Unschooling your child

Unschooling is the most fluid style of homeschooling. There is no

curriculum and no set boundaries. Many parents feel a bit

apprehensive about such freedom. But, even unschooling has certain

guidelines that make it a great method of homeschooling

Firstly, allow your child to express interests. Let her select the

topic. If she wants to learn about flowers, tell her about the

various flowers, their functions, parts of the flower, rare flowers

etc. But don't go overboard. Allow her the freedom to stop when

she has had enough. This process of learning may take a month or a

day. It is up to the child to decide how much she wants to learn.

Expand your child's areas of interests using videos, books, magazines,

puzzles and games. Go to a museum or take her to a library.

Simultaneously, broaden your own interests. The more you know, the

more the child gets to learn.

Notice all opportunities for learning. When in the kitchen, point out

the vitamins in fruits and vegetables. What makes tomatoes red, and

why are leafy vegetables good? If you don't know the answers, don't

worry. Look it up. Lastly, don't worry if the going seems slow. This

is just the way kids learn. Give them time and lots of encouragement.

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How to Homeschool Your Child

Now that you have decided that homeschooling is the way to educate

your child, get ready for the ecstasy and the anxiety - the road

ahead is a bit bumpy, but the rewards more than make up for it.

Producing a well-adjusted and well-rounded personality is no mean

achievement.

First of all, it is important to check out your state laws on home

schooling. Some states need an affidavit filed with the State's

education department. There are basically 3 categories for

homeschooling laws. These are: private school laws, home education

laws and equivalency laws. Find your state laws. You may also need

to maintain a portfolio that records the child's educational

progress. It is important to look into the legal requirements

BEFORE you start homeschooling. Some States also stipulate a

minimum educational qualification for the parent or teacher.

Next, look for a support group. If you live in a friendly or

curious neighborhood, well-meaning friends will try to dissuade

you. At the very least, they may put a lot of uneasy questions in

your mind. A support group that consists of like-minded people

will insulate you from the criticism, pressures and questions of

regular school-goers. Many groups organize fun events like visits

to the zoo, museum, tours to the ice cream shops etc. And if your

children hit it off with other homeschoolers, they will be able to

build lasting relationships that do not fade when their friends

change schools. These groups provide an important avenue for

socialization.

The next important thing to do is to select a curriculum.

Depending upon the method of homeschooling, you may choose various

tools that aid you in this process. The internet is also a rich

resource for homeschooling. Do some research and look into the

material that is available.

Set certain ground rules. Homeschooling requires a lot of

self-discipline and hard work. Here is a comprehensive list of the

things you will need:

1) Eagerness to learn

2) Hard work and effort

3) Discipline

4) Time and patience

5) Flexibility

6) Enthusiasm

Consider why you want to opt for homeschooling. Your motives and

your reasons are important pillars on which the whole edifice of

your child's lessons depends. Also, consult with your children.

Ask them what they feel about homeschooling.

Select a curriculum or custom-make a curriculum that best suits

your child. Record keeping is an important part of homeschooling.

Look into the various methods of record keeping. Set up a

schedule. Your child does not have to learn 6-7 hours a day. Allow

him or her to dictate the time. Flexibility and fun are the

cornerstones of homeschooling. Do not stuff too many skills into a

single term or year. Prepare a skill list. Make the child learn

the skills that he is ready for.

Gentle parenting is the secret to successful homeschooling.

Children make great advances in learning and show more enthusiasm.

They also turn out to be surprisingly well balanced and well

informed when they are taught at home.

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Yoga for Kids: What Yoga Poses are best for My Child?

Yoga indeed has become a popular, mainstream alternative for exercise and fitness. Here in Los Angeles, hardly a day goes by that I don’t see people walking by with their Yoga Mats rolled up underneath their arms coming from or going to their Yoga class.

Most stay-home moms have picked Yoga up as well as their method of keeping fit and maintaining physical, mental and emotional balance. Upon seeing the apparent results most naturally wonder how their children might be able to benefit form using Yoga for kids. Well, it is my hope that as a Yoga enthusiast myself, you will find this article much helpful in choosing the yoga poses that could be incorporated into your child’s recreational endeavors.

Yoga for Kids: Recommended Poses.

1. Sun Salutations: These are a group of poses that serve as a warm up to a yoga session or class. For staying fit, keeping obesity at bay and fun (especially when performed at a high speed), the Sun Salutations will be an immense source of enjoyment for kids getting introduced to Yoga. Do you know in India, they actually hold contests of how many rounds of Sun Salutations kids can do in one go? Yeah, they are that much fun.

2. The Shoulder Stand: Trust me, behind your back, kids already try this pose. You probably did as a kid without knowing you were actually doing Yoga. So in your use of yoga for kids, make sure the inclusion of this pose is of priority. Executed with the bridge pose and fish-poses as counter poses, for kids doing yoga, the shoulder-stand will reap many benefits.

3. The Forward Bend Pose: This teaches your kids self-dependence and aids immensely at curbing digestive disturbances as an added bonus. I’ll have you know, some authorities of Yoga have said that these three poses mentioned thus far are enough for humans-although this may be slightly erroneous or incomplete as the execution of their counter-poses for a specified amount of time is also of great importance as well.

4. The Wheel Pose: Okay, I was walking through the park the other day and saw a kid who couldn’t have been more than 8 years of age executing this pose for literally 90 seconds. Yes, I counted this out of amazement and intrigue. It’s been hailed as the “forever young pose”, consequently when using yoga for kids; this has got to be included. Co-incidentally it is the counter-pose to the third pose above.

5. The Relaxation Pose: Of course this is a must-do for everyone. When introducing your kids to yoga, this will be a good time to show them how to relax with its use as a secret for relief from school stress and the little challenges they may face in their young lives. Yes, they do have some demands placed on them parents. Moreover showing this to them now will go a long way with laying the foundation on how to deal with the daily demands of life.

Other great poses to consider are the Bow, Triangle, Spinal-Twist, Inclined and Diamond Poses. Kids should also be shown proper breathing exercises with emphasis on Abdominal Breathing.

Other factors to be included when using yoga for kids are the use of a proper, nourishing diet of Fresh Fruits and vegetables-(emphasis on leafy ones) and positive thinking techniques. On the subject of diets, you can add some celery juice to their fresh fruit juices if you have one of those popular juicers such as the juiceman. This is one way of sneaking in a good source of powerful minerals into their bodies, tastefully. Oh, before I forget, they love BARHI dates! Moms, these are just like their rather harmful counterfeits (candies at the store) but of course are sources of great nutrients.

Yoga for kids is best begun around the age of seven, however, kids-being-kids, they of course will emulate what they see you doing, so as long as you know they are not in harm’s way, it’s okay to let them dabble a bit into Yoga.

Indeed using Yoga is both fun for kids and beneficial for as the book of Prov. 22. 6 states, it is one effective method of “Training your child in the way he should go...” as the discipline and confidence that comes from Yoga (and Martial Arts too-just a hint)
may only be attainable from this ancient form of physical culture.

So Moms and Dads, go on and get your kids started on yoga. You’ll be glad you did.

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After school activity for the hyperactive child

ADHD refers to attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder. Most children who

suffer from this disorder suffer from attention problems as well as hyperactivity. Parents of such children are well aware that inattention and hyperactivity continue throughout the day. Keeping such children busy after school hours can be as difficult as keeping them safe during the school day.

The first step while choosing the right after school activity for your child is to understand how ADHD affects him. Is your child interested in sports? Is he put off by the fierce competitiveness, or does he find it hard to get along with teammates? Does your child vocalize his feelings, or is communication a problem?

For a child suffering from ADHD, physical exercise is always beneficial. Exercise takes up the extra energy and helps to stimulate the brain. Team activities teach social skills and discipline. But, if your child shies away from team sports, you may want to look at activities like dancing, cycling, swimming or gymnastics. Martial arts not only teach techniques of self-defense but also teach self-control and patience.

If your child shows aversion to sport and shows inclination towards the fine arts, you may need to look at some other options. Acting classes are a wonderful form of creative exercise. It also provides the child with ample opportunity to develop his social skills. Music, art or dance can help the child to keep himself busy and entertained.

In case the child is not interested in any of the above, you may want him to join a Boy Scouts club or other community oriented clubs that take up social work. Cleaning a park, putting on a show, helping out in an old age home are various activities that may pique your child's interest.

Whatever form of activity you choose, make sure that you monitor your child's progress periodically. If you feel that there is no progress, you may need to change the activity. Anything that increases your child's self-esteem is good. You may enlist the help of the coach or teacher to assess your child's development.

There are certain activities that are detrimental to a child suffering from ADHD. Computer and video games are a definite NO. Since these games need no interaction, children will feel all the more isolated. These children also find it difficult to distinguish between the good and the bad messages. They may therefore show an inclination to stick to messages that are not needed. Games that need the child to sit and wait for his turn patiently tax his patience and will not be a success.

Although you would want these children to be as near to normal as possible, understanding their needs and limits will help you select the right after school activity - one that is fulfilling, tiring as well as challenging.

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