Slowing down to trusting speed

It has been an interesting few months. With changing distance learning programs I am really getting to see more of my son and who he is. I see a child who is very interested in life and knowing more. I see a child who likes to explore the world from the highest vantage point that he can reach. I see a child who has no problem introducing himself to a new person and starting a conversation.

Bug is an amazing little guy, I knew this before, I see more of it now. While as his parent I still have a level of expectations for him and I do get caught up in them at times. I am learning to slow down my level of parental involvement to trusting speed. Once I trust my son it is amazing how much he is capable of. When he knows that I trust him he knows that he can trust himself as well. Trust is really a excellent teaching tool.

He knows that I trust him to do things and he trusts that I will help him if he needs it.  He trusts that I will be understanding and respectful of his learning. If he needs me I am there but I will not invade his learning with tests and quizzes of knowledge. It is amazing what a person can do when they are releases of unneeded pressure.

In the younger years learning is accumulative. it all builds on each other. Simply put, you have to know your numbers before you can do math or your letters before you can read and spell. It is all very simplistic and easy to do. You can not start teaching a child times tables and expect them to understand when they do not understand what numbers are.

Now some people will wonder how you can just go about letting the child do as they want. They must learn something! Teach them as much as they can in their young formative years. If you don't they will be doomed doomed forever! That I guess works for some people, but I want my child to learn how to learn. I think knowing how to find out information. And believe it or not it works. Bug wants to explore the world.

Trust is an amazing thing to give your child and far to often we don't trust any more. We are slowing down and we are letting things flow. Allowing them to realize how capable they are is so much easier than forcing them to learning everything that they may ever need in their life. Slow down, trust, it will come.

Recycling for seedlling

This year we decided to be a bit more thrifty with planting our seedlings for the garden. We had a ton of egg cartons so we figured why buy a bunch of little pucks with unknown dirt when we can DIY it. Here is what we did

First take some egg cartons and cute them to fit in your trays

Add dirt

Have super cute kids help out with planting. 

 Pose for some photo ops

Water cover and wait

Splatter Art

Lot of fun to be had with throwing paint

Even if your little brother is sitting in the paint throwing zone

Creative learning

One of the biggest advantages to homeschooling is learning can take place anywhere and at anytime. Math puzzles can be done while snuggling on the couch. Language Arts discussed while swinging on the swings. The seasons and environmental questions can be asked in nature, where these questions are best answered.


It is easy to get creative with learning if you stop thinking about learning. Think about fun things and exciting things to do stop expecting learning and allow experiences to come. They will come with doing :)



Here bug is just trying to make the most number of pie pieces with 4 cuts. Does he realize he is learning fractions? Nope. Is he having fun? For sure. He is spending time figuring out a puzzle. there was no wrong answer. He didn't have any expectations other than try and figure out the puzzle he picked to do.

Marsh mellows and toothpicks make for lots of fun that everyone can get into. Sure it's geometry but they don't care they are making shapes and trying to get the to stand up.

Life is full of wonder and so much fun. Get creative! 

The right to choose

I like to give my kids choices. Sometimes the choices aren't what they would like, but they do get to choose. Giving children choices gives them a feeling of control in their lives. Children need to learn how to make choices when they are young. They need to know that their opinion matters.

This is so true in school work. There are few places where children are programmed as much as they are in brick and mortar schools. Teacher can't really give children choices about the work that they are going to do. When you have 30 some odd kids to tend to it is just not feasible. You can't just let them choose what they want to learn. This is an unfortunate condition of brick and mortar schools.

With home learning you have a lot more freedom to follow your child. To see where their passions truly lie. Kids are generally full of wonder and want to know more about their environment. Allowing them to have choices allow them to feel like they can control their own life. They have the ability to grow where they want to grow.

Now in our family there are a few things that I feel must be covered, basic math, reading and writing. I give choices in these area of what to do. We try and make it fun, we play games for math, because generally I find math boring and worksheets me me want to go to sleep. Why would I ask my son to do something that I would never do if I had the choice. Though I do leave the option there for him, some days he does it for fun. We write as a family and we read as a family. We really try to keep things less stressful.

This year I am really focusing on enjoying learning. Part of enjoying learning is finding passion. Finding passion is a lot easier when you can choose. We don't do book work everyday or even every week, but we learn all the time.

If you give your child the option to choose to learn about what interests them and how it interests them, you might be very surprised but what they will do.                                

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