Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

Abstract

ty learning about topics that I find uninteresting.</p><p id="8026">While I can guide and teach effectively in certain subject areas, in others I was constantly asking myself, “<i>Am I doing this right</i>?” What if I’m teaching him the wrong thing? What if I’m giving him the wrong answer when he asks me a question? I don’t know how to explain this thing that he doesn’t understand!</p><h2 id="478d">Just. Chill.</h2><p id="b700">First of all, children forget the majority of the content they learn in school, especially if it’s not relevant or interesting to them. Research and expert opinions vary, but some studies estimate that we forget as much as<a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0120644"> 75% of what we learn</a> after only six days.</p><p id="1fa9">Don’t worry so much about the content, focus more on your parent-child relationship, and on the <i>process</i> of learning. The process of <i>learning how to learn</i>, as they say, is more meaningful.</p><p id="98cd">Develop the lifelong skills of following one’s curiosity, engaging in investigation, exploration, evaluation, critical thinking… and, most importantly, the joy of learning for the sake of learning.</p><p id="b979"><a href="https://readmedium.com/how-to-help-your-child-thrive-during-remote-learning-33af906dae73">Have <b>fun</b></a>. We all learn and retain more when we’re having fun.</p><p id="dba5" type="7">Foster the joy of learning for the sake of learning.</p><h2 id="1abd">Let your child lead the way</h2><p id="bba6">We also all learn and retain more when we’re exploring something about which we are curious. Don’t focus too stringently on a set “agenda” or curriculum, have a general plan in mind, but be flexible and follow your child’s interests. You will encounter less resistance and your child will surprise you with their cleverness and creativity.</p><p id="9169">Last week I found myself asking again “<i>Am I doing this right</i>?” as I let my son work on yet another crossword puzzle when that was all he was wanting to do.</p><p id="1e3a">You know what? I was able to find or make crosswords related to the content his class was working on. He was engaging with the vocabulary, the clues provoked him to investigate the subject matter further, and he was practicing spelling and writing those specific words. When he got stuck, I would give him some of the class material to read and tell him the answer was in there, and he read it gladly.</p><p id="914a">As I was recently reading in “<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35457692-the-self-driven-child">The Self-Driven Child</a>”, we all work more willingly and are more successful when we feel a sense of control. Nobody likes to feel forced or compelled to do anything, and this is especially true for my son and I. We are both <a href="https://readmedium.com/demanding-blind-obedience-is-dangerous-fed8a44770b2">strong-headed, willful, and spirited</a>… and I have come to love that about us.</p><p id="8b5b" type="7">We are both strong-headed, willful, and spirited… and I have come to love that about us.</p><p id="1c2d">What did you do to make homeschooling and remote learning during the pandemic work for you and your family? What has worked for you to as

Options

suage the parental guilt (y’know, the ingrained guilt that seems to begin the second our children are born and never end)?</p><p id="5ca9">© Jillian Enright, Neurodiversity MB</p><h2 id="ac70">Related articles</h2><div id="fd5c" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/demanding-blind-obedience-is-dangerous-fed8a44770b2"> <div> <div> <h2>Demanding Blind Obedience is Dangerous</h2> <div><h3>Those who subvert authority change the world for the better</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*8aMGNVguxTB1uXle7bbQ7g.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="d9e9" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/why-im-okay-with-my-son-calling-me-out-597728ca1e72"> <div> <div> <h2>Why I’m More Than Okay With My Son Calling Me Out</h2> <div><h3>No, he does not get into trouble for calling me on my hypocrisy.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*7jCbsB0cQ5AmZmHiu6Sx9Q.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="9dc1" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/children-are-cute-but-theyre-not-puppies-c7c24178b4e6"> <div> <div> <h2>Children Are Cute, But They’re Not Puppies</h2> <div><h3>Nor are they pigeons, rats, or any other animal to be “trained”</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*Gtu-ChyGnhL24HZg5mHbdg.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="3abf">Ways to support my work</h2><p id="c896">You can leave a “tip” on Ko-Fi at <a href="https://Ko-Fi.com/NeurodiversityMB">https://Ko-Fi.com/NeurodiversityMB</a></p><p id="a1c8">Become a paid subscriber to <a href="https://twoemb.substack.com">my Substack publication</a></p><p id="7f11">Check out my online store at <a href="https://NeurodiversityMB.ca/shop">https://NeurodiversityMB.ca/shop</a></p><p id="0b3f">Read and share my articles from <a href="https://twoemb.medium.com">twoemb.medium.com</a></p><figure id="c65c"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*2vpsOuvaISBnzNNKI-9lqg.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><h2 id="63fd">References</h2><p id="1f68">Murre JMJ., Dros J. (2015). <i>Replication and Analysis of Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve. PLOS ONE 10</i>(7): e0120644. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0120644">https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0120644</a></p><p id="3c70">Stixrud, W., Johnson, N., & Griffith, K. (2018). <i>The self-driven child: The science and sense of giving your kids more control over their lives</i>. Penguin Random House.</p></article></body>

Pandemic Homeschooling: Am I Doing This Right?

Yes. The answer is yes.

Dear Fellow Parent,

This parenting thing is hard. Parenting during a pandemic is, obviously, harder.

In March 2020, after a number of awful and painful experiences, we made the decision to move our son from his former school to his current one. Our Spring break is at the end of March, so we thought that would be a good transition time and would give us all an opportunity to prepare and adjust.

Then the shut-downs happened.

Just as we were about to start at our brand new, independent, forest-inspired, relationship-based, unicorn school less than 20 minutes from our home… we were all forced into remote learning.

Well, crap.

I had been so excited for the positive change and was so very disappointed when things were not going as planned.

Artwork and Scaredy Squirrel books by Mélanie Watt

So, off to remote learning we went, with his new school providing virtual support, and our son was at least able to meet his new classmates and teachers via video chat.

Confession: I dreaded homeschooling

We had just spent two years fighting with my son’s former school just to have his needs met and I was tired. I had a horrible school experience myself, much for the same reasons as my son. We’re both twice exceptional: we’re both gifted with ADHD and anxiety, and we both hate the rigid structure of the traditional school system.

I love kids, I love my son, and I love watching him learn… but I truly thought I would hate teaching. Although I loved attending University and I love learning, I also had zero clue about how to be a homeschool parent, and no idea how to actually teach. At all.

Obligatory “I have no idea what I’m doing” meme — (created by author on Canva)

I’m also one of those ADHDers who hyperfocuses on certain subjects, and can learn and retain a wealth of (sometimes useless) information, but I have difficulty learning about topics that I find uninteresting.

While I can guide and teach effectively in certain subject areas, in others I was constantly asking myself, “Am I doing this right?” What if I’m teaching him the wrong thing? What if I’m giving him the wrong answer when he asks me a question? I don’t know how to explain this thing that he doesn’t understand!

Just. Chill.

First of all, children forget the majority of the content they learn in school, especially if it’s not relevant or interesting to them. Research and expert opinions vary, but some studies estimate that we forget as much as 75% of what we learn after only six days.

Don’t worry so much about the content, focus more on your parent-child relationship, and on the process of learning. The process of learning how to learn, as they say, is more meaningful.

Develop the lifelong skills of following one’s curiosity, engaging in investigation, exploration, evaluation, critical thinking… and, most importantly, the joy of learning for the sake of learning.

Have fun. We all learn and retain more when we’re having fun.

Foster the joy of learning for the sake of learning.

Let your child lead the way

We also all learn and retain more when we’re exploring something about which we are curious. Don’t focus too stringently on a set “agenda” or curriculum, have a general plan in mind, but be flexible and follow your child’s interests. You will encounter less resistance and your child will surprise you with their cleverness and creativity.

Last week I found myself asking again “Am I doing this right?” as I let my son work on yet another crossword puzzle when that was all he was wanting to do.

You know what? I was able to find or make crosswords related to the content his class was working on. He was engaging with the vocabulary, the clues provoked him to investigate the subject matter further, and he was practicing spelling and writing those specific words. When he got stuck, I would give him some of the class material to read and tell him the answer was in there, and he read it gladly.

As I was recently reading in “The Self-Driven Child”, we all work more willingly and are more successful when we feel a sense of control. Nobody likes to feel forced or compelled to do anything, and this is especially true for my son and I. We are both strong-headed, willful, and spirited… and I have come to love that about us.

We are both strong-headed, willful, and spirited… and I have come to love that about us.

What did you do to make homeschooling and remote learning during the pandemic work for you and your family? What has worked for you to assuage the parental guilt (y’know, the ingrained guilt that seems to begin the second our children are born and never end)?

Demanding Blind Obedience is Dangerous

Those who subvert authority change the world for the better

medium.com

Why I’m More Than Okay With My Son Calling Me Out

No, he does not get into trouble for calling me on my hypocrisy.

medium.com

Children Are Cute, But They’re Not Puppies

Nor are they pigeons, rats, or any other animal to be “trained”

medium.com

Ways to support my work

You can leave a “tip” on Ko-Fi at https://Ko-Fi.com/NeurodiversityMB

Become a paid subscriber to my Substack publication

Check out my online store at https://NeurodiversityMB.ca/shop

Read and share my articles from twoemb.medium.com

References

Murre JMJ., Dros J. (2015). Replication and Analysis of Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve. PLOS ONE 10(7): e0120644. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0120644

Stixrud, W., Johnson, N., & Griffith, K. (2018). The self-driven child: The science and sense of giving your kids more control over their lives. Penguin Random House.