Happiness is...Grandparent Homeschooling

Look who came to teach 2nd grade today!

And she said she will come every Thursday, MUCH to the delight of her adoring grand-daughter! ( And to me...how kind she is to want to help me.)

A Grandmother (or Grandfather, for that matter) can be a wonderful partner in homeschooling. They meet the homeschooler's criteria... in that they are someone who LOVES your child(ren) as much as you do!

My mother, today's adjunct professor, started as a school teacher and has her master's degree in child psychology. Can't beat that either! My Father, who proceeded my mother in retirement, used to come when the boys were littler and read Tom Sawyer aloud to them. Sweetest days.....

See this article for ideas in ways that Grandparents can be a part of homeschooling:

"Grandparents can play an integral role in the homeschooling family, but unfortunately, many simply don't know how to help. Drawing on their past educational experience and unsure about daily homeschool routines, they may need assistance in understanding ways to get involved. With a wealth of knowledge and a lifetime of practical experiences just waiting to be patiently shared, grandpas and grandmas can take a family's homeschooling to a whole new level with these practical ideas:

* Read books about homeschooling and get informed.
* Look at your grandchildren's curriculum to see what they are studying.
* Accompany your grandchildren on outings and field trips.
* Offer to help with housework (laundry, housecleaning, meal preparation, yard work) or babysit so that your children will have more time preparing lesson plans.
* Take your grandchildren with you to places where you volunteer.
* Transport older grandchildren to special activities such as music or swimming lessons.
* Purchase educational materials such as a telescope, a chemistry set, or the student microscopes
* Take your grandchildren on weekly trips to the library and spend time reading books out loud.
* Keep on the lookout for interesting community events and take your grandchildren to these activities.
* Become a tutor in the subjects you know best and help with homework or school assignments.
* Pass along your expertise. Grandpas can teach woodworking, car repair, and hunting while grandmas can teach music, a foreign language, gardening, and other homemaking skills.
* Start a hobby related to your grandchildren's studies and then learn it together!

Do you live miles away from your grandchildren? Not a problem, you can still get involved using these creative ideas:
* Become pen pals with your grandchildren and teach writing skills with letters or emails.
*Subscribe your grandchildren to educational magazines and periodicals.
*Purchase supplemental books and homeschooling resources.
*Send informative newspaper or magazine articles with handwritten comments or attach them to emails.
*Stay in contact by phone. Discuss what your grandchildren are learning in their studies.
*Install a webcam in your home and your grandchildren's to "see" what they're doing each time you call.
*Visit often and schedule a time that works well to observe what they're learning during class time.
*Have your grandchildren spend a week or two-week summer visit at your home and plan a multitude of educational experiences.

All children need grandparents who get involved in their lives, especially homeschoolers."

It can be a win-win situation, for the grandparents as well. "Teaching their grandchildren is a real opportunity for having closer interaction to their beloved grandchildren.... Being a home school teacher will keep their mind active and focus on doing regular tasks. As a result, your parents will have stable mental health and agility as the years pass." (Full article, HERE.) So, it's good for them! I know I loved time with my grandparents, so I believe it to be good for my children. It certainly brightened my day, too, having my mother's help. My mother and I are both invigorated with ideas for future Thursdays.

On another note, at lunch, I was talking with my older boys about attitude. Reminding them of a phrase they had heard often from me. You can choose to be happy or sad...happy feels better! As God will do, very often, I feel His nudge that this applies to me as well. We all have to look for the reasons why our life is good and not wallow in the difficulties. We should find reasons to be grateful. Today, after what seems like a time of sinking instead of treading water, I feel like I was able to swim to the surface and get a breath. And I am reminded that I have much to be grateful for...that I have to look for it...and choose happiness.