Brave Writer Podcast: Growing a Mind & Cultivating Curiosity with Christa Gregg
Have you ever wondered if you’re teaching your kids “all the things”?
Do you worry that they’ll reach age 18, and they won’t have some piece of information or some subject studied well enough and it will be “all your fault”?
Join me while Christa Gregg and I discuss the weighty responsibility of being a homeschool parent.
We talk about how to create a family dynamic that naturally explores all manner of subjects without that “school teacher voice” so many of us resort to. It’s a wonderful conversation and ends with a particularly poignant worry that I think many of you will understand. So listen to the end!
Making the Shift
How do we shift us from a “this is school time” mindset to a “we can be learning all the time” mindset – without turning EVERYTHING into a lesson?
Christa, like so many homeschooling parents, wants to create a culture of learning and engender curiosity in her children. But how do we do this without forcing it down their throats?
We need to remember that sometimes trying to create a lesson or plan, getting into “teacher mode,” is the very thing that makes it feel stale. It can be scary, it can feel like flying blind, but learning moments arise around us naturally every day – we just need to get into the habit of capitalizing on them.
When we trust our engagement with our children and the world around us, these learning moments foster what Julie likes to call Big Juicy Conversations!
So, practice being self-aware in these moments and pay attention to your children’s reactions. If you feel distraction and disinterest from them, be aware that you need to shift out of that current mode… and your children will guide you if you let them! This isn’t an issue of not having enough ideas, this is an issue of trusting your children.
Remember you are growing a mind, not establishing beliefs.
Julie’s Recommendations
- TRUST. Trust the natural process. Stop teaching, get curious, and let your children guide you.
- Make a note on your calendar and keep track of the patterns where you move in and out of teaching mode and curiosity mode.
- We’re looking for peace and progress in our homeschool. You can achieve that by toggling between skillwork and fun application. For example: for math, practice skill work through a workbook, then apply fun through a game, cooking, etc. — some way to encounter math in a real tangible way.
- Don’t become too deeply rooted on either side. Try to have a good blend of skills work and fun.
- Make the challenging skill work more of a collaboration. Remember the shoulder-to-shoulder concept with things you want your children to learn. Don’t just check boxes – collaborate and learn together!
- You are a deep person and what you want is depth for your own children. Trust that this is already happening!
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Help a homeschooler like you find more joy in the journey. Thanks!
Tags: Ask Julie
