By Kathy Green
Are you enjoying your homeschooling journey? How about your kids? If you are hesitating to answer with a resounding YES, then please take a few moments to read on for encouragement.
Yesterday, our granddaughter came for a visit with a little one that she often cares for while mom works. These two enjoy stopping in to visit with us whenever they are together, and we are always happy to see them. It’s such a delight to watch young children explore their surroundings. They are natural learners, and they do it so well!
On this occasion, our young visitor was excited to show off her newest skills. Clapping and waving her hands to greet us are her latest accomplishments. She has been working very hard to perfect her technique and clearly wanted to demonstrate. I could see the excitement in her bright little face as she climbed up onto my lap. With quick deliberation, she took my two hands in hers and brought them together for the song she knew would come. “Patty cake, patty cake, baker’s man,” over and over we practiced until she was quite satisfied and clambered down from my lap to move on to something new.
This is a perfect example of learning with sheer delight and can apply to a child of any age or ability! Her eagerness and readiness were clear and evident. The moment was right, and the setting was ideal… open and relaxed. Our attention to any teachable moments allowed her to learn with joy and intentionality. We didn’t worry about finishing a lesson in eye/hand coordination or whether the skill was perfectly mastered or flawed in some way. The game was simply an incidental but natural part of her life in-the-moment.
How often do you allow the natural ebb and flow of life to gently take you and lead you through your homeschooling days? Do you allow yourself the joy of stopping for the unexpected? Can you pause at a moment’s notice to capitalize on a teachable moment? Do you take time for questions, digging deeper for answers, and earnest conversations? Have you fully discovered and embraced a lifestyle of learning?
If your days are a struggle and still look a bit more like traditional school than not, take heart! You can begin to seek a path forward that will lead you and your family to a lifestyle that makes learning come alive. The steps aren’t really that hard. It’s a process of letting go. The result will be freeing!
Take it slowly, one step at a time. Simplify your schedule. Keep the curriculum light with a focus on the basics. Read aloud, a LOT! Watch for emerging interests in your children. Feed those interests and value them as learning essentials. Fill your days with what really matters most to your children and your family. Be there when the light goes on and rejoice in new discoveries.
Your new learning lifestyle will bring harmony to your home like never before. Real life learning will allow your kids time to become fascinated by the people, places and things all around them. Marvel with them at the fullness and richness of all God’s creation. They will remember what they learn and want to know more. You’ll be on your way to becoming a joyful homeschool family!