I have 3 children. 7yo boy, 5yo boy and a baby girl who is 5 months.
I have no troubles with getting 7yo to fall into our routine, he's pretty adaptable and this is his 3rd year of school so he's used to it, and of course the baby just does what we're doing...but my 5yo has gone through a lot of changes in a very short time and he is absolutely miserable. He is tantruming like a toddler many times daily, and I am at a loss for how to help him.
For the past 2 years since his brother went to school, he has been with me all day long (we didn't do preschool) and is very free-spirited so he enjoyed our days together of free time, outside play, and using his imagination. His baby sister was born in May (big change #1) and that seemed to go over pretty well- we all had a nice summer together. He went to Kindergarten in August (big change #2) and since then is when the problems started. At first he was very happy but now the novelty has worn off and he is no longer interested in school. I am also weaning him (yes, he's a long time nurser- for the past year has been hanging on to one nursing per day and I've recently stopped because I just cannot do it anymore)- Big Change #3.
So 3 major changes in his life in the last few months. He is oppositional, mean, cranky, whiny, and downright horrid most days after school. So we're struggling with getting ready for school, following the afternoon/evening routine at home to prepare for morning- bedtime, bath, etc...and now the teachers have started assigning computer homework and reading practice for the kids, so we've had to add that on top of our already hectic routine.
Truth be told, I hate forcing my kids to do anything, let alone EVERYTHING. They have very little choice in how their day is going to go, because it's basically wake up, get ready for school, go to school, come home and have a short period of free time IF we don't have other things going on, then dinner/bath/homework/bedtime routine and bed. I have been trying to get them in bed by 8pm but 5yo is still not happy (we were doing 8:30-9pm and he wakes on his own between 6-7am).
I've taken sugar/wheat/dairy out of his diet because he is sensitive to those things and I didn't want anything else contributing to his moodiness.
Does anyone have any ideas? I miss my creative, free-spirited little boy
He's locked away in a mess of conformity and routines. How can I help???
I've spoken to my husband for years on and off about homeschooling, but I know that I cannot do it while the baby is little- and he is very adament about them going to school, so I've got to figure out another way to make this work for our whole family. We do go to a Montessori school and I love it, but school is school.
I have no troubles with getting 7yo to fall into our routine, he's pretty adaptable and this is his 3rd year of school so he's used to it, and of course the baby just does what we're doing...but my 5yo has gone through a lot of changes in a very short time and he is absolutely miserable. He is tantruming like a toddler many times daily, and I am at a loss for how to help him.
For the past 2 years since his brother went to school, he has been with me all day long (we didn't do preschool) and is very free-spirited so he enjoyed our days together of free time, outside play, and using his imagination. His baby sister was born in May (big change #1) and that seemed to go over pretty well- we all had a nice summer together. He went to Kindergarten in August (big change #2) and since then is when the problems started. At first he was very happy but now the novelty has worn off and he is no longer interested in school. I am also weaning him (yes, he's a long time nurser- for the past year has been hanging on to one nursing per day and I've recently stopped because I just cannot do it anymore)- Big Change #3.
So 3 major changes in his life in the last few months. He is oppositional, mean, cranky, whiny, and downright horrid most days after school. So we're struggling with getting ready for school, following the afternoon/evening routine at home to prepare for morning- bedtime, bath, etc...and now the teachers have started assigning computer homework and reading practice for the kids, so we've had to add that on top of our already hectic routine.
Truth be told, I hate forcing my kids to do anything, let alone EVERYTHING. They have very little choice in how their day is going to go, because it's basically wake up, get ready for school, go to school, come home and have a short period of free time IF we don't have other things going on, then dinner/bath/homework/bedtime routine and bed. I have been trying to get them in bed by 8pm but 5yo is still not happy (we were doing 8:30-9pm and he wakes on his own between 6-7am).
I've taken sugar/wheat/dairy out of his diet because he is sensitive to those things and I didn't want anything else contributing to his moodiness.
Does anyone have any ideas? I miss my creative, free-spirited little boy
He's locked away in a mess of conformity and routines. How can I help???I've spoken to my husband for years on and off about homeschooling, but I know that I cannot do it while the baby is little- and he is very adament about them going to school, so I've got to figure out another way to make this work for our whole family. We do go to a Montessori school and I love it, but school is school.
