In a previous blog post I had mentioned how I home schooled my kids using the Charlotte Mason method. I found it to be very thorough yet relaxed at the same time. It also gave me the opportunity to let my kids do a lot of the assignments on their own without me hovering over them every moment or answering a long list of questions that I knew they could answer on their own if they thought about it for awhile.
Each weekend I would simply make a curriculum schedule for the week, get them started in the morning, then tend to the things I needed to do around the house. Since I work from home, this way of teaching was incredibly freeing for me. I was within earshot if someone got stuck, but they learned at their own pace and didn’t have many problems.
When I incorporated the whole world learning program I designed, I did have to be present for more lessons. They needed help with the cooking and crafts, though I enjoyed it too, so it wasn’t much of a sacrifice and I considered it family bonding time. However, the kids could read by themselves and I would hand them a spelling list to memorize, along with other lessons.
Allowing my kids to work in this manner was helpful in a few ways. It gave them a sense of pride being able to work on their own without Mom always looking over their shoulders. It also allowed time for me to get my work done or just relax when I was down to my last nerve. When you’re tired, worried, or stressed, the last thing you need is to answer a thousand questions because your kids have grown so used to you always being right at their elbows.
By giving them some space and teaching them to respect my space, it allowed them to become self-sufficient young women. They always try to solve a problem on their own first before coming to me for input. Sure, sometimes I miss the days when they were small and needed me for everything, but I can see that my methods have helped us all to become stronger and more independent.