Mimi Rothschild - Home School Support & Home Education News

By Mimi Rothschild

A homeschool is both an institutition and an activity which encompasses interactive learning and communication. In a homeschool, children get to balance their academic education with extracurricular activities like dramatics and sports. In the same breath, one can say that running home school is a thrilling, self-satisfying but at the same time a busy activity for parents as well as children. The key to successful learning is the right kind of communication.

Does communication have to be present only when you are imparting education? What about listening and having a heart to heart conversation between the parent and the home school student? It is a common norm for parents to believe that such kind of “family discussions” should happen at the dinner table. So when the clock chimes at six, everyone is expected to assemble at the dinner table and talk about the day’s activities and what plans they have for the following days to come.

Though a family meal is a good idea, it has been observed that such dinner table discussions used to work well during the past. However in today’s world where life is quite hectic and people are constantly on the ‘move’, it is quite difficult to arrange a dinner table family discussion at a given point in time. Also as home school children grow up, they get busy with a lot of activities. They have to study or go for their choir practice, hit the gym or do part time jobs. So it is not just that traditional school students have no time to be present at the dinner table during the scheduled hour. Even home school children at times, find it difficult to be a part of the dinner-table meeting ritual as they have to accommodate to their busy schedule. It is not that home school children do not value time with their parents. It is just that they get involved in some activity or program that makes it difficult to take time out for a family meeting.

No doubt a family meeting and a heart to heart conversation is quite important. So, how do you create a win-win situation where you do not disturb the schedule of your home school child and also at the same time make the family meeting a certainty? To begin with, the home school parent should not be rigid about the family meeting schedule. The point is not to have the family meeting at a certain point in time, but to spend quality time with your family.

Quality time does not solely mean a family dinner at six. Think beyond the dinner table. Similarly family functions should also not be an excuse for planning a family meeting. Consider planning a family meeting on a weekly basis involving your home school children. At the start of the week, you should discuss with your spouse and home school children and arrange for everybody to meet at home on a specific day at a specific time at least, once a week. Be open to last minute changes like an illness or a sudden trip which a family member has to make. However you should choose a day which is least like to conflict any busy schedule.

Create a warm, lovable, humorous and a vibrant atmosphere. The homeschool child should be so charged up after the meeting that he or she should be ready to be a part of the next meeting with a lot of enthusiasm. During the family meeting, the homeschool child gets to learn a lot from the parents and the elders. They should provide a good example to the home school children by inculcating rules of good conversation. They should not speak out of turn. They should listen first and then only express their point of view without offending sentiments of others. Homeschool children who are very young may not have much to say. However you should make them present during the meeting. They can have a small room where they can play quietly. Over the years these small home school children will soon find their way into the hall where the meeting takes place and participate in the conversation. The family meeting is also one of the best ways to plan the home school schedule and family plans for the coming weeks and months.