In Texas, fall isn't what I'm used to. The temperatures don't drop as much. The leaves don't really go anywhere at all. The wind picks up some, and evenings do get a bit of a chill, but it's not like back in New England. Over the three years I've been here, I've had to learn a whole new way to prepare for winter.
This time of year back home was filled with preparations for fall activities and on into winter. A lot of families started picking up heavy winter coats and snow boots for their children if the ones from last year were outgrown. Scarves, hats, and mittens start to be found. Warm, heavy socks are found in preparation for those first chills. It may be too early in the year to worry about wearing them, but it never hurt to have them on hand. When the weather turned, which always seemed to start earlier than expected, you would want to know exactly where all of it was.
Here in Texas, fall is rather different. During the day it stays quite hot, and often does straight through the winter. We've been known to have ninety degree days in January or February, matched with below freezing nights. Fall weather means digging out all the layers, that way you can prepare for all the changing temperatures, and the whole range of weather.
All summer long it's hot and humid. There seems to be no break from it all. Occasionally as summer starts to give way there's a few scattered storms as hurricanes hit the coast and gulf, blowing rain and clouds out our way. Usually it's fall where the rains start to come in, though it's never much. The temperatures can be quite nice and breezy, with just a hint of cool enough for a sweater early on. Early fall is rather mild in Texas, providing a break from the brutality of summer's heat and sun, a slow preparation for what is yet to come.
Of course, this is the perfect time to prepare for later in the fall. While now it may be quite nice out, later in fall the weather is much more of a challenge. Now is the time to start digging out sweaters, or buying new ones. You want to be prepared for the days of layering. Come late October and November you want to be prepared for the layers you may need to put on early in the morning or late at night, but not dress in a way where it's impossible to take them off when the day turns so warm and pleasant.
This is where I'm at right now. It's time to look into new sneakers for the children while it's still nice enough out to wear sandals. It's time to dig out sweaters before they'll need them. I'll need to pair all the mittens and be sure they are easy to find for when we'll need it. Hats need to be found and light jackets need to be checked for fit. Travel means packing the car with all sorts of extras "just in case it gets cool", a concept I wasn't so painfully aware of in New England. The diaper bag needs to be stocked with a sweater, hat, and socks at all times, and it may even be time to start looking for a jacket for the baby. I'm starting to wonder if perhaps I should just leave a packed suitcase in the car with all of our "just in case" items for the weather.
That seems to be the challenge of Texas. Preparing for Fall means being ready for anything at a moments notice. Dressing for the weather is impossible. Knowing whether a hot lunch would be so much better than something cold is impossible to guess. Planning ahead is next to impossible when it comes to the weather. Just expect a bit of everything.
But, fall... I am looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to Halloween, where all the kids get dressed up for the occasion. I'm looking forward to our first Thanksgiving with this new family. It's my favorite time of the year. I just hope I'm ready for it!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Adjustments: Clean Up Time
The hardest part of teaching my children to clean up after themselves is my three-year old. He wants to spend all his time playing and doesn't particularly care if his room is a mess. He seems to like it better that way. His sister fights so much on cleaning that he doesn't seem to think it's of any value. After all, aren't making messes where all the fun is? It's hard to explain to a three-year-old that cleaning up means there's more room to play, and that he'll know exactly where everything is when he wants to play with it.
It's also more of a challenge because there isn't really a place set up for my oldest son's toys right now. The toys in his room right now are all girl's toys. We've got to search through where his toys are packed up in the garage and see which ones will make it to his room, which ones will be saved for the youngest when he gets older, and which ones are ready to move on. It often means he gets into everyone else's toys for a lack of his own, which means the whole house can quickly become a mess.
Where the oldest is concerned, I understand her point. With two other girls in the house that she plays with all the time, it's hard to tell which mess belongs to who. They all complain that they didn't make the mess, and they all complain they're the ones doing all the work. It can easily get frustrating, so it's almost easier not to make anyone clean at all. Of course, in the end the girls usually work it out, but it's something that's going to take getting used to.
For me, there are a lot of lessons in the new dynamics of clean up time. These new challenges have pointed out the flaws in my organizational system. It's been a chance to realize that it's taking me much longer to settle in than I realized. I've got a lot to work on. It's also been a reminder that I need to lead by example with my children. I need to get organized in my own room, get it clean and orderly. My children have more reason to do it if they see me doing it. On top of that, I won't constantly be looking for things I've misplaced just like they do!
We're making progress when it comes to cleaning up. It's so much more of a challenge it used to be. When we lived on our own I always knew who was responsible for what mess and always had things organized they way I liked it. It takes time to get used to a larger family, more shared space, and all the complications that come with it. Overall, I'm enjoying the changes, but there's just so much left to work on.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
How I Miss Seasons...
Kids are back in school. Nights are getting nippier. Sweater weather is becoming more common. The leaves are dying and falling. As everyone bustles by on the busy streets, the leaves crunch so delightfully beneath their feet. It's finally fall!
Well, it is somewhere. That somewhere certainly isn't Texas. We've got beautiful sunny weather, not as hot in summer, but not really cool either. The nights are still humid, sometimes a little sticky. If we're lucky it will be cool enough out to be considered "nice". For some, this is heaven, knowing they'll never have to shovel snow or rake leaves again. For me, this is hell. I hate it, and I long to have my seasons back.
Having grown up in quaint New England, I'm used to having four of them each year. Our springs were windy and brisk, yet filled with a delightful splash of new growth, once things finally decided to grow, of course! The flowers came into bloom after a deluge of rain and all the snow melting. I've got fond memories of realizing it was finally warm enough out that a sweater was all I needed, and later in the spring delightfully casting that off as the days got warmer.
Summer was hot, but not brutal like it is here. The days were lazy and filled with the sound of "heat bugs" buzzing away. As a child, the summer was filled with swimming in the local reservoir, no longer used for drinking water, but instead to entertain the locals. When I had my own family we would go to the Frog Pond in downtown Boston or Revere Beach and wade with my daughter on weekends, enjoying the warm sun and all the families out and about. We would take walks in the Public Garden or on Boston Common, and then cram onto the subway when the crowds were headed to Red Sox games conveniently timed for rush hour traffic. In the evenings we'd sit out side in the cool, summer air, still sticky and humid, drinking lemonade and eating fruit from the local co-op. I particularly loved living in Salem this time of year, as we could walk down by Pickering Warf and enjoy the cool breeze from the ocean. Those hot summer nights were some of the best times I'd had, sitting on the front stoop with friends because it was too hot to be cooped up inside.
As the days turned cooler, we turned into fall, my favorite of the seasons. The leaves were all kinds of brilliant colors, then tumbled down to the street. With each step there was the satisfying crunch of leaves crushing beneath my feet. The air was sharp and crisp, with just a hint of frost later in the season. Pumpkins and corn husk decorations were everywhere. It was the season for baking, as it all came together for Thanksgiving, though that was usually more wintry than not. We'd go to the park and play as it was cool enough to truly enjoy it. Evenings were filled with long walks in the fresh, cool air, then we would come home to hot chocolate or warm cider. Those are the days I miss the most.
Winter came with it's own stunning beauty. Even when the snow had not yet fallen and all the trees were simply barren and dead, the bleary gray of winter had it's own light to me. Early on when all the Christmas decor went up, I found the season more delightful than any other. Even with the bleak dead surroundings, those cheery little lights seemed to perk everything up. Yes, it may have all been dead and cold, but there was a life brought to it. Then the snow came, and though I always hated the prospect of shoveling the miserable stuff, I did love the look of it. I can't count the times I decided to go for a walk, just because it was snowing. It was always so much warmer when it snowed, or so it seemed. The snow covered city looked so beautiful. Then came the ice, and while it made everything slick and dangerous, at the same time, everything glistened. I have to admit, during the day it was dreary and bland, but at night it was stunning.
Instead, I'm stuck with Texas. The summer is brutal. The fall and spring are mildly less so. Nothing ever really seems to die, and yet it does. The winter is like that of a desert, but there's none of the beauty of snow or ice. The cold doesn't stay for long, but is so unpredictable it's impossible to prepare. There's a delightfully long growing season, but by summer it's much too hot to garden. I'm realizing more and more how homesick I am for New England. I miss those seasons more than I want to admit!
Well, it is somewhere. That somewhere certainly isn't Texas. We've got beautiful sunny weather, not as hot in summer, but not really cool either. The nights are still humid, sometimes a little sticky. If we're lucky it will be cool enough out to be considered "nice". For some, this is heaven, knowing they'll never have to shovel snow or rake leaves again. For me, this is hell. I hate it, and I long to have my seasons back.
Having grown up in quaint New England, I'm used to having four of them each year. Our springs were windy and brisk, yet filled with a delightful splash of new growth, once things finally decided to grow, of course! The flowers came into bloom after a deluge of rain and all the snow melting. I've got fond memories of realizing it was finally warm enough out that a sweater was all I needed, and later in the spring delightfully casting that off as the days got warmer.
Summer was hot, but not brutal like it is here. The days were lazy and filled with the sound of "heat bugs" buzzing away. As a child, the summer was filled with swimming in the local reservoir, no longer used for drinking water, but instead to entertain the locals. When I had my own family we would go to the Frog Pond in downtown Boston or Revere Beach and wade with my daughter on weekends, enjoying the warm sun and all the families out and about. We would take walks in the Public Garden or on Boston Common, and then cram onto the subway when the crowds were headed to Red Sox games conveniently timed for rush hour traffic. In the evenings we'd sit out side in the cool, summer air, still sticky and humid, drinking lemonade and eating fruit from the local co-op. I particularly loved living in Salem this time of year, as we could walk down by Pickering Warf and enjoy the cool breeze from the ocean. Those hot summer nights were some of the best times I'd had, sitting on the front stoop with friends because it was too hot to be cooped up inside.
As the days turned cooler, we turned into fall, my favorite of the seasons. The leaves were all kinds of brilliant colors, then tumbled down to the street. With each step there was the satisfying crunch of leaves crushing beneath my feet. The air was sharp and crisp, with just a hint of frost later in the season. Pumpkins and corn husk decorations were everywhere. It was the season for baking, as it all came together for Thanksgiving, though that was usually more wintry than not. We'd go to the park and play as it was cool enough to truly enjoy it. Evenings were filled with long walks in the fresh, cool air, then we would come home to hot chocolate or warm cider. Those are the days I miss the most.
Winter came with it's own stunning beauty. Even when the snow had not yet fallen and all the trees were simply barren and dead, the bleary gray of winter had it's own light to me. Early on when all the Christmas decor went up, I found the season more delightful than any other. Even with the bleak dead surroundings, those cheery little lights seemed to perk everything up. Yes, it may have all been dead and cold, but there was a life brought to it. Then the snow came, and though I always hated the prospect of shoveling the miserable stuff, I did love the look of it. I can't count the times I decided to go for a walk, just because it was snowing. It was always so much warmer when it snowed, or so it seemed. The snow covered city looked so beautiful. Then came the ice, and while it made everything slick and dangerous, at the same time, everything glistened. I have to admit, during the day it was dreary and bland, but at night it was stunning.
Instead, I'm stuck with Texas. The summer is brutal. The fall and spring are mildly less so. Nothing ever really seems to die, and yet it does. The winter is like that of a desert, but there's none of the beauty of snow or ice. The cold doesn't stay for long, but is so unpredictable it's impossible to prepare. There's a delightfully long growing season, but by summer it's much too hot to garden. I'm realizing more and more how homesick I am for New England. I miss those seasons more than I want to admit!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
I Want to Do It!
I remember the days when my son would be so reliant on me. He would ask me to make him lunch. He would ask me to put a movie on for him. I would have to get him glasses of water or milk. I would have to do everything for him. I know I've still got another little one who will be relying on me for all those things, but my older son has since moved on, and I can't even tell you when it happened.
Every time I look at him, I'm reminded of how much he's grown up. He's gone from being my baby boy to being an independent kind of kid. At three years old he can get himself a drink, make his own toast and sandwiches, get his own cereal with milk (with only a little mess), get himself dressed and undressed, and put on his own movies in the DVD player. I have to wonder sometimes what he needs me for! He's more than capable of doing just about everything on his own. Of course, he's kind of lagging on the potty training, but with all the changes over the past year, it's not surprising with all the changes going on. I'm sure he won't be in diapers for ever!
It's amazing, when you think about it, how fast they all grow up. I remember when my oldest son had so many problems with speaking clearly. I couldn't understand what he was getting at most of the time and just kind of guessed. Sometimes I still do that when he's tired or not feeling well, but these days most of what he says is understandable. In a way, I'm glad that he can communicate to me so clearly, but at the same time, I kind of miss the days when he was little and so dependent. I miss the baby days.
Looking at my youngest, I can see those days in his future too. It won't always be these moments of wanting to cuddle and love on his mommy. He's going to grow up and become Mr. Independent too. It's not going to be long before I turn around and wonder just when they all got to be so capable.
All around me I see these families with really advanced kids, kids who can read by the time they're two, or kids who use SAT words from toddlerhood. I'll admit, a part of me wishes my kids had been that advanced. That little competitive side of me wishes I had the kid of kids who would have been speaking in complete scentences at two. I do sometimes wish that they had known all their colors, numbers, and everything else by then. Then again, a part of me is really relieved. I can't imagine how fast childhood would rush by if my kids did develop such a strong sense of adulthood at such a young age. Yes, I want my kids to grow up to be successful, but they're only kids once. Childhood goes too fast while it's here, so why would I want to rush it along anymore?
For now, I'm going to enjoy these days while I have them, even if they are filled with a three-year-old demanding he can do everything on his own. I'll jump in and help when he accepts it, but my time with my son will have to be filled with other things. I guess I should be greatful. I don't have to worry about the work of taking care of him. Instead, I can focus on the fun we can have together. Now I just need to find a way of getting used to him wanting to do everything I used to be able to do for him.
Every time I look at him, I'm reminded of how much he's grown up. He's gone from being my baby boy to being an independent kind of kid. At three years old he can get himself a drink, make his own toast and sandwiches, get his own cereal with milk (with only a little mess), get himself dressed and undressed, and put on his own movies in the DVD player. I have to wonder sometimes what he needs me for! He's more than capable of doing just about everything on his own. Of course, he's kind of lagging on the potty training, but with all the changes over the past year, it's not surprising with all the changes going on. I'm sure he won't be in diapers for ever!
It's amazing, when you think about it, how fast they all grow up. I remember when my oldest son had so many problems with speaking clearly. I couldn't understand what he was getting at most of the time and just kind of guessed. Sometimes I still do that when he's tired or not feeling well, but these days most of what he says is understandable. In a way, I'm glad that he can communicate to me so clearly, but at the same time, I kind of miss the days when he was little and so dependent. I miss the baby days.
Looking at my youngest, I can see those days in his future too. It won't always be these moments of wanting to cuddle and love on his mommy. He's going to grow up and become Mr. Independent too. It's not going to be long before I turn around and wonder just when they all got to be so capable.
All around me I see these families with really advanced kids, kids who can read by the time they're two, or kids who use SAT words from toddlerhood. I'll admit, a part of me wishes my kids had been that advanced. That little competitive side of me wishes I had the kid of kids who would have been speaking in complete scentences at two. I do sometimes wish that they had known all their colors, numbers, and everything else by then. Then again, a part of me is really relieved. I can't imagine how fast childhood would rush by if my kids did develop such a strong sense of adulthood at such a young age. Yes, I want my kids to grow up to be successful, but they're only kids once. Childhood goes too fast while it's here, so why would I want to rush it along anymore?
For now, I'm going to enjoy these days while I have them, even if they are filled with a three-year-old demanding he can do everything on his own. I'll jump in and help when he accepts it, but my time with my son will have to be filled with other things. I guess I should be greatful. I don't have to worry about the work of taking care of him. Instead, I can focus on the fun we can have together. Now I just need to find a way of getting used to him wanting to do everything I used to be able to do for him.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Peanutbutter Toast!!!
Isn't it funny the way kids get picky about things? They just have to have something a certain way and if they don't get it, there's tantrums in the future. I can't count the number of times I've been at the store to see a kid throwing a tantrum over cookies or candy. They want it all, and they want it right now! I do have to sympathise with those moms. My daughter used to be the same way. My older son, however, isn't like that at all.
Now, I have to be honest, he has his share of demands. He must have the food he wants or he simply will not eat. More often than not, I can convince him that the food he wants is what the whole family is eating. It's not really tricking him. I just tell him how good it is and that he should try it. He's not that picky in the long run. He just knows what he likes and is only a little shy about having something he may not be familiar with. However, when it's a "fend for yourself" kind of thing, he's picky, and he only wants one thing.
Peanutbutter toast, that's the demand in this house. My older son is addicted to the stuff. I suppose it could be worse. Unlike cookies and candy, peanutbutter and bread are a pretty healthy combination. He likes to have it with a glass of milk, adding another layer of healthy to the whole diet. The only thing he's missing is fruit or veggies, which I'm sure I could convince him to have if I had some easily on hand for snacking. I'm surprised at his healthy selection. Even with the options in the house, like cereal with marshmellows and cookies, he would rather have peanutbutter toast for lunch! I guess it's better than chips too. At least his vote is for something healthy.
I don't know what it is, but more often than not, both my kids will gladly reach for healthy foods in their toddler years. I know a lot of kids will balk the moment you say, "It's good for you!" but mine seem to see that as incentive. It's like they know healthy things will make them feel good in the end, so they like eating them. I'll be honest, I don't always provide them the most balanced diet. That's something I need to work on, but at least for now they're chosing healthy options.
Kids can't just live off of peanutbutter toast, and this I know. I'm sure complimenting the diet with classic kid favorites such as mac and cheese and hot dogs don't really help, but I hope that in my kids making healthier decisions now, they'll learn to think that way later in life. Though those foods may not be the healthiest in the world, at least they're opting for things that aren't loaded with sugar. Hopefully this is a trend that will keep on through the years.
For now, I'm just going to have to make a small investment in bread with my son's obsession with peanutbutter toast and peanutbutter toast sandwiches! It's a good thing he's not allergic to peanuts!
Now, I have to be honest, he has his share of demands. He must have the food he wants or he simply will not eat. More often than not, I can convince him that the food he wants is what the whole family is eating. It's not really tricking him. I just tell him how good it is and that he should try it. He's not that picky in the long run. He just knows what he likes and is only a little shy about having something he may not be familiar with. However, when it's a "fend for yourself" kind of thing, he's picky, and he only wants one thing.
Peanutbutter toast, that's the demand in this house. My older son is addicted to the stuff. I suppose it could be worse. Unlike cookies and candy, peanutbutter and bread are a pretty healthy combination. He likes to have it with a glass of milk, adding another layer of healthy to the whole diet. The only thing he's missing is fruit or veggies, which I'm sure I could convince him to have if I had some easily on hand for snacking. I'm surprised at his healthy selection. Even with the options in the house, like cereal with marshmellows and cookies, he would rather have peanutbutter toast for lunch! I guess it's better than chips too. At least his vote is for something healthy.
I don't know what it is, but more often than not, both my kids will gladly reach for healthy foods in their toddler years. I know a lot of kids will balk the moment you say, "It's good for you!" but mine seem to see that as incentive. It's like they know healthy things will make them feel good in the end, so they like eating them. I'll be honest, I don't always provide them the most balanced diet. That's something I need to work on, but at least for now they're chosing healthy options.
Kids can't just live off of peanutbutter toast, and this I know. I'm sure complimenting the diet with classic kid favorites such as mac and cheese and hot dogs don't really help, but I hope that in my kids making healthier decisions now, they'll learn to think that way later in life. Though those foods may not be the healthiest in the world, at least they're opting for things that aren't loaded with sugar. Hopefully this is a trend that will keep on through the years.
For now, I'm just going to have to make a small investment in bread with my son's obsession with peanutbutter toast and peanutbutter toast sandwiches! It's a good thing he's not allergic to peanuts!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Back in the Swing of Things
We've been back on the homeschooling pretty loosely for about two weeks now. It's come with it's challenges, mostly because homeschooling a three-year-old is a challenge in itself, but for the most part, things have been pretty smooth. I have to say, I'm surprised at how well my daughter can play dumb. She's really a lot smarter than she lets on. I know this kindergarten work is much too easy for her, yet still she persists in telling me it's a challenge. She just doesn't like reading and phonics.
Yesterday was our math day. We tend to spend an unbalanced amount of time in math with my daughter because it's her favorite subject. I'm sure science will be right there with it. There was an introduction to measuring in her work yesterday and she thought that was fun. I can see her being my little scientist. Then again, I'm not surprised that math and science are favorites for her. I love math and science too!
I think it's only logical for kids to fall in love with math and science first. Science is sort of the first lesson any child learns. It's how they explore the world around them and get an understanding of it. Even getting an understanding of language can be seen as science. It's all about logic. Since math allows further understanding of science, it only makes sense that it would follow closely. After all, with science, we can know that there are some goldfish crackers on the table. We can figure this out by using scientific observation skills, looks like a goldfish cracker, smells like one, tastes like one, must be one. We can figure this out by comparing them to something we know are goldfish crackers. Well, all we know is we've got "a lot" of them. With math, we can count them, measure them, divide them up evenly among friends, etc.
It seems a lot of kids have delays in reading, writing, and phonics. I suppose in some regards, it's all just another science. You learn to break down the sounds, add those sounds together to make words, then put those into equations to make sentences. However, when you already know perfectly well how to communicate through spoken language, why do you need to know how to read? If you do need to read and there's someone around to do it for you, then where's the incentive to learn to do it for yourself? Besides, reading and phonics are so much harder than math and science. Let's face it, the English language is hard!
So, here we are, back in the saddle on the whole schooling thing. Yesterday we flew through about thirty pages in the Spectrum Math Grade K
book. My daughter has been loving that one. Of course, it's probably been too easy, which is why she loves it. Today she's working on the Spectrum Phonics Grade K
book. I have to say, I really like this series. I think I'm going to keep using Spectrum. They may not be any formal homeschooling curriculum, but they are excellent learning tools for math, phonics, reading, and writing thus far. Getting back into things, I didn't know where to start, but now I feel like I've got some guidance towards a more formal homeschooling system. I just hope that this good start gives me a small base to expand on my other homeschooling activities. At least it's an introduction of math and reading skills for that level and I can work from there.
This year isn't exactly off to a roaring start for my daughter. It would have been much better had we jumped straight into grade two like we were originally supposed to, but at least now she's finding school fun and we're actually flying through the review material. If we keep flying through at this rate, we'll be on grade two material before Christmas!
Yesterday was our math day. We tend to spend an unbalanced amount of time in math with my daughter because it's her favorite subject. I'm sure science will be right there with it. There was an introduction to measuring in her work yesterday and she thought that was fun. I can see her being my little scientist. Then again, I'm not surprised that math and science are favorites for her. I love math and science too!
I think it's only logical for kids to fall in love with math and science first. Science is sort of the first lesson any child learns. It's how they explore the world around them and get an understanding of it. Even getting an understanding of language can be seen as science. It's all about logic. Since math allows further understanding of science, it only makes sense that it would follow closely. After all, with science, we can know that there are some goldfish crackers on the table. We can figure this out by using scientific observation skills, looks like a goldfish cracker, smells like one, tastes like one, must be one. We can figure this out by comparing them to something we know are goldfish crackers. Well, all we know is we've got "a lot" of them. With math, we can count them, measure them, divide them up evenly among friends, etc.
It seems a lot of kids have delays in reading, writing, and phonics. I suppose in some regards, it's all just another science. You learn to break down the sounds, add those sounds together to make words, then put those into equations to make sentences. However, when you already know perfectly well how to communicate through spoken language, why do you need to know how to read? If you do need to read and there's someone around to do it for you, then where's the incentive to learn to do it for yourself? Besides, reading and phonics are so much harder than math and science. Let's face it, the English language is hard!
So, here we are, back in the saddle on the whole schooling thing. Yesterday we flew through about thirty pages in the Spectrum Math Grade K
book. My daughter has been loving that one. Of course, it's probably been too easy, which is why she loves it. Today she's working on the Spectrum Phonics Grade K book. I have to say, I really like this series. I think I'm going to keep using Spectrum. They may not be any formal homeschooling curriculum, but they are excellent learning tools for math, phonics, reading, and writing thus far. Getting back into things, I didn't know where to start, but now I feel like I've got some guidance towards a more formal homeschooling system. I just hope that this good start gives me a small base to expand on my other homeschooling activities. At least it's an introduction of math and reading skills for that level and I can work from there.This year isn't exactly off to a roaring start for my daughter. It would have been much better had we jumped straight into grade two like we were originally supposed to, but at least now she's finding school fun and we're actually flying through the review material. If we keep flying through at this rate, we'll be on grade two material before Christmas!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Adjustments: Homeschooling
Living in a more regular place has meant for a more regular homeschooling schedule. "School" starts every morning at 9am, with an alarm going off an hour before to remind me. We've started this year slow and simple. My oldest gets a review of everything we've done since we've started school. We're starting with some easy kindergarten stuff and working our way up to second grade, the grade she's supposed to be in. Hopefully the review will go quickly and we'll be back on track in no time!
I started this whole journey off with unschooling. There was something freeing about being able to work without books. I loved the idea that children put in an environment rich with opportunities to learn would simply make the choice to learn. It seemed like the easiest, most natural way to get a child to learn everything. All I would have to do is provide plenty of opportunities. I had all sorts of ideas on what we could do or how we might manage "lessons". I had field trips in mind, projects, everything else. I started the whole process with a brilliant vision.
Don't all things in life start with brilliant visions and the idea that everything will be so easy? Isn't it frustrating when they're not as easy as they seem? While I had great visions, I found my decision came with a lot of flaws. For my older son, it's been easy. As long as there are books, he's going to want to read them, or have someone read them to him. As long as there's something to learn, he'll want to know. When he thinks he's got it right, he'll come to me all proud and tell me all about it. His favorite things to point out are animals, colors, and the emotions he thinks everything has based on it's expression. I'm sure if I left plenty of things for him to learn with just lying around, he'd want to try them all! My daughter, however, is a completely different story. If only it were so easy with her!
When I started this whole "unschooling" thing, we were doing pretty good. She had plenty of opportunities to learn. I'd turn everything into a lesson, from the playground to the grocery store. We even had a trip to the safari zoo where she had a chance to meet all kinds of animals. We talked about everything, from what they liked to eat to where they lived. We even pulled out maps to show her where all kinds of animals came from. It was a chance to work on everything from science to geography, and even a little bit on her reading skills. Things were going wonderfully. If only they had stayed that way!
At that time, my daughter's father was deployed to Iraq. I was stuck at home with two children in the middle of nowhere. I didn't really know many people, and I had almost no support. Things started wearing on me. I just couldn't manage the way I wanted to. I started slacking on opportunities to learn and she stopped wanting to. Isn't it more fun to play all the time? I had started falling apart on the unschooling, and the longer I lost ground, the harder it would be to catch up.
Until recently, I've really been fighting to get back the ground I'd lost. I'd planned trips, but field trips cost money, something no one has much of in this economy. I'd planned fun projects and suggested games, none of which actually interested my daughter. I tried to pick up her lessons everywhere we went, but I was met with resistance. "Mommy, this is so boring," she would whine at every step. I got frustrated and I was tempted to just put her back in school. How could I teach her if she didn't want to learn? We tried to take things that interested her and make those into lessons. We talked about places that the people who were important to her had been. We tried talking about animals. Nothing was a hit. Everything was met with "school is so boring!"
Having moved in to our new home, we've decided to take a different turn on things. Instead of focusing on unschooling, something I wanted so badly for my family, I decided to go a more traditional route. My new house mate's kids were in school, so I asked my daughter if she wanted to go to school too. Apparently not! School is a punishment to her, or so she claims! She wants to keep doing school at home! Playing all day, as much as she liked it, wasn't going to get anything done, so I took more of the "school at home" kind of approach. At the start of the school year I went out and picked up workbooks from the local office supply store and we got to work. We're starting a review of everything we've covered with unschooling and everything we've worked on with the supplies my aunt has sent over the years. We're working through kindergarten straight up. After all of her former complaints that everything is too hard, I thought that was the best approach.
The results? So far so good! Of course, the year is still young and we've got miles to go before we sleep on this issue, but she's thrilled that the work is so incredibly easy. She's starting to gain confidence in her own abilities, and it's a good review of basic skills that she could use some practice on. She may know all her letters and how to write them, but it never hurts to work on technique. She may know all her numbers, but it can't hurt to practice writing them out. This has been so easy for her that she's decided that school is actually fun! Perhaps we can keep this momentum up when we start getting to the harder stuff.
Better still, my older son is starting to get excited about school! We picked up a couple preschool workbooks for him too and he's so happy to be doing school like a big kid, just like his sister. He's always been more interested in books and "reading" than art projects and crafts, so perhaps this would be a good time to introduce arts and crafts as well. He's in a phase where doing what his sister is doing is pretty cool. Maybe we can keep this going the whole year through!
Now my free time (wait, I have free time?) is going to be spent on doing research on fun and inexpensive projects for the kids, things that can fit in our school format. Since I no longer have to worry about turning everything into a lesson to teach life skills, such as reading, math, and science, I can just do some really fun arts and crafts projects that don't teach anything but creativity! I'm actually looking forward to this school year! For once, I'm not dreading the idea of getting my daughter to learn! Homeschooling is fun again!
Here I was, so worried that all of this adjusting to a new home was going to be challenging. I was worried that I'd have to spend so much time trying to figure out how to homeschool with so many kids in the house. Unschooling was going to be a nightmare with all the unstructured time and chaos from other kids. Lack of structure has seemed to be my biggest downfall. In the end, this turned out to be exactly what I needed! Looks like we're finally taking a step in the right direction!
I started this whole journey off with unschooling. There was something freeing about being able to work without books. I loved the idea that children put in an environment rich with opportunities to learn would simply make the choice to learn. It seemed like the easiest, most natural way to get a child to learn everything. All I would have to do is provide plenty of opportunities. I had all sorts of ideas on what we could do or how we might manage "lessons". I had field trips in mind, projects, everything else. I started the whole process with a brilliant vision.
Don't all things in life start with brilliant visions and the idea that everything will be so easy? Isn't it frustrating when they're not as easy as they seem? While I had great visions, I found my decision came with a lot of flaws. For my older son, it's been easy. As long as there are books, he's going to want to read them, or have someone read them to him. As long as there's something to learn, he'll want to know. When he thinks he's got it right, he'll come to me all proud and tell me all about it. His favorite things to point out are animals, colors, and the emotions he thinks everything has based on it's expression. I'm sure if I left plenty of things for him to learn with just lying around, he'd want to try them all! My daughter, however, is a completely different story. If only it were so easy with her!
When I started this whole "unschooling" thing, we were doing pretty good. She had plenty of opportunities to learn. I'd turn everything into a lesson, from the playground to the grocery store. We even had a trip to the safari zoo where she had a chance to meet all kinds of animals. We talked about everything, from what they liked to eat to where they lived. We even pulled out maps to show her where all kinds of animals came from. It was a chance to work on everything from science to geography, and even a little bit on her reading skills. Things were going wonderfully. If only they had stayed that way!
At that time, my daughter's father was deployed to Iraq. I was stuck at home with two children in the middle of nowhere. I didn't really know many people, and I had almost no support. Things started wearing on me. I just couldn't manage the way I wanted to. I started slacking on opportunities to learn and she stopped wanting to. Isn't it more fun to play all the time? I had started falling apart on the unschooling, and the longer I lost ground, the harder it would be to catch up.
Until recently, I've really been fighting to get back the ground I'd lost. I'd planned trips, but field trips cost money, something no one has much of in this economy. I'd planned fun projects and suggested games, none of which actually interested my daughter. I tried to pick up her lessons everywhere we went, but I was met with resistance. "Mommy, this is so boring," she would whine at every step. I got frustrated and I was tempted to just put her back in school. How could I teach her if she didn't want to learn? We tried to take things that interested her and make those into lessons. We talked about places that the people who were important to her had been. We tried talking about animals. Nothing was a hit. Everything was met with "school is so boring!"
Having moved in to our new home, we've decided to take a different turn on things. Instead of focusing on unschooling, something I wanted so badly for my family, I decided to go a more traditional route. My new house mate's kids were in school, so I asked my daughter if she wanted to go to school too. Apparently not! School is a punishment to her, or so she claims! She wants to keep doing school at home! Playing all day, as much as she liked it, wasn't going to get anything done, so I took more of the "school at home" kind of approach. At the start of the school year I went out and picked up workbooks from the local office supply store and we got to work. We're starting a review of everything we've covered with unschooling and everything we've worked on with the supplies my aunt has sent over the years. We're working through kindergarten straight up. After all of her former complaints that everything is too hard, I thought that was the best approach.
The results? So far so good! Of course, the year is still young and we've got miles to go before we sleep on this issue, but she's thrilled that the work is so incredibly easy. She's starting to gain confidence in her own abilities, and it's a good review of basic skills that she could use some practice on. She may know all her letters and how to write them, but it never hurts to work on technique. She may know all her numbers, but it can't hurt to practice writing them out. This has been so easy for her that she's decided that school is actually fun! Perhaps we can keep this momentum up when we start getting to the harder stuff.
Better still, my older son is starting to get excited about school! We picked up a couple preschool workbooks for him too and he's so happy to be doing school like a big kid, just like his sister. He's always been more interested in books and "reading" than art projects and crafts, so perhaps this would be a good time to introduce arts and crafts as well. He's in a phase where doing what his sister is doing is pretty cool. Maybe we can keep this going the whole year through!
Now my free time (wait, I have free time?) is going to be spent on doing research on fun and inexpensive projects for the kids, things that can fit in our school format. Since I no longer have to worry about turning everything into a lesson to teach life skills, such as reading, math, and science, I can just do some really fun arts and crafts projects that don't teach anything but creativity! I'm actually looking forward to this school year! For once, I'm not dreading the idea of getting my daughter to learn! Homeschooling is fun again!
Here I was, so worried that all of this adjusting to a new home was going to be challenging. I was worried that I'd have to spend so much time trying to figure out how to homeschool with so many kids in the house. Unschooling was going to be a nightmare with all the unstructured time and chaos from other kids. Lack of structure has seemed to be my biggest downfall. In the end, this turned out to be exactly what I needed! Looks like we're finally taking a step in the right direction!
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