One of the aspects of homeschooling I’m enjoying is that every day is different. While our daughters have fallen into a routine of doing their subjects in a certain order, you never know what will spark their interest on a given day.
For my eight-year-old, yesterday was all about putting a lima bean in a cup of water to see if it would grow – then spending twenty minutes straight swinging on the backyard swingset when her work was done.
Our ten-year-old was working on a poster about mammals. She had chosen to study the domestic cat and was excitedly sharing facts with us as she wrote them down on notecards. She also had a brief introduction to algebra during math class, which I think she found rather “grown-up.”
I guess we’re still in the “honeymoon” phase of homeschooling, but I find that sitting alongside our children while they discover something new is a real pleasure. It leaves me wondering, “What will we learn today?”
Oh, I'm SO glad that I'm not the only who wonders "hmm…what will we do today?".
I've figured out that Sophie does school well when she is ready {right after breakfast, not after I'm done with morning chores!} and to add in her interests.
She loves cars & trucks, so to help practice handwriting, we make roads for the cars to drive on…etc. So much fun!
There is a freedom that comes with homeschooling that sometimes I really long for. I think you've said it well in your title.
We have chosen to send our boys to public school, and so I miss some of those moments of watching the light go on in their mind. However, I take every chance I can in the busy evenings to sit with them and talk about their days. 🙂
Have a wonderful Thursday with your kiddos!
Hugs
So much fun, I LOVE that freedom of being able to mix things up, to be spontaneous 🙂
Raise Them Up,
That's exactly what I did when our girls went to school! When I picked them up, they would get in the car eager to tell me about all that had happened during the day. Later we would look through their school papers and discuss what they had learned. Admittedly, we have had to find new things to talk about lately since I know everything that happened during their day!
I love this too – I love seeing their eyes sparkle with excitement, I love sharing in every moment!
Of course, there are times when it's not so fun, and then the challenge is to keep the fire burning, rather than all of us burning out. Keeping the excitement alive can be exhausting, but it is very worthwhile (and thankfully doesn't happen very often!).
Clara,
Yes, we have yet to reach the "burn out" point, but I know it will come! It's nice to know that others experience it, too, and live to tell about it. 😉
So fun to hear about your homeschooling days! =) It is indeed a blessing to watch my children's interest be sparked in various areas as they are doing their studies. It sounds like you have a fun curriculum planned out!
Have a blessed weekend!
Katie