Learning in Leisure

Christmas break was a welcome respite from our school books, which had magically transformed from intriguing and welcome opportunities to boring objects of disdain. What amazed me most about our two-week book sabatical was how much we actually learned away from the printed page. Suddenly, T took a renewed interest in Bible time (the one thing we kept somewhat steady during the break); K wanted more than ever to spend time creating works of art; and both boys begged for colored paper, foam stickers, and craft supplies. Where these interests had disappeared to during the preceding weeks was a mystery to me, but it was great that they were so easily entertained while I attempted to catch up on home projects.

I noticed as the days passed that I started to catch up on dishes and laundry (though somehow I didn't find time to clean the bathrooms). It was a really nice feeling, but I also realized that simply accomplishing those two daily chores took nearly all of my free time...and that was without school! Understanding the uphill battle that I face with school work, house work, child care, and other necessities helped me to try to set more realistic goals for the second half of the school year.

Additionally, it dawned on me that not only do the the boys learn a lot from what I read to them, but they also retain much of what I read. T doesn't like the busyness of workbooks, but both boys love reading, being read to, and doing hands-on activities. It was amazing how clear all of this became simply by taking a break and stepping back to assess our progress thus far.

I really hadn't expected to learn much of anything over the break, but in fact, I learned (or finally realized) quite a lot! It will help us as we plunge ahead into the second half of the school year. I better understand what works and what doesn't, and we can try new things to see if some will work better than what we were doing originally.

Most importantly, I was able to see just how needed a break from textbooks was. The Heavenly Father rested on the 7th day; He designed us to need rest each night; and, at times, we need rest from our normal routines. Even if the boys aren't too thrilled about hitting the books again, my Mommy Batteries were energized, and I'm excited about the new mountains we'll be climbing this year.

Grab your gear, kiddos! It's gonna be fun!