Let them be little

Most adults I know wish they could be kids again, free from the worries and stresses of the world. Most kids cant wait to grow up. I cant blame the kids or really the adults, while you are young adult life is so amazing. We constantly are getting kids to grow up or think about the future. You know what who cares what they want to be when they grow up. They are kids they have years to grow up. Right now my son tells me he wants to be a superhero who saves the world. Great! there is nothing that he needs to do right now to prep for that because it could change next week. If he wants to be a doctor, great! At 6 he doesn't need to do anything. Right now he needs to be a kid. He needs to explore life and find out what he likes. He doesnèt have to think about getting old and getting a job right now. That will come with time. Right now he needs to be little and have fun. Don't try and get your kids to grow up to fast, childhood is short let them live it.

Pirate SuperHeros

archaeologist 

Musician

World explorer

Scientist

Navigator

He can be whatever he wants when he grows up but right now he can be a kid!

Letting it flow

I have struggled with just letting go. I'm a teeny bit of a control person, but I know it will be better for my children if I just let the learning come. I find they actually learn more when I don't try and force it. Crazy I know , but it works.

Today was an example to me of how things can flow if you just let it be.

It started with Bug grabbing The Usborne Geography Encyclodeia ( great book, contact me to purchase) and finding a page about continents. He asked me what they were. So we then went to our wall map.

We looked at the different land masses. shouted them out a bunch. I then asked Bug if he would like a coloring sheet. He did so I found him one online.

They then colored and made up songs and had some reinforcement with the words on the paper.

It flowed it didn't seem push or stretched, and I think we both got more out of it. I later asked home how many continents there were and he remembered.

Will he remember them tomorrow, who knows, did we have fun and a stress free learning time, yup so all is good

Growing crystals

Bug got a science kit for his birthday. Yes we are those kind of parents, but you know what he loved it. The first thing he wanted to do was get right to work with it. We started with the growing crystals.

Adding and mixing up the solution to grow the crystals

It was a success, after a few days they were there growing. Bug was happy :) much more science to come!

Learning to Navigate

We recently went on a little adventure,  A friend told me about Wolf Camp down in Sumas WA. She has boys right around Bug and Bobo's age, so when she tells me about things my ears perk up.They have a homeschooling classes every few month, which is neat so there is a larger range of kids. I love getting together with different ages of children who are homeschooled!

So we went and it worked out that grandparents were in town so I just took Bug. I was nice to have a few hours just us :)

It was a great class. He learned how to properly use a compass, and so did I! that way we can come back to it. Learned about directions, sun time and different way to orienteer and navigate. We both had fun and learned something. It was a very engaging teacher and he worked really well with the kids. I was very happy and definitely plan on going back again. they have classes on Edible plants, survival and animal tracking coming up. So much fun for a little boy who wants to learn all about nature!

Bug's water and sand experiment

 Bug has always had a love of science. He wants to know how things work. How things come to be the way they are. We have been taking about reversible and irreversible reactions ( or changes). It has been fun. Right now his main focus is on water and it's changes.

Wordless Wednesday ~~~~ Art is fun

Not back to school?!?!

Well another school year is upon us. What does that mean for us? Really nothing much other than I need to be a bit more aware of what Bug is doing, at least so i can report it. The first few days have been wonderful we have gone to a few picnics. The picnics have been with different groups of area home learners. It is always wonderful to get out and meet new people and talk with others about the community.


It is in these first few days of school I usually am reminded of why I have chosen not to send my child to school. Every year I hear complaints and worries about the children in the school system.Every parents fear of what is really going on in school.

Now I often hear the argument that kids need to leave their parents. That in order to learn and grown that children should be "thrown to the wolves". This idea is just so awful to me. I just don't understand why you would want to take your young impressionable child  and toss them into an potentially bad situation.

I was realistic about what I know my child can handle. I know where his strengths and weaknesses lie. I know that there are situations that he just simply doesn't do well in. He is still so young, and developing skills he needs to. He should not have to develop skills on how to please everyone around him, how to conform to the mold or even how to avoid the school bully.  These are not life skills. Theses are school coping skills.

We work in life, by being around people and learning how to communicate even when our differences are great. Realizing that you can not be perfect but you can strive to do your best. Life does not give gold stars or grades. Life is a give an take flow of learning what is right and wrong, and how to tell the difference.

For our family we choose to learn through real life. We don't go to a brick and mortar establishment. We go where the wind takes us. Different activities, lots of time outside, and learning how things work outside of the walls. There is much to learn out in the world and we are just getting started.