Base camp

Was sent a link to a Peaceful Parenting blog today that spoke of success in home ed being about time in the home. Staying at base camp for a lot of the week rather than running from group to group. I have found this reminder heartening.

Whilst the groups are fun, meeting up with others is essential for us, there is one fortnightly session that costs considerably more and we may not be able to meet the costs in the future. It has been a great stepping stone to get us from the busy school calendar to a more autonomous life style by providing us with a structured learning environment we were all familiar with, but if we need to stop going next year, I trust the alternative will be enriching also.

When I notice my head running ahead of myself, planning, erking a little about "What have we quantifiably done today ?!", I let the muscles relax, light a fire and we all sit together for a bit. This is the heart of my home ed decision. Being together. Learning together, grappling sometimes sure, all out fighting sometimes sure, but doing it together at the hearthside of our home environment.

Equally I may just go find them with my book/knitting or similar, and be in the same room, present. What a gift to each other to be fully present.

Back after the Easter break

It took a long while to get back into our flow after our break. I felt it was like the self motivation needed for self-employment as an individual, only magnified because the kids were waiting for our cue. I became interested in what was pressuring me to get going again, also what was at play to make me see a difference between learning out and about over the break and 'real work' (?) back at the house.

Mostly I guess this is the collective consciousness of 2 week break then back to the 'hard grind'. If you don't at least look busy then you're not part of society's team.

Also though its simply an urge to have a familiar rhythm back. I feel the children still need that modelled for them, when we slot back into a certain structure or flow of the day we each know where we are a little more.

workbooks?

For the first time since our choice to home-ed-it, I went into a book store to look at work books. I've totally not wanted to before, for money's sake and for creativity's sake. I enjoyed the experience mostly because I had no kids with me (!) but also because:

- most of them I didn't like at all
- it affirmed that I knew inherantly where my children's learning was at which I found empowering
- I found a couple that were inexpensive, attractive to look at and I feel they may be up for..

No worries if they're not of course, I'm just trying a different strand. Whether or not they choose to pick it up is fine by me.

Shhhhhh!

Eight months in, and our eldest has just sat down with a workbook and engaged in some mathematics... A nice feeling, and yes, shh don't tell anyone, I feel like it might disappear if I draw attention to it.

This is the subject she struggles with the most, or has some kind of block and refusal to do it. Alongside much rebellion in the last month or so towards Jon and I with regard to any 'formal' learning (feels naturally part of the deschooling period).

She sat down with this book, she was having a great time filling it in but likes me just to be there beside her. Touching, nodding occasionally, laughing about it all, no big deal and it is in that loving space that we move forwards.

beginners guide

I really liked this article because it straightforwardly talks through the things you might like to consider in preparation for home educating (of all methods)

http://www.wikihow.com/Homeschool-Your-Children

We very much followed an inner guidance to arrive here, a persistent niggle over a few years. But I meet more and more families who arrived at the decision before school age and so presenting it as the full option that it is to parents I think is the way forwards :)

Wikihow also great for creating a habitat for a pet fly we found today....!