We just arrived back from Bali. James learned a lot over there, he grew tremendously in height, maturity and life! The good thing is he is beginning to look up things on Google and the internet when there is a question. Such as, if we are talking and he doesn't understand something and asks me I generally say 'let's look it up'. Now I've noticed he says this. For instance last night he said a pun, I asked him what is a pun, exactly! He said, I'll look it up. I always like to encourage him to get the correct meaning on something so he can quote it and understand the concept properly. So often I find we learn things by our surroundings and when it comes time to explaining it we really can't. We only know what context to use it in. I love it when the things I am wanting to impart to James he begins to do himself without coaxing or coaching. I firmly believe that you have to put the hard work in, by doing the doing in front of your kids in order for them to follow. You can't just tell them, you need to be an example.
One other fantastic thing that happened when James and I were away was our connection with each other. Before I always wanted to escape from him. I felt overwhelmed by having his company 24/7. I've noticed while we were away this changed significantly. I found him to be good company. I think that's so important as kids are growing up to not feel disconnected with their parents or pushed away. It's as though families live 2 separate lives these days. Well maybe it's always been so. I feel privileged to be spending this time with my son before he grows up and I can't always have this closeness. I hope we will always be close, but maybe I am preparing him to be close to someone else. Maybe a significant other, and his own children. I think it's so important especially as teenagers when they are still wanting to that connection to welcome it, because there may come a day when they don't need it so much : ( . I experienced this with Gemika and Abby. I don't know what boys are like. I wonder are Gemika and Abby so independent because they felt pushed away when they were young? OK enough guilt.
From an academic level I'm happy with how James is progressing. We search a lot together still, on the internet because he needs to be shown and coached still. Also because I actually enjoy learning myself and filling in the gaps of my own education. The holes in it. We've been going through Geography, and some History. James doesn't like to do things so much formally on paper, but I do encourage him to take notes because I tell him that this is another form of remembering. Discussion and searching together and seeing where that leads is more his style. It seems it's more natural and gets his interest. We end up going from subject to subject as we start here but can end up there. For instance we'll start off with looking at the different oceans and waters around the world and what the names are, and we'll quite often end up focusing on one particular one because it captures our interest. Or then he'll go onto looking at which seas have sharks and what types. OK he's obsessed with sharks, but hey? he's 14 and maybe that helps him to remember the oceans too. I think focus on what interests them in a subject and you're more likely to get them doing it by choice not a chore. Then when we researched about Indonesia and it's history, we found that it wasn't just a tourist destination after all. That's the whole idea, going on a trip, not just doing it as a tourist but getting to know a little behind the place. It can open up a huge study.He's been doing a little on ixl, he had guitar lessons and surfing, actually only one lesson for surfing and he stood up! He said it was easy! must be a natural. The guitar lessons we got a local guy, Aldilla to teach him. Over a two week period he had about 8 intensive lessons of 3 hours each and he got to learn some basics. Now we are home his dad has tuned his guitar but he has no plec I'm told. So he must get one and practice. There is a free online course through the home school site form one of the guys on it, James is beginning to follow the videos offered. I have told him that any thing he wants in life is possible even if it's not thrown in front of him and made easy. We are so blessed to have the internet so there is no excuse. I also sent him some links last night on Photography, but that will need to be down the track when I can afford to get him a camera. The Khan academy is also a good place to study various subjects. I've sent him the link and will get him started on it asap.
One other fantastic thing that happened when James and I were away was our connection with each other. Before I always wanted to escape from him. I felt overwhelmed by having his company 24/7. I've noticed while we were away this changed significantly. I found him to be good company. I think that's so important as kids are growing up to not feel disconnected with their parents or pushed away. It's as though families live 2 separate lives these days. Well maybe it's always been so. I feel privileged to be spending this time with my son before he grows up and I can't always have this closeness. I hope we will always be close, but maybe I am preparing him to be close to someone else. Maybe a significant other, and his own children. I think it's so important especially as teenagers when they are still wanting to that connection to welcome it, because there may come a day when they don't need it so much : ( . I experienced this with Gemika and Abby. I don't know what boys are like. I wonder are Gemika and Abby so independent because they felt pushed away when they were young? OK enough guilt.
From an academic level I'm happy with how James is progressing. We search a lot together still, on the internet because he needs to be shown and coached still. Also because I actually enjoy learning myself and filling in the gaps of my own education. The holes in it. We've been going through Geography, and some History. James doesn't like to do things so much formally on paper, but I do encourage him to take notes because I tell him that this is another form of remembering. Discussion and searching together and seeing where that leads is more his style. It seems it's more natural and gets his interest. We end up going from subject to subject as we start here but can end up there. For instance we'll start off with looking at the different oceans and waters around the world and what the names are, and we'll quite often end up focusing on one particular one because it captures our interest. Or then he'll go onto looking at which seas have sharks and what types. OK he's obsessed with sharks, but hey? he's 14 and maybe that helps him to remember the oceans too. I think focus on what interests them in a subject and you're more likely to get them doing it by choice not a chore. Then when we researched about Indonesia and it's history, we found that it wasn't just a tourist destination after all. That's the whole idea, going on a trip, not just doing it as a tourist but getting to know a little behind the place. It can open up a huge study.He's been doing a little on ixl, he had guitar lessons and surfing, actually only one lesson for surfing and he stood up! He said it was easy! must be a natural. The guitar lessons we got a local guy, Aldilla to teach him. Over a two week period he had about 8 intensive lessons of 3 hours each and he got to learn some basics. Now we are home his dad has tuned his guitar but he has no plec I'm told. So he must get one and practice. There is a free online course through the home school site form one of the guys on it, James is beginning to follow the videos offered. I have told him that any thing he wants in life is possible even if it's not thrown in front of him and made easy. We are so blessed to have the internet so there is no excuse. I also sent him some links last night on Photography, but that will need to be down the track when I can afford to get him a camera. The Khan academy is also a good place to study various subjects. I've sent him the link and will get him started on it asap.
