A Crazy Spontaneous Day



The day started at 5am and as I stumbled down the stairs after an energetic Xander, the girls met me with their first weird and wonderful questions of the day. 

Sophia had found a sprig of rosemary lying around that Dad had found foraging and wanted to know all about the herb. I made my way down to the kitchen to sort out the first of the many meds for Xander, Kira sought me out and we had an in depth conversation about how snakes kill their prey. 

Ever since I first had Sophia I remember being warned 'just wait till you reach the questions stage', but I personally love it and take them in my stride, answering them around whatever I happen to be doing at the time. I really recommend you to embrace this question phase, they're not an annoyance, but an opportunity for a quick five minute snapshot lesson, which can sometimes extend into an entire topic. Try and analyse their questions as they can give you insight into the children's interests, and inspire full projects. 

Today was day two on their mini project on cows. We learnt about the process of making hay and the reasoning behind needing it in winter. We studied cows habits in the summer and winter, and discussed calves being born. YouTube came to our aid in providing footage of hay making and seeing a calf being born. Sophia was initially disgusted by the blood but she soon saw past it and was standing in front of the TV encouraging and cheering on the mummy, and then the calf when it was trying to get to its feet. 

Sophia and I then created a craft picture together. She explained what she wanted to depict, chose the materials she wanted to use but then looked a bit lost. I made the hay bale for her and the water, and then she took over with a vengeance.

Further learning sessions included reading from their current books, and Sophia had a writing practice, copying from her book of choice 'Baby loves science: Coding'. I was sat with her keeping her focused whilst Kira began learning her 3x tables. She then watched their education YouTube video playlist that I compiled for them, singing colours in Spanish on repeat for a while. 

Whilst dinner was cooking we spontaneously played a fishing game which was created in the moment when the girls were running round me asking me to catch them. I pretended to catch each girl and chose a different fish or sea mammal for them each time, describing their individual features and their natural habitat, whether it was in the ocean, river or Antarctica. 

I lifted a salmon Sophia and a tuna kira on to the table and measured them, whilst they had collapsed in giggles. It was mental and they loved it so much and they certainly stretched my knowledge of sea creatures as they kept demanding more and more. 

I think I could expand the game to explore the inhabitants of the jungle, desert and savanna easily enough too, for whilst they have studied these in the past, they're still young enough to enjoy animal games, and Xander is the perfect age for mad games. 

Dad went out for a walk on his lunch break from his work and we sat down for lunch. I then received a random mysterious text to ready the girls with their shoes, which caused some excitement. Dad came rushing into the house, picked the girls up and rushed out again leaving Xander and I staring at each other. It transpired a beautiful blue barge was travelling down the canal and Dad really wanted the girls to see it. They arrived back chattering ten to a dozen, absolutely buzzing about what they had seen, 

Dad went back to work leaving me to focus them back to their dinner. After work they went out with the Dad for a bedtime walk for some foraging practice along the canal. They returned with their goodies and we had a look at them. Dad had explained the importance of not eating anything in the wild without first identifying the food first.

They came back with some blackberries, a gigantic flat mushroom and some unidentified round fruit. The blackberries were set aside in salt water to draw out any bugs, the mushroom, upon further research was discarded as it wasn't safe, and the round fruit were very tiny plums, no where near ready to eat. Home schooling provides the chance to use your unique local environment as part of lessons which helps create fun memories.

We have had so much fun today, lots of laughs and cuddles, which are so essential in a home schooling life. The last thing you want to become is an authoritative teacher figure in your children's lives, as well as the parental one. 

There are times for your children to be your friend, your teacher, your confident perhaps, taking care of you in simple ways. It's vital skills they need to learn for a balanced relationship with anyone. It's a lesson in giving and receiving. We are there for them in these capacities, it doesn't hurt to show them from an early age how to reciprocate these traits. 

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