Designing big plans to work with your every day

by on August 17, 2012
in organization · 9 Comments

Written by contributor Hillary Boucher

We homeschool and take breaks year round, but there’s something about starting fresh in the fall. Using fall to jump start new learning experiences is woven into the fabric of our culture and experience. It’s the perfect time to do some big picture planning.

I love planning. It’s exciting to map out a way to live and learn in ways that inspire us and to work out the logistics to help make it happen.

But I must admit, in the past, big picture planning has often hurt more than helped.  When I plan, I am acting for the well-being of my family, but it can set us up for frustration, disappointment and even a sense of failure.

Why? In the past, my plans focused too heavily on the big picture and not enough on our current everyday reality.

Often, our everyday life fell short of the color coded map that made more sense on paper than it did on the average Tuesday. I had been trying to force my family’s everyday life into my big picture plans, but turns out it’s more helpful to match the big picture plan to our everyday life and learning.

There are two simple exercises I’ve implemented over the past year that have helped me create more realistic plans and avoid the potential frustrations that can creep up when the plan and reality don’t match up.
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Uncomfortable unfoldings (0n patiently waiting for milestones)

by on July 13, 2012
in inspiration · 18 Comments

Written by Hillary Boucher of infinitely learning

When you look back on your life it is easy to pick out milestone moments. It’s different for everyone, but learning to ride your bike or learning to drive are probably easy memories to recall.

Milestones are peak experiences that define a journey. You have to go deeper to remember the hours and days leading up to milestones and the frustrations and grumps that sometimes come along with them.

You may notice this in younger children and toddlers: right before they hit a major milestone, like sitting up or walking, they become restless, difficult to soothe and generally uncomfortable.

I notice this in myself, even as an adult: when life is asking me to change, to grow and stretch beyond my comfort zone, there is a certain discomfort that precedes my impending growth.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” -Anais Nin
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Always a novice: Homeschooling my first born

by on June 8, 2012
in a mom's education · 17 Comments

Written by contributor Hillary Boucher of infinitely learning

When I was pregnant with my first born I thought I had a pretty clear idea of what it meant to be a parent.

After he was born I learned quickly that he came with his own personality and needs that didn’t necessarily fit into my philosophies or chosen approaches.

And thus, was the beginning of a seven year long journey of learning that parenting philosophies don’t necessarily translate well into every day practical applications.

If I were to give a new mom some advice I would say:

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Piecing Together a First Grade Education (2012 Curriculum Fair)

by on May 2, 2012
in curriculum · 24 Comments

Written by contributor Hillary Boucher of infinite learners

Ages of my children: 7, 4, & 1
Educational philosophies I pull from: Unschooling, Literature-based, Enki, Montessori

We are a young homeschooling family and have only recently started to explore formal curriculum. In the early years we find that focusing on a healthy and enriching home environment along with the patience to let little ones explore at their own pace is more than optimal.

However, a few things changed this past fall:

  • my son turned seven and was actively seeking out more stimulation,
  • New York State Laws require that we begin turning in our plans and reporting on progress, and
  • I started a new job working from home.

The combination of of these changes led us to seek out curriculum tools to help us cover the basics. We started out simple: math and reading.
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The Family First Mindset: You Can Count on Change

by on March 28, 2012
in family time · 16 Comments

I was going to write post about what my family does to put family first. I wanted to tell you that every night at about five o’clock I come up from my home office, turn off my phone and computer and make an intentional choice to tune into my family through bedtimes.

That’s how I’m putting my family first right now. I then realized that over the past three years I’ve written dozens of posts giving examples of how we put our family first and the only thing they have in common is that we consciously try to make our family a priority.

The specifics of what putting our family first looks like is something that changes all the time.

One of the first things new moms ask me as a doula (or friend) is “When will they sleep through the night?” And I always answer, “They will. And then they won’t. And then they will again.”

I know this isn’t the answer that they want and they usually respond with a puzzled look, because they were looking for a final solution. They want me to tell them if they just hang on a few more weeks or a few more months their baby will start sleeping through the night.
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Stepping Out of the Silo: Collaborative Homeschooling for the Whole Family

by on February 22, 2012
in a mom's education · 17 Comments

Are you homeschooling in a silo? Maybe you’re shouldering the full responsibility of homeschooling your child or maybe your family hasn’t found a homeschool community that works for you.

It’s easy to get stuck in rhythms that aren’t quite right, but it’s difficult to see what needs to change. We can become blinded by our own processes and begin to operate within a silo without realizing it.

We cruise the same online haunts for inspiration, we introduce ideas and lessons with the same techniques over and over, and we forget that our way isn’t the only way.

Making conscious efforts to collaborate with our partners, extended family and our communities can help keep our families happy and healthy and our homeschooling efforts innovative and fresh.
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