Homeschooling looks like this….

homeschooling

I remember once being told {actually more than once} that three kids is not a good number… two will play together and one will be left out. Some days that’s not true. But more often than not, it is. Any combination of two of my girls will play happily together, with one being on their own. Add all three to the mix and more often than not you’ll have world war three brewing…..

These photos are from one day last week, when Lola and Baya were in the midst of some complex, made-up game… Kiki was a little lost and came to me saying “I don’t have anyone to play with”. SO out came the paints and a random assortment of things – forks, littlest pet shop toys, shells, stones…. She had THE best time! A simple activity, but she loved seeing all the different patterns the things made on paper.

Nothing beats some creative time, for me, it’s far more important than having them sat ‘studying’ at the table for hours. They learn so much about life through doing, through experimenting and experiencing it for themselves. Especially at 7 years old, I’d much rather them spend their days playing, creating and doing than filling in worksheets.

homeschooling looks like this painting

homeschooling looks like this

34 Comments

  1. Eleanor (thebristolparent)

    May 13, 2014 at 09:30

    loving the use of the little deer to make footprints. I remember trying to learn all the wild animal tracks from a Usborne book when I was about that age.

  2. Fritha

    May 13, 2014 at 09:46

    love this series! cute little mark making! x

  3. Pinkoddy

    May 13, 2014 at 10:30

    I think 3 is a lovely number as it frees up nice one to one time whilst the other 2 play. The footprints are a great idea.

  4. VaiChin @ Rambling Through Parenthood

    May 13, 2014 at 12:07

    Wish School was as much fun! Lovely printing.

  5. Foz

    May 13, 2014 at 12:18

    Aww it does look like she ended up having lots of fun!

  6. Molly

    May 13, 2014 at 12:19

    Looks like so much fun. Wish I could spend my days making pretty things all day!

  7. Lizzy - Muddle-Headed Mamma

    May 13, 2014 at 13:05

    I totally agree – kids learn so much more by creating and having fun at that age than by simply filling out work sheets. She looks so happy in the photos too :)

  8. 40 Year Old Domestic Goddess

    May 13, 2014 at 13:43

    What a shame school isn’t that much fun. Both my kids have always learnt better when creating fun projects.

  9. lisa prince

    May 13, 2014 at 13:59

    I honestly think home schooling is just as good as public schooling, i done it with my little ones while we waited to hear how long they would be with us and we had to wait months before getting them into a school x

  10. Jen aka The Mad House

    May 13, 2014 at 15:00

    I wish sometimes that my days were filled with painting! I also think 3 is a good number.

  11. Bek

    May 13, 2014 at 16:03

    What a lovely idea for painting! Homeschooling looks like great fun :-)

  12. agatapokutycka

    May 13, 2014 at 16:41

    I think three is a perfect number, this way they are never bored :-)

  13. Gemma Button

    May 13, 2014 at 17:24

    I agree so much more can be learnt by doing creative things with children rather than just giving out worksheets for them to complete :) really liked this post the photographs are very natural :)

  14. The Diary Of A Jewellery Lover

    May 13, 2014 at 17:42

    She looks like she is enjoying learning :) I wish I had the courage to do home schooling when my son was small.

  15. Cass@frugalfamily

    May 13, 2014 at 19:00

    That looks like so much fun. I would love to homeschool but it’s just not possible at the moment x

  16. Jess @ Along Came Cherry

    May 13, 2014 at 19:35

    Love this series, that looks like great fun. I can see that three means one might be left out sometimes but I expect families with four kids suddenly get three playing together and still leaving someone out! I think it’s just a sibling thing x

  17. You Baby Me Mummy

    May 13, 2014 at 20:05

    Looks like she is having fun. I would love to know more about homeschooling x

  18. Purplemum

    May 13, 2014 at 20:17

    I have three, and have been told this also. As someone else has said it means we can spend one on one with one whilst the other two play. I’d also love to home school but sadly my health issues mean that it’s not possible for me. Well done.

  19. Sara-Jayne

    May 13, 2014 at 20:40

    Ahhhh! Don’t say that! Number three is arriving in June! I teach, I’d love to homeschool though. I think I might need a bigger house though first!

  20. Kate Thompson

    May 13, 2014 at 21:05

    What fun! I nearly homeschooled my second son who with complex additional needs doesn’t cope well in mainstream school. However for us it wasn’t the right thing – but I am totally 100% in support of choice and would seriously consider it again.

  21. Kate Thompson

    May 13, 2014 at 21:05

    Actually – would you consider linking this up with my new #samedifference linky?

  22. Vicky (@aroundandupsidedown)

    May 13, 2014 at 21:06

    I think it can be true that one is left out when you have three. I have two but would have loved more. Looks like you had a fab time painting though. A great excuse to have 1:1 time with one of them maybe?

  23. Kirsty - Hijacked by Twins

    May 13, 2014 at 21:37

    This looks like such a lovely fun time. Your pictures are always lovely ones x

  24. Jenny

    May 13, 2014 at 22:41

    We also love painting with anything we can find lying around, flowers work well!

  25. Debbie

    May 13, 2014 at 22:42

    I remember reading an article on all the reasons why four is the perfect number of children. It did nothing to persuade the husband (although in fairness it’s more his fear of going from 3 to 5, as we did 1 to 3!). I love your creativity- looks like you have a great balance of encouraging togetherness and independent thinking.

  26. Lori

    May 13, 2014 at 23:22

    F loves making paint tracks with different objects, in fact I might do this as our morning craft activity. x

  27. laura redburn

    May 14, 2014 at 12:18

    love a bit of markmaking! looks like she had a great time being creative.

  28. Globalmouse

    May 14, 2014 at 12:33

    I remember people saying that about 3 children but I really don’t feel that’s the case with mine. Of course there are times when one will come feeling left out but most of the time two will be playing happily while one is engaged in something by themselves. It really works for us. Love those print making tracks!

  29. wendy

    May 14, 2014 at 15:28

    What lovely photos. I wish I could get my kids creative but due to their autism they associate art with school and not home.

  30. Mummy Tries

    May 14, 2014 at 19:28

    What a lovely little activity, and great way to distract attention in a positive way. My eldest is in reception and i think they get pushed way too hard (plus she’s a July baby). I share your view, and think their world should be more play based. Great post! #samedifference

  31. KARA

    May 14, 2014 at 20:04

    I think kids need their space like we do and sometimes mine play nicely and other times they don’t. Sometimes it is nice to sit down one on one and have some quality time

  32. Keri-Anne

    May 15, 2014 at 19:14

    You are such an amazing, creative mama! Love this activity x

  33. Laura

    May 16, 2014 at 11:52

    it’s really great to see that no matter what you all still get to have fun, wether two are playing with each other and the other is doing something creative – I love your family dynamic

    Laura x

  34. Julien Peter Benney

    May 30, 2014 at 12:36

    Whilst I very much agree that children learn best when working by themselves, I do think more practical work – especially work outdoors – is much more helpful than trying to experiment in this manner. If children learned more than they do about the plants and animals and soils surrounding them (though be exceedingly aware that apart from Australia and parts of Africa today’s soils are about as unrepresentative of the Earth’s history as Yáo Míng is of a typical human’s height) they might have practical skills in food production that could be crucial given the rate of climate change in Australia and Africa.

    Even if farming in the Enriched World has no hope of being economic since there is too little land in mild climates, its sustainability on soils its people should learn to become extremely thankful for at all times means that small-scale work is exceptionally valuable.

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