A Net in Time

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Five Things We Enjoy: The Joy of Staying Home

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 Ah… it’s been fun this week eh?   Exploring the things that we like most about homeschooling.

My son admittedly surprised me with today’s topic… He phrased it as “I get to stay home.”.

My son is BIG into time management.  He watches the clock, figures out how long it will take to do something, and calculates it seems… down to the nano second.  The fact that sometimes he over-estimates his time is neither here or there.

Living next door to our neighbours, a family with two children that attend public school.  The lad sees them leave and come back and wonders when they have time to do what they want to do.   He only sees them out having fun in the summer or on Saturdays.

He’s asked me in the past “What do they do on the way to school?   Do they just walk there and back again?”  

He sees how quickly he can go through his math at home, or do his art, or talk through our history and asks me how long it took when I was at school.   I tell him and he just doesn’t understand it.  How can learning history take a whole hour?  How can a math class last a whole hour?   

Then he starts to understand when I tell him that he has LOTS of time to do what he likes to do.   He gets it when he’s able to do his math in the car on the way to an event, he understands when we combine science with our study on Canada, and do art as a way to understanding the Pacific Coast First Nations people better.   It makes the school day go faster you know?

He can start his school day first thing in the morning, and work at his own speed, pursuing the things he loves to do,and meeting people he likes .

Knowing that most of his days are spent ordered in a way that works for him helps him to relax when we do get out and about.   Being able to recharge his batteries pursuing the things he loves the most, and yet having the freedom to leave home when needed.  It’s very good in the eyes of a boy.   

Friends, family, co-op days, field trips, vacation, learning adventures, pokemon go-ing and so many other things drag him out of the house, but… he can mostly stay home where a boy likes to be.

What about your children?   What do they enjoy most about homeschooling?

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©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Five Things We Enjoy: No One Makes Me Get Out of Bed Before I Want To (respect)

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 Welcome, welcome to day four of  things we enjoy.   The Homeschool Review Crew is having fun this week sharing knowledge, joys, sorrows and encouragement.

Day one: The Joys of Working at our Own Pace.
Day two: Miss Natalie and her support  
Day Three: Studying what interests you

Today my boy wants me to tell you about how much he enjoys that NO ONE makes him get out of bed before he wants to.  🙂

Mind you…. we normally don’t have to as he’s up and busy often before I’m even functional.  🙂

Allow me to tell you where this stems from:  When I was young my parents would wake me up simply by staring at me.  I have a huge startle reflex and they used that to good advantage.  I would wake up startled and frightened…not that they were INTENDING to scare me…but shaking me awake would be a good way to get inadvertently whacked.  So staring from a distance worked really well.   I am unfortunately still like this…  really… don’t wake me….just don’t do it.

Anyways, since I have bad memories of being woken up, I don’t wake people up unless I HAVE to.   When the lad was younger occasionally I’d need to get him up, but not often and never without having a good reason. Now that he’s older I just say “I need you up at ____ time, and yes, if you aren’t up, I’ll give you a call or send the cat in to greet you.” Admittedly…there is the odd time when the lad stays in bed late on purpose just so I will send the cat in to get him up.  🙂  (You can always tell because you’ll hear moans from his room, “Oh, I’m so tired, I wonder if mom will send Milo in”.  🙂

My son LOVES this.  He loves being able to have a lazy morning if he wants to (it rarely happens but…when it does…we are usually ALL being lazy).  If he’s tired he’s up around 830, but normally 730 and he’s off schooling, doing chores, catching a quick game of Clash Royale or more likely watching science videos.

In fact, I am positive that my son learned this fact from some science video. For when the lad and I talked about why this was important enough to put into his five favourite things, he said:  “It is better for people to wake up on their own, to ease into wakefulness, than to be startled awake.  Some people have problems with their heart and breathing if they are woken up.  It shortens your life to be woken up all the time.”   

He then added “thanks for not shortening my life mom.”
 
Being the mom that I am, with a logical child, I use this respect of his need to rest as a training tool.  When he does get up early (and like me once he’s up, he up chatting, I can say: “SHUSH be quiet.  When you talk first thing in the morning, you wake everyone up, so SHUSH, I don’t wake you up, so you don’t wake me up.”  It makes sense to this logically minded lad.  It’s a way to teach mutual respect.

Respect for each other.
I listen to you, you listen to me. 
You ask for help instead of getting angry, I ask for help instead of getting angry.
You tell me your goals for the day, I tell you my goals for the day and together we work to see those goals met.   
Respecting each others needs and wants, it’s one of those important things in our home.   Mutual respect…It helps us to give way when it has to be done eh?

When we know that the mutual respect is there, the communication comes easier, you know?   What is one way you use to teach respect for each other?

It starts, in our house, with respecting a child’s need to wake up when he wants to.  (and I end up not shortening his life). 🙂

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Five things: Study what I want to

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Hello!  Welcome to the Homeschool Review Crew’s Spring Blog Hop.  We’re getting together to provide encouragement, support, ideas, and information.

Day one: The Joys of Working at our Own Pace.
Day two: Miss Natalie and her support  

Today we are talking about the Joys of Studying what you want.  I have to tell you how much the lad love this. 

He has choices.

1. If a curriculum isn’t working… we change it.    That doesn’t mean that whining pointlessly about a program gets him out of doing the work, but seriously.. if a program or a way of doing things isn’t working… It’s a reason to talk about it and see what we can do to change it up.  If that means using another program or changing HOW the program is used, why not eh?  Doing schoolwork shouldn’t be the cause of stress in the household.

2. If he wants to study something… we do it (this past year his love has been astronomy).

3. If we want to use a subject as a basis of study, we can do that.
  For instance we are using Canada this year.  We aren’t working through our Canada History book quickly as we keep getting sidetracked by videos, and art, and research projects.  🙂   We delight in doing mapping to for actual Canadian journeys, learning about totems from our own First Nations people, and so much more.  It’s good to learn about our own people eh?

4. If he wants to choose what he wants to do for a research project..he can do that.
    He’s gotten hooked on Cacti at the moment, and Carnivorous plants (like the venous fly trap).  So he’s doing all sorts of research on them.  He’s also working hard on a pictorial tutorial of doing minecraft papercraft. 

5.  Time to discover new joys…
Today my lad and I were doing some gardening today.  After supper my lad came and asked “Mom, do you have more gardening that will need to be done?   If you do, can I help please?   I like doing that today.”   So I’m thinking later in the week, rather then doing the rest of the gardening myself, that I’ll have my boy lend a hand and we’ll talk plants and why we grow them.  🙂

 
It’s good you know, to be able to make things work, to watch a boy all excited about the things that he is learning, and giving him the freedom to pursue those passions.   His passion for his cacti and his other research projects pushes him to complete his schoolwork all the faster. 

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Cactus and A Play

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 It’s been a pretty good week with some up and downs…. but when I reflect back.. mostly up!   AND THAT is a very good thing.  🙂

Monday: 
Started out like a typical day though everyone was act
ing tired and math was a frustration, and then English grammar was a frustration and… well let’s just say that we tossed English out the window and planned things out a bit differently to make the rest of the day a success.    We ran out to Gramma’s where the lad finished his schooling and then indulged his latest love.. CACTI!!!

Check out what he picked up with Gramma: 

If you see that little red nub on the side of the cactus…he’s already trying to graft it on to another cactus.  He’s been reading, researching and sussing out all the things he wants to try with his cacti and apparently next week we are going to go cacti hunting in Kitchener.  🙂

I have to admit… I love hearing his enthusiasm for his cacti… it gives one a break from minecraft and pokemon talk I must say.  🙂

Tuesday:
A stay at home day… we had plans to go out Wednesday to a play so stayed home to get some work done at home.   One of the things we worked on was our Art Achieve Lesson.  We are working on making a totem pole.   You’ll have to wait for the review though… coming up in a couple of weeks.

The lad also worked on his Digital Savvy course (also a review coming up).   

OH!!!   And we made a brain!  I know that sounds weird, but the lad and I have been learning about the central nervous system and I thought it would be good to make a plasticine model of the brain and then we’d label it another day.

I can’t say today was the easiest day… I actually disappeared for a needed few hours in afternoon to take a break from the angst of the morning.  We did some good things together, but it took working through angst to get there.  🙂   I managed to power through three reviews though, had a couple of conversations with friends, and got my mind back in order again.   Good to do that eh?

Wednesday we did minimal schooling.. writing a story, working on math, Canada history and Veritas Press lessons… then off to London.   We went to see the Musical “Little Women”.  I enjoyed myself!

Thursday:
A good day today.   Working through schooling, having fun relaxing in the afternoon, and at night…the success of Bridge Busting night at Cadets!  The lad came in first for best looking bridge, and came in fourth of the boys for bridge weight holding.  His bridge held 150 lbs.

Friday: 
We had co-op in the morning with lots of YAY!!   The children like the class I am teaching, and woot woot.. they love how Hubby is teaching gym.   AND I brought a bunch of books down with me and ended up selling some of it.  Would have loved to have sold more but hey.. a wee bit here and there .. it all works eh?  I’ll slowly winnow it down.  

I came home completely tired so I napped off and on in the afternoon sitting in my comfy chair.  So here it is 1030 and I’m feeling tiredly awake.  🙂   

Saturday:
I’m supposed to go to a rabbit club meeting but currently am feeling like I don’t wanna go.   We’ll see what happens in the morning. 

Reviews: 
God’s Easter Miracles.  Miracles about Easter, a picture book.
Shepherd, Potter, Spy–And Star Namer.  Biblical history in creative story telling

Homeschooling and everything else:  
Art Book Series: 1-2-3 Draw: 5 in 1 how to draw books. 
Sacred Moments:  Prayer as a unit is a good thing to plan.
Tuna Noodle Salad: A recipe. 🙂
The Temple’s Chambers: Devotion Ezekiel 42
God will dwell in Their Midst Forever: Devotion on Ezekiel 43:1-12
God Alone is enough: word prompt post
Books Read in March.  Word prompt. book list

Loonies and Toonies, an alphabet blogging post.

Linking up at the following places:

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Dad’s Do

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Since Hubby isn’t working right now I am emboldened to ask my hubby if he can help out with specific things in the schooling of our son. You see, before his work took a lot out of him, kept him really busy and he helped when he could, but asking him to actively do something so that I wouldn’t have to try to squeeze it in, just wasn’t something I could do.   But right now, while he’s between jobs, he does have the time AND the energy.   

So with some of that energy: Research

One of the fun things that we thoroughly enjoyed doing last year was studying one country every two to three weeks.   The lad’s schedule is a bit busier this year so that study has fallen to the wayside.  The lad and I were talking the other day about how we miss that study and wondering how we can fit it in again.  We had a brain spark… could Dad help?

And so Dad helps.  🙂   He has the list of the countries we finished, so in a couple of weeks we’ll be eating a meal and learning the culture of another country and hopefully inviting someone to join in with us. (as that was always part of the fun having friends come and help us make it and learn with us). 

So with some of that energy: Guidance

Dad is also becoming more actively involved in “Can you help me with this math problem?” and in intervening when the lad wants to call it quits early or doesn’t want to do anything.

So with some of that energy: Field Trip Support

Today he was an active participant at field trip to Boston Pizza today… with no push to hurry back so he could get to work again, no computer or writing tablet or needing to stop in to say hi to anyone along the way.  

I have to admit…it’s a change I’m needing to adjust to.. but it’s a GREAT change that I am learning to relish as long as it lasts.  🙂

What does Dad do in your homeschool that you simply relish?

A number of other Homeschool Review Crew people are writing on the topic of Dad in Our Homeschool.  You can find a list of those posts HERE. 

http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/Dad-in-Our-Homeschool.jpg

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Abandon, can we let ourselves go?

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As I was pondering this word this morning my heart was aching with the fear and panic a young mom Toronto must have been feeling.  Loading her kids in the car one at a time, comes out of the house with the second to find her car stolen.  Her four year old inside.    I could only just imagine the panic she would be feeling.

The youngster was found safe and sound an hour later…but that hour… wow… so hard for that mom I’m sure.

The relief…oh the utter relief she would have felt then eh?   To have your wee one back in your care, safe and sound.

All that was in my head as I thought about the word abandon.

Abandon is an middle English word that means to give up, reject, cast away and some such world.    It also has this meaning “to yield (oneself) without restraint or moderation; give (oneself) over to natural impulses, usually without self-control”.

 I read that definition and I thought..hmm… if only more people could do this.. not in the “give yourself over to grief” or the “be stupid in your happiness”…but in the abandon yourself to the love of God.   To just revel in God’s love for YOU his person, the one he has called according to his purposes, to let yourself go into the love.

I say this knowing that I find that difficult myself…..to just let go with the looseness of a child knowing their parent loves them and will keep them safe.   But wishing … oh … just wishing that I felt free to abandon myself to the love that God has for me.

What about you? 

 This is a five minute Friday post. the word prompt is brought to us by Miss Kate.  Today the word is Abandon. 
What is Five Minute Friday?  Well it’s a party of a group of like
minded folks who gather on Friday to do a five minute free write around a
singular word.  AND THEN we take the time to offer up encouragement to
each other on this writing journey.  It’s fun, though it’s not always
easy, but it is always good.   Come join us won’t you?  You are always
welcome.

From Singleton to Many, Lessons Learned

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As you, my lovely readers know, I am a mother (and teacher) of one.   I wouldn’t treade it for the world, but sometimes it would be lovely to have a group you know?  Like when you are using a curriculum that calls for a group of students, or when you just need an extra hand or …  (sometimes the solution is to use the cat as an extra body).  But sometimes… more than one child would be great.  It teaches things like taking turns, spurs on creative thinking, gives you another person to bounce ideas off on and so forth.

Since I can’t change my son’s lot in life (or mine), my solution has been to engage in my homeschool co-op classes that are held spring and fall.

I have to admit that it has been a work in progress.

My first co-op class I thought I would teach something that my lad was interested in.
I made two assumptions
1. my lad would transition well to me teaching a group (not just him)
2. similar aged children would learn the same

Let’s just say that first class was a mix a lot of FUN and a lot of FRUSTRATION, and a decision to not have my son in a class I was teaching until he was old enough to understand the difference between how we teach at home … scattered and experiential and class..more organized, with everyone being noticed. and given a chance to participate.

Lesson ONE: Teaching one child is COMPLETELY different than teaching a bunch of children, even if they are approximately the same age. 

Over the
years, adjustments were made on both our parts and he is able to join in
my class WHEN he wants to.  Sometimes he does, other times.. not so
much, depends on what is available and what I am teaching. 

Lesson Two: Politeness matters. I helped in one class where I was asked to please bring in some bunnies to be models for their photography lessons.   It was an older class where it was VERY apparent which students wanted to be there and which ones did not (and were pleased to let us know this as well).   This aspect of teaching the many I don’t like and made a point of teaching my lad that even if you don’t like the class, you be polite to the person teaching as they are putting the effort into helping you learn something. Along with Lesson Three: That you can get something out of a class that you don’t want to be in if you adjust your attitude.   Learning something you aren’t interested in, just might be what you need to learn, to spark an interest, to spur on new thoughts, you never EVER know where learning new information might take you.

Lesson Four: Some classes are just challenging.   Teaching archaeology to a bunch of talkative 6-8 year olds is challenging… I had planned worksheets and question answer times and it was just beyond these children, so one adapts and makes it very hands on with reinforcing the learning as one goes.

Lesson Five: Some classes are just plain fun!   Seriously.  🙂   Using regular tempera paint as finger paint and learning to do circles and shading, and experimenting with all the different ways you can use your hands and objects to do art.  🙂   This art class was great, teaching youth about different artists and art forms and giving them a challenge to recreate it in their own way.

As I sit here typing I realize something… teaching the many has taught ME as much as teaching my singleton.  How children are different, how adjustments need to be made,and  how it’s just as hard to teach many as it can be teach one.  

But boy oh boy…sometimes it’s just a hoot!   🙂

Many Ways to Homeschool Many