Day 4

8th October 2021

Renewed Hope

After yesterday’s morning, it was so nice to have today go so well.

Liam & I snuck some ‘Squid Game’ on TV in our room while the kids were still watching Phineas & Ferb in the lounge room. (I know, Squid Game is a little heavy for the morning, but still, it’s so addictive!)

After breakfast, before we even started the day, I had to address the growing laundry pile in the centre of the room that was beginning to look like Jabba The Hutt & I put my foot down.

“We need to sort out this laundry!”

And you know what? They did.

I sat there like a mad woman throwing clothes into 4 piles and we each took a pile and folded it, and put it away.

That has NEVER happened before. What was happening?

I harnessed the good vibes that were happening and we slid straight on into English, and it went kind of like this…..

Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJxEKpV2aHE

“And just like that, my faith in home school was restored”

It was then that I noticed the matchy, matchy with the red outfits.

I said to Liam, didn’t they both wear yellow yesterday?

Then I realised…..Yesterday was a ‘red load’.

They’re dressing according to my laundry habits. (Lame. I’m such a nerd 😩)

I actually dress them in the same colour if we’re going to a crowded place, because they’re much easier to see. (There was a time when I used to be cool. I promise)

Divide & Conquer

I was working from home today, so Mila stayed with me and Liam took Linc out to do the grocery run with the ‘prepped Excel spreadsheet shopping list’ from yesterday. 😂 This became a maths task of selecting the better buy, chores, responsibility & some Dad time.

Sometimes separating them can break things up, for them and for us. It’s not always possible if one of us is working but after a stressful day, some one on one time can work wonders.

Next, Mila had an idea. I don’t know where it came from, but she wants to make a rubber band ball.

A big one.

She came to me and asked where we keep the rubber bands. “Um, I don’t know. You just find them, like bobby pins or paper clips, just look around”

She soon found one.

So, she txt’s Dad and asks if he could buy her a box of rubber bands & somehow she manages to get it past the prudent shopping Nazi & on the list.

While the boys did the shopping, Mila & I took Pepe for a walk & Mila bought a muffin from the bakery. I stayed outside with Pepe, which meant she had to Covid check in with my phone & navigate the bakery all by herself, including the cash I had given her.

Do you do this with your kids? We’ve been doing it more and more. Making them go in here or there and do all the communicating, working the machines, etc. If they get stuck, they have to ask for help and figure it out. They really enjoy it & it’s great for their confidence.

Afterwards, Mila did some reading and I got stuck into some more work.

Rubber Band Ball

The boys came home and put the groceries away and we had some lunch. (Another lunch that was eaten in full! How have they been surviving at school where they never ate their lunch?!)

“Did you buy my rubber bands??” Mila asked, excitedly.

He did, and the balls have begun! She says “I am going to make it as big as a gym ball so I can sit on it and bounce around the house.” Ah, okay.

Oh, and Lincoln is now making one too.

Rock Climbing

After lunch we usually do maths (I do it this way because Lincoln once told me “We ALWAYS do maths right after lunch’, and I figure, well okay.

However on this day, Liam had made plans to go climbing with some friends and so maths kind of went right out the window. I felt panicked about it for a moment, and then I got over it.

As I always say to my dear friend, “We’re moving on.”

This week we’re kind of ‘unschooling’, because we’re still waiting for all of our curriculum to arrive. So, I guess slow days are ok.

We got into climbing last year during Covid & bought our own gear.

It is SO MUCH FUN!

The kids love it and when it’s not their turn to climb, they run off into the caves and surrounding bush, and play with other climbing kids who are there with their families.

Single serving friends. Kids are great like that. They make friends so quickly. It’s like, “You’re a kid & I’m a kid. Lets play.”

Somewhere along the way we lose that. Adults have to do this weird getting to know you chit chat, like a mating ritual. Feel the waters first. I’m not sure if I like you, yet. Maybe we could be friends…hmmm. I’ll see you next week when we do the drop off and I’ll give you another try. Urgh. Why does it take so looooooong?!

A Little Bit Of Me Time

While the kids were out climbing, I finished work and headed out for a little bit of gal time with a friend.

Before we decided to home school, we talked about how it would work for us to each get some ‘me’ time, as home schooling sees us lose 2 full days to ourselves, while the kids are not at school.

I don’t know how it works for everyone else, but we figured we would lose full days, but gain blocks of time. So, that’s how we see it. If I take them here, he gets a block. If he takes them somewhere, I get a block.

Sometimes we divide & even though we don’t get alone time, we get easier, quieter time.

We decided as long as we commit to lots more date nights. Home schooling would work.

So, that was our home school day. Not too much ‘book work’ in the end, but I figure we ticked off:

• English
• Reading
• Communicating with strange adults while unsupervised (Yes, I just read that back & it does sound a bit weird)
• Shopping & everyday maths
• Chores
• Responsibility
• Creativity
• Time In Nature
• Risk/Fear Management
• Climbing
• Hiking
• Socialising