Precocious 5.5 year old youngest son - help with structure

[abrightmom]

So, I am in that challenging stage of trying to get my kiddos trained in their HOD guides and calming the chaos of the homeschool with four kiddos.

My 5 year old son is so energetic and demanding and busy and intense and noisy and ..... wow. I don't remember my other boys being quite this intense. Maybe it's being the youngest so he's used to being with people all the time. Maybe it's that I'm in my 40's and dealing with perimenopause (insomnia, hormonal fluctuations, etc.). Maybe it's that this is the busiest and most challenging season of parenting yet!

I realized yesterday that at least 50% of the chaos of the school day is this kiddo. His schooling doesn't take a terribly long time (he LOVES it) and I need to design a structured morning for him. I am going to give him a freer afternoon (with the exception of a Quiet Hour) but need to make a block schedule routine for him in the morning. He's moving away from the typical pre-K stuff and I'm struggling with IDEAS as to how to block out his time. A few that I have on my list (and I am going to purchase a few new items to help us along initially so that the newness will encourage his focus):

1. Audiobooks
2. Legos in his room (with audios perhaps)
3. Screen time (either a show or games like Curious George) - I'd love a recommendation for a GOOD quality educational show or game option for him that he can do mostly independently. I'm willing to purchase something!!
4. Puzzles (he still enjoys these but IDK if I could ask it of him daily)
5. Piano playing with headphones
6. Hands on with play dough or foam or water play in kitchen sink (this wouldn't work every day as he'd lose interest)
7. Jump on Mini Tramp
8. School (LHTH, math and FMS workbooks, The Reading Lesson) - I might give him two blocks here and have his 10 year old brother work with him for 15 minutes. We tried that yesterday and it was good.
9. Possibly include sibling play time (this WILL require training. This little boy doesn't listen well to siblings and we've been battling this awhile. I'm willing to though .... )

The trouble I think I'm having is that he's in that stage of extreme creativity and he has tons of ideas about how he'd like to play. He is also quite confident and tends to decide for himself (ahem) what he can do and makes messes. We're working on this! I am more than willing to require structure for him in the morning hours (about 8:30-Lunch Time) and then give him a looser afternoon structure. But it's doesn't work anymore to tell him to go look at books. He does that a lot on his own .... and he's VERY active so I need ACTIVE options mixed in with the table time or listening time. I want to create some activity boxes for him or maybe purchase some easy to do prepared crafts .... I'm willing to do anything in this season to help him and to help me manage his days joyfully.

WHAT do you do with your 5+ boy who is moving past pre school activities but still needs loads of structure to help the day flow? I need fresh ideas. Being the youngest of four kids he's played with all of these toys and things for a long time. He feels "bored" by many of them now and I want to change some things up. I wouldn't know what toys to buy for him! I am so used to him playing with siblings creatively that training him to play alone 4 half days a week is somewhat daunting.

By the way, I have NO regrets in moving to HOD. It's been a crazy few years and I have always wanted to move to HOD. I'd back away (the reasons elude me). We are here now and as I am working with my oldest in RTR I keep thinking, "Why on earth did I wait soooooooo long to do what I've always KNOWN would work for us?" I've been dabbling in HOD for YEARS (used Bigger, LHTH) .... I am perhaps the most stubborn woman on the planet!

[my3sons]

HI Katrina! I hear you about how busy a 5.5 yo boy can be! I will say in a few years, everything settles down quite a bit, though I don't think the spunk every totally goes out of a boy. Here are some things to give a whirl...

Exercise DVDs for kids (usually 20-30 minutes long)
Short basketball hoop on a door you don't care about hitting
Fort building materials (i.e. card tables and blankets, flashlight, pretend camping set)
Playdough, moon dough, etc. on a small table with table liner under it for easy cleanup
Short Books on tape
Bubble bath with toys that move
Separate Playtimes with older brothers
Outdoor playtime with all brothers
Building toys - big knex, Lincoln logs, tinker toys, etc.
Race tracks (the cheap matchbox ones that link together and can be elevated are fun)
Active Board Games with a brother (i.e twister, break the ice, ants in the pants, don't spill the beans, etc.)
Snack time
30 minute play time with rotating times in room, with Christian music on

My post about learning stations for Emmett:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10565&p=76777

I hope something here helps! It is always good to hear from you!!!

In Christ,
Julie

[Rice]

One thing that worked well for one of my kids, at one point, lol, was to do a modified work box system. Instead of 12 boxes for 12 activities (or, I think I started with 6 or I used ziplock bags in 1 box/bucket. Each bag was numbered (for the order in which he was to do things) and had an activity (or instructions for an activity if it didn't fit in the bag) that he could do, either with someone else or, more often, independently. I usually tried to mix them up: seated, active, co-operative, creative, etc. When he was done an activity he moved the bag's number onto a chart, then moved on to the next one. When the chart was full, he was done. (Those numbers could be loose inside the bag, just a piece of cardstock. I used adhesive velcro dots to fix them to the front of the bags - but that's more work to set up.) Using this method, I didn't have to intensively supervise every transition.

Another option would be a picture chart using envelopes or pocket chart or magnets on the back of picture cards, etc. and simply putting cards up in the order he should do activities and he can turn them around/remove them when they're completed - the only difference being that with this method he still has to go find the books/supplies, etc. that he needs to use - creating more opportunities for conflict with siblings and need for help with each transition. (Though a bucket filled with what he needs nearby might solve that problem. . .)

Some of the activities I've had my kids do over the years (in addition to many already mentioned) are:
~paint with water - pull out one page
~self-correcting activities - check out "Toddler Bags" or "Activity Bags" (of course, many "toddler" ideas will be to young but they'll give you ideas that might be adapted and many would be fine for older kids, too - there are often a variety of difficulties to choose from on these idea pages. I have 2 sets around here; one for younger and one for older/K-ish kids.)
~specific 1-on-1 times with siblings: Sibling A and he make a snack for the whole family (getting out crackers, cutting fruit, etc.); Sibling B and he head outside for a while; Sibling C reads to him, for example.
~switching up how he uses certain toys, like Lego: give him a ziplock bag of just a few Lego pieces and pics of them put together in different ways for him to copy (I have a PDF of some pics like this if you want to PM me with your email and I can send them - my almost 5yo is enjoying them!) This works great for a restaurant activity, too!
~a few active 1-person games: rings over a stick, beanbag into a bowl, masking tape lines to jump on/over, etc. (maybe even a sticker chart for him to award himself when he meets a goal)
~some other off the top of my head ideas that don't work here, with toddlers'/baby' safety to consider: a bucket with wood and nails and a hammer, marble run. . . um, my brain isn't working well yet this morning.

You're not alone. I'm still struggling with keeping my more aggressive, easily bored, company-seeking 7yo gainfully occupied after he's done his school. He's easily distracted from his chores and school work (he has maybe 2 subjects per day that he works independently on) and I constantly have to re-direct. I think persistence is slowly paying off but some days its REALLY hard to see!

Blessings,