It sounds like a mystery, doesn’t it? It seems quite unattainable but it’s really not. Just relax and be real. Keeping up with what your friends and neighbors are studying isn’t important. Just learn what works for your child – that is all that’s important. Figure out what moves them. Try lots of different curriculums and activities. Go heavy on the hands-on learning activities to keep everyone moving. Be sure to spend lots of time in conversation discussing what happened and what was learned. Ask the imaginative “what if” questions to spur creativity. Enjoy artistic ventures together. Explore all sorts of nature. Listen more and talk less and laugh a lot. Share your opinion but be sure to ask theirs first. Spend some quality time together. Here are a few ideas:
Read a book…together. Choose a subject that you know will interest your child. If your child is not a strong reader, take turns reading out loud. Share their favorite snack. If it’s cold outside curl up in front of the fireplace to read with blankets and pillows. If it’s warm find a beautiful place in the park.
Try exploring different types of books: fantasies, non-fiction, history, a good novel. By doing this together, you’ll learn what your child enjoys. Knowing this is key.
Try cooking something together. Food is the way to all emotions. What is their favorite meal? What is their favorite food? Help them to choose something not too simple but not too challenging. Allow them to look up a recipe and create a shopping list. Put it together, together and enjoy it together. Make sure the experience is conversation rich and compliment their cooking. Ask questions like, “what might it have tasted like if you had added….”? “What do you think you’d like to make next”?
What kind of sports do your children like? There are wonderful ways to wrap math and science around baseball, skateboarding, ice skating, ballet, and so on.
Do some online research together about skateboarding, find out how to build a catapult, search for the best chocolate cake recipe. Or maybe just force yourself to get down on the floor and play a board game. It’s ok.
Your children will love to learn if you invest in the relationship. They will love spending time learning with you. Together you can read, explore, cook, eat, laugh, cry and so much more. They will grow and so will you. The investment will pay off. Have fun and make memories.
