Mended Teacups

In our last episode before we take a few weeks’ break, we share some book and blog recommendations which might help re-inspire us in our parenting and home ed journey over the summer.

Check our blog for all the links mentioned: mendedteacups.wordpress.com

I love the long summer holidays, and they are usually heralded by various annual events such as sports day, a home ed camping trip, end of term celebrations and bar-b-q’s. All these mark the end of our academic year. They feel like mini rites of passage, allowing us to move from one season to the next and have some well-earned time off. This year we are without any of these, but I would suggest we are just as much in need of rest and restoration; maybe even more so.

In the next two episodes we will offer some thoughts and suggestions on how we can make the most of the summer holidays, with plenty of resources which might help fill our own drained teacups.

All the links we mention can be found in our blog - head over to www.mendedteacups.wordpress.com

“My child won’t sit still... how can I teach him/her?” is a question that has been put to us, and one which I’m sure many of us identify with. This is a subject close to my heart (Molly) as we have been particularly blessed with some high energy, wriggly children.

So, do join us as we discuss some practical solutions, some educational foundations, and some ways in which we truly can see this energy as a gift.

Ah yes. The great outdoors. What a beautiful and inspirational place it can be. Many home educators love to incorporate Nature Study into their family learning, but perhaps you find it a bit daunting to launch into.

In this episode, Molly and Helen have a chat about how they've encouraged their children to enjoy the world around them - although neither of them have been particularly formal about it.

We hope that despite, or even because of, all the challenges of this time, it will have been a season when family relationships have deepened. When that which is important will have come to the surface, some good memories will have been made and some fun been had by all.

As schools gradually start to reopen, or look towards doing so, many will go back into the routine of school. We hope there will be good things both you and your children will have taken from this time. For some, however, having dipped your toes into the world of home ed, you would like to continue this particular adventure. We try to answer some of your questions in this episode.

For those of us for whom home education is our normal lifestyle, the challenge of having children, books, craft activities, science projects, outdoor gear, sports equipment, laundry, dirty dishes, and toys all competing for the same space can be quite overwhelming.

Is it possible to create order out of such potential chaos?

I don’t think it’s realistic to have an ultra tidy home while we have the blessing of children within it; mess is a sign of life being lived, fun being had and learning being accomplished. However, we each need to find our own level of what is “good enough” for us. Come and join us in our (none too tidy) homes as we chat through some of the ways we have tackled this excellent question as our families grow up.

As we caught up before we set about recording, we began by acknowledging that we both feel weary and heavy-hearted. Day to day life in this new reality can be draining, and the recent uprisings in the States bring deep-rooted injustices to the surface, which we too need to face.

So join us as we try to grapple with some of what is going on around us - and how, as mums, we are in an incredibly empowered position as we raise up the foundations of the next generation.

In this time of Covid and lockdown, it’s been interesting to see the change in some of the ways in which we communicate. At one end of the spectrum, local communities are coming together and friendships are being formed amongst neighbours. At the other end, those from across the country - and even the globe - are able to come together via platforms such as Zoom.

One such example of this was the Learn Free home educators’ conference. This is usually held in Coventry but as this was now not possible the organiser, Juliet English, took a leap into the world of virtual conferences. In this way, many more were able to benefit from four days of talks, online topic-themed chats and small group Zoom meet ups.

It was wonderful to have a UK based conference, with the benefit of some international speakers too. There was quite a buzz around the community board and how lovely to “meet” some other home educating mums.

So, come and join us as we share some of our highlights. The talks are on the conference app for six months, so it is possible to join now and listen at your leisure ... cup of tea in hand, of course!

Home educators have coined the term “de-schooling” to describe the change in philosophy and approach to learning which needs to happen if a child is transferring their place of education from school to home. This doesn’t mean that one is wrong and one is right, but that they are different. There would usually be weeks and months for this to happen, but in 2020 Lockdown you don’t have that luxury. We’d love you to gain a glimpse of the joys of home educating, to develop a gentle rhythm and experience the wonder of watching your children delight in what they are learning. Home ed is not an easy option for any of us, requires daily sacrifice and stretches most of us beyond what we had thought was our capacity. But for many of us it is worth it!

So we hope this short conversation might help any of you doing this for the first time to navigate this change of mindset. And for those who are full time home educators ... keep going! It is very different now, but you are helping your children to put down deep roots which will enable them to cope better in the further storms of life.

A fun few minutes in which we both share our enthusiasm for reading aloud to our kids. We could have gone on for much longer, but we didn’t! Come and join our conversation and then continue it at home.