Growing up I was blessed with grandparents that lived down the street. Three nights a week we would spend at their house with the main rule being that we had to be back by eight o’clock the next morning so we could start school. So little of an education happens in the classroom that grandparents can be teachers and educators themselves. Mine definitely were.
If your family is blessed with extended family nearby, specifically grandparents, you are blessed indeed. Most grandparents are eager to be a part of the day-to-day lives of their grandkids, and as homeschoolers, you’re in a unique position to make that happen.
Including grandparents in your homeschool will allow you more time for other projects, and it will help strengthen the bonds between your kiddos and your parents. Even if your parents don’t live around the corner, they can still help out. Here are some great ways you can include grandparents in your homeschool.
Make use of their knowledge and skills
Are your parents willing to share their hobbies, history, or knowledge with your kids? Do they garden, cook, collect coins, speak a foreign language, or run a business? One of the great things about homeschooling is that your kids’ education often comes from experiences within their community. Ask your parents if they would be willing to share one of their passions with your kids, and schedule a time for them to get together regularly to explore it together.
Encourage Grandparents to Take Field Trips with Your Kids
Kids and teens love field trips, and grandparents are often in a unique position to take them on outings as time allows. This enables grandparents to be part of one of the more exciting aspects of homeschooling, and kids will definitely appreciate the change of pace. You can help by suggesting destinations based on what you’re learning in your homeschool, or you can let the grandparents choose a destination they’re interesting in visiting with your kids. As an added bonus, you’ll get the day off too and can take some time for yourself.
Grandparents Make Great Pen Pals
Do your parents live far away from your family? How about suggesting that your kids and their grandparents become pen pals? Younger kids can practice their reading and writing skills as they converse through old fashioned pen and paper. Teens may want to practice writing in a different language or interviewing their grandparents for a history project. Communicating with their grandparents in this way will strengthen their relationship, and your kids will also learn the importance of good penmanship, grammar, and spelling, which is important at any age.
Give Grandparents Hands-On Opportunities
If you’ve got your hands full giving spelling tests, planning lessons, and helping your kids study for exams, you’re not alone. But you can ease your burden a bit by recruiting Grandma and Grandpa to help out. Ask them to help your kids study, grade papers, or take the kids to music lessons. Not only will this help you out, but it will also give your parents a chance to see for themselves how wonderful homeschooling can be.
Grandparents are such a blessing! Find ways to include them in your homeschool, and you’ll reap the benefits — stronger family ties, more time for yourself, and a multigenerational learning experience for your kids.
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