Super excited to have Miranda (@hosome_learning), a long-time friend sharing with us how she plans and carries out activities at home with her Baby G (3 years old), and Baby T (2 years old).
Miranda was a full-time working mother as a Service Manager in the Insurance industry previously. However, due to a temporary relocation with her family, she has been a Stay-at-Home Mum (SAHM) for over a year. To make her time more meaningful and intentional with her little ones, she had decided to do homeschooling instead of sending them into preschool or child care overseas.
Having been a full-time working mother herself before, she understands the pressure and lack of hours to brainstorm and think of ideas, hence, she now shares what she has been doing with her boys on her Instagram account to provide ideas and inspiration to other mummies!
First things first...
Miranda plans and sketches down the activities she would like to do with her kids on a notebook. She does this by themes such as "space", "travel" and so on, and the activities are crafted out based on clear objectives such as "mathematics", "writing", "sensory play".
Then, she prepares the materials and have fun with Baby G and Baby T!
Precious memories kept in journal
She shares that in order to motivate herself and keep them as precious memories, she has made a habit of journaling down the activities with her children. This allows her to see their progress and what she has worked on so far and keeps her going.
She shares with us her journey as well!
How long does it take to plan for the activities?
Miranda: It will take about 2 to 3 days for me to plan out the activities and also to prepare the materials as I can only do all these at night after my boys sleep.
How and where did you get all the inspirations?
Miranda: I get my inspirations from many sources such as Pinterest, Instagram , books, and also taking lead from my kids. For example, now my boys are very interested in the Solar System book, hence, I have created a series of activities based on the Solar System book that they read.
Any challenges faced in doing such activities with your kids? If yes, how do you overcome them?
Miranda: Yes, honestly, there are many challenges. The main challenge I have is to keep my kids excited and focused on an activity. Through this one year, one important thing I have learnt is that it is very important to know what my kids are interested in before I can execute an activity with them. This will help pique their interest and keep them focused.
The second challenge that I have is to find an activity that suits both of them. The brothers are one year apart, hence, their learning capability is different. To ensure that both will enjoy the activity, sometimes, I will need to create two versions of an activity, or make two separate activities for each of them to play.
Any tips for other parents during this Circuit Breaker/#StayHome period?
Miranda: No secret formula or tips in playing with your kids! Most importantly, enjoy the process with your kids and I firmly believe in play-based learning as I really do see the results on my kids.
Thank you Miranda for sharing with us!
We are praying for you mummies who are juggling your WFH and kids at home during this period!
♥️
Other Resources:
1. Follow Miranda's sharing and ideas for activities with little ones on her IG @hosome_learning! You will love it!
2. #Upcycling #SelfCare How to Upcycle Scrap Materials for Journaling
3. #SelfCare Why I Journal and How in this Crazy Busy World
4. #SpiritualCare We have also just launched our mori Bible Journaling Workshop online. If you would like to try your hands at deepening walk with Daddy God through journaling for your own quiet time, as a couple or a group (you can stream it together and share screen), join us for the 2-hour sharing and hands-on online session here!
You might be interested in...
Our signature World's 1st Pursebook for mummy's planning and journaling needs and kiddo's journaling/writing! Did you know that it comes with a purse and refillable notebooks?
This boy writes down what he experiences each day - something we as adults should learn from too! So honoured for our pursebook to have caught his eye 😍 Thank you mummy @dailylife____in.sg for sharing!
You can get yours here!