Jack says his job, every kids' job, is only to play.
Therefore it has been challenging the last two weeks to get him to do school. Especially reading. Because of this, I am changing up everything we have been doing, in an effort to make school seem not only more exciting, but also to try some different techniques for getting through the curriculum.
I decided after Christmas break that instead of having Wyatt watch movies on our Tablet in the playroom, I wanted him to play or join us. Either way, I wanted him around, soaking up some of what he hears as I teach. The first few days were hard. Breaking that Tablet habit was tough. I thought I'd need a support group to help him through it!
But we made it, and he's now adjusted to playing quietly in the playroom, joining us in the kitchen or bringing a bucket of toys into the living room so he can hear us, but still play freely. I am much happier because his screen time is down to a half hour each day, which makes me feel so good!
However, the twins have struggled with the transition. Now instead of being plugged in to the movie on the Tablet, Wyatt now bounces in and out of our lessons, and the twins are having a hard time dealing with the distractions.
My plan for now is to do our simpler work (math, sorting, patterns & crafts) in the morning, and save their more intensive reading program (which takes at least twenty minutes each) for the afternoon, while Wyatt is napping. It will be a big change, as they are used to Wyatt's nap being their break time for enjoying a movie or playing, but I think overall it will do them good.
I have also discovered that Jack actually needs more school, not less. He needs to be working on his flash cards and reviewing letter sounds and groupings. If he had more confidence, I think he would struggle less with the reading. So that's also on the top of my priority list.
I was telling my sister-in-law that it's a good thing homeschooling is really super-duper important to me, because if it wasn't, I am not sure I could stick with it. It has been really challenging. I have to remind myself that I haven't been fully well for most of the year, and as my health and mood continues to improve, school will come easier for us. Because of my illness, we haven't had official school in over a month, so adjusting back to our routine has been big.
We also came up with rules for what school time should look like.
The boys chose the following three rules:
1. Stay in your chair
2. Do your work
3. No whining
Making these adjustments feels good, and involving the boys in the changes has been pivotal. There is more good to come in the future. I can feel it.
"There is no school equal to a decent home
and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent."
-Mahatma Gandhi