This in truth has been our Home Ed story for the past few weeks. We've been averaging a hit rating of two good days out of the five and although I always start the week with enthusiasm, it slowly dissipates as the week progresses. I had acupuncture on Tuesday and apart from being very good at her job, Cathy my acupuncturist is a very good listener. She commented yet again that I needed to take greater care of my own health and with that, comment once more ringing in my ears. I decided "something" had to change.
First up I moved all the Home Ed stuff into the caravan at the side of the house. Essentially we walk out of the kitchen door into a five berth caravan, with stove/oven, CD player and radio and warm air heating and fire. No excuse for being cold and a great place for extra cooking activities if needed! My dining room is back into an eating/play area and that suits me fine, I now can switch off at the end of the day instead of feeling obliged to spend my evenings reviewing curriculum material or planning lessons.
Our weekly routine has changed yet again and at last I feel that we have something that is workable for us all. Using the Oak Meadow materials as a guide we "do" school type stuff on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The work covered on those days will be language arts and math problems. Tuesday is our field trip day to places of interest, nature walks or even visits to family and friends. Thursday will be our town based day: Dave and Benedict to visit the library/museum and then Nero's for a coffee and juice, Pip and I will attend our weekly sing and play toddler session. Thursday afternoons will also be a chance for Benedict to cook or bake in the kitchen or have a go at some hands on science.
I think the days off in between are important for the health and well being of the entire family. We've felt bogged down with everything and sometimes it is a very painful process getting Benedict to sit and "do" something formal. This way he knows it is only for one day and then a break, it also means that I can get on with much needed household activities, instead of feeling frustrated about the jobs that are not being done. From a social viewpoint we also need to be mixing with people from all walks of life, learning isn't just restricted to bums on seats education, there is a whole world out there waiting to be explored.
1 comment:
I agree, it's so important to find a balance between all the activities, chores, trips, etc. we encounter each day. You seem to have found a great solution.
Post a Comment