Comments on: Help! My Child Knows More Than Me!! http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/help-my-child-knows-more-than-me/1183/ Helping Parents Homeschool High School Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:10:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Kaari http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/help-my-child-knows-more-than-me/1183/comment-page-1/#comment-3252 Kaari Tue, 06 Jul 2010 07:18:37 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=1183#comment-3252 This happens a lot with topics that particularly interest my children, and especially as they get older. My oldest was frustrated with the park specialist who did not know we have water beetles here, and had no answers about the tiny frogs we have encountered. But our homeschool support person encouraged my son to keep attending and find answers and make contacts with local staff until he can make friends and connections with knowledgeable people in his field of interest. We as parents may not have the answers; but we can encourage and direct their attention and focus until they get to the resources or people they need. This happens a lot with topics that particularly interest my children, and especially as they get older. My oldest was frustrated with the park specialist who did not know we have water beetles here, and had no answers about the tiny frogs we have encountered. But our homeschool support person encouraged my son to keep attending and find answers and make contacts with local staff until he can make friends and connections with knowledgeable people in his field of interest.

We as parents may not have the answers; but we can encourage and direct their attention and focus until they get to the resources or people they need.

]]> By: Corine http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/help-my-child-knows-more-than-me/1183/comment-page-1/#comment-3153 Corine Sun, 13 Jun 2010 02:13:05 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=1183#comment-3153 So True! I think a lot of parents don't homeschool simply because they know they don't know all that their kids need to learn so feel inadequate. If only they realized how normal it is... and that their kids know lots of things that their public school teachers don't know, too! So True! I think a lot of parents don’t homeschool simply because they know they don’t know all that their kids need to learn so feel inadequate. If only they realized how normal it is… and that their kids know lots of things that their public school teachers don’t know, too!

]]> By: Lee http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/help-my-child-knows-more-than-me/1183/comment-page-1/#comment-1662 Lee Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:53:03 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=1183#comment-1662 Hi Kimberely, Here is an article that may help, called "Letting Go of Teaching." http://heartofthematteronline.com/letting-go-of-teaching/ If you need more help, call me on Wednesdays during my office hours, OK? I'd love to talk with you! Here is information about my free office hours: http://www.thehomescholar.com/free-homeschool-consulting.php Blessings, Lee Hi Kimberely,
Here is an article that may help, called “Letting Go of Teaching.”
http://heartofthematteronline.com/letting-go-of-teaching/
If you need more help, call me on Wednesdays during my office hours, OK? I’d love to talk with you! Here is information about my free office hours:
http://www.thehomescholar.com/free-homeschool-consulting.php
Blessings,
Lee

]]> By: Kimberely http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/help-my-child-knows-more-than-me/1183/comment-page-1/#comment-1661 Kimberely Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:33:24 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=1183#comment-1661 I believe I have made the mistake in some areas of "over teaching" and not letting my kids "self teach"....how do I remedy this? A couple of my kids may resist this change as their personalities like me to sit next to them and "motivate" them all day to get work done. I believe I have made the mistake in some areas of “over teaching” and not letting my kids “self teach”….how do I remedy this? A couple of my kids may resist this change as their personalities like me to sit next to them and “motivate” them all day to get work done.

]]> By: Jeff Thompson http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/help-my-child-knows-more-than-me/1183/comment-page-1/#comment-1578 Jeff Thompson Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:45:24 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=1183#comment-1578 Rather than sad, I think it's exciting! A couple of years ago, my daughter did Bridget Ardoin's excellent "High School Physical Science in Your Home", http://scienceforhighschool.com/physcisamples.shtml . It was a good course, but the last section on rocks and minerals was a piece of cake for my daughter who obsesses on the topic. (So does my dad, but it seems to have skipped my generation.) I decided to do something I haven't hardly ever done. I gave her a test on the material. I wandered around the house and found rocks and minerals scattered everywhere on the shelves and asked her to identify them. The exchange went about like this: Me: What is this? Her: Aragonite. Me (in a conspiratorial whisper): Is that what it is? Her: Of course! I gave her an A. Rather than sad, I think it’s exciting!

A couple of years ago, my daughter did Bridget Ardoin’s excellent “High School Physical Science in Your Home”, http://scienceforhighschool.com/physcisamples.shtml . It was a good course, but the last section on rocks and minerals was a piece of cake for my daughter who obsesses on the topic. (So does my dad, but it seems to have skipped my generation.) I decided to do something I haven’t hardly ever done. I gave her a test on the material. I wandered around the house and found rocks and minerals scattered everywhere on the shelves and asked her to identify them.

The exchange went about like this:
Me: What is this?
Her: Aragonite.
Me (in a conspiratorial whisper): Is that what it is?
Her: Of course!

I gave her an A.

]]> By: Lee http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/help-my-child-knows-more-than-me/1183/comment-page-1/#comment-1499 Lee Sun, 26 Jul 2009 13:59:51 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=1183#comment-1499 LOL! Carol, I love this! “mankind doesn’t have the answer to that yet” That's awesome! <giggles!> Blessings, Lee LOL! Carol, I love this!

“mankind doesn’t have the answer to that yet”

That’s awesome!
Blessings,
Lee

]]> By: Carol http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/help-my-child-knows-more-than-me/1183/comment-page-1/#comment-1497 Carol Sun, 26 Jul 2009 00:13:31 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=1183#comment-1497 Hi Nikki, My son is now 16 1/2 and it has been years since we accepted that he was smarter than both his parents. :) I think it is important to model how to handle being wrong gracefully as well as reminding him that knowledge is not the same as wisdom and experience ~ we have all known people who may have much book knowledge but not a lot of perspective, love and laughter. I realize that my son knows much more than I do in many areas and that my 'answers' are often wrong but I am able to laugh at myself, direct him to find the answer, as Lee says, and also in some cases say "mankind doesn't have the answer to that yet". Hi Nikki,
My son is now 16 1/2 and it has been years since we accepted that he was smarter than both his parents. :) I think it is important to model how to handle being wrong gracefully as well as reminding him that knowledge is not the same as wisdom and experience ~ we have all known people who may have much book knowledge but not a lot of perspective, love and laughter. I realize that my son knows much more than I do in many areas and that my ‘answers’ are often wrong but I am able to laugh at myself, direct him to find the answer, as Lee says, and also in some cases say “mankind doesn’t have the answer to that yet”.

]]> By: J W http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/help-my-child-knows-more-than-me/1183/comment-page-1/#comment-1234 J W Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:49:07 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=1183#comment-1234 Yep. The only times I allow my daughter to roll her eyes at me are when 1) I butcher the pronunciation of some French word, and 2) when I attempt to talk about anything that has to do with knitting or crocheting. Yep. The only times I allow my daughter to roll her eyes at me are when 1) I butcher the pronunciation of some French word, and 2) when I attempt to talk about anything that has to do with knitting or crocheting.

]]> By: Luke Holzmann http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/help-my-child-knows-more-than-me/1183/comment-page-1/#comment-1210 Luke Holzmann Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:30:50 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=1183#comment-1210 Agreed: Let them surpass me! ~Luke Agreed: Let them surpass me!

~Luke

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