ChrissiHR
Posts: 61
Member
Send a PM
Give a Hug
|
Cyberschooling an ADHD child is easier if you can get them started first thing in the morning - about an hour after my son takes his meds works best. He's usually done with a day's work within 2 hours and has speech therapy, karate, or swimming in the afternoons. If I could afford childcare  , I'd have no problem working second shift and cyberschooling him in the mornings around his schedule.As it is, my husband has an unusual work schedule - which is what led us to cyberschool in the first place. We get to spend more time together as a family, work through weekends, and have our "weekends" when it's convenient for us. The nice thing about it is that he has teachers who assign his work online with a script for me to read to him. I help him do the work and read the lesson to him, then upload it to the school database for his teacher to correct and grade. What's really great is that when he's getting tweaky and fidgety, we can take a break whenever he needs for him to burn off some energy on the swings or trampoline for ten minutes. (Kids with unique needs can't do that in a traditional classroom setting.) That short break is usually enough to get him to come back, sit down, and finish what he started. He usually wraps up his lessons each day with a 30 minute session of language arts PC games that he does independently - games assigned by his teacher tailored to force him to work on his weaknesses. My son is a kindergartener, so it's very parent-intensive at this age. As kids get older, they don't require as much parent-involvement because they can communicate with their teachers by phone and email to resolve problems and ask for clarification if needed. It doesn't even have to be a parent - any caregiver can be what the school refers to as a home facilitator (the involved adult who oversees the work). Grandma or another caregiver could certainly oversee the workload for several children in different grades. I met a woman at orientation last summer who is a home facilitator for her own 2 children and 3 nieces and nephews as well - all different ages, subjects, classes, and teachers. A single friend of mine has 8 children, works full time as a childbirth educator, part-time as a doula and pre-natal yoga insturctor, volunteers as a LLL leader, takes night classes at the community college, and homeschools or cyberschools all but 3 of her kids. (One is at college, one is a baby, and one chose public school.) Makes you wonder how she crams 48 hours into a 24 hour day - doesn't it?  I figure if she can do all that with 8, I can handle my 1 high-maintenance child.  All that said - it's not the right choice for everyone. It's been a godsend for us, though, so I'm spreading the word! |
Need to talk you can message me or PM me anytime......
But, on a good note, my children know that I work hard to put food on the table, and that they are the most important thing in my life, and I guess if I am showing them that, then I am not doing so bad after all!
