Disclaimer: You probably came here looking for what to feed your kids’ brains during this time of temporary homeschool. Instead, you will find a few words on taking advantage of this time to feed their souls in a way the world cannot.
With coronavirus sweeping the nation, many of you sweet and FULLY CAPABLE mamas are finding yourselves in the ever-dreaded, anti-social kid world of homeschool;) And us homeschool moms are here to welcome you with OPEN ARMS and to give you ALL the confidence in the world to do this!
Feeling inadequate? Feeling overwhelmed? As a previous passionate 2nd grade teacher, let me give you a disclaimer: If you spend ONE hour reading to your child a day, that’s ten times more one-on-one learning than they would have received in a whole day at school. And do you know how effective one-on-one learning is?
To give you perspective, a typical homeschooler will cover a normal school day of academics in about two hours. So don’t put pressure on yourself to school ALL DAY.
So, if that is all you do…GREAT. Not to mention you LOVE and CARE about your child more than any teacher is capable of and therefore, YOU are more invested in their education even if you never intended on temporarily homeschooling. Now that the pressure is off let’s continue on…
Be Open to Blessings
You are fully preparing for the academic side of things…but you are about to get hit with so many beautiful blessings that are non-academic.
Don’t overlook these or hurry through them and right now just might be the time to focus on the non-academic blessings of life while you can:
Focused Mom Time
Before homeschooling, I gave my kids several short moments of attention spread throughout the day, because I had to get chores done! Once homeschool started and they received one FULL hour of mom’s presence and attention, not only did their behaviors drastically change, they also stopped seeking me out for constant attention all day because their mom attention needs were fulfilled.
Socialization: Siblinghood + Only Children
Get ready for your kids to turn into WEIRDOS. Kidding;) Have you ever noticed that your child gets along way easier with friends their own age than with their own siblings? How cool is it that GOD gave your child the perfect tool for socialization within the walls of his own house: a sibling who KNOWS how to push his buttons, and therefore your child has to constantly work on communication and problem solving skills…all day every day.
Is your child an only child? Take ADVANTAGE of this time of adult socialization. Did you know research shows the most effective form of socialization for kids is to spend a majority of their time with more mature communicators than themselves, then to go practice those learned socializing with kids their own age for a smaller portion of the time. Our kids our sponges. They will SOAK UP social skills from those they are surrounding by for a majority of their day. Adult socialization allows them to learn appropriate ways to communicate AND to be able to better distinguish good behavior from bad when they see it.
A New Pace of Life
All of a sudden we are forced to be within the same walls of our home, and it is not recommended to go out much unless necessary.
What a wonderful time to show your children the beauty of simply being instead of constantly doing. From their perspective, they notice more than we realize that we are all of a sudden acknowledging that WHO their little souls are are exciting enough for us to just be with. All of a sudden we are teaching them to find joy in what God has already given us-each other-instead of in the chaos of the material world.
A Word on Boredom
You are bound to hear the dreaded…”I’m BORED!” Do me a favor and when you hear this, don’t be annoyed or discouraged. BE EXCITED! Boredom, if you let your child uncomfortably sit in it for awhile, turns into CREATIVITY and peacefulness. Thinking for ourselves and creating has become a lost skill in our culture because stimulation is CONSTANTLY given to us. Talk about instant gratification, it’s what us millennials are bred on. For our little ones to learn to BE with themselves and have that be a moment of comfort instead of panic, to allow them moments to use their imagination, and to not provide them with instant gratification are BEAUTIFUL GIFTS if you allow them to unfold.
Nature vs. Amazon
Empty those Amazon carts of panic-filled school supply buying.
SO MUCH LEARNING comes about from nature. Aren’t you generally better at comprehending and retaining topics YOU are excited about? Go in nature and let your child ask questions. Look at the ground and you will find math manipulatives for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and patterns. Spring is coming-time to plant seeds (inside or out) and learn all about photosynthesis, life cycles, and more. Don’t have craft supplies? Send your child out in the yard to grab everything they find and challenge them to create a work of art or a bug hotel. Don’t have a writing curriculum? Have them write letters to family members and friends! Don’t know what to do for history? Have them interview grandparents and neighbors on memorable historical events in their life…it will ignite a whole unit they are are interested in. Now would be the perfect time for some online foreign language learning or free Youtube Hoffman piano lessons 🙂
Life Skills
What better time than now to learn to: tie shoes, make beds, do laundry, sweep, pair socks, learn a new sport, cook. a meal, and most importantly…be of service to others. Life schooling is something ONLY YOU can teach your kids. Now would be a great time to surrender academic worry and embrace this opportunity.
Academics
If you actually came for academic advice and do not want to buy an entire curriculum while temporarily homeschooling….
Here are our Favorite Books
(If you aren’t headed to the library several can be found on YouTube or Vooks-no commericals).
Here are our Lessons By Subject
Our favorite educational shows are at the bottom of our Curriculum Resource Page.
If you’re feeling ambitious…google free printables and crafts and you are set;)
For all of our lesson ideas and proof that kids can stay alive, and every now and then even thrive amidst the chaos of homeschool…you can find us on Instagram @countingcures.
And remember, don’t let the academic panic overshadow this sweet time of the pleasant surprises that come with being instead of doing.
If you have questions or would life more details regarding our daily routine, etc. let us know in the comments below. And if your temporary homeschooling ends up turning into real homeschool, then we will talk curriculum;)