Today, September 8, was Maximus's 1st day of homeschooling AKA Totschool. We started our day with prayer and devotional. I'm so glad that we did because after Max had breakfast he started to get fussy. Of course part of MY prayer was we would all be patient. Seeing how this is new to both of us I wanted our experience to go smoothly. We began our activities slowly just so Max could get used to the new flow. Plus I wanted to see his reactions. I did not want to be a drill sargeant mom/teacher. He gravitated to the magnetic ABC letters and the chalkboard. I could see the excitement on his face! He was curious but also eager to see what it was all about. He really loved the chalk! Of course his art work was all scribbles but at least his motor skills were being used. Alex was home that day so it was a blessing to see him be part of the experience. As time went on we did puzzles, sat at the table and did a few things. Dot art, coloring and stickers. I started to notice Max was either getting bored or his attention span was running low. So we headed to the library! A fun time we all had!
I chose this path because for a few reasons: Daycare was out of our budget, we are planning a big move and I wanted to be able to bond more before the baby arrives. For a few weeks leading up to our final decision, I had been in prayer about my role as a mother. What was my purpose? How can I serve my children and honor God? God just kept telling putting Motherhood on my heart. I couldn't figure out what it was. I talked it over with Alex, my friends and mentor to see if they knew what God was telling me. About a week or so after I was in prayer and it hit me. TEACH MAX! Now I ponder the idea of homeschool before for various reasons but I didn't think it was happen now! At first I laughed and then I was like YES! That's exactly what you have been telling me all along.
At that point I need a "plan." If you know me I'm all about planning! I did research online. Found some neat ideas on Pinterest. Started following other moms for inspiration on Instagram. After all that I was feeling kinda overwhelmed! So many activities, toddlers his age were way advance and did I really know what I was doing! I sat in prayer and ask God to give me a vision of this journey. I discussed with Alex and made sure this is something we were both in agreement with. Amen for support! I then procecced to the next step: BUDGET! Again the internet has many cool fun ideas but I could not and would not break my bank for this. I found a few things at Target Dollar Spot: Magnetic letters, foam shapes, color books, crayons, chalk and color trays. Then I went to Lakewood Shore Learning Center - this place is HEAVEN! They literally have everything you need to start a school! Again, BUDGET was the focus. I found a toddler activity book, dot art, calendar and a few other things. Lastly, I headed to the Goodwill for new books and puzzles. During this process I stated to get an idea of how it was going to work in our home. I didn't want a strict schedule, no drill Sargent mom and most importantly I just wanted Max to learn a few things and have fun! As I mentioned earlier toddlers his age were advanced but I placed it in my heart that it was OK! I was not going to compare my son to another. Maximus is a smart boy and I know what he likes and dislikes. God created him just the way he is. My role was and is to simply encourage him daily and tell him "Mommy Loves You."
If we had to indicate a schedule it would be this:
Mondays - Play day (Alex is home)
Tuesdays thru Thursdays - Tot school
Fridays - Field Trip day
We began our day around 8:00am with breakfast, prayer, play time, learning activity and wrap things up around 11:45am. Lunch and then naptime. It's a go with the flow schedule. The key is to have fun, laugh and learn a few things.
Do we always stick to the schedule? No especially since we are in the process of moving our lives are upside down HA! Lately we have just been going with the flow. I've noticed over the weeks he's learning, he understands certain things. Like he'll point to the car, giraffe and colors. Although he only says a few words he can communicate in other ways. And that makes me PROUD!
So, whether you homeschool or your children go to day care I believe it's our role as mothers to provide as much love, encouragement and prayer to our children. They are the future! I know that God has big plans for Max and it's my job to make sure I give my best to him on a daily basis. This experience has blessed me but also has made me a stronger mother. I want to continue to give my children my very best. Continue to show them the true meaning of life. Allow them to experience things on their own. To allow them to be their own person. Let us know compare ourselves to other mothers. But instead let us encourage each other, help each out, create memories together and show our children that we are their heroes.
Lastly, remember your home is your ministry. Each of us are in homeschool. We learn every single day.
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