This week I read a book that made me laugh and cry and at times want to shout amen. It was recommended to me by a friend who knows my deep passion and love for families and my call to encourage them in their journeys of not just homeschooling, but everyday life. The book, Little
From time to time I’ll hear a mother say that her child just isn’t interested in a story or her child was whining by the second or third day and didn’t want to read the book again. And sometimes a book simply will NOT connect with a child for some unknown reason. BUT . . . we live in a very, very, VERY different world than when I was five years old more than 60 years ago.
And that’s not necessarily good.
Many children today have little or no attention spans, having been anesthetized with a relentless flow of electronic entertainment. Simple illustrations and simple stories may not be the first choice of children who’ve grown accustomed to never-ending sensory overload.
One of the many beautiful attributes of FIAR is
When Jane and I began homeschooling more than thirty years ago, almost no one gave up or quit homeschooling. You began and you finished the task—at least until, if not through, high school. But in recent years the “drop-out rate” of homeschool parents is growing rapidly, with many quitting after only a year or two
“Look at me when I am talking to you.”
How many times have we heard a parent say that to a child? How many times have we said it to our children?
It seems like a reasonable request when we have something important to say. Whether we’re teaching a concept, issuing a warning, delivering an ultimatum, or even offering a gentle reminder, eye contact seems to seal the deal. But do children listen better or hear better if they are staring us in the eye?
Maybe not.
Many years ago, a fellow homeschool mom shared something about her son that helped me to understand my own children, which in turn, helped me to teach them better.
Diana had been frustrated with her son, David, because every time his piano teacher spoke to him, he looked away as if he couldn’t care less about what she had to say. Diana thought he was being rude and spoke to him about it—many times. It never seemed to change though. Week after week, David would turn his head when his teacher spoke to him. Diana was actually embarrassed by this behavior.
In our highly structured world today, it can be easy to over-schedule our children and rob them of opportunities to be imaginative. Some children are highly imaginative, and if you have one of those you know it! On the other hand, you may have a child who tends to role play situations they’ve experienced or seen, and it’s important to give that child “food” on which to build his imagination. I’ll share more on that later…
I wanted to share some fun that my granddaughter and I had quite a few years ago when she was just three-and-a-half… spontaneous, memorable fun. Maybe it will remind you of similar times you’ve had playing with and watching your children at play and bring a smile to your face:
After piling sand toys, chairs, blankets and a bit of provisions (water & pretzels) in the car, my daughter, Becky, and I took Lily to the beach. While Becky set up the chair and blanket area,
