Do our children really have 'breaks'?  At my house, I don't ever consider them on break.  We may not have a formal sit down learning session, but I have to keep them busy and their wheels turning.  If we don't do this, the next time we sit back down at our formal lessons, I will have a table full of crying children.  I can tell you what I've noticed.   Video games, television and pure fast entertainment kills the thought process!  Lots of kids on break are all of a sudden allowed all these freedoms that makes their mind lazy.  My children do much better if I at least read and engage them in conversation on these 'breaks'.  Drawing also stimulates their thoughts.  Just because you don't sit down with them doesn't mean they can't be constructive.  Reading, drawing, writing or even copying something on these 'breaks' keeps them creative.  Board games that require thinking are good for breaks.  Audio tapes such as the history ones I listed are wonderful.  I TRY to make learning as fun as possible.  I can't stand boring text books myself and although we use a few, I still try to break up the blahs with out loud recitations of a passage just read, of memory work or anything to let them participate.  Today for example, we were talking about Newton's laws.  Ok losing some of littles here...(4&5 yr. olds) Gravity came into the conversation and I had them all jumping off low objects then moved to letting them jump off the kitchen table to test how hard they would fall.  By the end of the lesson the younger children could explain gravity, while the older children understood why the moon doesn't fall on us. 

On your 'breaks' never let your family reading book slide.  Always be reading a family reading book!!  We are working through Swiss Family Robinson after dad reads the bible every night.  It's just a habit now and is quite enjoyable. 

Just some thoughts if you 'break'!

Blessings, Theresa

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