#0020: Find out why this educator chose to homeschool her kids?

Reading time: 8.0 min

Hey 👋 - Hello, there!! Hope you had a great week.

I am on a mission to talk to educators, homeschoolers, and un-schoolers. I want to know what fires you up about education. Why do you believe that your chosen educational approach is the best one? How do you think it benefits children?

I also want to know what worries you about education. What keeps you up at night? Are there things you would like to see changed?

This week I had the opportunity to meet Hannah from LinkedIn. She helps home-education families in their learning journey.

She believes that home-schooling allows her children to be in charge of their learning and to follow their interests.

She started her journey long back when she realized that the education system was very rigid, and it didn't work for her children.

She is very passionate about it. She has seen a lot of change in her children, and they are doing very well. Thankfully she has support from her family.

I asked her what she thinks are the advantages of home-schooling. She said that the main advantage is that her children are learning how to learn. They are not afraid to ask questions or to fail. And they are learning to follow their interests.

I think this is a great approach for families who want to give their children a different kind of education. It is important to remember that home-schooling is not for everyone, and it takes a lot of commitment from the parents. But if you are willing to put in the work, it can be a great way to learn for your children.

I asked her about the reliance on digital tools for learning. She said that they use a lot of different resources, both digital and non-digital.

She said though her children are asked to read what they read is their choice.

There are no rules about how much or little they read. There is no age defined for reading.

They are not bound by the traditional school system.

She shares how she helped one family where a child was struggling with maths. The schools decide quite early that this child is not good with numbers and put them in the lower set. The child was very discouraged and the parents were struggling to find a way to help their child. They reached out to Hannah, and she helped them by providing resources and finding a way to make maths fun for the child.

Hannah says that there is no rule that children cannot do a certain thing because of their age or because they are struggling with it.

I was lucky to meet Hannah's kids, and they are very inquisitive and so full of life. I could see that they were learning a lot from Hannah.

Hannah's advice for parents is to relax and enjoy the journey. Don't put too much pressure on yourself or your children. Let them learn at their own pace and in their way.

If you want to read the full article on this topic, find the link at the end

My son wanted headphones for his birthday but I knew it would take too long for me to search and find a good one so I gave this task to him.

His needs- music, games, and online classes

Features he needed- He needed padded headphones that go over the ear not on it. He needed one with good bass and noise canceling.

Search - I told him the budget range, we discussed the type of headphones he wanted (in-ear, over-ear, etc.), and looked them up on amazon.

Deeper search- Once he was sure which one he wanted, he went on YouTube to make sure they were good quality and worth the money.

Evaluate - He read reviews, compared prices, and looked at the different features of each type of headphone.

Result- We found a great pair of headphones that were well within our budget and he was very happy with his purchase.

This is just one example of how you can help children develop their research skills

The best part of this activity was that he did this independently and I only had to guide him a little bit. He was so proud of himself when he found the perfect pair of headphones and saved us money too!

This activity had a purpose, it was something he needed to do, and he learned how to research effectively. And all while having fun!

If you want to read the full article on this topic, find the link at the end

Connecting over good food habits

It's Navratri time in India, it spans over nine nights (and ten days). Navratri symbolizes 9 days of fasting and people do choose fast as per their comfort. While many observe fast for nine days, and some prefer to fast in the last two days of the Navratri, some people only have water, some eat fruits and others only eat one meal a day.

I took this opportunity to eat my meals once a day, and I started noticing changes in my body and food habits. The first change was that I was not as hungry as before, and the second was that I became more conscious of what I ate. It is said that when you fast, your senses become more acute and you are able to taste the food better.

I started thinking about the food I ate and how it affected my body. I became more aware of the fact that the food we eat has a direct impact on our health and well-being. I also started paying attention to the way I felt after eating certain foods.

Children are never told about the importance of healthy eating habits. They are not taught about the different food groups and their nutrient value. As a result, they grow up with very little knowledge about nutrition and its importance.

Here are a few tips that can help you in teaching your kids about healthy eating habits:

1.Talk to your kids about the importance of healthy eating habits and explain to them how it can impact their health in the long run

2. Involve your kids in meal planning and cooking. This will help them understand the importance of healthy eating and they will be more likely to eat healthy foods.

3. Take your kids shopping with you and let them choose healthy foods that they would like to eat.

4. Encourage your kids to eat slowly and savour their food. This will help them in understanding the concept of portion control and they will be less likely to overeat.

5. Encourage your kids to be active and engage in physical activity on a regular basis. This will help them in burning off the extra calories and they will be less likely to indulge in unhealthy foods.

6. Teach your kids to listen to their bodies and eat only when they are hungry. This will help them in avoiding emotional eating and they will learn to control their food intake.

If you want to read the full article on this topic, find the link at the end

cheers, Priyanka

Hannah recommends her favorite books for kids 8 years and above

• Sherlock Holmes

• Little house in the prairie

• Chronicles of Narnia

• Black Beauty

• Secret Garden

• Treasure Island

• Books by Enid Blyton

• Books by Roald Dahl

• Books by Dick King Smith