Homeschooling with Baby

3/24/2014

We homeschool. And yes, we have an infant in the house. How do we combine these two? 


Well, I figure it's never too early to start the education process?!  :-)

Honestly, we took about 4-6 weeks off of school when the baby was born. That was just out of necessity for my own sanity. We school year-round and one of the major benefits of this approach is being able to take breaks as we need them. This year, we needed a long break around Christmastime, as adjusted to life with a newborn. No problem. We're still basically on track to complete our 180 days of school within a one-year time frame. 

What we continued to do during those early weeks was read. While I was tied to my "nursing chair" for many hours each day, I read to the kids. We read some "school" books and some leisure books. My 6-year-old especially liked reading through favorites like Charlotte's Web, Ralph S. Mouse, The Trumpet of the Swan.

We also worked on practical skills. My 10-year old learned how to make some basic lunch meals. We have had many discussions about how babies develop and grow, what they can and can't do at each stage, what toys they like, etc. I've heard it said before, "the baby is the lesson." That is so true. While we may take a break from traditional homeschooling, much learning is still going on.

Now that baby is around 3 months old, we're back into the swing of school. I continue to work through this book "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" with my 6-year-old. He's doing great as he learns to read. And my 10-year-old is old enough to do much of her work independently, requiring only supervision and sometimes help. She's studying human anatomy this year for science, which has dovetailed nicely with life at our house with pregnancy, baby, and growth. 

Again, I will say how thankful I am that we homeschool. There's flexibility in our schedule - we don't have to get up early each day, which is a blessing with a newborn! There's flexibility in our yearly schedule - we can take a maternity leave and it's fine! We can lighten the curriculum load in some areas and focus on others for a time. And there's no rigidity even with teachers - Dad can help teach!  

And ultimately, my children get to grow up together. My 10-year-old gets to interact with her baby sister... and grow and learn through the experience. My 6-year-old is learning how to be a big brother. We're all learning and growing together. It's a beautiful thing!

Baby Girl is 3 Months Old

3/14/2014
   
The last 3 months have flown by.


Baby Girl has already been with us for 90 days. 
13 Weeks. 3 Months. 


She gives lots of smiles now. She's giggled a few times, but no belly laughs yet. 


 

Here are some portraits of her at 3 months. 

So adorable, with that toothless grin.


Love this one - baby in a box. And those little shoes in the foreground. So precious!


And one with the beautiful hat a friend made for her. 
Is there anything more beautiful in the world than a baby with a hat?!

She's sleeping fairly well at night, but not much during the daytime. We'll need to start some sleep training to get those daytime naps in. But she's sleeping at night from 9 pm until 9 am, getting up twice (2 am and 6 am). 

She's just generally very alert. Big eyes taking it all in. She loves to watch big brother. He comes over to pat her head, give kisses, and talk to her often. She just soaks it up. 

Happy 3-months, baby girl!

Family Photos

3/12/2014

A new baby in our home means it's time for new family photos.


We keep a family portrait hanging above our fireplace in the living room. Above is the one we had there, from fall 2012.


And here's some new, current shots with all 3 children.

My heart is so overjoyed and thankful for the family God's blessed me with. What a delight to share life with these people!

Baby Adjustments

3/4/2014

We're almost 3 months in with our baby girl. This is when the days are very long but the weeks somehow pass quickly. 

I had some concerns about how my older children would adjust to having a baby in our home. But they have been wonderful. 


My 10-year-old daughter has surprised me by asking to hold the baby now and then. 


And both of the older kids have become entertainers for our baby. They enjoy talking to her, showing her new things, and just interacting with her. 

It's been neat to watch the older kids grow up a bit. Babies do that to families - force us all to grow up, mature, take on new responsibilities. My 6-year-old son especially has had to move out of the role of "baby of the family" into the role of big brother. He's done great. No resentment. No hard feelings. He's growing up. He's had to learn to be a helper, instead of the one needing help. 

We're all growing up!