It’s that time of year again. The time of year when good food and rich spreads are upon us! As I was talking with my kids about homeschooling the other day, I realized that a great education is a lot like a sumptuous buffet.
Many Options for Many Tastes
A great holiday spread makes you wish you had two plates. Do you load up on your favorites? Or do you get a little dab of everything to sample?
The best part is that everyone gets to chose for himself. And go back for seconds!
A great education is the same. Provide your children with a variety of learning delicacies and leave room for personal choice. Will they heap up on one or two, or try a little of each?
Encourage Nutrition, But Don’t Skimp on Desserts
Everyone approaches mealtime differently. My parents always required us to try things once before deciding if we liked them. Some families require kids to finish their vegetables before they can get dessert.
It’s good to set boundaries and steer your kids towards the essentials in education, too. Just make sure your routine doesn’t lead to bland and unappetizing school times.
Are you asking your kids to finish off so much of the “healthy foods” they don’t have room for the goodies?Sometimes you just have to eat the pecan pie first!
Hint: That’s the purpose of morning time – diving into the good stuff first to make sure it doesn’t get skipped!
Enjoy What’s in Season
One of the delights of holiday meals are the flavors and dishes that come only at certain times of the year. Cranberry sauce. Pumpkin pie. Christmas cookies.
Sprinkle your homeschool with seasonal goodies, too! Winter morning time plans. Christmas carol music appreciation. Nutcracker art tutorials.
Incorporating what is special about each season adds natural sparkle and variety to your homeschool year.
Take Time to Process
The bigger the meal, the more time is needed to process. Some folks need a nap. Some folks want to go for a walk. And of course, there’s always football on TV!
The same is true of learning. The more a child takes in, the more time he needs to digest what he’s consumed.
He may process through talking. He may process through creative play. He may need to spend some quiet time alone.
The processing is just as important as the consuming. It won’t help to force-feed more learning when he’s full; he just won’t be hungry!
The Company Matters as Much as the Food
Of course, holiday meals are really about the family who gathers around them. Studies have even shown that our ability to digest food depends on the mood at the table.
Sure, homeschool involves math and writing, science and geography. But homeschooling is really about the family gathered to learn together.
And an atmosphere of peace and freedom to explore ideas does more to assist learning than any new curriculum or schedule ever could!
Do you feel overwhelmed about gathering multiple ages together to learn? You’d be surprised how much things can change by simply eliminating these 5 Myths. You can get your copy of Lynna’s FREE eBook by clicking the link below.
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