With everyone in our family talking over each other, various media distractions, and demands on our attention, I worked out three foolproof ways to get my children’s attention:
1. When my kids were 5 and 8 we came up with a code word for military-like action; when they heard me say “immediately” they would obey me without questions (something that never otherwise happened in our family!). I was so glad that we had come up with this idea. One summer day when a sudden thunderstorm popped up out of nowhere, I said “Get out of the pool immediately.” I watched amazed as they marched right out moments before a gust of wind sent a heavy branch crashing down on the pool steps where they would have been had they hesitated!
2. Whisper. It works like a charm. “Why is mom whispering? She never does that? What is she saying?”
3. And finally, to capture the attention of any listener, express the emotional reason they should care about what you are sharing.
From our very earliest “lessons” together during our K-12 homeschooling journey, I would share history tidbits like how their grandma and grandpa had met right after WWII when G. I. s flooded college campuses because of the G. I. Bill. I would show them the tavern down the road where George Washington stayed when passing through our area. We would discuss the economics of their grandfather trying to sell landscaping during the depression and on and on.
Relating emotional attachments to history is fairly easy for homeschooling families. On a recent EAGLE podcast I asked a new US citizen who had homeschooled most of her K-12 years why she wanted to become an American after growing up in England; she responded that she had always been fascinated by the very storied past of US history. Her mum did a great job of making her history relevant!
If you would like help telling fascinating stories to engage your kids in history and other subjects check out the newest entry on our EAGLE Mom Squad resource page: the Daughters’ of the American Revolution educational resources. They offer great lesson plans to K-12 students that you can find here: https://www.dar.org/national-society/education/dar-lesson-plans
These engaging resources are provided by the NSDAR Educational Resources Committee and new lesson plans are uploaded monthly. Their contents focus on American history, government, heritage, genealogy as well as related language and math topics. Lesson plans are searchable by using keywords to find just the right fit for each student or subject area. I love that we have the freedom choose our own resources which then makes it easier to satisfy your child’s curiosity and to add emotional relevance to subjects that then encourage their curiosity.
For more resources, advice, and support check out our:
EAGLE podcasts at: https://www.eaglemomsquad.com/podcast-1
Other resources at: https://www.eaglemomsquad.com
コメント