Feb. 17, 2009 - Home School Tip of the Day - Remember to Have Fun!
This was a topic on an elist recently. It got my attention. I guess that is because through the years I have seen Home Schoolers be so serious. I knew one lady who brought school home - her son hated what they were doing, but she couldn't break out of the mold because of fear.
I also connect with what a mom of many said - perhaps it would be harder for a mom of many to plan fun extras, because just getting the have to's done would be enough....
AND I have never spent much time making sure everyone HAD fun. I just plan fun extras and it is up to them to enjoy it or not. What a burden it would be to try to please every child.... (I can remember doing some fun art extras and one child crying at the end of the table - because she always compares herself to older sisters and is never happy with her work - I figure that is a character issue and it makes me want to do more to help her learn to have fun and relax.... smile)
Oh, and it might be easier to have fun with younger students, but older students can do more and that is fun, too.
It certainly is up to each of you how you Home School your children, but I know I have found through the years, that the fun extras are the memories and the activities we scrapbook in our HS scrapbook. The day I get focused on just worksheets and have to's - Home Schooling gets hard for me. And when it gets hard, it takes away a lot of my joy.
Fun doesn't have to happen every day either, once or twice a month or even weekly is enough. Just something to break the monotony and to help them learn a little about what they love.
Anyway, if this doesn't resonate with you, just delete. smile I appreciate Jamin because she works at having fun and learning. I wish I had done such a unit with the American Girl books a few years ago. What fun. smile
