I, Shelley Giard, went nearly a WHOLE day without social media! HOLY MOLEY! For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you know that I am rarely quiet; typically posting at least once if not several times a day across the numerous social pages depending on what's going on in my world. That being said, every time that I have been quiet it has been for good reason; today was no exception.
Today, I was FOCUSED on a goal... a mission of sorts and had to do what I had to do in order to accomplish it. I know myself well; and if I don't zone in when I am trying to get something completed, my severe A.D.D. , scatterbrained self, and "I see shiny objects" mentality take over. I have to turn off all devices and distractions and just HONE IN on my target. Today, that target happened to be setting up my son's new "home school" classroom. What? Yes... I officially removed my son from his "half-ash" Pre-k program because he was not learning squat. I decided to take matters into my own hands so he is not clueless when he goes off to kindergarten next year. I am challenged, because in order to get him up to speed, I feel that I am going to have to school him all summer as well if I decide to start him next year. (I have still not decided on that one since he will not be turning 5 until late August. Any thoughts on that PLEASE share them!)
I have NEVER taught any of my children at home like this. I had a nanny for both my older girls, and sent them off to pre-school at age 3, never having an issue. My youngest daughter Abrielle had the opportunity to be enrolled into the public school system back in October just after she turned 3, to get a head start on school since she has Down syndrome and is doing fabulous! Zane, my super hands on, super curious, rambunctious, hungry, little 4 year boy who loves to learn but not in a traditional way is a loner in this game making his success in learning my new "project". I must admit I am determined to conquer this and will likely use it as an opportunity to learn some things that I should have picked up on in school myself when I was dazed, bored and confused. I am planning to teach him the way I wish I had been taught and see if it works. He is a lot like me in this way so I am thinking that we will learn a lot together!
Shopping today was a ton of fun, I bought dinosaurs, lizards, army men and dice as objects to learn counting and addition with. I bought activity books with trucks, alphabet workbooks, stickers for "that a boy" moments and posters for our learning wall. I then came home and cleared out an entire wall in the garage, which was already our psuedo play room, and I turned it into our classroom. I intend to put the finishing touches on the room this weekend by slapping some nice calm blue paint on the wall and creating a chalk/dry erase/ cork board combo. Decorating spaz, meets business mom, meets anal retentive organized control freak, meets creative artist... no doubt we will have a VERY cool learning environment!
Tomorrow will be day three of learning with Mom... and it's going pretty well (minus the frequent requests for snacks and water which I will break him of very soon) Did I EVER see myself doing this? Ummm NO! In fact I would never have believed I could do it if I had to, but... I feel I have to. I have never considered myself the soccer mom in any way shape or form, but I am also not the mom that will sit back and whine about how my kid is not learning in pre-school and blame his lack of learning on someone else's mishandling. (although in this case it is pretty much the truth) Bottom line is that I am his mom and it is my responsibility to help him any way I can, so I have decided that THIS is what I must do.
I intend to use this learning room for all of my kids. Baleigh struggles as well because typical school does not cater to the starving artists, the creative types like us that need a little more in their curriculum than "See Jane run". Perhaps something new will be birthed from this... other than the obvious disguise that I may be becoming a career woman soccer mom! HA :)
Life does not always take us on the road we thought we'd travel, but life will always get us to our destination if we simply take it one day, one moment, one experience at a time.
Goodnight, good morning, good day or good evening!
XOXO
~Shells~
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