Finding fun

One of the hardest parts of homeschooling is motivation.  I mean, I know it is hard for teachers in public school, but they have less personal investment so I imagine mostly if a student is unmotivated they give it a try then shrug and think 'oh well I tried'.  When it is your own kids it is different, I want them to love learning, though I don't think for a moment they will even like all subjects.

I have always loved to learn, though there are certain subjects (mostly ones I am not good at LOL) that I hate and just do them because they're necessary.  So, how do I pass down this love of learning?  I think right now my biggest ace in the hole is to help them see what they are good at, it tends to be natural to enjoy doing things you excel at.  Willow is great at hula-hoops, and the more people tell her she is great at them the more she is interested in learning about them.  Willow also excels at writing stories, her stories are fun entertaining and usually have a good point, therefore her favorite writing days are the ones that she gets to work on her stories.  It also helps to give them choices and let them doing things that interest them, for science and history and stuff.  I just give them a list of subjects and let them choose the one that sounds the coolest.  I do take it from their grade level and from my curriculum though, I am just flexible about it.

The trick comes in showing them that they are good in subjects that they don't enjoy, and getting them to pick things they may consider boring in order for them to learn that hmm,  wow! -  that actually is kinda cool.  I do not lie to my kids, if they need work on something I will tell them so but I do point out where they are good and where they have improved and I try (operative word) to encourage them to see that they can excel at lots of things and broaden their motivation to learn and do new things.  I also sometimes point out what I find interesting in a subject and use that as a hook to draw them in and get them motivated.  I am relearning these skills as I go as opposed to my gut reaction (I don't care if you like it just do it! hehehe).  I learn as much homeschooling as they do!

 All in all school is going well minus the fact that it wears me out a lot more than I expected, but I am learning to cope and rest when I can.  Latin is working out well, we all know a few words and it is pretty fun to sit here and talk in Latin and check each other's pronunciation.  On Sunday the kids and Brad are going to Kalahari until next Thursday.  That is the time for me to rest up and recover and I am looking forward to have nothing to do for 5 straight days!  I hope I get rested enough to be bored.  I have missed my crocheting, and painting and everything else I have stopped doing for homeschooling.  Plus it will be fun to do off topic blogs about other stuff.