Let’s face it: learning is important. Maybe it’s the fear of our children being left behind, or maybe it’s the guilt from seeing them in front of the TV all day long, but more parents are getting involved in their kids’ learning at home. As a first-time toddler/pre-schoooler parent, and a SAHM, my iPhone browser history can often speak for itself: Google search histories of “lesson ideas” and Pinterest boards of “activities for the letter ‘L’” for example.
When I was introduced to Divya and her page @learningisfunwithus, I fell in love. Not just with the ideas and activities she shares, but I also loved how simple she made them look. I recently spoke with her and asked if she could share some of her experience & expertise with us.
EM: Introduce yourself! Share a bit about your background. How long have you been a SAHM? How old are your kids?
D: Hi! I am Divya. I’ve been a SAHM for 7 years since moving to Singapore from India. I have two adorable kids, Atharva (9) and Amaya (4). I was working full-time as a healthcare professional back in India. While juggling between work, managing the household, and being a new mother, I realized that I was missing out on some important aspects of my son’s initial years so after a while I decided to leave my job and focus more on being involved with his learning and growth.
EM: What made you start making your own materials and lessons at home for your kids? Who did you learn from?
D: As an individual, I have always believed in the importance of hands-on learning experiences. And when I started early years learning with my kids I was very clear to make learning fun and engaging for them so they can understand any concept without losing interest. So I started making learning materials for them based on their interests at home. I took inspiration from various YouTube channels, parenting books, educational websites, and other moms who were on a similar journey.
EM: Share with us 5 tips about making our own learning materials at home!
D: Firstly, keep it simple. Keep the learning activities easy and low on preparation to avoid overwhelming your child (and yourself!). Simple activities can still be engaging and provide valuable learning experiences. Secondly, always try to incorporate play. Children love to play, and incorporating play into learning can make it more enjoyable for them. Use games, toys, and other fun activities to teach new concepts. Personally, I findfollowing your child’s interests helps a lot. Pay attention to your child’s interests and weave them into the learning experience. This can make the learning experience more relevant and engaging for them. To keep the activity interesting, you have to encourage exploration. Let your child explore and experiment with different materials and activities. This helps them develop their curiosity and creativity. Lastly, remember to always celebrate achievements, no matter how small. This helps build their confidence and motivation to learn.
EM: Tell us a bit more about your page, and how you hope to inspire other Mamas!
D: I started documenting my children’s learning experiences on my Instagram account, @learningisfunwithus to share my journey with others and I can’t believe we now have a global community of more than 165k parents! My focus is on creating activities that are engaging and fun for children, while also providing valuable learning experiences. Through my page, I hope to inspire others to actively engage in their children’s learning journeys and make learning a fun and enjoyable experience for their children.
Photo by Divya