Okay, they don't actually sing. But according to this link on boingboing, they have been programmed to reproduce a message. The message, properly chosen, was “It's a Small World.”
My Own Thoughts
One woman's written responses to the world around her.
I've watched the educational process of many families, although I have not personally experienced it myself. I guess I'm neither pro homeschool or against it right now. I don't think socialization is probably a problem in your case, but burnout is. For all of you.
I know it seems odd to say, but you can be around your kids too much. As the parent of three very young children most people recognize my need to have “a morning out”. But once you get school-age folks stop seeing that, because 98% of the populous does not have their children in homeschool, and they are getting a break from their children.
You need a break, the question is – how do you get it.
Just some ideas, here – I don't know if they will work or not, but I didn't figure it could hurt posting them. You need to plan 1 month coming up to get some “sanity time”.
Find outside activities that meet during school hours. Not extra curricular ones that have you on the run during “family time”.
For instance:
see if there is an elective class at the local school that they would like to attend. Many School districts will work with you. It makes a nice intermediary transition too – if you decide later to place your children in public education.
Is there a business your child is interested in? At the ages you have, you'll have to work with child-labor laws, but you might see about “apprenticing” them to a business for lets say one morning a week for a month. The way that works is this. They get to go in and do work for the business (yup, free labor) they don't get pay – they get experience. Here's how it worked for a friend of mine. Her son was very interested in the graphic arts. He “apprenticed” to a local newspaper where they designed ads. He got to cut the paper columns for the news every day he was there. It didn't turn out to be too exciting for him. It was the typical grunt work that they needed done and he was free labor. He didn't get to learn fancy computer programs. He did get a taste of life. In the report at the end of the month that his mother made him write and give to his “boss” he wrote about the fact that he learned it wasn't all fun. While his education was not what he or his mom had envisioned it to be – he did get a job in the computer department two years later when he was looking for the typical teenage starter jobs. He was learning how to operate Photoshop while his buddies were flipping burgers. A taste of life never hurts – as long as it is just a taste at their age.
Take mornings off – for a month. As long as your boys are involved in an educational activity (which had very broad definitions by the way) or even quiet study (reading books from the library, surfing the net, etc.) it counts for schooling. They are ahead in their studies. Give them (and you) a break.
Take a month and dedicate it to their interests. Explain that the following month they will need to be more self motivated than usual and that you will be studying “chess”. Turn them loose for a month. When the whining starts – go back to the old schedule for the day. In fact every time you get the complaints or whining – assign school work. If they manage to keep themselves going (and I do mean an actual study here – it can't be playing the nintendo – although it could be a research project on Nintendo) You get a little less stress.
Find a way out for yourself. You need a sitter, or a self-imposed vacation week – where you drop the outside activities, and recharge.
And then after that you can evaluate better. . .
someone who watches