As a homeschool mom of four boys I definitely know how hard it is to get them to show self control. They are natural born fidget machines. Anything in their reach is open for twirling, dropping (continuously) and molding into new shapes.
Thank heavens for genius people who come up with toys like the fidget spinner, or the lava lamp that kids can watch.
These items are great for homeschool moms to work with their children on self control. Sometimes they are even fun to watch or work with while you wait on your children to finish.
Another great idea to help with self control is to add to he curriculum for the kids. For example, if I am working with my kindergartner on phonics we are not just going to do worksheets. NO WAY. Even I get bored at that thought.
What do we do?
Add to the curriculum with a game, video on youtube, movie or learning aids. Speaking of movies,Pureflix has a lot of great Christian movie options to add to a certain subject. Just the other day we watched a movie that pertained to history. This really helped with the conversation that we had afterwards concerning our study.
The Pureflix movie helped with the auditory learner, and the visual learner had more questions from the movie. They have a great monthly subscription that is priced for any income to purchase. Pureflix movies for homeschool are wonderful additives to the day.
A subscription to Pureflix.com pays for itself and educates. That is a great deal!
Short Breaks to Teach Self Control
Self control is not going to happen overnight for kids. It may take years, but each year they will gain more and more self control over their bodies. Sometimes I will have 2 minutes of time where they practice not moving a muscle. If they succeed a jelly bean or skittle is given to them.
As an adult I still have issues with self control. It is really hard to sit and listen for long periods of time.
Brain breaks help kids change their scenery for a bit. These breaks do not have to take a long time, just enough to have a break. 5-7 min. will help them focus when they sit back down.
Sitting for long periods of time is hard for some kids so maybe it is ok if they stand for awhile. Well, since this post is about homeschooling…they can even lay on the floor! whatever helps them to focus with self control. If they need to take a test then they can sit. All other subjects can be stations, or comfortable spots.
One more thing….games. Games like candy land help them obtain more self control. Add the subject to the game in some way. Short amounts of fun thrown into the day help the kids and moms on their journey to calm.
Do you incorporate games into your day?
Cheers,
Michelle
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