Montessori at Home!

Montessori at Home! does make homeschooling a breeze.  It's very easy to follow.  One can get started as soon as you get hold of the handbook.  A lot of the materials to get you started can really be found in the house.  And the kids, they love the activities.  I do not find very much resistance.  Both Marek and Markus enjoy the rice & water tubs... just a little too much.  My challenge lies in taking control.  Our homeschool is messier than the examples in the book.   They need to train some more on right-away obedience.  They do obey, but a lot of times, only when it's convenient to obey!  M2 has to work on self-control.  And M1 has to be a little less mischievous... which pushes my buttons sometimes.  Gentle disciplining sure can be challenging.  But over-all I'm less overwhelmed about our homeschooling.  Montessori at Home!  makes one step one day at a time easier.

SCM Early Years Guide

I've fallen in-love with Charlotte Mason's teachings, so we'll be switching with the following as guide (from Simply Charlotte Mason.com):

I will still have to figure out if and how I can incorporate CHC' Lesson Plans. Or use a local Christian Living textbook (by Vibal Publishing House) to cover the 'Bible'/ Catholicism subject.

To [buy and] read : The Early Years: A Charlotte Mason Preschool Handbook.

Charlotte M. & Habits

I have bought and printed Laying Down the Rails: A Charlotte Mason Habits Handbook (Shafer). Finally. The more I'm reading it, the more I agree with her approach to, and principles in education. The more I am considering her approach for my sons, and to not simply just go eclectic. It is almost automatic to school the boys when they reach 3 1/2 to 4 years old. (We do celebrate their academic milestones). I can tell my boys are smarter than I am (but of course, I have the advantage of years... but you know what I mean). It's so tempting to send them off to school (in our case, start formal homeschooling), so that they can "get a good education". But CM is emphasizing something more basic, and essential, and of utmost importance-- the active pursuit of developing a child's (good) habits. (Surely, education is more than Math, and Languages, and Science. And character cannot be developed by leaving it all to the Religion teacher). It is something that we parents should definitely engage in, put an effort in-- much like the way we perceive, and approach their academics. Forming habits is a necessity. Inculcating good manners, and values, and turning these things into habits, indeed, can be a very big, overwhelming challenge, but the rewards are great. I think, only then, can our function as parents be fulfilled.

"The well-brought-up child has always been a child carefully trained in good habits."

"Sow an act, reap a habit, sow a habit, reap a character, sow a character, reap a destiny."

Defying Defiance

There is a stage when toddlers test your limits, and assert their independence. This shows as the toddler being defiant. I'm not sure if all toddlers go through this, I guess a lot do, and Marek has just become one of them that do. How now? A lot of times there's power struggle-- sometimes we give in, other times he ends up crying or having tantrums, and some other times we just ignore his misbehaviour. On occasions, we are able to reason out with him and he understands, but sometimes he knows what is right but insists on what is wrong just so he could have his way.

Expert advice (What to Expect.com) includes: focusing on the positive, mean it when you say "no", and be consistent about the consequences; and by prevention-- explaining the reasons behind the rules, reducing unnecessary "no", not to admonish prematurely, encouraging self control, and acknowledging good behaviour.

Now, to help me know how to handle situations better, and for better parenting's sake, I'm reading the following the books: 12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know by Michele Borba, and Masterly Inactivity by Sonya Shafer. And I'm seriously considering buying Laying Down the Rails: A Charlotte Mason Habits Handbook, also by Sonya Shafer thru Simply Charlotte Mason.com.

I pray I can handle this phase well, be able to set rules that can be (and ought to be) followed without crushing spirits.