Teens: Teaching to the Latter End

Last year, I had the honour of finally joining the ranks of Mums who homeschool teenagers.  It was a bit of a step up in expectations, especially from 'outsiders' wondering if we can handle this task.  And then again, it wasn't such a step up, as our patterns of expectations toward our children have been pretty constant.

Earlier this month, the Homeschool High School Carnival was launched.  I missed this launch, but have been inspired by what others have written to pipe in with my wee response also.

The topic was:

The Wide View:How does your family's 'big picture'/goals/educational philosophy affect/guide your planning and translate into what your highschoolers do on a daily/weekly basis? Do you generalise or specialise? 

Many years ago, I was given the task of writing out my educational philosophy.  It involved words of 'loving to learn', 'creativity' and 'ultimately learning to teach themselves without a teacher'.  The idea I've always had is that if I'm still keen to learn, as an adult, wouldn't I want to nurture that same response in my children?

When they are young, they learn perseverance in working hard to master the difficult task that now seem so easy.  Learning to read was hard (and still is for some!), as is speaking out to a group of peers, finding your way around a new town/city, talking to people on the telephone to find information, standing up to responsibility ....   Can you see where I'm going with this?

Yes, we do, we SET OUR CHILDREN UP!!  From the time they were little, they had to learn and we were there, but now that they're getting older, we expect that they should be learning how to find that information for themselves.   But, it's little steps along the way.  Each new venture requires the right preparation, open communication to share experiences, and the encouragement for the effort put forth.

At the basis of all of that is a good relationship with the children, and lots of modelling of how we handle those situations.  Communication is a must; listen TO THEM, as well as you sharing your input.  The sooner this trust and love is established, the easier it is to guide later. (Yes, that's another part of my philosophising.  I know there are always bumps along the way, but I'm aiming at the bigger picture here ... the latter end of our children's growth to adulthood).

So, the next question is, who sets the goals?  I admit, we've had an equal share in this.  Maestro's reached the stage where he knows the style of learning he enjoys and he's asked for the structure he needs through his curriculum preferences.  He also ventures into other learning (especially with regard to digital music recording and podcasting) of his own accord.  On the other hand, we've made it clear that we expect him to learn certain life skills, too.  Even if he doesn't master how to repair a car, he should at least have some basic car maintenance skills under his belt before owning his vehicle (.. an example).

In our home, routines have been set up as a guideline, but they are flexible.  We now know that there is a standard of responsibility learned, so now Maestro owns how he manages most of his time.  At this stage though (he's almost 14yrs old), we still ask that he confirms with us where he's at with his subjects and goals for the week.  Family discussions at dinner are a great time to relax and share what's gone on in the day, and it's become a great habit that we all tell a little of our stories then.

All in all, we want a great relationship with our children.  We want to know that they can come to us in the good times and the bad.  We want to watch them mature into wonderful adults who will know how to love others with the full measure.  None of us have all the answers, but we know that if we really want to, there's a way to learn ... and so much to learn!  I hope my latter end hasn't come just yet.  There's still a long 'to do' list I'm working through!

Thank you for dropping by!

Homeschooling is teaching me ...

I am definitely on a learning curve again.  Sometimes my children are a great source of gentle reminders that there is still something I am yet to master about how their forming minds work, or something I thought I knew needs refining.  Right now it is all about PATIENCE!

Mariposa has been going so well with her learning of fractions, that I was presented with a stumbling block when she suddenly didn't understand the concept of mixed fractions.  "Why don't you understand this, but you can make equivalent fractions so easily?"  No matter how many times I tried to go over it all again, we couldn't move up to the next step.  Okay .. time out!  I didn't want to drive Mariposa to despair over this, and I could feel my anxiety going up a notch too.

What do you do when what you are teaching to the best of your ability just doesn't seem to be working?

I know that it's not only maths which can cause learning anxieties, but I'll continue with my example as my point of reference.

Mariposa needed time to see, again, how she did know that 5 thirds are the same as 1 and 2 thirds.  We'd done this before (this is where cooking is a GREAT way of teaching fractions!) but she'd forgotten.  The material needed to be married back into a context she could understand.  I needed to give her time and space to experiment and remake those connections.

Approaching learning in small, gentle steps encourages the child's mind to begin to think through how a new idea works and see how it relates to every day life.  When we hit a 'road block' it's time to really slow down.  Both of the children have taught me that if I try and tick all the boxes to be learnt by a certain date,  I'm only satisfying my own need to say 'done it!'  They don't learn the lessons so well that way.  They need to own the learning, having had time to digest the material and make connections to the other 'knowns' in their lives, before I can serve up the next stage.

Another example is something that Maestro told me last week.  He's discovered the label of 'Classical Learning' somewhere in his findings lately and has told me that he prefers this style.  He's a very systematic person and also enjoys being challenged.  His developing interest in classical literature has been slowly on the  increase.  Whilst he enjoys a good range of literature, he told me that he also wants to read "Robin Hood" and "King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table."  Later this week we're also going to have a look at Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" as part of his Medieval history.  (Help! I haven't read that yet!)

What came about last week was Maestro patiently explaining to me that he finds that he's not really learning anything new using a particular book.  He'd rather spend his time trying to work through some of these books with older English, and he could spend time later writing a book report.  "The vocabulary in the other book is already in those stories, Mum.  If I get stuck, I can easily look them up, but most of the time I can understand it all already.  I'm just a slow reader, though, so maybe we can get some of them as audio books, please?!"  Okay ... so, again, I have to learn to stand back a little and watch what is developing instead of being mandatory about the 'tick the box' syndrome and complete a book from which he's not really learning.

To top it all off, I must muse on how different these two children are from one another.  They come to the solutions in such different ways, leading me on a journey I wouldn't have taken myself.  I'm still learning to be patient enough to stand back a little and see that bigger picture, though.  It's so easy to expect them to do it all my way!  There is a time to ask for my methods, with the love and respect that should happen in a family, and then there's the time to let them grow into their own maturity.  ... See!  I'm learning, slowly! :)

Thank you for dropping by!

Any thoughts on 'Schedules'?

This morning I find myself seriously thinking about schedules.  Should I write one up and really try to stick to it?  Should I post it up somewhere on a wall for everyone to see?  How rigid should a routine be to suit our needs, given I'm also teaching most afternoons?

Why am I thinking about this again now?  Is it because we've had a decent break and I'm just trying to get my head together, or is it because I really believe the children and I will benefit from this?  My children are now ages 13 and 10, so they are capable of quite a bit of learning, but need their own creative times.

I've wandered around a few forums and had a look at advice from others, and also considered our past experiences.  Down to Earth has been discussing theirs for homekeeping.  Well Trained Mind has advice about 'Managers of Their Homes'.  Then there's Catherine Levison's book about my preferred teaching method, Charlotte Mason, with her outline schedule in A Charlotte Mason Education.

So, I'm just thinking about all this.  I'll probably continue to ponder on it whilst finishing up some jobs in the kitchen, too.

I have an outline of what the daily routine may look like, which was put together once the dance timetable came in.  Here's what it's looking like so far:

Is anyone else a scheduler and have ideas/thoughts to share?

 Thank you for dropping by!

 

Such an inspiring documentary : Mrs Carey's Concert

We all sat glued to the tv set last night.  I actually hadn't planned to watch anything in particular, but I'm so glad that I decided switch on to the ABC channel for a look.  A most inspiring documentary was about to begin.

Mrs Carey's Concert gives us all a glimpse into what can be achieved with determined teaching and perseverance. A look at the bigger picture, and seeing how music can offer so much to every student, takes Karen Carey and her staff off on a journey each year of building up students to reach where they never thought possible.  All students from Sydney's MLC Burwood will perform at the Sydney Opera House. Everyone comes away with something.

Carey describes music as being that which builds the intellect, creativity and explores emotions.  All 1200 students at the school must participate, and all must apply themselves to the best of their ability.

There are struggles along the way, as is the expected experience.  Students are either harsh on themselves in striving for a good result, or they're stubborn with the teachers in rebellion.  I actually particularly like how the other students help support Mrs Carey's effort to have everyone included in the program, by confronting the rebellion for the sake of everyone involved. This documentary shows both sides, with the final concert answering the persisting question, "How will she make all this work?"   

I so wish I had an opportunity to play in an school orchestra like this.  The end result is wonderful, and you can't help but have the tears well up in your eyes as you hear the final concert results after glimpsing into the lives off these young ladies.  There is definitely something to be gained by participating in the bigger picture, and we saw a little of what that's like by watching this documentary.

An 11yr old's public speech against G.E.

This is just so inspiring, to see a young lad having the confidence to speak publicly about the sensitive issue of genetically engineered foods. Educating our children, and the future generations, is obviously so important!

A change of direction : horseriding

Letting children make their own decisions can sometimes be 'testing'. I must admit that it's been a rough emotional road here for a bit, for all of us really. What I found most difficult, personally, is my daughter's innate love of dance disappearing. I can't seem to put my finger on one determining factor; it seems that there are several things at play here.

Mariposa does have a natural talent for dance. She's amazingly flexible, has excellent rhythm ... but a few things seem to have gone amiss. Over the years, she's been bumped up to join other girls of her ability, making her the young one in the group. This made her happy at the beginning, because she always wanted to learn the next more difficult thing rather than just going over the same material. Her request to join another more mature age bracket (the one Maestro is in, actually) just won't work. She's yet to turn 10, and they're in the 'under 16' age bracket. The group she was in seemed to be going through a 'silly' phase, talking (according to her) about nonsense and excluding her from conversations.

Bandana ~ Mariposa's horse on Wednesday.

What to do?! We allowed her to drop all but ballet at the beginning of the year. If a child has a natural talent, you don't want them to just give up, do you? But it became evident that our insistence was causing her so much anxiety and we had to yet again reconsider.

If we let her finish up with dance, we need to replace it with something else, and hopefully something that will not only bring back her spark, but present a few challenges to keep her interest.

"Can I do horseriding? PLLEEEEASE!"

Sigh! Another expensive endeavour.

Bandana - preparing for a ride.

Private lessons are a must before they'll let you join the group sessions, unless you can organise your own group for a mid-week session. The latter had been tried before and failed. The good news is that Mariposa had been to have some horseriding lessons before, so really only needed a refresher.

So, as you've probably already guessed, horseriding lessons have started. This week she has participated in a full week holiday program to bring her up to scratch ... and she's a very hard worker, and quick learner. I take her down to the stables at 9am and she's finished by 5pm.

Pillow - enjoying a spot in the late afternoon sun.

The challenges have come pretty thick in the first couple of days. Bad weather didn't help, which kept the children from riding. Stable duties and horse maintenance were on the agenda for most of the time. Thankfully the gale winds and rain has held back since Wednesday, which meant more riding time.

One of Mariposa's new friends, who lives just down the road from the school.

She brought her own pony along to learn about Natural Horsecare.

Mariposa has also made some new friends. When I arrived to pick her up yesterday afternoon, she was busy dancing around whilst sweeping the floors, singing some funny song. The girls were all laughing together, then everyone suddenly became serious when they noticed me there.

Completing chores at the end of the day.

I think tomorrow will be a day when Mariposa will enjoy a good sleep in. Despite the long day and cold weather, she's had a lot of fun. Deep down, I do hope that she won't dismiss dancing forever, but then it's quite possible she may. Meanwhile, she's happy and hopefully we can continue to accomodate her learning this way. (Yes, I'm opening up a new savings program for horseriding!)

Giving yourself permission to STOP

It's a little hard to think that our lives will soon be winding up to the full routine again next week. We want our children to enjoy a variety of activities, as well as the attention they need at home, but once those wheels of activity start turning we really do have to watch that they don't gather too much momentum so as to feel like we're losing control.

For the past 4 weeks, we've had a very relaxing routine holidaying at home. It's meant that we could focus on times together on some outings, doing some of those jobs around the house that usually only wait for a weekend, or me just having time to prepare more relaxing meals in the kitchen. I've even managed to read a couple of MY books from cover to cover instead of just speed reading through a few chapters.

Thinking ahead, I already know when some of those times of feeling burnt out are likely to occur. It's usually when there are various deadlines to be met, such as exams for the children's dancing and violin, or when I start helping with the costume making for the concert. It will also be when there's illness, and when any unknown trials come along. It will be when I have too many expectations and just can't stretch any further.

Being overburdened means you need to give yourself permission to stop. Give yourself permission to say 'no' and breathe. Be realistic about all those outings, or trying to tick all those boxes on your lists, and let the lesser priorities wait until another day. Saying 'no' to the children is probably the hardest, but a little tact of distraction, or asking them to give you 1 hr 'time out' before you even think about their request, often works here.

If you can delegate, do so. Sharing jobs that you feel only you can do is helping your children become more independent. That also means giving them bite-size responsibilities in the beginning, and be willing to put some early mistakes down to learning experience. I know that sometimes Mums can feel they must do everything, otherwise it won't be done properly, but that isn't really helping anyone (is it?)

I know that both parents can get very tired from the regular routine, but mixing things up a little gives some variety. Here are a few examples of activities we do here:

- Papa takes the children on a bike ride for a few hours. I can then use that time as I need/want.
- Take turns taking only one child out on a 'date' for a day while the other/s stay home with Papa (or relative/friend) .. and visa versa with Papa taking only one on a 'date'.
- A friend offers to have the children one night while you both go out, and you return the favour on another occasion.
- Put the bookwork away after lunch and everyone take on a family hobby (something outdoors is ideal). A kite making and flying day was something we did a few years ago .. lots of fun! Or maybe a game of cricket, a swim at a local waterhole ... you name it.
- Make one week a 'focus on art week', or something similar. Doing only one subject means the children and yourself can become absorbed into some creativity, spending as much time as you like each day on a project.

For mums especially:

- Don't forget to take on your hobby and show your children your interest. I'd forgotten recently that my children hadn't heard me play the piano much, and I should do so more often rather than just play for instruction. I also want to work on my quilting more, as I'd really like to see some UFOs (Un-Finished Projects) completed.

- Try to organise a pamper-yourself week occasionally. I'm prone to ignoring my need for a haircut and get everyone else organised first. One tip I've read on FlyLady is to mark on the calender when that haircut is booked (which is around every 4 months for myself). Then, for all of that week, plan at least one thing that is going to uplift you each day. It can be for an hour, or 10 mins. It's up to you. Eg: a relaxing soak in the tub (while Papa reads or plays a board game with the children), give yourself a manicure, make up the bedroom with fresh linen and a pretty vase of flowers, go out with some Mums for a cuppa and chat after dinner.

- In quieter weeks, 'make hay while the sun shines'. That is, prepare some meals in advance for those busier times. I'm trying to catch up on some baking now so that when all the dancing activities resume, I don't suddenly feel swamped into a mass of activity as well as trying to manage the household.

- Oh, and one I used to do but have been neglecting, take time for an occasional long walk on your own, at your own pace.


Don't forget to watch the children for signs of disinterest or stress, also. They may need a change of pace, or even perhaps something new altogether, to brighten them up again. Often I've been guilty of agreeing to too many outings in a week. Keeping the peace and a happy household is not an easy task, and not everyone has the same facilities or helpers around them, but the first task must be to be watchful and let everyone communicate their needs. That's at least one big step forward before choosing ideas to remedy the situation.

With that, I hope everyone has a lovely year ahead. No doubt, things will happen that were unplanned, and there'll be those very busy times ahead, but there also will be many wonderful times to remember.

Have a read of some other ideas on the topic of handling burn-out from the TOS Crew here.

Sunny Summer Days

Ah, the end of another week! We've been indulging ourselves with late nights on balmy evenings, old movies, board games, visiting friends, wonderful new books from the library, trying new recipes, painting the house and gardening. For a family who's on 'vacation at home', we've squeezed a lot in, but still feel so refreshed.

Actually, today we took a trip a couple of hours north to meet some farming friends. They arranged especially to have their eldest son come along with his wife ... and his wife is a friend of mine that I first met at the age of 8. How absolutely delightful to be reacquainted again!

We enjoyed a lovely lunch and tried to catch up on a brief history of our 20 year 'gap' from seeing each other. Her young daughter then needed to go home for a nap, and that seemed like good idea as the heat peeked for the day. We stayed on and chatted with our friends a few more hours about so many topics close to my heart, one being to live as frugally and self-sufficient as possible (they do have a farm and beautiful vegie garden, but drought and now a locust plague, along with a damaged wheat crop from excessive rain, has made their life very hard).

We also had a long talk about how to give our children the best opportunities to find their natural skills, especially one that would lead to a fulfilling vocation. This is moreso something we're mindful of with Maestro, as he is growing so quickly and still doesn't know where he's real interests lie. Hubby and I know some of his strengths with regard to subjects we've already covered in homeschooling, but we're not sure we've seen any particular subject/skill really 'grab' his attention.

I wonder if some of the natural enquiring a child does about a vocation gets more than a little battered when they're told that they are not old enough to help yet. There was a stage when Maestro really wanted to help at the library. He knew how the book categorising worked, and he wanted to be a helper at returning all the books to the shelves. However, he was told he had to be 16 and have a formal letter provided to him saying that he was doing work experience. That certainly squashed his enthusiasm. Mariposa is going through the same dilemma, as she'd love to help at a pet store to feed the animals and clean their cages.

We also want both children to experience more woodworking, metalworking, mechanical repairs and the like. I know hubby and I will have to talk this over many more times, hopefully being led to some opportunities that will be doors to both of our children.


Ah well! .. and look at where this post has led me to thinking instead of just summarising our week's activities, lol!!

One hands-on activity that is happening here is painting. Hubby started the task of painting all the outside windows. Wow, what a mammoth job! Of course, hubby's diligence means that time is being taken to do it properly. I can see a few more weekends will be needed before we're finished, though.


I'll share a couple more of our happenings in some future posts. It's getting very late now and I need my beauty sleep (smiles!)

Around the dinner table

I wish I could show you what my family's dinner table looked like. Dad made it, as simply as he could, so we could all fit around it and still have a bit of room (with a squeeze) for visitors. There were eleven of us, so I guess you can imagine the size of it. He made it from MDF and contact lino, all put together in the actual room, because there was no way he could get it through the doorway of the small room. It had a slight bow in the middle, as the weight of the top hung over the frame he'd used from a previous (big) table. Length-ways, it butted up to the end of one wall. Four seats could fit on each side, with two at the top end. The highchair would then be on the corner, which later was replaced with a chair. When visitors arrived, we'd move the table away from the wall and squeeze in more chairs.

The walls weren't bare, either. Since we were all going to be in one place, Mum used the walls to display a huge map of Australia, timetables, flags of the world, and any other posters she found that were deemed 'educational'.

Behind the two chairs that were at the head of the table was the dresser, with the telephone, a small supply of reading books, reference books and a few of Mum's special glass wares on display. It was the central point of the home, where all school notices, library books, etc. accumulated. Poor Mum! I wonder how she kept track of it all, because I'm sure I'd have looked at that pile and said "It should be in there, somewhere!"

I still have good memories of us all being in that dining room, around that table. Mum and Dad don't have it there any longer, and when I was last in their dining room I was trying to remember how it all actually looked. It really is a small space and that table used to consume most of it.

However, it's not the actual table that was the most important thing. It was the fact that my parents made an effort to have us all together at meal time. It was the place where we'd finally meet up together and share our day.

It's a rare night here, in my family now, where we don't eat together. My children usually start the conversation with "So, Papa, how was your day?" It makes me laugh each time. I don't know who started it, who taught them to say that, but that's how it would all start. We would then hear about each person's day, in turn.

Last night, I wanted to especially direct the conversation toward Maestro's hopes for next year's schooling. It was 9:30pm when we finished, although Mariposa had excused herself earlier to play and get ready for bed. Questions and ideas were all put forward between hubby, Maestro and myself. We talked about highlights of the year, friendships, struggles and disappointments, other things he wants to learn ... and I was watching my son throughout this whole time. He knew that we were showing him interest, that he mattered to us.

We ended the night with lots of hugs and kisses, and then today started off the same way. This is why I'm writing this post, because it reaffirmed to me the importance of sharing our time with our children. The memories I had of talking around the dinner table all came back. It's the place of meeting together and strengthening the family bond. If I remember these times with my family, hopefully my children will reflect fondly on similar memories when they are older.

What homeschooling offers according to one journalist

A friend has informed me of an article written in Sunday's "The Australian", giving a very positive and excellent representation of homeschooling. I agree with the views shared about quality of teaching, preference for the phonetic approach to reading, and engaging in rewarding exercises through all stages of a child's intellectual growth.

You may like to have a read: Great Education Available Outside the Mainstream.

Hello Monday! Hello November!

No more being negative and wondering 'where's the time gone?' It's a fact; it has gone. It can't be redeemed. If I didn't use my time wisely earlier, I shouldn't sit and moan about it, but think on what is coming up ahead.

Time is physical and we are responsible for its use. Time watches us grow older, but we must choose whether to grow wiser with it also. What do we want to create for our children to enjoy? How strong do we want our family to be once the children have left home?  I want to remember the fun and laughter, the working together to make our family's home a pleasant place to be, building up friendships and memories that will give us stories to share in years to come.

So, with vigour we shall 'Seize the day!' and plan lots of wonderful things for our last month of spring. We'll still have our work to do, but we'll be realistic and keep our emotional needs met too with lots of time to just 'be happy' and hopefully keep the opportunity for communication to build.  Our weekend has already seen us spending family time on a very wet weekend playing a game of Chinese Checkers, cuddles and stories on the couch, and a visit to meet my newest nephew.

In the garden, there are flowers in abundance, silverbeet and asparagus also doing well. I have a garden bed to sort out and decide where to plant some trees I've had starting in pots: a mandarine, Tahitian lime and fig tree. More salad greens need to be planted, too, as well as tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkins and herbs.

Our neighbour across the road has a very large native tree which has attracted a noisy bird. I believe it may be a parrot of sorts, but I'll know for sure once I get a proper look at it. Meanwhile, it's amusing us with it's regular calls from dawn until dusk. (We won't need an alarm clock for a while!) 

We'll pull out some new books to start reading. Maestro's become a fan of the Ranger's Apprentice books, whilst Mariposa is enjoying Beverley Cleary's "Socks". I'm going to pull out "Emotional Intelligence" from my shelf.  I'll also pull out some resource books to find ideas for activities with the children.  I've already decided Mariposa will learn some simply floral arranging with two other young ladies.  Maestro needs a project too, so I'm looking around, possibly a woodworking project for starters.

I hope you all have a truly lovely day, with lots of positive thoughts and good plans. May you all have an abundance of good works ahead of you. xxxx

Seeds of responsibility

Look at all these seeds! I should have sown many of them last spring, but they're still sitting in my basket. We'll have to wait another six months before they can be sown, and hopefully they'll still be quite viable. Yes, there's food there, but not if we don't pull our socks up and get about the duty of nurturing.

Ah, I can scold myself, but the damage is done. We're lacking in a food supply from our garden, which would be richer in nutrients than store bought produce. We could have had abundance, but now we have nothing, and we so enjoy home grown tomatoes!

Well, isn't that a fine lesson? How many times am I given responsibility but have been neglectful? How can I use this as an example to my children so they can see that there is usually plenty of opportunity to have a rich life, but distractions or laziness can make us lose sight of the longer term and more rewarding result?

So many things are parables of greater lessons and this has been just one. I really am cross with myself, but I must say that I did have that voice at the back of my head telling me that I'd regret not having done this earlier. What to do now? Well, we still can prepare the soil for other crops. Peas, silverbeet, beetroot, carrots ... I've signed up to Gardenate so I'll have regular emails sent to remind me of what to plant when.

I'm also very, very thankful that good seed and previous good crops continue to self-seed and feed us even when we haven't prepared.

Tiny silverbeet plants are emerging in the asparagus bed.  Thankfully Midgy hadn't dug these up before I found them as he's been having a great time aerating this patch.

Rhubarb is still florishing, so if we get busy, cook it up and freeze it, we'll still enjoy this before it is dormant again in the winter.  Apple and rhubarb pie, or rhubarb and rose geranium crumble .. yum!

Oca is almost ready to harvest.  We grew this in a large tub, but I'm hoping to have a new patch ready for it to go directly into the soil in July.

Our wonderful passionfruit vine had it's final innings a couple of years ago, but the root stock is coming out in a furious bid to survive.  This is actually a big problem now, as hubby and I have been trying to remove it without damaging the raspberry crop.  If anyone has any helpful tips, I'd love to hear them! 

So, in a bid to make sure I don't shirk responsibility any further, I'm going to have to allocate definite blocks of time to nurture the seeds for my garden and provide our household with the food we need.  This has been an example of 'failing to plan is planning to fail', and has certainly brought about much thought about the many other seeds of responsibility we have and often neglect.

Thoughtful Thursday

This week's turned out to be quite an interesting one, with a whole lot of extra trials we didn't enjoy working through.  But still, we grow stronger through such dealings and closer as a family. 

I've had quite a few thoughts of what I could write as a reflection on the week, but through it all shone a lovely conversation a fellow blogger and I have been having 'behind the scenes' via emails.  We seem to share a lot of similar thoughts which motivate us to decide how we want to enrich our children's lives.  Is homeschooling really the best choice?  What finally helped me make that decision?  How do I ensure my children aren't missing out academically, creatively and socially?

One thing that strengthens my decision to homeschool is that I can be responsible for how our time is spent, and the quality of relationships we can make individually and as a family.  I can be 'me' and my children can be themselves.  If they get through their book work in 2 hrs, they can explore and create for the rest of the day to hearts content. We can socialise with those who nourish and uplift us, and choose to remove ourselves from those who deflate or defile.  If we find we're struggling, we can slow down because it's our own agenda.  The lesson of life must be learnt, and dealings with offenses to try and heal relationships can take priority.

Julie Bogart has written a very timely post on her blog, which has encouraged me greatly through this week's trials.  It's been reaffirming that, yes, we are on the same team as a family and we should always be rejoicing that we have this.  You can read Julie's article here: Keeping the Home in Homeschool.  I hope she encourages you, and all who are overcoming their own trials recently are winning the battle and being strengthened within your own house too.

Another festival season

It's very interesting to note that the festivals held earlier in the year are fairly well known, but the latter are not so much. We did a study with the children mapping out God's festivals as listed in Leviticus 23. I realised that Mariposa, needing pictorial explanations, could benefit from a list of these days and we'll put it up on the wall near our calendar.

Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread and then Pentecost in our Autumn (but Jerusalem's Spring), then Yom Teruah, Yom Kippurim and the Feast of Booths are in our Spring (but Jerusalem's Autumn). I drew up a page similar to this one, except we wrote in the days we're to count on God's calendar. Eg: we noted the 1st Abib, then Passover also had written in 14th Abib, and so on. I also coloured the days God tells us are set aside as Sabbaths (eg: the first and last days of Unleavened Bread). I don't know why I hadn't thought to do this sooner. It certainly makes it so much easier for the children to follow.

Yesterday (Monday) we observed Yom Kippurim, or the Day of Purgations/Cleansings, also known as the Day of Atonement. On Friday we're leaving to observe the Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles) beginning that evening, then ending on Sunday Oct 10th, so I won't be posting during that period. I'll try to get a few more posts up before we leave, but I won't make a promise unless I can't keep it! :)

"No excuses! No excuses!"

There's a very interesting article in The Age today. It tells of an inspiring speech Barack Obama gave at the NAACP. Yes, it was directed at coloured people in America, but there are words which apply to EVERYONE!

There is discrimation for many things, and sometimes people who feel they've been dealt a difficult hand have the best excuse for giving in, or doing a mediocre job and not trying harder. Use what is at hand to better yourself. Seek it out. The difference is all in our choice.

"Your destiny is in your hands and don't you forget that. That's what we have to teach all of our children! No excuses! No excuses!"

The emphasis was all on personal responsibility, and it's all very true!

How are we teaching our children that all that they can pursue any noble goal? It won't matter how long it takes them to achieve the end result, but if it's a goal worth aspiring for, then you most certainly CAN work toward it! We must pass on the skills of being diligent and having responsibility. Watch for all the lessons which can be learnt by interacting with others, reading and responding appropriately to all the visual and verbal cues; pay attention!! Seek out GOOD information to feed our minds wholesome food. Help our children to verbalise their feelings so they can keep check on how they process information. Be aware ... and use all that you learn to grow.

I know ... what a huge ask!! Most adults struggle to deal with their daily feelings and thoughts, let alone help a child to process theirs. But, as a parent, it is my responsibility too. Deut 4: 9-10 tells me that! So I pray for the wisdom for me to learn these skills myself, and that I can teach them to my children through words and examples.

You can view Obama's entire speech here:

or read the transcript as prepared for delivery here.

When you try to live a simple life

When do you say 'enough!' when it comes to keeping up with the Jones'? When is the line drawn in the sand? Something is always pulling us toward advancement in some fashion, so how do you determine when to say 'STOP' so you can preserve family values and not encourage unwanted aires?

I've had a curiosity for the Amish way of life and their determination to preserve simplicity, wondering what lessons could be learnt and applied to our family life. The other night, my husband and I watched a documentary called The AMISH - A People of Preservation. It was most interesting and we really want to share it with friends to further discussion on certain values and ideas.

The Amish customs revolve around a rural lifestyle, without electricity and as little machinery as possible. Children work very closely with their parents; there is a special bonding in sharing all chores and a respect for work. They are also very aware of pride and look to teach and live with humility. If there was one thing which stood out above anything else, in respect to values we wish to encourage in our family, it's the relationship between children and parents. It, of course, is the result of the many working factors of the Amish culture.

So many things to question! Do we have too many distractions in our own home, pulling us apart?

I think there are times when we must simplify in order to come back together and share the time which binds us closely. So, less television and computer time. More time in the garden, reading, walking, and working together. Don't be afraid to give responsibilities and expect them to be done correctly. The days go by quickly enough, so childhood will soon be gone and whatever is planted now as our family foundations has certainly been magnified in importance yet again.

Mothering motivation

We all like a good read, especially one which edifies, and even moreso when it uplifts those in the seemingly underappreciated job of motherhood.
Julie at Bravewriter has written a fabulous article in response to a program she had been watching on Oprah. I'll leave you to read it and share with those you also know who need to be edified in their roles as Mums.
On Being a Mother

Quite thoughts

I know I've been posting quite intermittently lately.
The ideas are there, but the time hasn't permitted with various activities prior to and during the Passover season.

We're spending today quietly together, which means a few minutes to sit and quietly write here too. I'm contemplating getting us all out for a walk today too, but rain's a possibility ~ which is lovely! but means staying indoors.

Term two starts back on Monday and I've been busy writing up a weekly timetable which hopefully will help us fit in all those activities the children want to do. It's always been a struggle to get it all done as I think our 'eyes are bigger than our stomachs'. My intention with homeschooling was to give the children opportunity to learn topics they may miss in school, but choosing which one at any particular time is the fun part. This term, I'm sidetracking a bit with Science and covering Health (incl. food groups, the body, first aid/safety) instead. Social Studies will include learning about mapping for Maestro, whilst Mariposa will focus on 'People in our community' and then 'Australian flags and emblems'.

Maestro is also learning the art of writing reports from research with his English program. He's always been able to competently teach himself the library system, even though we've also worked together re: the Dewey system and cataloging, but this is the next step. I look forward to seeing how it will all come along, showing another step up in his learning.

We've left working on Mariposa's Ruby Doll for a while now, so that's something else we need to work on. She's very keen to practice her sewing skills. I want to help make her a house for her dolls too. I saved this page a while ago on making a fabric doll house. I certainly have enough quilting fabrics to do this, so this should be lots of fun for us to work on together.

Speaking of quilting, I have 2 on the go I need to finish. One is the very first I ever attempted to piece together, so it just needs backing, binding and quilting. Maestro really wants this for his bedroom, so there's some incentive! The second is a Mystery Block of the Month quilt I started but still haven't finished. I think I may have issues finding backing and binding fabrics now as it's been so long ... but hopefully that won't cause too many hassles. I only ever finished one quilt entirely. It was for my Nana's 90th birthday last year:

We were at my aunts' the previous year, celebrating Nana's 89th birthday. She had 3 more great-grandchildren on the way. On drive home, I thought making a quilt with all the names of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren embroidered onto it would make an appropriate gift. So, I headed down to the fabric store the next day and they had a sale!! All quilting fabrics were reduced, so I picked up enough to make a decent sized lap quilt for $40AUD. I then played with designs on graph paper until I had worked out how to fit everybody's names into a box. Well, you can see the result. I was quite happy it worked out so well and now Nana has it at the foot of her bed.

So, lots of plans for these next 3 months. Hopefully we haven't bitten off more than we can chew, but if we have it will only mean relaxing and rescheduling.

Recommended viewing

I've just been watching Sir Ken Robinson on You Tube, giving a very interesting talk on education. He discusses how creativity is just as important as literacy and how the 'education revolution' has influenced the whole current education structure to aspire toward academics and universities.

This is a 20 minute presentation, but it is worth it. :)