Yes, we’re still homeschooling!

February 18, 2009


I’ve been silent the last two weeks. Week one I was helping Steve prep for the NY Comicon. Week two I spent every evening on the phone letting everyone know about my pregnancy. I was supposed to get back on the wagon this week, and I have no excuse for waiting till Wednesday, other than sheer laziness, compounded by the fact that our AirPort has been really buggy lately. Not having internet on my laptop makes daily updating a bit of a drag. On a regular, password free network it mostly works, but is often slow and kicks me of for no reason rather frequently. With a password protected wireless connection, it accepts my password, but tells me there’s an error joining the network. Our other option is to directly wire in, which involves switching the cord from the cable router and resetting the router, but that means stealing the internet away from Steve. To make it even brighter, the cord won’t reach anywhere where I am actually comfortable sitting. All could be solved with a splitter and a longer cord, I just keep forgetting to actually go out and get it or order it.

Anyway, rather than recap the last two weeks I will tell you the big things I have learned:

1) When you’re pregnant and more tired than usual, it’s easier to let some things slip. We started out with really long days of learning (too long really), and have now whittled it down to 4 hours of actual instruction (not counting snacks, lunch, or Rocket Boy’s choose-and-do time).

2) My kid really hates writing and really loves science and math. I need to do some more research. A while ago I was reading about brain development and how our language centers don’t begin to mature to really handle symbolic language until after we’re 7. Despite this it has been ingrained in us, as individual parents and systemically in our schools, that early reading is a sign of advanced intelligence. Seeing my child, with his highly advanced vocabulary and comprehension, struggle with the act of writing, has me wanting to delve more into those studies. I’m experimenting some oblique strategies to help him with fine motor writing skills that don’t involve writing actual letters.

3) His disposition has turned dramatically. He used to spend a lot of time acting aggressively towards others with lots of punches and kicks and shoves. Now he is calmer, more polite, and is more likely to hug than punch. I attribute the change in part to his activity level. He spends the day moving around, not being told to sit at his table. That means less unspent energy needing to go somewhere, anywhere. He also spends the day with me not tolerating his aggressive movements, and gently reminding him that if he really needs more touching (part of his sensory integration issues) he can always ask me for a hug or a squeeze. He is the huggingest kid these days. Pair that with him regularly hugging me so he can whisper into my belly at his new sibling, and I’ve been a melting puddle these days.

4) This week mid-winter break for the public schools so we’re taking it easy and filling our week with field trips and play dates: NY Hall of Science for Engineer’s Day, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, tomorrow Museum of Natural History. Friday we’ll stay home and do regular school stuff and tennis in the afternoon. Saturday Steve is taking him to the NY hall of Science again. It’s a week full of experiential learning and very few worksheets. We’re having a blast.