What if the best learning moments in your homeschool weren't the ones that you
meticulously planned, but the ones where you created space for wonder to show up?
Today we're looking at how intentional planning.
Actually creates more room for joy, not less.
I'm going to give you three parts today to create joyful learning experiences
in your homeschool environment.
Part one is the planning paradox.
Now, there's a misconception that planning equals rigidity, but
really planning creates freedom.
What, you might be thinking.
That doesn't make sense.
Well stay with me.
In last week's episode, I spoke about how routines help children become independent.
Well, routines also give you space for curiosity.
A routine sets you up for success, but your routine also
needs some planning on your part.
Take your morning basket routine, for example, it anchors your day,
but it leaves room for curiosity.
You don't just slap a few random books in, a poem in and, and you
hope it's gonna do the trick.
No, no, no.
You carefully consider what you'll be teaching for the next week.
Perhaps you're focusing on a theme or perhaps you're following your
child's interest in bugs, for example.
So the books and the poetry and examples of art for the week or the
theme about bugs that you choose, all have something to do with that.
And then the conversation goes from there.
You can be spontaneous.
Maybe you decide together that you're going to go on a bug hunt, perhaps
in your backyard, or maybe you're just gonna hop in the car and go to
your nearest forest or your nearest bush land to go search for bugs.
And then you turn that discovery into a unique inquiry project to learn more about
the critters habitat, its lifecycle, its diet, and anything else that comes up.
Part two are the three joyful elements of learning.
The first element is rhythm over schedule.
There is a difference between clockwork and flow.
Recognizing children's learning patterns.
Is really important.
In general, most children are fresher in the morning, so mornings are
the best time for thinking work.
And then when there's that shift in energy, then maybe you move
towards the more hands-on tasks.
The one thing that really irritated me about traditional classrooms
is that you would just be in this beautiful state of flow.
Children are engrossed in their learning, and then the bell goes.
Or it's time for them to go to sport or whatever else.
When children are in that joyful flow state, stay with it.
If you had a math lesson scheduled for 10:00 AM and now you see that your
kids are engrossed in finding facts about Dung Beatles, stay with it.
Later on, you can do the math lesson that you prepared.
And this matters because children learn to recognize their own learning patterns.
Element two is built in wonder spots.
This is to intentionally leave gaps in your teaching for curiosity.
Here, you could choose one day a week, perhaps.
Maybe it's a wonder Wednesdays where your child can pick a rabbit
trail to follow, or maybe you have a question or a wonder jar that guides
your Friday afternoon explorations.
This is the day you dive in deep into what children are interested in.
Why does this matter or because it allows children to see
that their questions matter.
The third element is purposeful repetition.
You see routines become comforting instead of boring.
In last week's episode, I spoke about how routines make children feel safe
because they make life predictable.
Children need that.
Providing a comfortable ritual signals, this is our time,
even as the content changes.
For example, reading aloud after lunch every day, it's a time where everyone
gets cozy and listens to you, read a story or a chapter from a book,
or if your children are older, maybe it's a time where everybody tucks
into their own book, including you.
And what this builds is anticipation, connection, a sense
that learning is woven into life.
Part three is putting it all together.
Here's your quick framework.
You pick one anchor routine plus one wonder spot and one
thing to do consistently.
And these three pieces together create a container where joyful
learning happens naturally.
Now, if you're still with me, thank you.
I really appreciate it.
But you might be now wondering, well, this sounds great, but I
actually need help building this in my home learning environment.
Well, I've got something special just for you.
Starting mid-January, I will be offering an eight week group coaching
program designed specifically for new homeschool parents of K to
two children who want to create sustainable, joyful learning rhythms.
Together we'll explore tools and strategies to help you meet curriculum
requirements, any curriculum, we'll design routines that stick without feeling rigid.
We'll create space for wonder while covering what matters, and we'll learn
strategies for sparking curiosity, the foundation for joyful learning,
and we'll troubleshoot what's not working with real time support.
You'll move from feeling scattered and unsure or stuck to having a
homeschool environment that feels purposeful and alive where you
can help your children thrive.
And in addition, you'll learn alongside a community of parents just like you.
So if you're ready to stop second guessing yourself and Googling nonstop for the best
homeschool curriculum and start enjoying
your days with your children going deep and rich into learning, then I'd love for
you to join me in Homeschool Jumpstart.
Because I really want to avoid the overwhelm for myself and for
you, I'll be limiting numbers.
So get on the waiting list.
Now you can go to blooming curious.com/b, That's B as in
blooming/ homeschool jumpstart.
I'll leave it for you in the show notes.
That's it for today.
Thanks for listening.
I so appreciate you being here.
And if you know someone who is a young parent or someone thinking of
homeschooling, click that share button and forward this episode to them.
Until next week, take care of yourself and stay blooming curious.