Children - Inspired Living SA

Good Manners

It always amazes me as to how easily, we as human beings have the ability to adapt and change dependant on the circumstance or situation – some boarding on split personality disorder. What we say or how we act is largely determined by who we are with and what situation we find ourselves in.

This said, what does it say about our belief system and the type of values we imparting to our children? I would like my children to grow up with good solid values, being respectful and well-rounded adults – which means that I have to be a good role model and give them something to aspire to.

I think in the world at large, most people do not share this ideology, just take a simple concept like good manners – people just don’t seem to care about manners anymore. Yes I am generalising but I see it every day – if someone doesn’t feel like greeting you they just don’t! What’s up with that? I don’t want to be a lifelong friend – but would a simple “hello” kill you???

If we as adults adopt this policy – to only greet or have manners when we feel like, can we honestly expect our children to do any differently? We should be leading by example. I understand that we all have different belief systems and morals but we should still maintain basic etiquette.

“Manners Maketh Man” – William Wykeham. How we behave says a great deal about who we are and manners stop the world from falling into a heap of savagery!

So what can we do to stop the world from degenerating around us? To me it is very simple –be the better person; never give up and never stop trying! 😉

Images: Pinterest

Be Inspired, Children, Family, Quotes

"Super Mum"

We all had a bit of a laugh when we can across this sign, on our holiday travels. Which my girls then insisted that I buy – it’s great to know that they hold me in such high esteem! 🙂

It now hangs next to my bed to remind me, every day, how much I mean to my precious family. I promise, I will try not to let it go to my head 😉

Be Inspired, Cape Town, Children, Family, FAR Photography, Parenting, Quotes

Grace

This has been quite a week so far and it is only Wednesday! My youngest is sick and I have never dealt very well with my kids being sick – I don’t think any mom does but some are better than others! She had seizures as a baby and throughout most of her toddling years, which was extremely difficult, especially as we had no idea what caused them. So needless to say when she gets sick I go into panic mode, even though she is turning eight in a few weeks!

I like to think of myself as a very good nurse but we all know that when it is your own child you tend to lose perspective. I don’t sleep very much and then walk around like the living dead! This brings back awful memoires of sleep deprivation as a young mother – not a pretty site!

So what can I do in this situation? I guess, I can worry myself silly or just trust. Trust that God will never give me more than I can cope with and that He has me and my family in the palm of His hand! 😀

Children, Education, Family, Mothers

Home Schooling – Is It For Me?

This is definitely something I have contemplated more than once over the past few years, especially as my girls have reached school going age. More often than not if you have a child with special learning requirements, a main stream school system, may not be able to provide adequate support for such a learner – making home-schooling a more attractive option.

Until in 1996 parents in South Africa had no other option other than sending their children to a school to be educated but in 1996 home education was made a legal alternative in South Africa.

To satisfy my curiosity as to why people home school and how they go about it, I decided to get a few moms to answer a few questions and shed some light on this ever popular topic.

The Person:

Who is the person behind the “teacher”? My first question to moms who home school was whether or not it is necessary to have any training as a teacher but the general consensus is not. Personally I think it would be benifical to have some training, however most of the moms that I interviewed come from a completely different background to teaching. The only other consideration is, legally you are not permitted to teach other people children.

What Motivates Moms To Home School?

Here the answers varied but generally it all comes down to wanting a certain type of lifestyle for you and your family. One which is more laid back and without the stresses and pressure that main stream schooling can place on a family. To quote one mom: “The lifestyle that was possible through home-schooling was the biggest reason for me. Having more time with my children as they grow and learn, having more choice over the quality and contents of their education and being able to custom-make it for each child so it gives them the best opportunity for learning and developing at their own pace and according to their own style.”

What are the benefits of Home-schooling?

The main benefit of home-schooling is the flexible environment that you can create around your “school” day. There are less time constraints on you as a mom and a teacher and you can structure your day as you see fit. Extra – murals can be done if and when it is convenient for everyone to do them. One mom said the benefits for her are: “a slower, more relaxed pace of life and more family time but also lots of freedom for the children and parents and the opportunity to encourage a love of learning and education in our children.” Children also become accustomed to house chores and are more involved in each aspect of running a household. You are also able to better protect your children from the abuse that bullies inflict but I guess that we all have to deal with this issue some time in our lives, we cannot protect our children forever.

How Do Moms Motivate their Children To Work?

I have always wondered how home-schooling moms are able to motivate both themselves and their children to get out of bed in the morning, never mind actually getting any work done. I guess the key to this is being disciplined and having some sort of structured routine to work from. I think when your children are younger, pre-school age, it is less important to have a set structure but it as children become older structure would become necessary. One mom explained that the Charlotte Manson Method is helpful when establishing a philosophy for your home-schooling work ethic. To quote from the “Charlotte Manson” website: “Her method, the Charlotte Mason method, is centred around the idea that education is three-pronged: Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life.”

What does a typical Home-school day look like?

I know that my girls would want to spend their day drawing, painting, playing computer games or watching TV; I almost forgot they would have to fit reading in there as well. Maths would definitely not be top of the list of things to do but I guess you can incorporate it in to your day somehow – baking perhaps? For moms with younger learners the school day would consist of “art, games, reading” whereas older students would, according to one mom: “focus on the 3 R’s – reading, writing and arithmetic as well as Afrikaans. We also do lots of baking, loads of outdoor play, crafts and have extra murals in the afternoon.”

What curricula do moms use?

One of the curriculums I have come across in my research is: “Little Footprints” which is a South African home-school curriculum, consisting of child literature lesson plans that focus on South Africa. You explore the fascinating people, animals and places that make up our beautiful land.

For maths studies parents use “MathUSee” and “Letterland” for Phonics. If you are looking for a more spiritual or biblical approach, to you teaching, then ‘Tapestry of Grace”, could be one to consider.

There is also Clonard home education system, which provides general curricula from Grade R to Grade 9. From Grade 10-12 the options they recommend are: “British International Distance College, any other FET College or a High School.”

Some parents utilise outside tutors for certain subjects like languages i.e. Xhosa, Afrikaans or French. Most extramural activities are done outside the home i.e. dancing, playball, team sports etc.

Socialising Children:

This was always a concern for me, how do you socialise your children if they do not go to school. As far as I can tell as long as parents make the effort, by joining a network of homeschoolers, socialisation does not seem to be an issue. What one Mom said on socialisation: “I’m part of a home-schooling co-op; it’s a group of 6 families that get together once a week to do projects, outings, games and playtime. Each Mom gets a turn to host a day, and can use her unique strengths and skills to teach the children something fun and exciting that day.”

An article I read during my research stated that, generally by Grade 4 children become more sociable, becoming intrigued by the social environment of a school and may ask to try “school”. I know that my eldest daughter is in Grade 4 this year and she has become more aware of friendships and what they mean. A talk we had at the school recently however stated that most true bonds only happen around grade 6 or 7.

What advice can home-schooling moms give to others?

I am sure that there are many people out there who are contemplating home schooling for their children, so I asked some moms what advice they can give to others:

“Home education can offer children the most amazingly joyful childhood but it is scary especially at first – choosing a path that is different from what everyone else is doing. Once the decision is made, most families seem very happy. Initially parents will have to make an effort to meet other homeschoolers.”

“The first thing I would say is ‘fear not’! It is a daunting road, make no mistake. There are no clear ways of the ‘perfect’ way to do anything along this journey, as each child is different, each family and each Mother! … and you are faced with endless Curricula choices that can be very overwhelming. Also, what works one year, maybe doesn’t work the next year based on the ages and stages of the children. But what I am learning along this road, is to not compare to others, not try and do things the way you think you should, but to be in touch with God, yourself and your kids and to make choices that are both Spirit-lead, intuitive and informative.”

A local website that I came across could also be a helpful resource: “Home School Info South Africa” , if you are considering home-schooling.

A big thank you to those moms that took time out to answer my questions, it was both enlightening and encouraging reading, what you had to say – I hope it can be of help to others too. I think it takes a huge amount of courage and tenacity to undertake this endeavour!

Children, Education, Family, Young@Heart

How to Initiate Reading at an Early Age

I am excited to share an article with you, on early reading development by a guest writer Emily Patterson. Emily is currently working as a communications coordinator for Primrose Schools, providing written work to the blogosphere which highlights the importance, and some of the specific aspects, of a quality, early childhood, education. Through an accelerated Balanced LearningR curriculum,Primrose Schools students are exposed to a widely diverse range of subject matter giving them a much greater opportunity to develop mentally,physically and socially.

Submitted on behalf of Primrose Schools: day care services helping to develop active minds and happy hearts by Emily Patterson:

For decades, we have known that reading to a child and providing them with interactive experiences with books will have a profound impact on how they do in school later in life. There are different stages in which parents can start reading to their children, some starting even when the child is in the womb. The interaction is often much more fun and interesting to the child if you discuss the pictures in the book with exaggeration. It isn’t necessarily important to follow the story. Interaction should be your goal.

Reading to your child from an early age is crucial to raising an avid reader, even when they are already reading in school or preschool. However, you don’t want this time together to seem forced. One of America’s most trusted baby experts, Robert Needlman, M.D., author of Dr. Spock’s Baby Basics states that “There is no prescription for this. The only prescription is to allow some time each day that you can sit down, connect with your child, and read together. The main thing is to allow it to occur in a way that’s joyful, that conveys enjoyment to the child–from enjoyment, the rest will follow.”

Knowing how to choose the right books for your child is also important for retaining their attention. Ideally, the books will have frequent, distinct illustrations. The writing in the book should be rhythmic and simple. Choose something that you will like, along with your child, because you are more likely to be more enthusiastic about the reading. Your child will sense this and these books too. Children will also often like for the same books to be read repeatedly to them, so choosing something that isn’t going to annoy you is going to prove to be more productive for both you. When you are both enjoying a book, your child will naturally develop a love for literature, and watching this happen will make you do the same.

Here are some tips to help you with ensuring that your child loves to read:

-Start reading to your child at infancy, and as early as possible, encourage participation.
-Surround your child with books that are appropriate for their age. Remember, children like lots of bright illustrations, and simple language. Make sure they are of varying topics.
-Don’t forget how much time your child spends out of the house. Keep books available for long trips and for whenever your child needs to be entertained while waiting.
-Maintain a strong relationship with your child’s teacher. Ask for recommendations on books that the child can relate back to classroom.
-Allow older children to “read” to you aloud. They may not read the actual story, but they will usually go to the pictures and relate them to their own story. This is a very important stage in developing literacy. It means that the child is aware that books are meant to tell a story. Allow them to retell the story in whatever way is entertaining them at the moment, and encourage them. They are often very proud of being able to “read”.

Communication is the most important skill you will teach your child. Babies will come out of the womb fascinated with learning how to communicate and how language works. Along with singing and talking to your child, reading is the most important thing you can do to encourage this natural fascination. This will help them understand how written language works, instead of just spoken. This cognitive learning requires a healthy support system from an adult. Ensure that you are doing the best for your child’s development, and make reading together a part of your everyday life.

Thank you, Emily, for that helpful information, as parents we can all benefit from insights like these. We hope to hear more from you on early childhood development in the future! 😀

(@epatt1062)