Educational Theory of the Week: Brain-Based Learning, Core Principle 11

The eleventh and second to last brain based learning principle is:

Learning is enhanced by challenge and inhibited by threat.

(Obviously). The patient teacher or friend who helped you figure out the tough math question, your fingers on the piano, or bike riding not only knew what to teach, but how to teach. This educational theory is easy to apply whiles teaching our kids, because we love them and are so darn cute. Does your patience diminish as they get older? I know my patience sometimes does, but I always try (and sure, I fail sometimes) to regain my patience.

Example


The example that immediately came to me was of course, potty-training because we just finished that. (It is over and Ty is trained, yay). It took a long time, lots of tears, and plenty of patience from the teacher. How? Why? Well, I hate messes. Especially messy messes. But potty-training isn't about me, it was about Ty. So even though the downstairs bathroom was sanitized more in six months than it had been in the previous 4 years we've lived here, being patient was best. Looking back, our worst days were the days when Ty probably felt threatened by my impatience or frustrations. Instead of thinking about what to do or how to solve his problems, he was worried about my reactions.

This is such a fine line, one I think about. How do we challenge our kids without threatening them, or pushing too much?

Before You Quit Your Job...

This has been my first week posting daily and I'm pretty happy with how it is going. I've knocked the educational theories down to Monday only so that we can start off the week with one and work it really well for a full week. I'm going to continue chronicling my SAHM adventures because:

1. They really are adventures. My kids wear me out!
2. I want to look back at all of this and smile and if I don't record it as I go, I'll forget and just never get around to it.
3. I want to relate to other moms and dads who stay home. Parenting, while working or staying home, can be really alienating. I think that blogging and all Internet connections provide support for those doing this difficult job of parenting!

Anyway, back to finances for this Friday-I guess I'm sort of digging the alliteration with this week. Today was inspired by a discussion I had with a friend I'll call Janice. It was funny because as I continued with my daily posts, I was stuck with what to do for Friday. After I got off the phone, finances made sense. What person who quits his or her job doesn't worry about money? My hubby and I did and still do.

Janice called and wanted to know what financial considerations my family took before I quit my job as a teacher to be a SAHM. I really wish I could have told her we had money stocked away and sold our second car before I quit. That is not the case. Here (from an English teacher, not someone with any sort of a degree or background in finances) are a few ideas.

Preparation 

As I prepared to quit my job, I did prepare my finances. 

1. The hubby and I got rid of our piddly credit cards. All the store cards and "back up" cards-we eliminated. Gone. Anytime I thought about putting a shirt on a credit card, I looked at my babies and put the shirt back on the rack. 
2. We traded in our gas guzzler for a smaller, used car. Our payment went down, and our gas bill did too.
3. We modified our food bills. Groceries--fresh food and less canned and eating out--gone.

In Hindsight

Sure, we really tried, but if I could do it again, I would try to pinch a few more dollars.

1. Eating out. I know this contradicts the previous list. We did cut out eating out, but not totally. We did as a family, but with friends or coworkers, not so much. Especially at the end of my school year, everyone wanted to "have lunch one more time." Think about it: going out to eat for one person is a minimum of $7, and that's if you go to Subway. $7 for an unemployed person (which I am now) is good money.
2. Coupons/deal hunting. Now I have no problem searching for the best place for an oil change. Before, I don't remember what I did. I just wasn't used to looking for deals. I would have started that practice beforehand. 
3. Looking for small jobs. I write on the side and substitute teach as well. Getting into these gigs took some time. I would have done all that paperwork and searching before so I was ready to go when I quit.

Any other tips for those thinking of becoming a SAHM? 

Wonder Why Wednesday: Singing in the...

I sing and hum to my children, often like most parents. I am a bad singer, but they really like it, among other things I do for them. Music and my singing calms them. None of their family members have musical inclinations, so they will probably have a strong musical intelligence. Nonetheless, we do lots of singing.

Why do kids like singing so much? They learn when singing-the alphabet, rhyming, numbers, and animal sounds-but it goes beyond the facts that have been put to words. Tonight when my hubby ran in the store to grab something, I was left alone with two tired children and so I naturally sang to them, which calmed them. I've made long drives and sang to soothe crying babies until my throat hurt. So I know kids like singing, but why?

The entire brain is engaged and stimulated when singing, according to this interesting article. Chicago Children's Museum also provides these facts:

• Singing with a recording is not as productive as singing with another person.
  
• Singing enhances language learning.
  
• Singing stimulates both new learning and memory. 

So, is it a fair assessment that my kids are happy because they are learning? They receive gratification because they are communicating? Maybe they are happy because mom is silly. Maybe they are happy because of the tone of my voice. Maybe, my singing makes them happy for all these reasons. 

As A Mom, Not Sleeping

Hello 5:30, am. I wish you weren't here. More importantly, I wish you were here but I didn't know about you, which would translate to me being asleep.

Of course, I'm not because Za did not sleep well last night and fussed most of the night and wanted to nurse most of the night which is fine but she wouldn't sleep and nurse, which leads me to wonder if this is really going to be a more common occurrence. I wonder why she cannot sleep and nurse at the same time, which she normally excels at. I wonder if I'm being too tough on her because she is probably going through a growth spurt, teething, or something else that one year olds do. Then I wonder if I am being a softy and should put her in her bed and pat her to sleep. That translates to me getting less sleep than normally, so I don't do that, but I still wonder if I should.

I wonder how I'm going to do today because I actually have to work - outside the home. I wonder if I'll be grouchy or if I'll manage. I have no other choice but to manage, but I wonder if I'll do it well. Probably not.

And, here comes the sun. I wonder if I can get another hour of sleep before the kids are up for good.

SAHM Triumph: What Noon Mommy Knows

Sometimes when I am doing my SAHM gig, I get mad at myself because I think I could have done all the stuff I do now and the stuff I did then. Scrubbing the little insides of the sippy-cups and all their hidden crevices, well, while necessary, isn't what I (or really anyone) finds fun. The thing is, when I worked full time, we never knew where sippy-cups were. The car? Under beds? Someone's house? We always had the flimsy ones and when they got gross, we tossed them. I know that's bad for the environment and my wallet and I hated that practice. Now we have sturdy cups that I can't easily toss so I have to scrub them.

The triumph, other than the environment help and saving money, is that I have time to clean these sippy-cups. I also clean them as I clean the counters and don't procrastinate as the tired working me did. SAHM knows that when Ty marches into her room at 3:00 am and pokes my forehead with his bony finger and says "want milk" she will be really tired. So...

Noon Mommy knows that when she is loading the dishwasher, she should take apart the sippy-cup because Three-o'clock in the Morning Mommy may not and because I have the time to wash sippy-cups, that is my SAHM triumph of the day.

Educational Theory of the Week: Brain-Based Learning, Core Principle 10

Thank you for brain based learning theory number 10 (one of my favorites, dorky that I have favorite, I know): 

We understand best when facts are embedded in natural, spatial memory.

Yes, yes we do. How many of us utilized our rote memory for a test, using flash card after flash card? I did. I can't remember a darn term from my high school anatomy class but I sure can wire an electrical outlet because I practice on a real outlet. I was taught to do that naturally where the terms did not seem funny or out of place. Natural is best when it comes to learning. 

Example

This can go two ways: positive and negative. I've flipped out at the dog several times only to see my son staring at me and learning, "the dog pukes up wood chips, this must be how we respond." I think we've all done that (and regretted it and felt guilty and so on). But yes, children do learn facts, where that is how to react or how to greet or how to apologize to someone from our natural environment. Hopefully, it is more positive than negative. 

As far as teaching "facts" such as ABCs, numbers and later, reading and adding and then still later, grammar and algebra, people do remember and learn better when their natural and spatial memory is tapped. How do we do this? Well, it goes along with the cliche of "a life long learner." I always believe parents do not need fanciness to teach, but merely common sense every day activities. For instance, Ty "helps" me cook. This normally involves him dumping a cup or sugar or a teaspoon of salt into a bowl. But what else can he learn in this natural environment?

• Before we start, he washes his hands, which teaches him about science, health and germs. It requires about a 2 sentence explanation for me. Lately, he's questioned where the water goes, so I'm sure we are going to continue learning as we (very simply) wash our hands. 
  
• He watches me read the recipe, which I read to him, which teaches him letters and numbers.
• He sees me double check my measurements. Hopefully, he can take this learning and apply it to double checking his homework or his book bag for school.
• He realizes patience is required. Getting all the ingredients out, showing him that the product is not immediately finished and that we must clean up our mess is an important lesson. Food doesn't just POOF appear, just like learning and so many other processes in life don't. We must wait and be patient. 

How have you engaged your child's quest to be a life long learner, or taught facts in a natural way? 

SAHM Triumph: Visiting

Today, the hubby and I cleaned the house. We normally clean on the weekend, but we have a busy weekend with lots of visitors. (It is still pretty clean with a few cluttering toys. Also a triumph). For any parent, this is an accomplishment. Clean house when I worked? Not so much, not unless I stayed up all night cleaning.

After the hubby and I cleaned the house, we sat around, talked, and waited for ou friends to come. 

All of this may seem trivial, but this relaxed environment never happened when I worked. I would have been so tired and unable to enjoy myself. When I get tired, my legs shake. It's been a long time since my legs has disturbed one of my dinners out with friends.

Another set of friends is coming over tomorrow. We also have a birthday party tomorrow. I'm not stressed at all. This new balancing act, the SAHM gig, is really working for me. I feared for so long it wouldn't because I fear failure. Going to work on top of all my other responsibilities... I am such a happier mommy now that time permits joyful visits with friends.