Number Three: Relax, and let some things go!

Above is a picture of our upstairs play area. This is what it looks like currently. This is actually better than it looked like at the beginning of the week. On Monday I had at least five loads of clean laundry and another couple baskets of dirty laundry strewn on the floor.

Life with three little kids ages 6 and under, and expecting number four, can be a bit hectic and MESSY! We get our fair share if illnesses that get passed around from one person to the other. To top it off, my husband works full time and is going to school for his MBA to a university an hour and a half away. Needless to say, he is not home with us very often so life can get even more tiring for this pregnant mom!

With all that said, one of the biggest lessons I have learned this first year if homeschooling is to relax and let some things go! This is a continual lesson for me, especially recently. If I had it my way, my house would be so organized, clean, and we would have full blown meals on the table every evening. I have learned that at this stage in our families life, that is pretty much impossible. 

Since I'm homeschooling I have learned what a blessing it is to be able to spend time with my kids and to really listen to them and enjoy their company. They require all my time and pretty much all my energy. I have come to realize that they need ME, and if that means the dishes need to pile up, the messes need to be strewn everywhere, the laundry will need to sit on the floor another day, then that's what needs to happen right now. We have had cherished moments when we enjoy reading books together, running outside in the pouring rain, or had a dance party in the living room. Those are moments that are WAY better than scrubbing dishes or mopping floors!!

Number Two: Learning Should Be FUN!!

The second thing I learned this year as a new homeschooling mom is this: 

Learning should be FUN!!!

When I first started teaching my son at the age of around 3 and a half, I would plan activities and print things out, and them my son would spend like two minutes on one activity and refuse to do anymore! I was frustrated. I have slowly come to realize that the way I was trying to teach my son was not the most effective way he was going to learn. I also have realized that children develop at their own pace. What my son may not be able to do now, he may be able to do in a month or two. At one point my son kept skipping the number four when he would count in Spanish. It seemed like weeks and weeks we would practice counting and he would just skip four. I was so frustrated, and he could sense that. He would just freeze and get so nervous. It wasn’t fun for him anymore. It was just me testing him and him realizing he wasn’t living up to my expectations. Once I decided to just relax and have fun, then that wall came down and he was able to learn better without so much stress.

From birth through about age 7, kids learn through play and experimentation. This is the stage when the LOVE of learning needs to be instilled in children. I have been enjoying reading books such as Free To Learn by Peter Gray and A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille, where I have learned more about the importance of giving children the opportunities to play and instill a love for learning in order for them to be able to essentially educate themselves.

Children are naturally curious and excited to discover new ideas. I have also been very surprised by the times when my son randomly shows me that our fun and free approach has helped him make connections. After beginning our new math curriculum (which I love), called RightStart Mathematics, my son surprised me when he said “Mami, ten is two, two, two, two, two!” I was so surprised and excited to see his little mind at work on a car ride.

We have also loved doing what some may call unit studies. A unit study is where we chose a theme and study that theme in as many subjects as possible for a week or two. I have learned that if you have a plan in mind, but when it comes down to it, nobody is excited about it, then ask your child what he wants to learn! I did, and my son came up with so many fun ideas like racecar week, ocean week, shark week, weather week, desert week, and dinosaur week, just to name a few. He is excited because he WANTS to learn about these subjects, which makes me excited too.

I want to spark my child’s creativity and enthusiasm for learning. We plan on fostering an environment where he can play, explore, and learn. If it’s not FUN for both of us, we will reevaluate and revisit the task later if we need to. This is one of the things I have learned this year. 

Number One: I am NOT Patient

There were always some preconceived ideas I had about homeschooling. It was pretty foreign to me. I thought that in order to homeschool I had to be super patient, organized, great at keeping my house clean, and be very knowledgeable. Basically I thought you need to have all the answers and know exactly what to teach at each grade level and how to teach it before you even think about starting to homeschool. Well, I've learned many things this year. 

Number one: I am not patient! But like it or not, I have daily opportunities to practice. 
I am not PATIENT!! I think some people may see me and think I'm super patient. I am actually prone to get anxious and frustrated easily when things don't go my way or how I expected they would turn out. I am so very blessed to be a mother of three beautiful children. I love them, and think they are the greatest blessing that Heavenly Father has given our little family. I believe motherhood is a blessing, not only because of the joy you experience from your little ones, but also for the many opportunities for growth and learning that it gives me. I have the chance to practice my patience EVERY DAY with my babies. And I still have a lot more to learn. People say, "You must have a lot of patience to homeschool". Ha, ha, ha! NO WAY!! There is MUCH room for growth for me in that area. You don't need to be perfectly patient to be a mother, patience is a virtue you practice and develop in the the process of being a mother.