It is easy to consider homeschooling is all about curriculum and resources, about sitting at the desk and doing school work. I see homeschooling as an opportunity to train my children in every area of their life. When we look at creating a school environment for our children to learn we create artificial opportunities for them to learn things that really could have happened in a natural environment – your family life:
Then ways to use your lifestyle to educate your child:
- Talk about your reading and your thinking. Have family reading times where you all sit around reading together (or you read aloud to your children). This creates an attitude of learning for life rather than learning because you go to school.
- Include your children in all your homemaking activities – cooking, cleaning, decorating, gardening, shopping, making things – these are foundational life skills
- Teach your children to do your administration tasks – banking, budgeting, planning and organising holidays or parties, gift giving, create and manage family routines etc
- Exercise together, talk about healthy food choices
- Expose your children to the things you are really good at (your talents) – art, craft, sport, music, design, photography, etc… and then encourage them in their talents.
- Have your children involved in your business – hands on or administrative
- Have your children involved in your areas of “ministry” – giving and helping other people.
- Incorporate your children in your areas of interests and passions – politics, camping, horses, scrapbooking, building, gardening, golf
- What do you do for relaxation? Do it together – outdoor activities like camping, sport, fishing etc or play board games or music or watch movies etc
- Share your faith journey with your children.
Read more about lifestyle homeschooling on my website.
Also sharing and linking with others:
Throughout the week I share with one, or more of these blogs (see more details on my Link Parties page)
Monday’s Musings, Thoughtful Spot, Middle and Highschool Linkup, Hip Homeschool Moms Blog Hop, Titus 2 Tuesdays,Finishing Strong (Middle & Highschool years), List-it Tuesdays, Whole Hearted Wednesdays, Capture your Journey, Coffee and Conversation, Thriving Thursdays, Hearts for Home, A Little R & R, From House to Home, Fellowship Fridays, Homeschooling Highschool Linkup, Weekly Wrap-up, Collage Fridays
Excellent suggestions. I am new to homeschooling and just started to learn about all the different approaches. Lifestyle homeschooling (involving kids in everything you do) makes the most sense to me.
Great list! I love that all of this is focused on sharing life together and, as you said, have “an attitude of learning for life.” I love all of these, but I’m also a huge advocate of #1, 4, 7, and 10!
These are awesome. I would have done so much better in a home school setting I think. I had a really hard time learning in school because sitting there reading through a text book is NOT how I learn. Kids are more likely to learn and care if they are being engaged in fun, relevant activities. You sound super cool! 🙂
-Samantha
http://www.kreativekaring.com
Reblogged this on Live life with your Kids! and commented:
Last week Our Homeschool Forum featured this blog post and it tied in with my post of balancing lifestyle learning opportunities for homeschool highschool, so thought I’d reblog this post this week. Ten ways to use your lifestyle to educate your child – there is always something for them to learn.
Once again, very helpful material. Keep up the good work.