Triage: A process in which things are ranked in terms of importance or priority.
Being a mom of 15, I’ve learned a thing or two about triaging life for our kids. Play, chores, reading, quiet time, research, exploration…all of them are rearranged pretty fluidly for each child. Just as medical professionals triage their patients, evaluating their needs in terms of urgency and precedence, so we homeschooling moms are continually evaluating our kids and what their needs are not only educationally, but also emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Here are some tips that have worked well for us.
As you plan to Fun-School a child under 10, don’t feel like you need to do everything on your list every day.
Listen to your child and watch for what brings them joy -You will learn what subjects and topics your child is passionate about, and those are the ones you should do every day and spend more time on (if the child wants to spend extra time researching their favorite topics).
Many teachers focus the most on the child’s weakness and problem areas. I do not focus more than 20 minutes a day on the problem areas if the lesson or activity burns them out. If reading is a struggle, I use Dyslexia Games, but only 15 minutes a day – unless they want to do more. Usually they like Dyslexia Games, so it isn’t a struggle.
If math is a struggle, use games and calculators, and our book 100 Numbers.
If they seem confused when trying to learn math – stop using a memory approach and teach them the WHY and HOW of numbers. They may need time to mature to be able to grasp new concepts. Children need to understand, not just memorize.
Make a lot of time for play, curiosity and discovery.
Children who are entertained constantly, over scheduled, or are addicted to gaming have a lot of issues. You can avoid MANY problems by making sure your child has time to use their imagination and PLAY without constant electronic stimulation. Kids often opt to be entertained. Boredom is okay and leads to innovation!
Healthy children often can’t sit still for more than 20 minutes at a time. They are wiggly by design, children need to move their bodies while learning.
If there is a topic or book that you want to use that they don’t enjoy, you can let it go OR do the work together OR you do it while the child watches you do it.
Make sure your child watches you write – in print and cursive. That’s what the Mom-School books are for.
Feel free to use audio books in place of reading, so the child can learn on a higher level.
Throw out anything that makes your child miserable when trying to learn. Try the fun and joyful methods. If there is no fun and joyful way to learn, you may be dealing with a maturity issue.
Kids on sugar may seem crazy and out of control.
Kids who do not sleep enough may seem moody and out of control.
Kids who see adults fighting or are exposed to violence on games and movies may seem depressed and unmotivated to learn.
Kids who text all night are often lazy all day. Is your child sleeping with a phone?
Find your child’s passion, and feed it.
It is good for kids to learn to research. Research is an awesome skill, that is learned best when a child studies their passion.
Some of most important things to teach your children involve:
1. Reading
2. Research
3. Relationships
4. Responsibility
5. Resourcefulness
6. Rest & Reflection
Put first things first. Outline your goals for each child and help them grow in the things that really matter.
