September is generally the time for back to school and in our house that is no exception. The change this year is that we have homeschooling our youngest full time this year, and if things go well the rest of his education years. He had issues feeling safe in the local public school. The school is great, as much as a public school can be, but when your child comes home and talks about being made fun of for his weight and being called a girl and shoved into the girls bathroom at least once a day and doesn't feel safe enough to talk to the teacher after years of being pushed aside, there comes a day where enough is enough. Luckily he spoke with me and we made the decision to keep him home.
Being on a non-existent budget we're using technology to our advantage. Starting on Tuesday we began with review so that I could see where he was at after the end of 3rd grade. Not exactly where I hoped he'd been after this last year. We do math games on-line every morning, which he loves, but when it came to writing we had our first breakdown. And it was only the first day.
Just like myself, my boys love to make up stories and he desperately want to write out his story so he can publish it like, just like mom. Looking at a blank page with only a few ideas floating around in his head brought him to tears of frustration. Sigh. Day one, issue one. How to bring back a love for writing without it being so overwhelming? As a writer I have tons of experience starting something on a blank page and it hit me immediately. Story mapping in a unique way that would get him involved on more than just fill in a worksheet.
We took 3x5 index cards and wrote ideas out on the cards and taped them to the sliding glass door. Within a few minutes he was elaborating on his story and off on the adventure in his mind. It was the most amazing thing I'd seen. It's something I'll keep in my mind every time we encounter something new and struggle with this year.
What sort of things do you struggle with and what gets you through it?
Being on a non-existent budget we're using technology to our advantage. Starting on Tuesday we began with review so that I could see where he was at after the end of 3rd grade. Not exactly where I hoped he'd been after this last year. We do math games on-line every morning, which he loves, but when it came to writing we had our first breakdown. And it was only the first day.
Just like myself, my boys love to make up stories and he desperately want to write out his story so he can publish it like, just like mom. Looking at a blank page with only a few ideas floating around in his head brought him to tears of frustration. Sigh. Day one, issue one. How to bring back a love for writing without it being so overwhelming? As a writer I have tons of experience starting something on a blank page and it hit me immediately. Story mapping in a unique way that would get him involved on more than just fill in a worksheet.
We took 3x5 index cards and wrote ideas out on the cards and taped them to the sliding glass door. Within a few minutes he was elaborating on his story and off on the adventure in his mind. It was the most amazing thing I'd seen. It's something I'll keep in my mind every time we encounter something new and struggle with this year.
What sort of things do you struggle with and what gets you through it?