Workbox System ~ Part V (Q&A)

Today marks the end of this little series on the Workbox System. I’m sure a few of you out there are going to throw a party (invite me ~ I love a good party)!

I’ve combined all the questions I’ve received – either through e-mail or the comments section. By the way, thank you for all the kind comments ~ y’all are entirely too sweet.

1) The biggest complaint I’ve heard is that it’s a pain to set up the boxes every night. Has this been a problem for you?

The first couple of weeks with this system were a bear. I’m not going to sugar coat it. I would go up to the school room sometime after dinner and it would take me a good hour to get everything set up for the next day. It was discouraging ~ to say the least.

I believe there are two main reasons it took so long in the beginning:

(1) We were just getting back into the swing of things with school, so I was just plain exhausted (mentally, physically & emotionally). This meant I was moving very sloooowly.

(2) I was still trying to figure the system out ~ similar to getting a new cell phone and learning all the features.

At this point, I spend approximately 30 minutes each afternoon or evening preparing for the next day. Those 30 minutes are not dedicated solely to filling their baskets. It includes picking up the school room, filing away any assignments from the day I want in their notebooks, and reading over the next day’s lessons. The actual filling of the baskets takes around 15 minutes.

The Homeschool Post had a great article on this very issue and how one mom is making the Workbox System work for them. It’s definitely worth the time!

2) I can see that you have used the little adhesive velcro dots in several places. Do they stick on faithfully…or do you find yourself pulling both sides of the velcro off when you mean to pull the top part up? (Oh, I hope that makes sense!)

Yes, ma’am ~ you made perfect sense. I found the velcro pieces to be lil’ boogers.

I recommend watching some kind of chick flick (or whatever your favorite genre of movie is) while working on getting your folders/boxes ready.

3) Do you always fill 12 folders?

No, ma’am.

4) What does your schedule look like?

Back in August, I wrote about a day in my life. Since then, a few things have changed ~ we start school faithfully every morning at 8:00 and we don’t finish until noon (or sometimes 1 PM for my 5th grader). The length of time it takes to complete school has been a major adjustment for me this year.

5) Will you come to my house and organize me and set me straight?

You betcha. ;D

I will work for the following:

Copious amounts of Starbucks coffee
Actually any kind of really good coffee (I heart French press!)
Baked goodies
Books

I think that about covers it.

6) I didn’t see any foreign language in your system. I’ve been debating on starting while my children were young, but do you think I should wait?

No, ma’am. Don’t wait ~ start while they’re young!

My children are learning French, but it’s not included in my system because I don’t teach it. My hubby is the French teacher ~ I’m completely hands-off when it comes to foreign language.

7) How do you balance it all and make it look easy?

*snort*

I do not keep it all balanced and homeschooling (piled on top of everything else) is not easy.

This is one of the reasons you have to be careful when reading blogs. I personally like the fact that I can share certain parts of my journey with others and I don’t have to share it all. I don’t want everyone knowing everything that happens in my family. However, because I pick and choose what I will share it can sometimes give the wrong impression.

My house is not immaculate.

I don’t cook every night.

I’m not as patient with my children or husband as I ought to be.

I’m overweight.

I spend too much time on the computer.

Ok. I think I’ll stop. I’m feeling slightly depressed now.

You’re making homeschooling look too neat, which is blowing my excuse that it’s homeschooling that keeps my house a disaster.

Ahem.

See above.

9) Where did you get the pictures from? The ones you use on your time strip?

I took them. You like?

10) What happens if one of your children gets to his folders that include you, but you’re still working with another child?

Excellent question!

I wondered the same thing before I started and it actually happens daily. I simply send that child onto the next folder that does not include me. If your child is not bothered by going out of order, this approach will work fine. However, if you have a child who would become upset, then he may just need to wait patiently until you’re ready to work with him.

11) Do you use this system with your youngest?

I don’t. I want to. I need to.

I’m simply too lazy right now to do anything about it.

He has coloring pages, manipulatives and activity bags he plays with, but they are not scheduled.