A Quick Spell for Busy Home School Parents

Poor Boy. I've been so busy this last week, preparing the new web site, that he has done nothing more than Kinetic Math and English. Like a kid made to eat only cabbage, he is so sick of it and is screaming for diversity.

"How about you wash the floor for me? That's as diverse as you can get. In fact, it's probably a new skill for you!"

"You're boring Mum. Who votes Mum gets some new jokes?" ......and so the discourse proceeded.

Stretching into my inner creativity, I attempted to find interesting yet mother labour light educational activities for Boy. While staring into my wardrobe hoping that creativity would jump off a hanger and wrap itself around me, I spotted two bags of large wooden painted letters.

"Nah. He hates scrap booking and I have to be there with him to help." As I thought it, creativity swung its foot at me and caught me in the temple. As I stooped in pain, my hand latched onto the bags of letters. Before I even had a chance to consider how to spell concussion, bags, I and a fold up table were silently conversing in a lounge room strategy meeting: planning our spelling and word formation attack against Boy.

Letters piled atop the table, Boy walked past and asked what I was doing.

"Just taking a spell darling," (where did that hypnotic suggestion come from). "I was thinking that I would sell these on the website so just wanted to ensure they are all okay."

"Can I have them?"

"No! These are precious scrap booking supplies, not toys. Now go back and do another Math unit."

Gazing upon my time saving genius, I smiled wickedly to myself. "He's not going to be able to resist it," I thought evilly. "You're very clever Megan."

By the end of the home school day and without any prompting or help from me, Boy had formed as many words as he could. While I sat and prepared copy for the new website, Boy sought out additional, little chipboard letters from my art trolley. He discovered he needed more vowels to make words.

"What are you doing?" I asked innocently as he scavenged through the art trolley.

"Nothing," he replied in an excited tone. "Just taking a spell."

For a quick spell for the busy home school parent, buy some cheap chipboard letters from an art supply store and throw them on the table. Allow your child to formulate their own activity. Spelling, word shapes, spatial practice (putting two different letters on top of each other to form a different letter) and sentence construction, create yourself a time spell and put a little educational magic into your busy life.