Multi-generational education

Since enrolling my kids in a homeschool charter at the beginning of this school year (just about a month ago)...I've had a chance to see what I now strongly believe education SHOULD look like. Multi-generational.

NOT segregating specific age groups and having them in a classroom with just one or 2 adults...but the WHOLE FAMILY being involved! My kids now get to go to classes which might be similar to their public schooled peers (although I like to think these classes are higher quality...) BUT the difference is that they only have to go to a 2 per day/2 days a week (this is what I have chosen for them...other families will pick differently. The classes are entirely optional.) AND there are ALL AGES on the grounds at all times!

I LOVE watching the children in between classes (and even IN the classes sometimes, as siblings sometimes accompany mom/dad into the classroom to watch big brother/sister) playing with all ages...even babies and toddlers! There are even the occasional grandma/grandpa, and there's more than a couple dads. It varies day to day, but on any given day, the children on the property are surrounded by MANY loving adults, many of whom they know quite well! (As time goes on, I expect to continue to get to know more and more of these families...we're still quite new.)

Its truly heart warming. And makes me realize that THIS is what I've been wanting! Multi-generational education!

This week there are no classes but instead a family class and field trip! On Tuesday we will get together with friends of all ages at the school and learn about caves...Then on Friday, all of the families that attended the class will be taking a field trip to the Crystal Caves! Adam even took the day off of work!

This is really just so exciting to me. THIS is what I've been missing. THIS is what I've been wanting for my kiddos. I'm not at all interested in sending them away to school. I want to be a part of it! But not JUST me. I have wanted a community. And even though now I have to drive an hour to get to it, I finally have this.

I'm still sad we couldn't create something like this here in Fresno...but I'm happy that I have access to it anyway. Its well worth the hour long drive.

And having the accountability of having to report to someone what my kids are doing (but in a pretty relaxed manner...I simply have to show that we are covering all subjects. Its much simpler than I had originally thought.) has really helped me to get on top of things. Before I had a hard time getting anything done regularly...It was here and there and while we certainly did a lot of educational things (I mean, heck, Maeven's a little book worm and Tyren is picking up both math and reading REALLY FAST, so I must be doing SOMETHING right!) it wasn't anywhere near the level that *I* wanted it to be.

I don't care about the standards. I just care about MY standards. And I wasn't happy with what we were accomplishing. Now I am MUCH HAPPIER. This seemed to be just the kick in the butt I needed to be able to get a schedule going and maintain it, for the most part. I'll probably never be a really strict, structured homeschooler. I don't really want to be. And I know I will NEVER follow the schedule of learning that the public schools use...but I am feeling MUCH better about how I'm able to keep things moving forward now. And we're having FUN!!

And, a side benefit seems to be that when I keep the kids busier during their day, they fight a bit less. Still happens, but I've definitely noticed a decrease in recent weeks since we started our new schedule.

The kids are still not entirely certain about all these changes...but they seem happy, for the most part. And they are adapting. In class, they seem to enjoy their times with new friends...and at home, the fighting with me when I ask them to do something is decreasing. (They do this whenever I present any new rules or things to do. So it wasn't a surprise.)

I'm really really glad I did this for our family! Now, hopefully, we can maintain our ability to pay for all this extra gas and wear and tear on our van!

sometimes i really think the media are just plain evil

though they do have their place...but geez louise they are great at stirring up a panic! take this whole swine flu frenzy.

i've been following dr jay gordon (a famous L.A. pediatrician that i trust very much...i've even talked to him personally when he used to do chats with me on mommychats) ...on twitter for a couple weeks now and he keeps tweeting that we really need to relax and just don't believe the hype. i never really did...same as the bird flu. the media just likes to make a big deal out of stuff so that they can get more people watching them. but they really don't do anyone any good freaking the populace out, sheez!

here's a fairly good article that i got from dr jay. notice how they say that many people handle the flu just fine and that pandemics have been threatened before and not come to fruition (i would point most notably to the bird flu threat! how long have they been warning us about that?? and so people got bored, they had to stir up more attention by trying to freak everyone out with the swine flu, bleh)

and here's dr jay's take on the whole thing. see? relax! good lord but the media just like to try to make headlines any way they can! see why i try to avoid watching it?

you know what...i think maybe i might go and ask dr jay to do a special chat on mommy chats about this whole swine flu thing...time to try to spread the calm, instead of the frenzy!

Shut off timers are my friends

I'm so glad to have stumbled upon Times up kidz. It has made computer time with my kids SO much easier.

I was having a lot of problems getting my kids off the computer. Maeven would get up early and be on already when I got up...and stay on, resisting all my attempts to get my own time to check my email and such. There were days she would keep putting me off and staying on for a good 3 hours or more! It made quite a grouchy morning environment...and Tyren would stay on as long, but would also have the same problem getting off the computer when I asked him too.

So I went googling. I knew there were programs like this, but hadn't ever looked into it. Found Times Up Kidz and after an initial rough patch in adjusting to it...all is well on the homefront!

I even have it set up so that my own time is limited. I have us all set to only be allowed 1 hour at any sitting, maximum. For the kids, they have to then be logged off at least 1 hour before they can get back on again (allowing someone else a turn, without any fighting over it.) And I have it set to a total maximum of 2 hours per day for the kids.

For me, I have the 1 hour maximum in one sitting, but only 5min in between...it forces me to come out of my computer trance and take some responsibility and get my butt in gear to get off the computer and go do something else. I don't have a limit on my own total daily time on the computer, though...there are many many times throughout the day that I need to go look something up quickly or whatever...and frankly, I don't really care about the total amount I spend on the computer, so long as its not at the expense of my family. I spend quite a few hours at night after everyone is in bed on the computer (I log onto the admin side to do that because then I don't get booted off in the middle of playing Toontown...and since no one's awake to need my attention, it works.) And I'm ok with being on a lot...because I use it for so very much.

Anyway, this system has really worked well for all of us!

Not only that but I discovered that my TV also has a shut-off timer! Purely by accident. I kept noticing the dvd/vcr shutting off periodically...finally figured out that it had a timer on it. I found the settings for it and its set to go off every 2 hours. I wish it had lower options, but it doesn't. And frankly, I probably would just turn it back on again if I had it set lower. So 2 hours in one sitting seems good to me.

It's cool because often times we don't even notice right away that the TV shut off. Later I'll be like "oh, its off" LOL! So we obviously are not riveted to it every second its on.

Anyway, I still want to wean us off of the TV more, but for now I have enough other things to think about. One being the maintenance of the house.

I'm reading a book call The House that Cleans Itself, which I learned about from someone else's blog (can't remember which one). Don't know yet if it will change our lives and our home...but its pretty darn good so far. I like that its different than most all the other stuff I've read out there. Still working my way through reading about her system...and I'm already eager to start...but I want to read the whole thing first and see if I think its a system I could do.

homeschooling in the news

don't panic. don't worry. the governator is on our side and we have a ton of lawyers working their little fingers to the bone to fix this little glitch. although people are really freaking out and i have to say that it seemed a little nauseating to me when my husband's boss called him on his cell phone to tell him about the ruling while we were on our way out of town to an educational (read: homeschooling) adventure on a day he had requested off specifically for this. (we went to the jelly belly factory in fairfield, then headed to sacramento specifically for old sacramento and the train museum...and tried to also go to their discovery museum science center but it was, sadly, closed for the weekend.)

if you haven't heard yet, you probably will soon. there was a ruling in california recently that basically said that all children must be enrolled in school with credentialed teacher. this is a huge issue for us homeschoolers, of course.

there's a lot of things being discussed about this on the net. the online homeschool community is ABUZZ! and not just in california! i just received an email of a call to arms from the organization that writes the curriculum i purchased for maeven a couple years ago (which i no longer use much but am still on the emailing loop), enki education based out in new england somewhere i'm forgetting what state now...they want to help because they know that not only are we comrades, but also a ruling like this against homeschooling in one state can affect all.

we're pretty strong here in california (us homeschoolers)--we have the homeschool legal defense fund (HSDLA), california homeschool network (CHN), homeschool association of california (HSC), and christian home educators of california (CHEA). so from the gitgo i've really not been worried. we make things happen here. but it is definitely rattling to see that there's a case against us!

now, from what i'm reading on the net...and you can read all about it at the organizations above, they all have info on their homepages about it all...apparently there was a homeschooling family here in california in a legal battle due to some 20yrs of abuse and the lawyer was at whit's end to do something to save the youngest kids from further abuse...and supposedly this ruling was a last ditch effort to save those kids, not realizing in the process the ramifications could shake up the worlds of the rest of our homeschooled kids.

but there's no need to fear! the homeschoolers of california are well armed with a plethora of lawyers and an entire state and its governor on our side! it's only a matter of time before this ugly situation is sorted out. they are currently in the works towards removing the offensive writing from the ruling.

so don't listen to the media...since they so often get these sorts of things wrong anyway (when it comes to non-mainstream issues, they are often just plain stupid) and stay tuned to the 4 california homeschool organizations and they will call us to do something if and when they need us to do something.

its interesting to think about what this ruling would do for the private schools of california...methinks the judge seriously wasn't thinking when he made his decision! if he is saying that all children need credentialed teachers then that's gonna screw not only the homeschoolers, but also all the private schools that currently have non-credentialed teachers. and many do, since its not required of private schools...larger, nonhomeschool private schools, are under the same rules as those of us that homeschool as a private school...so he's really throwing a wrench into their system as well!

anyway, its all very interesting to see it all play out...but i was really delighted to see the governor is behind us, and i have confidence that it will all get sorted out. for now they are telling us all to not panic, and that no laws have been changed and we are still legal to homeschool in california.

stay tuned! :)