Relax - Take a deep breath and relax! Don’t feel like you always have to be super mom. I promise that the laundry will be there tomorrow! For now, remember that you're pregnant and enjoy the fact that your children get to be there with you to share in this moment. They get a first hand view of the beginning of a new life and a new family member. Take this time to live in the moment and bond with your kids. Put down the phonics, math worksheets, or chemistry set and relax on your schoolwork. Many non-homeschoolers takes months off in the summer just because it's hot…well, this is an even better reason. Try a little unschooling and take the educational opportunities as they come. I'm not saying that your children should run wild for the rest of your pregnancy, just don’t worry about the small stuff, and if your hard earned "routine" starts falling apart, don't fall apart with it.

Homeschool Mom Tip #1: "I always did 75% of all household chores, but at 7 months pregnant carrying the laundry up the stairs just wasn’t an option anymore. So I made a rule that if there’s something at the bottom or top of the stairs, carry it and put it in the room where it belongs. I would deal with it from there."

Embrace Technology - There are many ways to spice up the way your children are learning new concepts and they can also take some of the pressure off of you at the same time.

• Computer Learning Software: There are many wonderful new educational based software games for every age group. Invest in a couple of these and next thing you know your child will be begging you to be able to play them... and as a bonus you will get time to breath, put your feet up, and get a drink without interruptions!

• Educational Tools: Adding some new toys to your daily lesson plans can really help to take some of the stress out of your life. The leapfrog learning systems are great tools for teaching the basics to your younger child. My son and I love them. Bed-rest seems a lot more educational if you're curled up "playing" with your child's new leapfrog book instead of watching the latest Disney movie for the fifteenth time!

• T.V. doesn't have to be the Enemy!There’s a very large range of educational videos available to homeschoolers. Choose some that fit your current lesson plans and watch one a day or even watch an hour of the discovery channel. You’ll be surprised at how much your family will enjoy this quiet time together.

Homeschool Mom Tip #2: "My children loved the educational computer games so much that I would have them earn the privilege of playing them. They’d each earn a certain amount of minutes on the computer for every task they did correctly. (Finished work in a school subject = 20min / Taking the trash out = 10min / Dishes = 20min / Rounding up all dirty laundry = 10 min) . . ."

Bring back the Classics Reading in bed with your other children while in the last months of pregnancy was by far the most popular suggestion from our readers. We all know the importance of reading to our children no matter what their age. If you have older homeschoolers, take turns reading with them out loud to your younger ones or even to the baby itself. Babies are listening to voices and sounds by the fifth month of pregnancy. Encourage your kids to read aloud so the baby can get used to their voices too.

Extra Curricular Activity Anyone? This is a great time to start those lessons in music, art, karate, soccer, boy scouts, gymnastics, etc. Just be aware of the amount of time you are required to spend doing these things because this activity is supposed to help you have more time not less.

Homeschool Mom Tip #3:"I talked to my homeschool group while I was pregnant and arranged for one of the older boys (15) to give beginner piano lessons to my daughter (10). He came twice a week and brought over his portable keyboard. They’d spend an hour and a half together and I would read in bed to my youngest (5)."

Ask for Help Write down all of the tasks you do while not pregnant daily/weekly/monthly for homeschool and around the house. Don’t skip anything that cannot be left undone. (Example: Daily - household: dishes, cooking, laundry, walking the dog, checking the mail, etc.) Then talk to your children, husband, friends, and family about who will be willing to help you during your last months of pregnancy. Older children can now take on the responsibility of dishes and maybe even some more chores. The amount of help you’ll need will depend on your pregnancy. Obviously if you’re put on bed-rest you won’t be able to do the laundry or clean the kitchen; however, if you’re just told to “take it easy,” then you’ll only need help with the more strenuous tasks. Remember: Be careful not to blame things on the baby when talking with your younger children, because this could create resentment towards their soon-to-be sibling.

Homeschool Mom Tip #4: "During my pregnancy my mother and best friend came over and cooked two dinners a week for both our families. Mondays and Fridays my mom cooked. Wednesdays and Sundays my best friend cooked or brought over already cooked dishes. My house seemed to always be full of family and friends. The kids would clean up afterwards and I got all the leftovers! I loved it!"

Get Wild Your children will be feeling the effects of your pregnancy almost as much as you will. Face it, you’re moody, hungry, tired, and overwhelmed at times and your kids know it. So instead of trying to control them, just let them go crazy from time to time. The park is a great spot to go. You can drive there and just sit and watch them run around. Be sure it’s an enclosed environment because you don’t want to chase those little ones down if you don’t have too! This time of year it’s probably cold outside where you live, but hopefully there’s snow too and you can bundle them up and watch them play from the window. If you have nowhere to take them, then give them an hour of free time. Turn on some music and have a dance contest.
Click here to get the printable version...

Here is a quick breakdown of the important things to remember:

• Relax - It’s okay to spend more time talking and coloring with your kids than doing math worksheets. A break can be good for everyone.



• Gotta love those Toys!- Find and use technology to help you educate your kids with a fun and refreshing spin!



• Read! Read! Read!- Curl up with your kids and a great book.



• Supplement- Skip all the messy crafts and tiring play dates and give them some extra curricular activities someone else is in charge of instead.



• Help! Ask your family, friends, and fellow homeschoolers to give you a hand.



• Last but not least . . . Live in the Moment! Spend less time trying to control your kids and more time having fun with them. You’re only going to be pregnant with this child once. Be sure to spend as much time as you can with your other children. This is the last time it’ll be just you and them without a crying infant to interrupt. Skip the schoolwork and concentrate on what really counts . . . quality time together.

Need More Options? If you still feel like your children’s education cannot be stalled for even a few months or if you just want them to continue on the fast track, talk with your family and consider hiring a tutor. Here’s a great article on the importance of hiring the right tutor for your family, http://www.homeschoolviews.com/articles/soccer.html by Amber Bobnar. For the rest of us who are content with curling up with a good book, I want to wish you good luck and I hope that this time in your family’s life is full of laughter and warm memories! Just remember – Breath – Drink Water – and Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff!

Happy Homeschooling,

Sara