Overcoming an unexpected hurdle

This week I've hit a few high frustration peaks with our homeschooling. Looking back at the various causes of my frustration, it's obvious that
1) I need to loosen up, and
2) we all need to take a break.

What did I get frustrated about, you ask? That Chloe and Clive weren't doing their crafts correctly.

Yeah, I'd say I need to loosen up a little.

For the craft pictured at left, the kids were supposed to tear up pieces of construction paper and glue them onto paper as leaves of a tree. My creative kiddos had different ideas . . .

Chloe, having just received a protractor, was DYING to use it. She insisted on using the protractor to draw straight lines for a tree trunk and then she traced the inner protractor half-circle for the tree top. Chloe wanted to cut out her own leaves but I forced her to tear them and glue them the prescribed way. She complied easily enough but later I thought to myself, WHY did I make a big deal about that?

Clive forsook all directions and proceeded to glue the pieces of construction paper together into a "book".

I totally see the value in giving directions and enforcing compliance. But c'mon now. I hadn't expected CREATIVITY to be a hurdle to overcome in homeschooling. Isn't that one of the huge pros to schooling at home?!? My kids are blossoming into their own creative little beings. That's a beautiful thing; why am I trying to squelch it?

The traditional classroom teacher in me MUST be reformed if I'm going to continue homeschooling with patience and effectiveness.

With informality in mind, this week we're doing a lighter week of schooling focusing on fall. We're spending time outside, talking about signs of fall, reading fall books, singing fall-y songs, and doing fall-ish crafts. Also talking about what causes the seasons (i.e. earth's tilt and orbit around the sun) and how various animals behave in the fall. Hoping to get in at least one hike yet this week too to soak up the remains of the glorious weather.

A happy fall week to you all!





















Chloe's crafty creation. Notice the leaves falling into a pile and the VERY straight tree trunk.






















Clive's "book". Much glue was used.