I've been struggling to find my way in how much is ever enough in our homeschooling life. I'm liking more and more a point a 20-year experienced mother said recently: "Home education doesn't look like school at home." It doesn't!
I can write the most beautiful curriculum plans, but they don't include a child deciding to test limits and now the next hour and half are spent dealing with only discipline matters. My curriculum doesn't include the three-year-old throwing repeated tantrums because the poor thing really is ignored during school hours. My curriculum doesn't include the nearly-two-year-old needing a diaper-and-outfit change, or bonking his head once again, or his learning how to open stealthily the 16-oz bottle of tempera paint.
Our home education looks very little like School at Home!
And I've felt down about that lately . . . but I did get to appreciate one quiet moment this morning, which raised my spirits. After breakfast, I had helped all the kids get ready and was finishing my own preparations for the day. It was mysteriously quiet. I grabbed the laundry bag and went in search of the children to go downstairs for music practice and math.
I found that Margaret was looking quietly at a book while John was reading aloud the original Brer Rabbit (with all its wonderful language!) to his sick sister who was curled up in bed (we stayed home from activities today).
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| Reading aloud to his sick sister |
Okay, Mama, all can't be topsy turvy in our homeschooling world if the children can get along quietly, read excellent literature, and show compassion for sick siblings. Savor this moment because it won't last . . .
I hope to meditate more about the concept of Home Education and write about it more in the future.
Katherine. You may already have tried this but have you used the children as teacher's aides? Once they master a concept or lesson they would earn the right to teach the younger siblings what they learned. And then you could follow up at a later time with that lesson making sure they clearly understand. Love MIL.
ReplyDeleteWhat an endearingly candid moment. How sweet <3 -Emiliann W (I just reread this post and saw that Mary's sick as well as our family and several other families. Ack! Seems like there's a rampant epidemic going around....guess that's just what happens this time of year.)
ReplyDeleteIt is so hard to accept, isn't it? This week was such a wash for me. We have been battling illness as well and Gabriela got an orthodontic appliance put in this week. On thursday I planned to tackle the books, but Julienne was miserable and pathetic with fever all day. The older girls got caught up on an idea to put on a play for Julienne to make her feel better. They proceeded to spend about two hours cooperating to make a set and device the play, based on Strawberry Shortcake, that I had not the heart nor the will to interrupt such a venture to battle Gabriela to do math. I figured that type of education was priceless.
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