Keeping it simple – Life Lessons & Natural Learning

We were doing a letter drop today in our local area for our business. That’s when it dawned on me how easy and simple learning can and should be! Instead of jamming facts down the throat of children, we could be simply exposing them to the language of life (numbers and letters) naturally. As we put our postcards in mailboxes, I was speaking out the letterbox numbers. There was no pressure for my 5 year old to pay attention or learn them. Just exposing her.

I figure this is a way for her to learn visually and see the relevance of numbers. Yesterday was also a great example of natural learning when we went to the pool! Of her own accord, our 5 year old asked about Chlorine and specifically asked to “research it”.

So…we did a little “youtubing” and watched a few chemistry experiments too. Last night we carried on with the science theme as she chose her bedtime stories. She selected the solar system space book and was interested in learning all about the planets. As I love Astrology, I have frequently dropped seeds along the way…however this was all her curiosity. I was pleasantly surprised as there have been many occasions where I have offered up the topic without her showing interest. So I don’t push.

I just feel it is a much nicer way of going about learning when it can be far more “absorbed” by choice as opposed to rigidly enforced just because. One of my favourite ways to offer learning is through not just play but observation. Just by being involved in and surrounded by the things we are doing as a family, such as food growing…I feel our children will take in a lot.

Being in the garden, literally JUST BEING in it…is something I feel the children can learn SO much from! If they are going to discover self sufficiency then they will do so with an understanding of just how much it takes! How much presence and patience, for one.

I’m philosophical and I feel you can learn a lot from gardening, which is why I’m so grateful for having that as a learning tool around our home. For anyone questioning their ability to “deliver” a home education for their children…liken that notion to that of “delivering” a baby! The baby plays a vital role of instigating it’s own birth! You don’t actually “deliver”…education is natural and a part of life!

We just need to get out of it’s way most of the time! Observe, make the environment “conducive”, turn down distraction, build a strong connection and use your intuition!