What's the use!? (or maintaining focus)

by Jane Boswell

You started off well... full speed ahead, organized, on track, then sudden derailment. First came the flu making its ugly way through the ranks . . . followed by assorted aches, sniffles and coughs. Surviving those, you dove back into homeschool projects with a vengeance for two weeks and then found routines being upset once more by the busyness of the holiday season or surprise visits from long lost relatives. January 1st came bringing hope and the resolve to get back on track and stay there ... but when you looked over the sad, empty pages in your planner and stacks of lesson plans engineered last summer, guilt and helplessness overwhelmed. “What’s the use?” you think. You’ll never catch up.

You’re right. What freedom! The beauty is you don’t have to catch up. What and who are you trying to catch anyway? Homeschooling means moving at your pace - the speed of your life - and turning your attention to your life-priorities. For practical purposes, this includes the things that really interest your children AND you and focusing on a few areas that need work.

So instead of resolving to catch up, a more attainable goal is to learn to re-focus. Regularly. Refocus energy on dealing with priorities.

There were times in our house when TV was unplugged and even the answering machine lay buried under pillows in a back room. We seemed to have super powers of hearing, instantly tuning in to clicks, whirrs and beeps as that gadget performed its duties. Because of our responsibilities, we could not turn the phone off, but we did all agree that mornings were dedicated to a family study time, skills that needed polishing and important projects. After lunch, which we took turns preparing, we enjoyed a family ‘story stop’ time and then, except for shared housekeeping responsibilities, the rest of our day was pretty much our own.

Devoting a few hours a week to the priorities our family collectively deemed important, meant that the other (many) activities that filled our afternoons, evenings and weekends could be pursued without guilt. We may not have covered five textbook subjects each morning, but I knew the children were gaining ground in essential skills of reading, writing and arithmetic. (Most of these encompassed interest-based studies which continued into afternoon pursuits.) Allowed to move at their own, comfortable pace, each child happily moved closer to personal goals and soon realized that after taking care of their daily “skills work”, they had plenty of time to turn their attention to the myriad other projects that were always being launched. Focusing our time and energy on the meaningful left us the freedom and flexibility needed to tackle life’s inevitable surprises.

It’s easy to become sidetracked after illness runs its course through the family, or a new baby arrives, or a loved one dies or an elderly relative comes to receive loving care or life just simply demands our attention. But if you’re learning the art of refocusing, it gets a little easier to negotiate each bump in the road. Life’s interruptions can turn into opportune side-trips instead of derailments.

You’ve been given the energy for each day. And each day is full enough. Focus on today’s priorities. Look forward to tomorrow’s opportunities.

And God Bless You!

The SLOW process of discovery ...

Within arm's reach is my Mac, Droid (smartphone) and Nook (ebook reader) - each of which is prepared to launch me onto the internet. The internet - that vast multi-dimensional universe offering a zillion bytes of information/communication at my fingertips. Relying on the web for research and unlimited contact with whomever choose, I have come to expect it to be there at the click of a mouse or a flick of my finger. Panic hits when I see an error message on the screen of one of my gadgets telling me that it can't connect. That yellow warning triangle or spinning rainbow wheel sends me into spasms of withdrawal. It's just crazy.

And the insanity has been ingrained worldwide into  our children's and grandchildren's  cultures.  Citing just one online (of course) article entitled Does Technology Stunt Children's Social Development?: "A recent study found that heavy Internet use may increase violent and aggressive behavior. The study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, documented the Internet use patterns of 9,405 Taiwanese teenagers. Researchers labeled 25 percent of males and 13 percent of females as Internet addicts. Among these, 37 percent reported aggressive behavior within the last year, compared to less than 23 percent for all teens. The researchers’ criteria for Internet addiction included “withdrawal” symptoms—irritability and moodiness when not online, being preoccupied with Internet activities and foregoing physical activities for more time online. (http://www.realtruth.org/news/090303-008-society.html)"

Parents and teachers can testify to the accuracy of this statement, with  anecdotal evidence of kids and teens they live or work with.  Happily, there are many articles (also online) that applaud technology as the modern learning aid it has become - unrivaled for research and bringing the world to a screen near you. Homeschoolers probably use the benefits of technology more than the average student. According to a recent  finding: "More than 80% of Americans now have a computer in their homes, and of those, almost 92% have internet access, according to a detailed study on home internet access from The Nielsen Company, which reports that this number is up from 77.9%  one year earlier. 

Because homeschoolers spend more time at home, it stands to reason that if they have a computer with internet access, they are using it more often than average. Currently, I don't know a homeschooling family that does not use the internet regularly in a typical learning day. We use it daily for regular research. There's nothing as cool as having a child pose a question, the answer to which can be accessed within seconds on the web.  The dangers of the internet are also well documented and we never allow the children to be left unsupervised. We also have Net Nanny and try to use only 'kid-friendly' browsers like Kids Ask or Looksmart's Kids Directory.

But even though I enjoy and use technology, I get immense satisfaction from browsing the stacks at our local library and coming away with bags full of books.  Books offer something that instant internet access can't - the slow process of discovery. Recently, my young grandson began  using our big, heavy Illustrated Dictionary.  He was intimidated by its size but after a brief tutorial,  was eager to see what this big, fat book had to offer. I got a kick out of watching him carefully turn the pages and scan the photos and illustrations. He would stop at something interesting and then search for the corresponding words on the page. Lips moving silently, he was totally immersed in what the experts call "a teachable moment".  Books offer children that like no other tool.

The physical action of turning the pages in a book to search for information allows the child to slow down while the brain churns and digests information. Can anything replace a book for offering a child this kind of learning experience.  Curling up in a comfortable chair or sprawled across the floor, they can return to the pages of a book again and again to relive, review, peruse and add to their storehouse of knowledge or continue an adventure. Although it's often a quiet, independent experience, it provides plenty of  opportunity for sharing one-to-one with other humans. Human communication; human interaction; remember that? It's a good thing.


It's still the most thrilling of sights to see a child surrounded by piles of books with one open in his/her lap. I love it when a child runs to me waving an open book and asks me to look at something they've just discovered. So, although I do enjoy technology and I admit that I'm addicted to some of it, I hope and pray that books - real, paper, hard-cover books - will always remain.

Now, it's time for "Story-Stop" ... nothing better than reading to a child no matter how old they get.

Feeling Overwhelmed, Burned Out? Let Me Recommend...

I try to find a few minutes each day to pop around the web and read snippets of other people's blogs. I'm sure you must do that too - it's quite an education, isn't it? First thing this a.m. I clicked over to Mary Hood's, The Relaxed Homeschooler, and I recommend that you go visit her as well. Her post on "Preventing Meltdowns" is excellent. Mary relates: "This week a younger homeschooling mom called me in tears, feeling overwhelmed by the competing demands of homeschooling, the needs of her children, the needs of her husband, and the demands being placed on her at her part time job. Notice that nowhere in the discussion did she even begin to consider her own needs....which had lead to her complete meltdown!" Continue reading and pass it on to others.

Tis the season... ACHOO!

We have the sniffles at our house today - including me - so my head (and brain) feels like it's stuffed with cotton wool... creative thinking is not possible at the moment, but I hope to pen something soon. There are new articles to read in the most recent issue of Home Educator's Family Times (online version).

No subscription necessary. Enjoy your travels on the internet! Stay well... and know that ...

Spring and sunshine ARE coming back soon!