I am the LEAST creative homeschooling mom in the world! - Page 2

[Quindin]

Originally Posted by robin4kids

I am right there with you, but I think the problem is not so much being creative, but more so not being able to decide on an activity.

I think that is a BIG part of the problem - there is SO MUCH information out there that it overwhelming. I am drowning in links. There is just so much that in some ways it is easier just not to do anything...
I am not crazy about the ready-made lapbooks though because there isn't much of each child in them if all they do is to glue pictures...

My husband's parents are professional artists, and apparently it passed down to DD. After we are done with the work, she naturally goes to her room and begins doing stuff. The other day she sew the coolest stuffed snake to stop drafts from the kitchen door (I can't even sew a button). She taught herself origami and has all kinds of pretty things hanging from her ceiling. She paints and draws all the time and makes her own sketch books.
So with her, if I have books around and supplies, she will take care of herself.

It is the boys who enjoy love doing crafts, but need ideas and inspirations to get started. My 9yo has so little confidence with doing creative things and is a perfectionist, so unless I come up with something very cool to do, he does not even bother. DH does woodwork and such things with them when he has time, but it is not very often.

I am going to take tomorrow to look at the new links and try to choose the 5 best ideas. Just to get started...

[vancouverlori]

Sigh. I'm sorta in the same boat. Except I am a little creative myself. But I hate cleaning with a passion, so anything beyond paper and writing implements stresses me out. We did some painting and plasticine this week, though.

My other problem is that I'm a perfectionist. And DS couldn't care less, he generally isn't all that interested in the activity in the first place. Which also means that if I get him started and walk away (which helps with some other things), he'll just stop doing it and tell me he's hungry or wants to watch TV.

I think planning might help, but DS is so NOT into doing anything that's not on his own agenda that I've shied away from planning much beyond trying to do a handwriting letter and read at least one book daily. Whatever I do try to plan generally ends up being an exercise in frustration, and then I start to get really pi$$ed and throw things at the wall. Not exactly a positive experience for anyone in the house, or the other library patrons who might have wanted to see the video tape I broke.

I did a lap book about Remembrance Day (like Veteran's Day in the US, I think?), which was OK, but I did most of the work, which is stupid - I already did Kindergarten. Calvin doesn't want to colour, or glue or cut anything.

I've got the "Homeschooling Ideas" book. And it's got lots of ideas that I think are great. I just don't want to actually attempt doing them. And I have all these other great ideas for which I've written up little index cards, but somehow in the daily hurly burly, I never do any of them.

Sorry, this isn't all that helpful, but it feels nice to not be alone.

I think I might start doing stuff from "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" for myself and maybe then DS will get interested in putting pen to paper.