Thank you Rachael and Carol! I don’t school my kids at home, but these interviews are still so valuable to me. I apply as much of the lifestyle and habits from home schoolers as I can to our conventional school schedule. And we’re better for it! Very impressed and inspired to focus on what’s important (to us) and to have patience in the meanwhile.
You're welcome, Elizabeth. I've read Greengage Summer but not Coromandel Sea. Her writing is so unique. Another book I loved was In This House of Brede which is quite different from many of her others but seems to be a favourite for many.
I loved reading this interview - thank you for sharing it, Rachael! "Each family has its own non-negotiables"- that was a helpful way to frame the things we say yes to as a family. I am looking forward to looking at the books recommended here.
Thank you for sharing, Carol! I'm only 4 years into homeschooling to your three decades (incredible!) and am grateful for your wisdom. I've never pursued handicrafts with my boys too much. A good reminder to get back to that. Do you have any favorites in your years of homeschooling?
My handicraft skills were mostly fabric or yarn related & I did wonder at first what I was going to do with 4 boys in that area until one day I walked out of the kitchen where I had my sewing machine set up. When I came back my 2 yr. old son was kneeling up on the chair with a piece of fabric in place staring intensely at the needle. Just as well I'd turned it off before I left it. It was a machine, so he was captivated. I taught him to use it later when he could reach the pedal.
My daughter & I taught a class of mostly younger boys to weave on a hula hoop using strips of fabric cut from old t-shirts. They all complained for the first 10 mins that it was too hard but once they got going they didn't want to stop. We found a YouTube videos that explain it e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZsSg7zUo9c
We saved broken appliances so the kids could take them apart & fiddle with screwdrivers etc. They also helped with home renovations (one of our sons accidentally jackhammered through a water pipe so some of their knowledge came with a cost :) Fixing things, being confident in handling tools, car repairs etc. I think is directly correlated to the eye hand coordination that various handicrafts taught them.
Thank you Carol! In reading this, I'm realizing I'm complicating it too much and often think I have to outsource and spend $ (sometimes too much) on a handicraft-related class somewhere. I love your suggestions!
Thank you Rachael and Carol! I don’t school my kids at home, but these interviews are still so valuable to me. I apply as much of the lifestyle and habits from home schoolers as I can to our conventional school schedule. And we’re better for it! Very impressed and inspired to focus on what’s important (to us) and to have patience in the meanwhile.
Greengage Summer and Coromandel Sea by Godden are books I loved - I can’t wait to try China Court! Thanks for the surprise recommendation.
You're welcome, Elizabeth. I've read Greengage Summer but not Coromandel Sea. Her writing is so unique. Another book I loved was In This House of Brede which is quite different from many of her others but seems to be a favourite for many.
I loved reading this interview - thank you for sharing it, Rachael! "Each family has its own non-negotiables"- that was a helpful way to frame the things we say yes to as a family. I am looking forward to looking at the books recommended here.
Thank you for sharing, Carol! I'm only 4 years into homeschooling to your three decades (incredible!) and am grateful for your wisdom. I've never pursued handicrafts with my boys too much. A good reminder to get back to that. Do you have any favorites in your years of homeschooling?
Hi Bridget,
My handicraft skills were mostly fabric or yarn related & I did wonder at first what I was going to do with 4 boys in that area until one day I walked out of the kitchen where I had my sewing machine set up. When I came back my 2 yr. old son was kneeling up on the chair with a piece of fabric in place staring intensely at the needle. Just as well I'd turned it off before I left it. It was a machine, so he was captivated. I taught him to use it later when he could reach the pedal.
Here are a couple of favourites:
https://journeydestination.org/2014/07/01/handicraft-project-for-a-boy-a-hammer-a-nail-a-chunk-of-wood/
My daughter & I taught a class of mostly younger boys to weave on a hula hoop using strips of fabric cut from old t-shirts. They all complained for the first 10 mins that it was too hard but once they got going they didn't want to stop. We found a YouTube videos that explain it e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZsSg7zUo9c
https://journeydestination.org/2013/06/07/handicraft-wheat-pack/ - very practical & 11 years later I still thank my son for making it!
We saved broken appliances so the kids could take them apart & fiddle with screwdrivers etc. They also helped with home renovations (one of our sons accidentally jackhammered through a water pipe so some of their knowledge came with a cost :) Fixing things, being confident in handling tools, car repairs etc. I think is directly correlated to the eye hand coordination that various handicrafts taught them.
Thank you Carol! In reading this, I'm realizing I'm complicating it too much and often think I have to outsource and spend $ (sometimes too much) on a handicraft-related class somewhere. I love your suggestions!