Early Risers

So, I have a couple early risers and, well, I am not an early riser. My husband leaves for work at 6:30am and my son is usually up around then, or a before, followed by my two daughters.

So, this summer I have tried something new and it has been great. Each night before I go to bed, I leave out homework that they can work on at the kitchen table. Handwriting practice, preschool worksheets, math worksheets, and books from the library for the summer reading program.

The rule is, no television before I wake up or before the school work is done. (They really like to watch a couple morning cartoons so they are really motivated in the morning.)

This system has worked great. It is the first thing, they have calm and quiet, we get it done so we can focus on other things the rest of the day, and it gives me the opportunity to sleep until 7:00. :) We still have homework time during my two-year-old's nap, a.k.a. quiet time, but this gives them a jump start on what I want them thinking about and working on.

My son needs extra handwriting practice so he is doing one journal page a day for me. I got a book with the handwriting lines and he writes a couple sentences and draws a picture. Today he wrote: "I want to go to the gym. I like going down the slide." And drew a picture of him sliding down the slide at the gym we exercise at. I am excited to soon have a whole book of his little journal entries and pictures and it gives him practice with his handwriting and coloring.

Anyway....just a couple fun thoughts.