Comments on: Relaxed Homeschooling: Creating a Lifestyle of Learning

By: Ima Pollan

Ima Pollan — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:56:34 +0000

By: Becky

Becky — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:08:45 +0000

Would the relaxed approach work when your children are in the upper grades like 8th through 12th?

By: Marcee

Marcee — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 21:10:42 +0000

If I ever were to H’school again, I would do it the way you spoke about. My first two tries were a disaster! I thought I had to stick strictly to the Teachers Guide. It was absolutley horrible for my DD. I would go with a different curriculum and not be in such a hurry to complete everything. I was so naive-I thought that my DD was supposed to enjoy every little thing. Realizing later that the level of curriculum I purchased was above her level of learning. One of the best books I have read this year is The Homeschooling Book of Answers : The 88 Most Important Questions Answered by Homeschooling’s Most Respected Voices by Linda Dobson. It gave me such a better understanding of what learning style and teaching styles would excite my DD. I thought I had to stick with only one style*sigh*
At this point I don’t know if I will ever H’school again, but I do feel I would be better prepared:)

By: Angela

Angela — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:47:10 +0000

Another very easy idea which stimulates so much learning – we have a world map on our table. The one we have also has flags printed along the bottom. I blue tacked the map to the table with very small blobs of Blue Tack (this stops the map moving when the table is wiped) and covered the whole table with clear PVC plastic (which I folded under the table edges and attached with masking tape). Slightly thicker PVC lasts longer than the thinnest one. You could use this idea for many other educational posters etc, but we really enjoy having the world right there in front of us and it stimulates so many discussions. We also use it to play games like ‘name the country and its capital’, ‘point to a particular country’ and ‘what continent is this country in?’ etc.

By: missy

missy — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:17:42 +0000

I so enjoyed this conversation and all the comments. We use textbooks but enjoy school so much more when we have free time and just learn about everything. But now my oldest is starting high school next year. I am so afraid I am going to start boring her to death and have to go back to textbooks for high school just to get the credits for TN laws. Any suggestions from anyone?? And also I wanted to say to Kelly you mentioned the book The Family. Oh my, my husband and I have been reading that book together since Christmas. I would recomend that all parents should read it. It is just the best. But be ready it is also very convicting and has sometimes left me in tears as I have noticed that a lot of what it says cuts straight to the heart. But such a great book. Thanks, Missy

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:26:10 +0000

My son is 4 and asking alot of questions about numbers. I printed out a free “100 chart” and put it on the fridge. I don’t teach him specific things about it; rather, I just wait for him to ask questions about it. For example, how many days until Doug’s birthday party? Will you count to 23 with me? Is 19 bigger than 15? etc. I am amazed at where a child’s natural God-given curiosity will take him, and how much he learns just by asking questions! Yay for real-life learning!!

By: Margaret

Margaret — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:34:26 +0000

My husband plays a part in our children’s education. I “manage” the homeschool thing, but without him, their education would be lacking. With the young ones it’s often just discussions with him, or him taking time out of repairing something to show them how his tools work and how math applies to a measuring tape. Even this is great because he’s really not a guy who “knows what to do” with a toddler/young child. It comes more naturally to me, so for the young one I am primary teacher by default. But as they get older, he will be able to be more involved. I am absolutely going to need him when we get to math beyond Algebra II. That’s not my strong suit, but it is his.

Right now my husband is out of the country, so we live with my parents, and my parents and siblings all participate in my children’s education. It is really neat to see and I love it!

By: Kim from Canada

Kim from Canada — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:36:20 +0000

I think that, if it weren’t for my husband, I would be stuck in text book prison! Odd, considering I am the more relaxed of us both in a general sense.

It was my husband’s plan to cut back on ‘book work’ and set up more unit studies. This plan gives us the freedom to study things that may come up in current events or just happen to become an interest for our 10yo daughter.

He also takes the lead in Bible studies/discussion – although with the english program from Rod & Staff, Bible discussions happen naturally each day.

By: Kate Scott

Kate Scott — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:45:55 +0000

EmSue,

Please don’t beat yourself up about your milk supply. I did that to myself both times my milk supply dried up (with each of my children, but especially with my 2nd child) and agonized over the lies that breastmilk can’t dry up unless you’re just doing everything wrong. Ummmm…..yeah, it can! Despite exclusively breastfeeding round the clock, sleeping with my baby so she could latch on whenever she felt like it AND pumping in between, my milk dried up soon after my fertility returned (2 months after giving birth despite b-feeding). I tried so many tricks to keep it up and even tried relactating. NOTHING worked. I was nursing my screaming, hungry baby every hour and pumping afterwards to no avail….and she lost so much weight her skin sagged on her body. At the sight of her sagging skin I knew that I could no longer listen to the uber-breastfeeding only crowd and I had to make sure my baby was well-fed and cared for. A few days on formula and she was plump and happy again and I stopped agonizing. My daughter’s health is more important than the breast feeding agenda.

Yes, I am a firm advocate of breastfeeding. I am pregnant once more and plan to breastfeed only. If my milk wanes again, I will fight it. But I will NOT let my child go hungry.

If you would like to talk to me more about it, please feel free to e-mail me at seamstresslady at yahoo dot com.

Sorry this is off-topic of homeschooling.

By: Word Warrior

Word Warrior — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:28:54 +0000

Bobby,

Depending on the family’s particular situation, Dads can (and should) be involved on several different levels.

No matter his physical presence, a dad should be very much involved in the decision-making process regarding curriculum choices, your family’s definition of education, etc.

I think a couple should jointly consider what their educational goals are and how those goals will be met.

If it is physically possible, some dads want to and are able to actually faciliate certain subjects. (Again, this could depend on how “textbook” oriented your family is.)

If you’re of the more relaxed variety, any presence the father has in the home is “school time”. Also, if the father can take any children with him to work periodically, he has a whole new realm of educating available to him.

I’ve mentioned before that Geoff Botkin says most of their children’s education took place in conversation around the dinner table. Truly.

My husband asked me to find a book that would help him faciliate thought-provoking conversation at the table. A queston and answer/trivia-type book on nature or history is good for this.

In the book The Family, J.R. Miller suggests that learning one new fact at the table every night would, over a lifetime, accumlate into quite a store of knowledge.

The ideas keep coming, but time forbids me write more. I love that you’re asking this question!