One of the greatest things about being a SAHM is that I get to create a routine that works best for both me and my daughter Safiya, who will be turning 4 this year. My decision to homeschool her for now also adds to that flexibility – not only in the when-and-where of learning activities, but also in the curriculum and level of exposure.
As a former Kindergarten teacher, I’m a true believer of how important the first 5 years of a child’s life is: their brain connections are built through their everyday experiences, by interacting with the world around them, as well as through the positive interactions with their parents/caregivers. Creating a trustworthy and strong relationship between myself and my child was also the biggest contributing factor towards my decision to be a SAHM.
Safiya and I both love slow mornings, which I find a blessing from a 4-year-old! We’d start off the day by having a hearty breakfast before doing some shared reading together. Shower and clean-up is next, before it’s time for what I call “Mama’s School”! Lessons typically last for an hour, after which we’d have some snacks. We’ll then head down for a short outdoor play session (if the weather permits), coming back home just in time for lunch. Nap time comes after that for 1-1.5 hours and the entire afternoon will be spent free and easy!
Because I’m with her 24/7 (or what feels like it), I am very involved in Safiya’s learning. And since she doesn’t go to school for now, I feel it is my responsibility to ensure she’s getting the learning opportunity she needs. With my 7 years’ worth of teaching experience, I get to create age-appropriate activities that cater personally to her and having had worked with kids her age before, I am more attuned to a child’s learning abilities and pace, which helps with coaching my own now at home.
If you were to ask me how I raised such an eager learner, I would probably attribute it to an early introduction to books. I started reading to Safiya when she was a newborn! Books are truly a great resource for the learning of language, science and many more. When she got older, trips to the library became an exciting outing where we got to select books together. Then, we even created a little reading corner together too!
I absolutely enjoy creating learning activities with my daughter, and if you follow me on my social media, you’d see just how much I love it. Being able to learn together with her, in a comfortable setting that is her home, truly has brought benefits that exceeded my expectations. Themes are mostly decided by her, according to her current interests and observations. This way, she focuses more and is very much more engaged in what we do. And because there’s no fixed “timetable” or “curriculum” that we follow, learning becomes more fun than anything!
What’s important is that parents should not perceive home learning activities as something stressful or troublesome because it can be as easy as doing a cookery lesson together. Activities and lessons are more acceptable when everyone is enjoying themselves! There are many, many ideas that are readily shared on Pinterest and even Instagram. Take the stress out of it – you don’t have to create your own. Just follow what’s out there, as long as it fits your child.
Start with an open mind because it might not be as you’d expect it to be. Find an account (on IG or Pinterest) that inspires you, and you can start slowly! I find that having 1 or 2 like-minded Mamas in your friend group helps as well because they’d understand your journey, and can offer some ideas/recommendations too!
Photo by Hazira Adlan.