S/O: Purist thread, What you wouldn't do.

[Michelle]

How do these two things work together for you all? This is what I strive for but it seems one hinders the other.

Allow education to be drudgery. If it isn’t at least generally pleasant they don’t learn as much and constant conflict hinders family relationships. Life is too short not to enjoy it!

Allow dawdling and it’s cousin, sloppy work.

This was a quote from curlywhirly. (And AMEN on the family relationships being hindered!) How does it work when it becomes unpleasant BECAUSE of dawdling? 🙂

 

[curlywhirly]

Um… *this* is the challenge! I’m still working on it, to say the least.

I’m finding a lot of it is just my attitude. Am I looking at my kids with a happy expectation that they will cheerfully complete what is asked of them or am I giving them the evil eye to attempt to motivate them with fear? When I set the timer do I make it a game to see who can finish and still do their best work, or is it a “finish it or else” ultimatum? Am I planning to do things pleasantly snuggled on the couch or in the shade of the tree in the yard, or am I rushing through so I can check it off my list. Not that I don’t like lists- if I don’t have lists I get waaaaAAAAaay off course- but whos in charge of the atmosphere, me or the list?

I’m still working on this one and have a long way to go so I really am looking forward to hearing more perspectives.

[Michelle]

What a wonderful response! (Have you been spying on me????)

Oh wow…how to change MY attitude amongst the chaos?!

[retrofam]

For the drudgery part, I alter or dump curriculum that is being dreaded or avoided. I am new to CM, but have had to change the way we were doing narrations this way too because they were being avoided and dreaded. For my high schoolers, I require them to do “something” with the material for almost all subjects. That was turning into narration dread, so I plan to give them more structure and less options next year. I will also use a writing curriculum because they are not responding well to my “writing class”. I have to constantly remind myself that each child doesn’t love everything I love and respond to teaching methods and curricula as I do.