education Archives – Emma Reed

The Best Homeschool Online Resources

Posted on March 20, 2020September 24, 2020 by Emma Reed

I thought I would compile a quick and easy click list of the best homeschool online resources for you to refer to during the period that we will be teaching our children from home: Continue reading “The Best Homeschool Online Resources” →

Ideas For Setting Up Your House For Homeschooling

Posted on March 19, 2020May 15, 2020 by Emma Reed

With schools shutting due to Coronavirus parents are now facing the prospect of becoming their children’s educators and as the majority of us have no idea how to go about this there is a lot of anxiety flying around– me included! But because I don’t deal well with stressful situations my mind goes into an ‘I must be pro-active’ mode and organising things in my life really helps to settle my worries which is precisely how my house has ended up looking like a homeschool within one morning!! I am no expert, I am an ordinary parent like you but by taking the basics into mind Continue reading “Ideas For Setting Up Your House For Homeschooling” →

How to Raise Money for Your Child’s School

Posted on July 30, 2019July 26, 2020 by Emma Reed

*Collaborative Post

Every parent will want their child to gain access to the latest textbooks and important programs, which can support their education. Yet, many schools might have a stretched budget that can negatively affect their students’ studies.

If you want to ensure every teacher has the tools they need to successfully educate your kids, you should attempt to boost their budget throughout the year. Find out how to raise money for your child’s school. Continue reading “How to Raise Money for Your Child’s School” →

Raising A Little Genius: 5 Simple Activities That Help To Make Kids Smarter

Posted on April 5, 2019March 20, 2020 by Emma Reed

*Collaborative Post

Every parent wants to see their kids do well in school. Unfortunately, most are also familiar with the daily struggle to get their little ones and teens sat down to do all of the studying, reading, and homework required to get the good grades all of us hope for. Thankfully, your children don’t need to hit the books to boost their intelligence. In fact, some of your kids’ favourite activities offer big benefits for their brains. With that in mind, here are five activities that can help to make children smarter. Continue reading “Raising A Little Genius: 5 Simple Activities That Help To Make Kids Smarter” →

Unique Ways To Explore Wildlife With Kids

Posted on October 24, 2018March 20, 2020 by Emma Reed

*Collaborative Post

The natural world is a truly amazing thing. Even as an adult, there are things in the world which will leave you feeling awestruck, and you can often find them very close to home. With the way that this part of the world makes you feel, though, it’s easy to see just how excited your little ones might get when they are exposed to the right things. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the best ways to get up close and personal with nature, without relying on zoos and other businesses to help along the way. Continue reading “Unique Ways To Explore Wildlife With Kids” →

blackboard with the words school's out... but is it too long?

Is It Time To Reduce The Summer Holidays?

Posted on September 6, 2017July 13, 2020 by Emma Reed

I don’t really remember how I felt as a child during the summer holidays. I know my Mum always tried to fit in fun activities to keep us entertained and we would have a holiday but as a young child, those memories of how I felt have all gone. So, as a first time Mum this is my first experience of having a child off school, well pre-school, for the holidays and the whole experience has made me question whether it is time to reduce the summer holidays?

Big Changes

I had visions of fun,days out, the beach and it being like when he was 1 and 2 when we spent all of our time together. What I didn’t bank on was how much he has changed. It’s funny how we don’t notice those changes quite so much as when they are babies but underneath they are constantly growing and developing and with the introduction of pre-school he has become a new little person.

Jake stood by a door with his backpack — Jake on his first day at pre-school September 2016

Realisation

So, it turns out that I can’t really provide for him the way I used to be able to. I can’t stimulate his mind the way the amazing staff do at pre-school, I can’t create educational activities and have them take over our day, I still have housework and errands to do plus I work from home. This little lad craved the stimulation he is used to having, he needed the socialisation from his peers and he just could not adjust to being at home with me 7 days a week with no set routine.

Ok, so now I am making myself sound awful… I promise we did do fun things but he still wanted or, in fact, needed more, so what I am trying to get across is that I can no longer give him the hours of mental stimulation that he needs. So, is it time to reduce the summer holidays? Maybe for some children, I am thinking yes.

The Problem?

I have seen countless Facebook statuses from other parents stating that their kids are bored, that the siblings are fighting, that said parents are losing the will and that the strain has been far too much. Was it always like this? Unfortunately, I haven’t got my Mum around to ask. OR are children just so much more intelligent today that it is now time for things to change?

We practically push them to excel from the day they are born. We sign up for baby classes, we teach them as we are advised and we begin to enrol them in swimming/gymnastics/dance lessons as soon as they are old enough. Those who begin nursery at a young age will also follow a curriculum and then pre-school even more so. My days of playschool (as it was known back then) involved just that… play! We would play games, paint, dress up and have milk at break time. I do not remember having a structure to the day or being ‘properly’ taught. It is obvious that in the er x amount of years that have passed the system has had to change which has led to 3 year-olds having set lessons in order for them to be prepared for school at 4/5. I have no issue with this. It is a well-known fact that with each generation comes more intelligence and we need education to progress as we do. BUT how have the school years not moved in line with this progress?

I have had 5 weeks of strops, moaning, complaining and Jake asking me whether he has pre-school that day. It has taken until this last week for him to finally settle into being at home and enjoying relaxing. It has not been the holidays I was expecting… more on that here!

The Frustrations

Watching my little guy become so frustrated with being at home has been heartbreaking. I have done as much as I possibly could with him including days out, swimming, soft play and arts and crafts but it is clear that he is now at the point in his life where he needs so much more. Each time I collect him from pre-school he is wiped. He is dirty, worn out, but smiling. They do a fantastic job and I can see how much he has bloomed since being there. It has almost been a shame that the holidays came. I knew 6 weeks would be too long for him because he found the Easter holidays a strain. Some children just need their routine, they like to know what they are doing each day and they love being with a big group of other children. So, with all of this in mind is it not time to reduce the 6 weeks to perhaps 4 weeks? Let them have that break and allow holidays but get them back to what they love and to the stimulation they need much sooner?

Jake went back today and the excitement was overwhelming for him. I am glad he loves his pre-school because it means that I made the right choice and I am glad he is now happy to be back but I wonder if each year he will be quite as frustrated as this summer?

What are your thoughts on this? How have your summer holidays been?

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