Mom Blog and Baby Blog | Baby Bunching

organizing school papers

The school year is in full swing now that's November. In fact, the first grading period is officially over for my kids. I feel like the older my kids get, the quicker the time flies.

This past weekend, I found myself among mountains of paperwork. Not my own, but my kids. I wish I could say it was just limited to art "projects," but there are journals, weekend updates, letters and science tests. Some I want to save and some I have no idea whether I should save or not. One of the side effects with Baby Bunching is all your kids' stuff comes in bunches as well.

We're into second grade with my oldest so I figure this is only the beginning, but since we're living in a small house, we need to find a way to get this in check sooner rather than later. There are probably lots of solutions out there--binders, crates, filing, bins, drawers--but I need one that involves very little effort on my part since I have very little extra time and very little space.  I found this fabulous idea through one of my mom's online groups from iHeart Organizing, and I'm proud to say I managed to get it all organized in one afternoon.

Supplies:

1 crate/large document box per kid

13 (or more if you want to include preschool) hanging folders + same number of file folders

Jen from iHeart Organizing's cute downloads for labels and cover sheets

Photo of your child for each year

And happily, that is is all you need. I hit the Container Store and picked up two clear crates as I find if I can see what's inside I do better and colorful file folders (green for my son and turquoise for my daughter). The kids had a great time looking through all their old papers, report cards and letters from the past few years. Best of all, I am relieved to have a place for everything now.

How do you organize all your kids' school work?

baby bunching and redshirting

By Rachel Ostlie

One of the benefits of bunching your kids is the bunching that occurs in other areas as well. Both your kids enjoy the same toys and are entertained by the same activities. And when it comes to structured programming, like story time at the library, or toddler swim lessons, they can both be in the same class. It’s a beautiful way to uncomplicate your complex baby-filled life.

I’ve taken full advantage of this since the birth of Little Baby; however, a few months ago this benefit of bunching began to seem like a liability. With a Big Baby daughter born in December, and a Little Baby son born in May, my bunch (similar to most) will follow each other like ducks when starting school. Just like many parents of twins, I worry that my twiblings will be harmed by such close association. Will teachers have set expectations of Little Baby, based off having the previous year with his big sister? Will Big Baby always feel in the shadow of his sister, forced to measure up, or to follow whatever pathway she forges? To make it all more difficult, my daughter has a personality and fine motor skills tailor-made for school, while my son is a stereotypical boy: active, strong gross motor skills, with a sprinkling of challenging authorities.

This is why I’ve begun to consider “redshirting.” This idea was named after a practice from college sports, where a delay in an athlete’s participation resulted in a longer period of eligibility (i.e. an athlete would take classes and practice with a team their first year, but not actually play in any games, resulting in a subsequent four-year playing period where they are older and stronger than their peers in the sport).  In academics, redshirting involves postponing entrance into kindergarten to allow extra time for socioemotional, intellectual, or physical growth.

If I go the redshirting route, and hold my son back a year, I believe he will be able to lead a different life than his twibling sister. He will be on par or even more advanced than the other children in his class, which might even create an unconscious bias towards him. His teacher may give him more opportunities to excel, as he will often be better behaved and more productive than his younger classmates. He himself may have a better self-image, as success begets success. This is all speculation, of course, but it finds its basis in a number of research studies on redshirting correlating with achievement in academics, sports, and other fields.

What are your thoughts, Baby Bunchers? Is redshirting a good or bad idea? What have you done (or plan to do) to solve the school dilemma with your bunch? Or, is this really a non-issue, and I’m creating a mountain out of a molehill?

Rachel is a Baby Bunching mom of three (ages 3.5, 2.5, and 2 months). All her plans for potential redshirting are coming into question since moving to a new country with a different school calendar.
 

back to school: the wee ones

Last week I happily sent my Bunch off to school (first and second grade) with not a tear. While I did miss them both around lunch--when I was able to sit and peacefully eat my lunch for the first time in 3 months--I knew they were enjoying themselves in their new environments.

This week I had fun reading all the Facebook updates from friends around the country who were dropping off their preschool kids for their first days of school. Now that can be both an exciting and anxious day for all.

Beginning preschool is a big deal. We're guessing it's a bigger deal for you than for your child. Preschool is so many things for both you and your child. It may mean extra time for you to run around like crazy getting errands done kid free. (Hey, don't blow this off it's worth every penny of preschool tuition to grocery shopin peace.) It may be time for you to spend doing things you love--working out, working, crafting, cooking, etc. It could mean an opportunity for Big Baby to get a little time to socialize without you around. It's amazing the things they do when mom isn't hovering. It may mean time for you to be just with Little Baby and finally take that baby Gymboree class.

Preschool is also launches the next 18 + school years of your child's life. Your whole year will now operate on a school schedule. You will slowly be sucked into all the school politics. And you will soon learn that it really is all about the teacher....more than the school. You will even learn that as smart as you thought your kid was, there are probably four others just as smart.

In preparation for this new year, we'd like to offer up a little bit of advice for all you preschool novices--especially those who may be sending two kids this year.

Orientation/First Day of School. Now we know it's not practical to think that you can do this solo with your kid every year, but if you have ANY chance at getting 1:1 time with your preschooler at orientation/first day.....please, please take it. What are we saying here? TRY not to take younger siblings with you to orientation or the first day of school. We have both done these events with younger siblings because there's often no way around it, but even if you could get a friend to take your younger child right outside the door of the school while you get the older one settled it will really make a difference.

Potty training, anyone? Most schools require kids to be potty trained for the three-year old programs. Ok, here is the secret. They are ready to deal with accidents so if your kid isn't quite there, don't be afraid to send him anyway. I had one friend who sent her halfway potty-trained daughter to school on the first day and lied about how "trained" she was. She had accidents for two of the days and by the third the other half was done. Peer pressure is a powerful tool! Nothing sucks worse than a few days of peeing on yourself in front of other potential friends. If your child is almost there, send A LOTof extra undies and keep your fingers crossed.

Car line. Many part-time preschools have car/carpool lines. I'm pretty sure this invention was designed by a Baby Buncher. Car pool line is fabulous. Drive up. Kiss kid goodbye. Teacher helps him into building. Perfect. The downside to this is you may never get to see the inside of the classroom, get face time with the teacher or see your kid in action. Try to find a way (about once a month) to actually walk him/her into school. This excites your kid, gives you a better feel for the class and lets the teacher know you're interested.

Make your own preschool friends. Preschool is not just a chance for your kids to make friends, but for you as well. Cara and I have both made some wonderful friends through preschool. Cara even ended up joining the church that houses her preschool. Why is this important? Well, when the teacher asks for volunteers and you feel obliged to help with the Halloween party, you might need another mom to watch Little Baby while you parade around the hallways with your 3-year old.

However, don't feel pressured to get involved. You have many, many, many years left of school to get involved. Baby Bunchers already juggle way too much, literally, in the early days. I cannot stress this enough...don't let schools push you into volunteering. It always takes more time than they say and with kids close in age, it's often hard to be a room parent, make a ton of phone calls, organize a food drive or plan a yard sale. Let someone else do it. Yes, it's OK to be the slacker.

Get the class roster and calendar. Ask your preschooler about his day, and he'll tell you they had snack. If you're lucky, maybe you'll find out they went outside. They tend to not be a chatty bunch beyond recess and snack. Get a class roster from the teacher and start asking about the names on there. Same with the calendar. The more you know about about what they are supposed to be doing and who's in the class the more you can cajole them that the highlight really wasn't apple juice and goldfish.

Happy New School Year!

back to school: packing lunch

Hard to believe but both my kids start full-day school tomorrow. I am pretty excited about my first and second grader going off to school tomorrow. [Woop!]

As I was packing lunches tonight for both kids, I realized this is the beginning of a long run of lunchmaking enthusiasm. Um, another 12 years or so? Or at least until they get tired of my sweet little sandwiches and cheesy notes. I wonder when that will be?

Last year was a good test-run with one kid getting lunch so this year I decided I need a plan. Mainly so I could stay organized and always have necessary items on hand and to pull it together quickly at night or in the morning if I had to.

First thing was I made a list of all the "lunch staples" our family needs in any week. I tried to include some fun ideas like making mac & cheese once a week or spaghetti and meatballs (in a thermos of course) for the day. I compiled my list of "must have every week items."

This list looks something like this:

• Bread
• Tortillas (for sandwich wraps and quesadillas)
• Bagels
• Pita chips
• Pasta sauce
• Mozzarella
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Salad dressing for dipping
• Lunch meat
• Mac & cheese
• Meatballs
• Apples
• Fruit in season
• Granola bars
• PB&J
• Yogurt

With these items, I can pull off a week's worth of lunch no problem.

Then I made sure we have all the right gear. Yes, if you know us well here at Baby Bunching, you know we are all about gear. That includes food gear. We have slowly been moving away from plastic bags and trying to be more eco-friendly. My absolute favorite food container for every member of my house hold is the Sistema Food-to-Go. It's divided for three different things but it folds up nice and compact. This year, I'm adding a thermos because my younger child likes to take hot lunches. I had a hard time finding one that was short and wide enough for their lunch boxes. But I settled on these from Pottery Barn Kids. Also from Pottery Barn, I love love love, their little itty bitty storage container. I think it's about $2 in the store. I use it for dips and ketchup. It's the perfect size and cleans up easily. I actually went back this year and bought a few extra because even my husband likes it for salad dressing. New to me this year are the Lunchkins Sandwich and Snack bags. So we're going to give these a go.

I'm just wondering if I can keep up this energy throughout the year.

Now for all of you...we'd love to hear what about your kid's favorite packed lunch beyond PB&J or ham and cheese.

(photo from Pottery Barn Kids.)

the fairness battle continues

When my kids were younger, the fairness battle was easier to mitigate. Little Baby wanted toy, we asked Big Baby to offer her another. As they got older, there were timers involved...you can have the toy for 3 minutes she gets it next when the timer beeps. Little Baby rarely knew what time she had been missing while I spent time with Big Baby. My point is that it was a lot easier to fool people back then when they had little to no reference points and well, couldn't talk.  

Now people keep score. Yes, we had to make sure the Christmas gifts this year were even (in quantity) because my older one kept track. And now we've moved on to keeping track of who goes where with whom.

That's right my older son is keeping track of what kindergarten field trips and parties I went on/to with him and happily reports to my youngest (now in kindergarten a year behind him) what type of things I did with him presumably so she can compare. And draw her own conclusions. Gone are the days of me battling who has more snack in his bowl, now I have to manage the fairness of what I do with one I also must do with the other knowing that everyone's truly keeping track.

If one child does soccer, does the other child need something comparable? My gut initially says no way! Each kid is individual and what is right for one is not right for another. But when one kids wants to take violin and the other asks for piano, I'm thinking you have to make it fair again. How can you say yes to one and not the other? Especially with something like music.

I'll tell you what this fairness thing gets expensive and time consuming. We wonder how we all get sucked into the craziness in the first place. And the challenge of managing back-to-back kids continues into elementary school.

homeschooling your bunch; it can be done

By Tricia Morgan, Reston Mom

Iʼm a homeschooling mom of 3 - soon to be 4. Hope is 6, Maddie is 4, Amelia is 1 and the new baby arrives in November. One inquiry I get pretty often is in regards to how I handle teaching Hope (who is completing 1st grade this year) with little ones under foot. Honestly, this is a difficult question to answer for other people. First, because so much of what happens in a homeschooling household is determined by the particular philosophy/method employed. Secondly, our particular routine has seasons. It seems to shift and change and adapt just as the children themselves are growing and changing. And also, a great deal is dependent upon the personalities and temperament of the children as well as the parents - obviously there can be huge and dynamic differences here from household to household. All I can do is share what works for our family and be honest and say that we are still figuring some things out as we go. 

Maybe the best way to begin is simply to take you through a day this spring.

6:30-7 a.m.- Weʼre up! Baby gets a diaper change, and we all head downstairs
7-8 a.m.- Hope and Maddie either watch a few cartoons or play while mom feeds herself and Ami. Then mom gets time to read to or play with Ami.
8 - 9 a.m.- Hope and Maddie eat breakfast while Ami either plays or joins us in her highchair. Mom will read books chosen by the girls during breakfast. Afterwards, Hope and Maddie get dressed while mom cleans up from
breakfast and dresses Ami. Then everyone heads out the door to enjoy the nice weather for a few minutes and give Ami the opportunity to toddle a good bit.
9 ish- Ami goes down for a nap. Hope, Maddie, and Mom begin with a morning devotional. Following which Maddie will play or look at books quietly while mom starts Hope on her math lesson/assignment. Once Hope is working, if mom hasnʼt showered yet, sheʼll do that now. Around 10 a.m. there will be a break for snacks. Hope and Maddie play for a few minutes. Hope returns to her other curriculum assignments ie: handwriting, individual reading, etc.... and mom will work with Maddie on reading or preschool activity eventually Ami will wake up and she will play until Maddie and Hope are ready to join her.
11 or 11:30 a.m. is lunchtime. Often mom feeds herself and Ami while Hope and Maddie play. Then she prepares lunch for the other girls and calls them in. During lunch, mom reads more books or everyone goes over memory work together.
12ish p.m. - This is usually when we do science. Maddie often joins in because she likes the experiments. Ami tags around or plays. If the lesson is more complicated, we might wait until Ami takes an afternoon nap.
1:30 p.m.- Naptime for Ami and Maddie. Hope finishes curriculum that requires momʼs help and then has quiet time to read and have a snack. Mom uses this time to pull stuff together around the house or relax or pull out stuff for dinner or whatever following naps, we have the rest of the afternoon to meet for play dates with friends, run errands, take special trips, do art/craft projects, bake, play outside with neighborhood kids or do whatever we like.
5:00 p.m. - Dad is home from work, the family eats dinner together.

Iʼll do my best to answer some questions that might have crossed your mind:

So, you have a pretty consistent schedule from day to day?
Yes, and it really helps a lot. The kids know what to expect. Actually, Monday is my husbandʼs day off and so it is reserved for family day - no school. We are part of a supplementary program that meets on Wednesdays and that pretty much takes the place of our home schedule that day - so really, we are only teaching according to this kind of schedule 3 days a week - but those three days are consistent and for the most part, we do manage to do everything we need to.

Still, within our schedule there is a lot of organic movement - from mom between children; answering questions, giving hugs, helping with tasks...just being mom to everyone as well as the teacher.

What do you do to keep the younger ones entertained/busy while you work with the oldest?
Nothing. They are expected to be able to entertain themselves with the toys and books that are provided in our home and to be respectful of the other family members. You may be thinking “yeah, right. That would never work for us!” Which may or may not be true - but again a couple things factor in - one, the temperaments of the children. Two, training. Since it has always been thus in our home, the girls have never known differently. Iʼve never been the kind of person who could/would entertain my children or give them my undivided attention every second. Even Ami at 1 yr. is aware that sometimes she has to wait and is capable of playing nearby by herself. That said, I also have worked hard to ensure that each of my children feel loved and secure and do get time with mom.

Again, I must say that we go through seasons. I remember when Maddie was a little younger, I used to let her watch an educational video sometimes so I could get a shower in or work with Hope. Now it is a bit easier, because while I work with one child, the other can help play with the baby.

What about teaching with a newborn?
I had a few months of this last year and will go it again this fall. Itʼs really not bad since newborns tend to sleep a lot. I just give the kids a break when the baby needs to eat. I couldnʼt ever manage to get used to wearing a sling/baby carrier - so the baby usually just hangs out with us where ever we are in their portable swing/chair or gym or on a blanket on the floor. Honestly, itʼs not the schedule that makes this difficult, itʼs the being so tired.

Does it get easier as the kids get older since you can overlap curriculum?
In that sense it depends. Since we use a classical methodology instead of a thematic approach, for instance, there is a lot less overlapping. It does however become quite a bit easier as the kids get older. They are more able to focus their attention for longer periods of time. They are capable of working individually on assignments. They become more responsible for themselves overall - if you teach them to become so. I find that one of the biggest bonuses of the girls getting older has simply been that they help me out more - with each other, with little chores around the house. I donʼt have to micromanage or oversee every little detail anymore. They get dressed, brush teeth, clear plates, get snacks, help with the baby, and more. I canʼt tell you how much time this frees up when it is all added together and I donʼt have to be there hovering and helping.

Iʼve been candid here, but keep in mind that this is just what Iʼve learned from our particular personal experience. I think that each family that chooses to homeschool will just have to move through each season with what works best for them, like anything else. If your family isnʼt like mine, that doesnʼt mean it wonʼt work for you.

Tricia is a Baby Bunching mom to three (soon to be four children).