How much people can learn at any moment depends on how they feel at that moment about the task and their ability to do the task. When we feel powerful and competent, we leap at difficult tasks. The difficulty does not discourage us; we think:Sooner or later, I’m going to get this. At other times we can only think: I’ll never get this, it’s too hard for me, I never was any good at this kind of thing, why do I have to do it, etc. Part of the art of teaching is being able to sense which of these moods learners are in. People can go from one mood to the other very quickly. – Holt
Everyone homeschooling philosophy is a bit different so as always if you do not agree with mine, that is ok! Do what works for you and yours.
When new homeschooling parents ask me how we manage as they feel like they can’t do it I advise that they first relax. I try and remind them of how they felt when their children where babies. They trusted that baby would crawl, walk, and learn to talk. Most parents do not teach these things, though many do play, and some how the babies learn. We need to relax and trust them again. It is in our nature to learn, we just have to find the right moments. Homeschooling might not look at schooling at home for some houses and yet the children thrive, some think they thrive better when we don’t force them into learning then they are no interested.
So I challenge you to relax. Let the kids follow their bliss, if the day is nothing but picking flowers or following you around dusting window sills, trust that they are learning. Trust yourself to see those moments when they need to be free of instruction and when they are ready to soak it all up.
I have to remind myself even after all these years to relax sometimes too. I notice event he most seasoned homeschooling parents have moments of worry. Your not alone!
