Tuesday, February 23, 2021

The Seven Month Saga, The Pramadh way

 

                                             Drawing a Heart (Love symbol) emitting fire and more <3 


It has been seven months since we Pramadhs embarked on the home-schooling journey. It has been a lot of learning and preparation on our parts and constantly telling ourselves to retain the child-led exploratory nature of the process. In a blog piece in September, I had shared our learnings (https://madhurimadas.blogspot.com/2020/09/being-teachers-pramadh-way.html).

We have often been told, “This needs lot of patience and work” and also been asked, “How do you manage it with both of you working?”. Honestly, we have also been figuring it out at times as we go along. So, seven thoughts and learnings from these seven months. The thoughts oscillate between what we experienced and what we learnt.

1.       Learning on the Job: There is only so much we can prep for. Just like child birth, where we could read a lot, go through fanciful programs to prep to be parents, most of it is learnt on the job, literally. Homeschooling is this. There is no single formula. Some days we do activities that involve reading and writing, some days we explore concepts through nature and some days all we do is puzzles. And some days, we do nothing.

2.       The Collaboration, the search for Balance: Homeschooling is a collaborative task between the parents and the child, teamwork in its completeness. And with it comes the fact of accountability, where we as parents should not let the collaboration slip. Some days, the adulting takes over and that is where we need to be wary of what is happening. So, we need to pull up our socks, remind ourselves why we are in this as a family. And trust me, while we adults are doing that, the child is busy creating her own story with her toys.

3.       Let the child learn their way, you adapt how to teach- We need to be in the now, let the child learn and we adapt the way we teach. It is not our journey as a teacher, it is the journey of the child and we have to remember that. Also, the other thing that we have discovered is not to focus too much on visual or auditory or kinesthetic learning component. That can limit what we want to do. It is essential to not label and not fall prey to ‘wanting to label’.

4.       Stuck to Unstuck- Sometimes, it is ok to not know what to do, to feel stuck. So, getting to the ‘unstuck’ zone takes time. Sometimes, a few hours and sometimes a few days and lot of conversations. This is where unlearning what we know, relearning new things and the cycle continues. Also, there will be emotional upheavals, revelations and reactions. Embrace it all.

5.       Home-schooling is beyond letting the child stay home- There are various terminologies for the uninitiated- home-schooling, unschooling, microschooling. It all depends on what the family chooses to do and how. There are enough support groups on Facebook etc which can guide us. But one thing is important for us to know- homeschooling is not just letting the child stay at home and do worksheets. It requires immense involvement from the parents and for many becomes a life time journey. For us, we plan our week and each day often to the minutest details. We share our responsibilities and make this happen. With both of us working, this is hard but not impossible.

6.       Information is everywhere and it is overwhelming- There is an overdose of information. Use your mind as the filter and do not get lost in the jargons and terminologies. We continue to call the work and learning as activities. The experience can be overwhelming. So, take a break, breathe and think why are you all as a family in this. This needs to be done intermittently. While the process is organic and can be instinctual, we have to make rational decisions to understand how to process the information around us.

7.       The ‘Little Human Being’ is unique and a package deal- Parenting is fun and hard at the same time. A constant reminder to self that the little human being mirrors our every behavior. So, we have to tell ourselves that as they strive for independence and agency, we must be ready for the little push backs, the little melt downs and the vigorous vehement challenges to (so called) authority. They are learning to be their unique self, figuring out the myriad emotions and expressing them in ways they see and know. There is no perfect parent and no perfect child. We are ‘perfect for each other.’ Homeschooling is a package deal, so embark on it knowing that every moment is a discovery, the rocks and pebbles make the path what it is and each of us find a unique trail.

 


#Ira #Iraims #IraAtSix #StoriesAtSix #Happiness #Gratitude #HomeSchooling #Learning #Evolving #Parenting #LoveTeaching #homeschooling #homeschoolingmoms #homeschoolingrocks #homeschoolinggirls #homeschoolinglife #homeschoolingdads #homeschoolingparents #homeschoolingadventures #LittleHumanBeing #BeingParents #BeingTeachers #Pramadhs


Rima, you are deeply loved

                                                  Rima at Infinitea, Bengaluru Dearest Rima, I wish I wasn’t writing this letter to you. B...