Some planning for the week

I didn't get a chance to write more, obviously, but I thought I'd write now to help sort out my thoughts for the week.

One of the realizations this past week from a few of us is how ADD we've become. And I'm serious--we let ourselves go off on all kinds of things, allow ourselves to be distracted in ways we didn't used to do. We have a lack of focus. When I think of the question, "What is the one thing you could do right now that would make the biggest change in the right direction in [your choice of area in your life], what is it?" focus is the thing that comes up. That and consistency. But I think consistency follows focus, but does it take consistency to develop focus? Which comes first? lol.

Other than that, I've talked with my kids a bit about schooling. Dd says that the 16yo is too distracting and he takes up too much of my time--she feels like she can't get the help she needs sometimes. I agree, although on the aspect of not getting the help she needs, she doesn't always ask. So a goal for the week is to work on the distractions and to take another step towards him working independently. If things are sufficiently explained to him ahead of time, sufficiently modelled, he can do an entire worksheet on his own. I think that's the approach I need to work towards with him.

Other than that, she has reiterated that she wants me to give her work to do. Now, I've gone back and forth with this because so often, I'll pick something and she'll moan and grumble. I think I just need to say, "Do this, or do something similar based on your choice of topic. But you need to know the topic right away, not sit around for half an hour trying to figure out something." I've already decided for Social Studies to just have her read about historical figures. It can be her choice of historical figure, but I'll give her a little list to start. She had wanted to do a lapbook, but I think I will have to do one as a model, first, before she has a sense of what to do for it. She very much needs to know what the end product will be for this type of work or she just can't get going with it.

For Science, I'm going to come up with some work for her to do on the first 10 elements of the periodic table. I think it'll end up becoming a lapbook (she really does like making them), and she said she wanted tests, so I think I'll give her a test on the first 10 for when she's done. Of course, this means I have to work out the specifics.

For French, I've decided that she and her brother will keep a blog for their grandparents who are "snowbirds"--they've gone south for the winter. :) It will be a way for them to get used to writing regularly in French, work on spelling and grammar, plus keep in touch with their grandparents AND learn how to blog. It will be a completely private blog that only her grandparents can read.

I've decided to have her work on phys. ed., too--she now has soccer games once a week, soccer practice once most weeks, and then an hour of ballet a week. She has never been really physically active, has flat feet and tight muscles, which is already causing problems with some minor injuries. I keep thinking of Pete Egoscue's work and how he says that most of these injuries could be prevented if our bodies were in balance. It's my job to entice her to get her body in balance. Of course, I could use some of that, too. ;) She's very, very thin, so weight is not an issue, but more strength and flexibility would be a huge help to preventing injuries.

My 10yo has said he wants to work on science--a kit he got for his birthday. "Okay, that's good, what about the rest?" He just wants me to give him work, too. Ideally, I will reimmerse myself in elementary Montessori lessons in math and maybe grammar or some such, and present him some things that he'll like. He does like the multiplication bead board--he says he wants me to purchase the nicer ones from Cabdev. I'm thinking about it. That and the division material. For science, I don't think I want to take a Montessori approach, other than trying to keep it hands-on with him. I do think it would be beneficial to combine Charlotte Mason science topics in this area.

Well, that's plenty of thinking for now! Time to relax a bit this Sunday evening to prepare for the week. :)