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Keep it Simple-Use Everyday moments
March 21, 2021
Keep it Simple-Use everyday moments
As the sun shines with the hope of spring, we reflect on how much time has been wasted on worrying.
What if... what next...why?.
Instead..........lets focus on what we do know
and what we can do,
the simple things
within our reach, that move learning forward.
One day at a time.
One everyday opportunity at a time.
One fundamental skill at a time.
Focus on the Fundamentals: the academic keys of Reading, Writing and Arithmetic coupled with the learning habits of daily practice and reinforcement.
Look for these everyday problems and take those learning opportunities to move a child's learning forward.
Invite them alongside you in solving the everyday problems and connect the dots between their learning and their future skills.
My husband has figured out how to fix things. A friend asked once, how is it that you know so much about how to fix things and my husband responded. "I grew up poor. If I wanted anything , I had to learn how to do it myself. " While that might have been a disadvantage it is now his advantage. In figuring out how to fix things, his confidence to fix the next problem grew. So... in our home, when he fixed things, he invited our children in to help, saying. 'you might want to see how this is done'. he'd illicit their support in small tasks ' Could you help me ....hold this, grab this tool do this alongside?' While they started small: sorting darks and lights in laundry baskets the tasks continued to expand and their experience and confidence grew. I have images of daughters holding up drywall for an arched alcove molding, a son helping replace the wax ring in the toilet, daughters laying click flooring in the basement, and now as adults they continue : switching their own tires and wiring and creating their own light fixtures and their own homes and the list of skills continues.
Invite your children into the everyday problems you are solving-building their fundamentals by asking them questions and helping them problem solve alongside you..
Everyday tasks that Tie to learning
Taxes, Buying a Car, nutrition-counting , how much cement should we order for the patio, How can we make the treehouse stronger. grocery lists, following a recipe. collating mom's papers, filing in alphabetical order.
And the list goes on.
Keep it Simple. Use the everyday moments. Building their confidence one everyday problem at a time.
Welcome to Episode 1 of Their Best Parent!
I invite you to pause and reflect on a few key tips for prioritizing what matters most in your child’s academic success, so that we, as parents, can be our child’s best support.
How can you, as a parent encourage a growth mindset in your child? How do you approach challenges? Do you encourage effort or only focus on results?
If you're like me, you could use a bit of inspiration. I find students motivate me; because they have that hard-to-manufacture quality called hope. If you need inspiration, this one's for you!
Self-care is the fuel you may be missing! Have you stopped to think... "what does self-care look like for me? How do I ensure I show up at my best?." We need to put on our own mask first before helping others. Do you prioritize your own self-care? If not, this episode would be helpful for you.
Motivation is the energy we all operate out of. Motivation is one of if not the most important thing to focus on in your child's learning journey. How do we fuel motivation? How can we motivate our kids when they don't like school or feel discouraged? Read this blog post for more.
Do you think that boundaries can in fact promote freedom? It's an interesting idea and is worth considering. How do we, as parents, provide boundaries that help and not inhibit their growth.
Do you catch your child when they are winning? Do you praise their victories? Or are you more likely to notice when they fail? As parents, our role is imperative. Catch your child winning and remind them of what they are good at. This will help them when they do fail. Check out this blog post for more on this.
Learning to partner with your child for their academic results. Your child needs your support and needs to feel some autonomy with their learning. Check out this blog post for more :)
Sometimes, as parents, we are just trying to get through the day to day. We forget to realize that our inattentive nature is hindering our child's learning. This is something that we can't ignore. This is an opportunity, not a criticism. Try for a week and see the impact in your child. I promise it will be fruitful.