Plus, it gives my 5 year old some responsibility of taking care of her books.

We were just having a moment here between doing our calendar time and counting time.

I do calendar time with them about once a week. She loves changing the numbers and figuring out what day of the week it is.

Caleb had a great time feeding his baby "brudder" oatmeal.

We went to the park for "recess." Yes, we were mostly the only ones there. And yes we stayed for over an hour. It was fabulous!

I was so glad that it was not very hot today! It was a pretty mild 75.

Even though according the city of Chesapeake, Alyvia would only be in Kindergarten, but she is already doing a lot of 1st grade math and language concepts. I am curious to see if I take the CAT (California Achievement Test) at the end of this year for 1st grade how she would do.

But no rush. I am just enjoying where I am.

I am loving the journey so far.

I would never go back, not for a million bucks. Well, maybe a million bucks, we are stilling paying off our school bills. But you get the point.

Christal

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