I am not about to declare that I know the root causes of our educational concerns. What I do know, is that we, as a society, seem to be confused about what we want from education.
Critical Thinking in 3 Easy Questions
My House is a Mess and I’m Not Apologizing for It
Parenting These Kiddos is Not Hard. It's Unyielding.
And it is in those moments when doctors or neighbors or friends try to relate to the “hardness” of parenting, that the true difference of parenting a differently wired child feels so much more isolating. Parenting is hard. Parenting the “easy” child is difficult. Parenting the fringy child is unyielding.
Keeping Yourself Inspired in the Midst of the Drudgery
In this culture of child-centricity, it becomes easy to get lost. It becomes easy for homeschooling (or parenting in general) to become overwhelming or flat or uninspiring. It becomes easy to keep moving through the motions without any passion. Here’s one theory as to why: it’s hard to feel or inspire passion when you personally feel uninspired and neglectfully passion-less.
Closing the Door and Other Executive Difficulties
I understand that giftedness and executive function skills are not synonymous. Yet, it continues to amaze me that we can have this deep politically strategic conversation in one minute, and the next he can barely get himself out the door. But, it is partially specifically because he can have these deep and strategic thoughts that the day to day executive functioning skills can lapse.
Daisy the Dyspraxic Dog
Fostering Self-Acceptance in our Differently Wired Kids
My main goal in parenting differently wired children is that they grow up to accept their differences while knowing that the differences don’t make them better or worse than anyone else. The fact that she can so nonchalantly ask me to share this information with her coaches, tells me that we’re accomplishing our goal. I know we still have a lot of child-rearing years ahead of us, but here’s how we’ve gotten to where we are.
One Way To Manage the Stress
I found myself in a quandary. Wanting to promote interest-led, free-form, relaxed learning, while simultaneously wanting to assist my son to regulate the stress he feels when formal learning is expected and wanting to prepare my son for possible entry into an education system that isn’t so interest-led or free-form.
Asking for Help, Part II
When I birthed the boy did I imagine or hope that he’d be our family’s team leader at times? Did I dream for his childhood to be so drastically different than my own? Did I anticipate or hope that he’d be taking on the responsibilities that he has at the young age of 11? Of course not. But, in reality, for team Boorman to function, sometimes he has to. And, really, that’s ok.