Perhaps you are sold on the fact that free play is important for small children, but once they reach a certain age, shouldn’t kids be getting down to the business of actual learning? Here’s an example of how the concept of play, or self-directed learning, might...um...play out in the lives of our older children. … Continue reading Does Star Wars Count as Learning?
Category: Wonder
How “play” increases the hire-ability of your children.
It turns out that all work and no play could affect your child's chances of landing the job of his dreams. In her book, Prepared, Diane Tavener observes that in “the 1950s, the top skills employers wanted were: 1) The ability to work rapidly and for long periods of time, 2) Memory for details and directions, … Continue reading How “play” increases the hire-ability of your children.
Free to Play, Free to Learn
There are many things that my children and I have missed over the past year: visiting with friends and family, going into London to catch all the latest exhibitions, eating out without feeling self-conscious about the size of my family, but a great paradox of the pandemic was when we realized that we had been … Continue reading Free to Play, Free to Learn
Reaping a harvest of delighted readers
Think of something your parents taught you as a child that you have felt (or would feel) confident teaching your own children. Maybe how to do the laundry or to cook an egg; how to knit; how to brush your teeth; how to throw a baseball; how to ride a bike; how to drive a … Continue reading Reaping a harvest of delighted readers
How to climb into someone’s skin-a lesson in empathy
I sat in a chair like everyone else in the circle, but was different than everyone else. They shared their stories and I listened because there was nothing for me to say. They all connected. I was the outcast. It was about 8 years ago, and a friend had invited me to sit in on … Continue reading How to climb into someone’s skin-a lesson in empathy
The Power of a Good Question
“Mommy, why doesn’t the UPS truck come anymore? Do they still deliver packages?” What do you mean? “It was the Amazon Prime truck that delivered the last 2 times.” Oh I see. Why do you think Amazon would send an Amazon Prime truck to deliver their packages instead of UPS? “So they can get more … Continue reading The Power of a Good Question
What is your educational “Why”?
In Simon Sinek's book, Start With Why, he says that all businesses can tell you what they do and most can tell you how they do it, but what so many are lacking is the ability to tell you why they do what they do. This leads to uninspired customers who are left having to evaluate … Continue reading What is your educational “Why”?
What’s with the bees?
What does a beehive have to do with home education? I can’t remember when I first became interesting in beekeeping. I’m sure it was at least 2 kids ago. Maybe after my first taste of Moldovan honey. I’ve read books on bees, listened to podcasts about bees, taken beekeeping classes online, taught kids about bees, … Continue reading What’s with the bees?
Thriving when life stinks.
After stillness was forced upon me due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, I found myself cuddling more with my kids (and I’m not a super big cuddler) simply because I could not do much more than that. Could my kids and my husband adjust to this new normal of doing everything for mom and for … Continue reading Thriving when life stinks.