There is an odd phenomenon that school teachers have always observed. Come spring time, students start getting antsy and can’t sit still or pay attention.
Spring fever came a bit early for us this year. Come February, the children started balking at the routine we had set up. It’s easy to see why they’re not too big into schooling. The brain gets tired of the same old routine and needs new stimulation to learn effectively and efficiently. On top of that, we were contemplating a move.
Heck, even I started hibernating while dealing with personal life. I didn’t want to write or think about what we are doing day to day.
It’s really hard to school during this time. Some people just let it go. I’m still working on that. There is always what I know logically, letting kids do what they unconsciously know they need to do right now, which is to play, versus what I feel emotionally, i.e. “Ack! we’re not learning anything or doing anything productive! Kids have it way too good now adays! In the imaginary old days they’d be working all day!”
I’m still figuring out how to juggle these competing feelings. It seems we default back to the compromise I typically reach, which is to identify the most important items we need to do, namely learning to read in English or write in Chinese for Thumper, and learning to read in English and Chinese for Astroboy, and let the rest go.
I console myself with the knowledge that now that both kids are reading, I can get them to go read in bed while I deal with life. Thumper went out the other day with me and dragged Magic Treehouse along with her while we looked at housing, all the time complaining that she can’t sit in one spot long enough to read. It feels irrational and boastful to say that, similar to saying their kids are potty trained or can sleep through the night. But I temper it with the fact that Astroboy just wants to play, despite dragging his book around as well.
The other thing I’m trying out, is to not sit in front of the computer and just focus my complete attention on the children for 15-30 minutes. It hasn’t been so successful yet but I’m hoping this attention gives the children some sense of security in a time of change. I actually taught Thumper how to do 4 by 2 division the other day and I felt such a sense of accomplishment and joy, partly because I was so focused on it rather than thinking of all the items on my todo list and getting impatient with her.
My plan next week is to write out their 3-5 school work they need to accomplish that day and then tell them they can play after they’re done. Perhaps drag them into packing so I can say we’re doing Practical Life! I’m tired of nagging, which is often the result of me desiring a different outcome but being too rushed to set up the environment that is conducive to said outcome. Nagging seems the fastest way to get it done while I’m running around. But after running around like a headless chicken for a few weeks, it’s time to just slow down to make some changes.
