Self-directed Learning Through Play

I just finished reading this fantastic post by another blogger and wanted to quickly share my thoughts about this topic.

When I first began this homeschooling journey, I had grand plans for following a daily schedule, doing circle time, and producing tangible proof of what the older diva would be learning this school year.  Enter perfectionism.  I spent hours (I mean, seriously - HOURS) finding or making the perfect printables to create the perfect Circle Time chart.  I spent yet more time finding a scope and sequence/curriculum that I liked and thought would work well for us as we began our journey.

It lasted about a week.  Ha!

I decided I was simply taking the wrong approach.  Enter Montessori and Montessori-inspired activities.  The heavy focus on independence and practical life skills at the 3-6 age range was attractive to me.  What mom doesn't want to have independent children who will grow into capable adults?  So, I spent yet more hours integrating Montessori and Montessori-inspired activities into our daily life and onto our school shelves.

The older diva barely touches them.  *sigh*

[Sidebar]: The only saving grace is that the younger diva loves the Montessori activities, so the effort was not completely wasted.  I had planned on waiting until she was 3 to start schooling with her.  But, the beauty of the Montessori activities is that I can teach them to her once or twice and then she is capable of executing the activities independently until she either masters the skill or tires of the activity.

Back I went to the internet to find what was going to work.  I have finally settled on a Charlotte Mason/Montessori blend.  But, more importantly, I have decided to take the pressure off both myself and the older diva with regards to what/how she is learning.  Spend 5 minutes with her and anyone quickly figures out that she is smart, observant, funny, inquisitive, kind, (and on and on...) and independent.

Which brings me to the whole point of this post.  Everywhere I turn, there are learning opportunities.  The older diva is definitely interested in learning.  But, what her indifference towards my grand attempts at initiating homeschooling has shown me is that she will let me know what she wants to learn and when she wants to learn it.  Therein lies the beauty of self-directed learning through play.  All I have to do is provide the opportunities and the exposure (and the support materials to encourage learning) and she will let me know what she wants to learn.

I have to admit, it has been slightly disconcerting to embrace this approach completely.  I sometimes fall into the trap of believing that she should know XYZ and she is somehow going to be behind if she doesn't yet.  But, then I remind myself of all of those amazing qualities that she possesses that I listed above and I relax again.

Without a doubt, this teacher often becomes the student and my kiddos each have taught me invaluable lessons in life.

Cinnamon Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

It's exams week for the older mancub, so I have been pushing breakfast even more than usual every morning this week.  Clearly, I have spoiled him because cereal is not acceptable and a hot breakfast is a must have.  So, this morning I made Cinnamon Banana Oatmeal pancakes - better known as the BEST PANCAKES EVER!!  Seriously.  These pancakes are fluffy, but dense at the same time.  I'm not even sure how that is possible.  Don't believe me?  Try them for yourself!  The lousy cell phone picture doesn't do them justice, but if I'm going to keep it real on this blog I can't whip out my camera and have a food photo shoot every time something turns out well.  Maybe someday - like 18 years from now when all of the mancubs and divas are grown and trying not to mess up rearing kids of their own. ;)

Cinnamon Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

1 C quick oats
1 C all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking power
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp wheat germ
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 C milk
1 ripe banana, mashed
Organic coconut oil (for cooking)

Measure the quick oats into a mixing bowl.  Combine the next four ingredients in a sifter and sift into the mixing bowl with the quick oats.  Add the wheat germ, egg, and milk and blend well (I use a fork or a whisk to blend to minimize lumps in the batter).  Fold in the banana.

You can use cooking spray in place of the coconut oil, but I prefer coconut oil.  Cook over medium heat.  Flip one time, once the tops of the pancakes form bubbles (about 2 minutes), and cook an additional 2 minutes.  Serve with butter (optional) and syrup.

Enjoy!

Our Montessori-Inspired Snack Station

The Montessori method has long been a draw for me and not just because I was a Montessori kid myself.  I love the heavy focus on practical life skills and independence in the 3-6 age range that is at the heart of Montessori.  So, I have been busy rearranging aspects of our routine to help foster those skills and independence.  One of the changes that I have just recently made is a snack station.

First, I have to share how excited I am about the piece of furniture that I used to make the station.  I found it at Goodwill for a mere $7!!  It is solid wood and a few coats of paint made it look like a totally different piece!  

My set up for the station from the top shelf down is as follows:

Top shelf - picture tent cards of refrigerated snack options.

Second shelf - One basket with non-perishable snack options.  These will include granola bars, fig bars, rice cakes, crackers (variety), pretzels, etc.  I will limit it to 2 different choices per week and rotate through them to provide a good variety throughout the month.  The other basket has prep utensils in it - kid-friendly butter knives, an apple corer/slicer, and other utensils as I acquire them.

Staging area - The small wooden bowl is a fruit bowl (bananas, apples, oranges).  The red square is a cutting mat (my small wooden cutting board is packed away somewhere, so this will have to do for now. ha!), Cups for drinking water and a pitcher.

I hung a small dowel using thumbtacks to make the towel rod.  I thought it turned out pretty cute. :)

Third shelf - This shelf has paper plates (yes, I know plastic or disposable is not Montessori, hence the word "inspired" attached to it in the post title :) ), a basket with napkins and I will add another basket with utensils for eating.

Bottom shelf - I added a place mat that shows the proper table setting after I took this picture.  But, the real addition to that shelf is coming at Christmas.  Check back to see what will be coming for the younger diva! 

Slow down or you might miss something!

Ahhh, Christmas!  It is one of my favorite times of the year!  The only thing I don't like is the rush and bustle of the crowds.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm going to do most, if not all, of my Christmas shopping online this year just to avoid the crowds.  Yeah, I know - BAH-HUMBUG!

In an effort to slow time down, the divas and I went for a walk yesterday morning.  Our mission was simple:  get some fresh air and find some twigs to use for our playdough snowmen we were going to make.  As we wandered down the sidewalk, a small glint of green spinning in the breeze in mid-air caught my eye.  Upon closer inspection, I discovered it was a tiny inchworm dropping from the tree above on its way to the ground below.  So. Cute.

The divas were immediately drawn to it and spent several minutes staring at it in fascination as it wriggled and squirmed on the sidewalk.  After our walk was complete, the divas came back to the spot where we found the inchworm and begged to bring it home.  We have been working on habitats lately, so it seemed appropriate.

So, we now have a new "class" pet!  Meet Squishy and check out his new habitat that the divas helped me assemble. :)

It's moments like these that remind me of how blessed I am to be home with my kids and to be schooling the divas.  In a world where everything is so rushed and hurried, I can hit the pause button and something as small and seemingly insignificant as an inchworm can hold our fascination.

So, in this crazy busy time of year, I encourage each of you to slow down and look around or you just might miss something!

Love and Peace. XO

Thanks and Giving

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching and the holiday season will be in full swing.

Traditionally, we have focused on the history of the holiday and enjoyed the time with extended family, reflecting on the blessings in our lives.  One thing that has been lacking, though, has been some act of service to others.  I have entertained the idea of serving as a family at a soup kitchen, but soup kitchens seem to be flooded with volunteers around the holidays.

The perfect opportunity presented itself when a friend tagged me in a post on Facebook about a local group calling themselves the Basket Brigade.  The group is making up laundry baskets filled with items to provide a family in need with a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  Along with donating some items to fill the baskets, we are also delivering two of the baskets.  I'm super excited about this, y'all!

Here is a sample of a basket:

I love, love, LOVE the idea of using a laundry basket instead of a decorative basket because it provides the family with something functional and lasting, beyond the meal it contains.

This is definitely an effort that I will continue with the mancubs and divas in the years to come.  What would be even more awesome is if they choose to continue this tradition with their own families some day.

"Therefore by their fruits you will know them." Matthew 7:20

Happy Thanksgiving!

Granola Bars

A while ago I decided that I was tired of spending a ton of money on granola bars that were loaded with ingredients that I didn't want my kids eating.  Sugar was the main deterrent for me, but I've been trying to cut out preservatives and artificial anything, as well.

After trying a few different recipes, I finally found one that I liked with minimal tweaking on ingredients.  I love the versatility of the recipe because I have added different ingredients so it's not always the same, boring granola bar.  The result is delicious!!

Some variations we have tried and loved include:

1/2 C crunchy peanut butter (this makes a denser granola bar)
1/2 C Chocolate chip/peanut butter chip mix
1/2 C shredded coconut
1/2 C raisins

You can view the original recipe here: (Note - I omit the sliced almonds and use quick oats.  If you don't have wheat germ on-hand, you can substitute an additional 1/2 C of quick oats - or use the suggestion at the bottom of the recipe to grind 1/2 C of quick oats.)

Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
½ cup wheat germ
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup of semi- or bitter-sweet chips or chunks (about 3 ounces)
½ cup dried cranberries or cherries
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-square-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. For bars’ easy removal, line pan bottom up the two sides with a 9- by 18-inch strip of heavy-duty foil. Grease foil with vegetable cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Turn into prepared pan and pat down until firmly packed. Bake until golden brown about 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature and put pan in freezer.

When firm, use foil handles to remove bars from pan. Remove foil and use a long, sharp knife to cut bar into 16 1- by 4-inch bars. Can be stored in an airtight container up to 1 week or frozen.

Introducing Money

The older diva has been showing a lot of interest in money recently.  She and her sister both love to put coins in the Children's Miracle Network donation tub at the store.  I suspect it is more about getting to watch the coins spin around and around before making their final drop, but we do talk about how the coins are used to help sick babies. 

Since I have been working to re-focus our school activities, I decided to use the interest to my advantage and created a sorting work using coins for the shelf.  I labeled four different containers with penny, nickel, dime, and quarter and have another container filled with coins.  

I sat down with the older diva this morning and showed her the work.  She loved it!  

For now, we will work on coin identification.  Once she master that, we will work on value. I was pleased with how much she seemed to enjoy this activity.  Upon completion, she turned to me and proudly exclaimed, "I did it!"

Ahhh, happy momma!

p.s.  Please forgive the grainy cell phone pictures in my recent posts.  I need to find the cord for my camera.  I know it's somewhere in this mess of boxes... 

Turning Mountains into Mole Hills

Happy Monday!  Today is kind of a big deal in our house - at least in the eyes of the older diva.  She is going to spend the night with Grandma tonight!  She is very excited and has asked me every day since Thursday if today is the day she gets to have a PJ party with Grandma.  Today, I finally got to say yes!

Ever on the lookout for a teachable moment, I explained to her how she would need to pack an overnight bag to take with her and what she would need to put in it.  She promptly emptied most of the contents of her dresser onto the couch...

p.s.  Yes, there are even some items that were hanging in her closet in that pile.  Oy!

After about 20 minutes of negotiation, which included her very tearful insistence that she DID need to take all of her clothes to spend one night at Grandma's house, we finally were able to decide on a pair of jammies, 2 dresses (a girl needs choices, right?!), and a stuffie that would accompany her.

I see this as a win-win.  I had a successful teaching moment and she got to learn a new life skill.  Well, make that a win-win-win since Grandma doesn't have to rent a small moving truck to pick up her little diva this afternoon!

Be blessed!

Intentional Parenting

We have a brand new teenager (as of last month) and a tween (10 this week) in the house, plus a four year old and two year old.  I have to confess - most days I am in survival mode.  Housework, meals, communicating with teachers, homeschool for the divas, and whatever each day decides to throw at me leaves little room for intentional parenting.  But, God has laid it on my heart recently, so I am working on getting back to being an intentional parent.

In my quest to return to intentional parenting, I found this great list at theintentionallife.com:


Here are the nine habits of an intentional parent:

1.  I will not do for my child what he needs to do for himself—when I do, I disrespect him. 
2. I will not overreact—when I do, my child has won. 
3. I will not rescue my child from life lessons he needs to learn—when I do, I weaken him. 
4. I will not treat my teenager like a child—when I do, I create resentment. I will not be dissuaded from doing right, despite anger, tears, cursing or threats—when I do, I am an irresponsible parent. 
5. I will use my Heart—when they are hurting, confused, searching or frustrated. 
    I will use my Head—when they have questions, need guidance or want answers.
    I will use my Hand (take action)—when they are disrespectful, disobedient or lazy. 
6. I will pick my parenting battles carefully—because it’s more important to be the right parent than to be right. 
7. I will give lots of encouragement—because it will help my child to succeed.
8. I will provide training, instruction and support as needed—because that’s my job.
9. I will pray daily for my children—because my children belong to God.

 * See more at: http://www.theintentionallife.com/nine-habits-of-an-intentional-parent/#sthash.rUl1eQRb.dpuf *

Seems easy, doesn't it?  But, how many of us rush to do for our children to save time?  Do we give them enough encouragement?  Most importantly, do we honestly and authentically pray over our children daily?  Beyond, "Lord, keep them safe/healthy" or "Lord, give me the patience..."?

As I am working through the newness of teenager years, I am trying to remember not to violate #4 by implementing #3.  As I meditate on this list, my prayer is simple - "God, help me to remember all of these ways that I need to be intentional about my parenting.  Guide me and show me which ones are the most important with each of my 4 children right now.  But, Lord, remind me that I am only human and am doing my best when the busyness of the day gets in the way and I slip from being an intentional parent to just going through the motions.  Bring me gently back to where You need me to be and how You need me to guide these beautiful, smart, funny, incredible souls whom You have blessed me with and charged me with their loving care as their mom."

Amen?

Have a blessed day!

Back to blogging!

At the beginning of this school year, we decided that I would homeschool the divas.  So, I'm reviving my blog to document their work and hopefully share some ideas and activities and resources with other homeschooling families.  I am very much in the learn as I go phase of homeschooling, but I am confident that I feel like a veteran homeschooling mom in no time. :)

Happy reading!