The Buddy System and Homeschooling
Just in case you didn’t know, there is only one of me. There are 7 of them. You know, my precious, beautiful children? Yep, there is 7 of them. There is a funny thing that happens almost every day. It never fails that when Lydia and I cuddle up for reading, the 2 year old suddenly has a meltdown because she dropped the pencil that she shouldn’t have had in the first place, because she is writing in a book that just happens to be a library book that is overdue. Do I see nodding heads out there? Mmmhmmmm.
I also have a 4 year old who thinks that she is ready for high school lit class. OK, that might be a stretch. However, in her mind, her scissor skill book is the answer to world peace and a stable economy. Well, it certainly makes her face light up it get pulled out for her to work on. And don’t even get her going on her thinking skills book. Look. Out. We have one happy preschooler on our hands. Sadly, I often get wrapped up in phonics with Lydia, long division with Caleb, grammar with Mary and decimal/fraction and percentage conversions with Bekah. Hannah’s scissor skills book gets pushed to the end of the day that well, never really happens.
So I finally did what homeschool moms all over do…I delegated. I gave some instructing responsibility to the big kids. (Shhh, not only does it give them time with their younger siblings but it also serves as review on some things. ) I team an older with a younger and they drill math facts, listen to someone read aloud or sit with Hannah as she shows her skills with the scissors. The older sibling delights in handing out stickers for a job well done. A strong bond forms as the 11 year old colors with the 2 year old.
Did I have to beg, plead, and bribe my older ones to take on these tasks? Oh my, no. You would have thought I handed them the keys to the candy store. Ok, they weren’t that excited. But they were excited. I loved the approach they took. Bekah grabbed a calendar and immediately planned out her time with Sarah. I loved that she knew to include a trip to the potty as her first task. Then she scheduled out reading books, coloring, and taking a walk outside if the weather was appropriate. Mary didn’t worry about planning. She grabbed paper and made a set of flashcards for colors, shapes and family members. Her goal is to increase Sarah’s vocabulary. They each get a “middle kiddo” to drill math facts with each day. Fabulous review, folks! And it gives me time with the little ones.
It took me a while to embrace delegating these tasks but all the kiddos love it! How do you make the buddy system work for you?
Love it! We often buddy the oldest (just turned 9) with the 4 and 5 yo for phonics practice. My oldest loves teaching them, (and being the boss..lol). One of the highlights is when I have everyone do something that is specifically for the littlest ones, like playdoh or building with blocks.