I'm about to have a baby and will then have two little ones 20 months and newborn. My boys are almost 14 and almost 11 and I'm really looking at TOG for help with making highschool thought provoking and challenging as they get older. I love the books they are reading at the moment but I think I need more help in eliciting discussions and thoughtful writing and TOG looks just the ticket.

BUT... I'm very scared I'm going to spend all this money and find the planning time and implementing of discussions unrealistic with the little ones. Is anyone in a similar boat able to offer some encouragement or advice?

Also, could someone tell me about how long each week various subjects/readings usually even out at timewise for a Dialectic child? I want to make sure I'm not going to be placing a heavy load on my son when I factor in other things we are doing too, such as Apologia Science.

Thanks very much,

all help gratefully received!

Pam

Hi Pam,

I suspect no matter what you use with 3 under two year olds in the house you'll have your hands full.

I also think a lot depends on your older two boys and their own dependability.

My 11 yo is doing the dialectic level pretty well thus far (we are in the first week) but he is my super dependable child. My 8 yo is struggling more but some of that is his personality he doesn't like to knuckle down and do work so anything that looks challenging is a whine (and he feels no need to use logic: he'll tell me there are too many math problems and then complain that they are too easy).

If both your older two are fairly good at working on their own and are strong readers, once you have your materials set up, they could work a lot of the material on their own. You'd probably want to plan to have your discussion periods during naps.

Hi! I agree that likely the only time you will have to interact meaningfully with your older ones will be when the little ones are napping. My youngest two are 3 and 4 yrs old. They love to "do school", too, but if I try to read aloud, have a discussion, do a science experiment, etc. with the older ones, the little ones want to see, do, ask questions (or bicker and whine!). I make sure that I spend at least an hour or two each morning with the little ones reading, doing projects, doing "school".

Having said that, even my LG and UG do quite a bit of their work independently. I make sure to have a good intro discussion on Monday morning, the history discussion Wednesday, talk about writing at the beginning and end of the week plus daily math lessons and periodic science stuff. Other than that, all work is independent and I check it all at the end of each day. I do my prep work when my husband is home so he can run interference with the little ones, if needed.

If you could swing it, I suggest you stretch your first year out over 2 years (assuming your almost 14-yr-old is in 8th grade this year -- if he's in 9th grade this year, you might not want to spread things out too much). That way you and your older boys can ease into the swing of things and work toward that independence but you won't burn yourselves out.

Blessings,
Monica