Living while learning

Dear Readers, 
By now, I'm sure you've come to appreciate advice from others. At one point in time, you've been online looking up information. Perhaps you are looking for a recipe, or tips on budgeting. If you are like me, you've researched how to do some of the more difficult things, such as changing the brakes on your vehicle or even how to identify learning problems your child may have. Why are these things seemingly left out of learning? 

As a parent, we do not want our children to "worry" about things. We want them to have a carefree childhood. But why can't we "teach" our children the way things really are as an adult. Primarily, I was hesitant on this post because of fear. Fear that parents who read it might think I'm putting too much on my children. But then I realized something: my children will some day be an adult, and I do not want them growing up asking, "why didn't mom tell us about this"?

So where am I going with this post? Simple. Incorporate living while you learn is a new approach I am initiating in our homeschool this year. It involves several key steps, which when covered in the beginning, take the guess work out of the rest of the day. 

Here are the steps: 
1. Remind your children that they are children for a short time, and that you love them always. 
2. Let your children experience certain things, such as "what's for dinner?", "when is this bill due?", and "How do I complete this (application, paperwork, money order, etc) and what do I do after it's completed?"
3. Encourage your children to think as an adult for a short time each day. 
4. Provide positive feedback when they display mature thought and continue to encourage them to meet these situations with confidence. 

Why? 
Because when they become adults, they are going to be met with an onslaught of experiences they have never been introduced to before. If they know what is expected of them, they can make better choices. This leads to better time management, knowledge of needed resources, and ultimately, they become more productive in their young adult years. 

Recently, I wrote about our terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. The time when our vehicle was the epitome of bad news. Later, I started thinking, "how would I have known what to do that day, had I not experienced it before?" This thinking led me to writing this post. 

What ways can you incorporate living into your learning home? Try some or all of these and see if your child's confidence level doesn't improve.

Lesson 1: Learning Life Terminology
Objective: Understanding adult terminology through comprehension; writing skills; life skills

1. Ask our child to "back" an envelope for you. They are going to look at your like you are crazy. Then inform them that it simply means to apply the return address (the sender's address) in the top left corner of the envelope. 

Lesson 2: Recognizing the Difference Between Want and Need
Objective: To rationalize and understand the idea of basic needs; prioritization; life skills

1. Make a paper bill similar to a phone bill or other utility bill that is relatively inexpensive. Collect an advertisement for something you'd like to do with the money.  Count out some money that would be just enough to pay the bill. Sit down at the table with the money and invite your child to help count with you. Explain that you really want to do what is in the advertisement after you pay the bill. Write down how much money you have. Then show your child how much the bill is for. Ask your child if you have enough money to pay the bill and to do the advertisement. When they say no, you can reply with "Well, I really want to do the (advertisement). What would you do?" 

Use their response to offer the difference about wants and needs. Explain that our wants are sometimes placed on hold until a better opportunity arises. By your child seeing that sometimes as adults, we do not always get what we want, helps them to better control themselves as children when they are told no, and can aid in gaining valuable insight on how to react when they are told no. 

Lesson 3: Respectful Tolerance
Objective: To become tolerant of all people with dignity and respect; writing skills, life skills

1. Use the lesson plans from Education World to help your child or children learn about tolerance. In life, they are going to see people from all different walks: rich, poor, black, white, thin, heavy, etc. Help prevent stereotyping behavior by building on the issue  of everyone being unique in their own way. Use the Assertion Jar Project to help your child argue assertively, their stand on topics, without disrespect. Together, work on the Put Ups Project to encourage your child to be more positive in their understanding. 

These are just a few of the areas I am working on and will continue to incorporate more as time allows. As parents, it is our job to raise our children. As home-school parents, it is our job to raise educated, respectful, and thought-driven individuals. 

Until next time, 
​LaVonda