Take Away Insistence as a Tool
What if your child refuses to do any homeschool or writing projects?
A couple of things to consider:
- What makes your child happy? Do that.
- What helps her feel safe and heard? Do that.
- What are his interests? Spend time with him there.
- What are your interests? Spend time with those in front of your kids.
The subject areas can feel unrelated to real life and learning for kids at home. The more we insist they “do what they should” (even the fun stuff), the more they simply dig in their heels. But when we come to the table not with lessons, but with connection, something good happens.
I know you may wonder how the 3 R’s will emerge from that soup, but they will once you re-establish trust.
For instance, in writing—use it.
- Write on the mirror with lipstick.
- Send messages on the phone.
- Toss a paper airplane into the room with a special note from you.
- Load up your child’s door with Post-it notes and little facts and sayings.
- Sit at the table and freewrite with your kids.
- Brainstorm all the topics together and assign one to each other.
- Let your child tell you what to write about.
Math: Make brownies and tea and then play with Cuisinaire rods and work out multiplication tables. Play board games. Play with dice. Bake. Quilt. Skip count with a jump rope.
Take away insistence as a tool. Pretend you are not allowed to insist.
Let go of the need to get your kids to do something and start looking for opportunities to be with them in their joy, celebrating the learning that is happening right in front of you that you didn’t orchestrate.
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