Skip to main content

From Batman & Robin to Cole & Kai

From Batman & Robin to Cole & Kai             

           Both boys have been interested in a lot of things since they are babies (maybe since they were inside the womb, writing this post reminds me of all the kicking and twirling). They can't just sit still, they always have to touch, smell, look closer, taste, ask questions, learn more, and I think this is also why we choose to unschool. We saw how they are naturally curious and their sense of wonder and imagination is way beyond classroom walls.  However, with all the wonderful and exciting things around them, there are a couple of things that stand out, that matter to them more, and that they feel are more relevant than others. 

              A week or two ago, we still had Batman, Robin, Spider-man, and other DC and Marvel superheroes on the kids' bedroom wall (which I think ONLY serves as their gallery, we co-sleep). Oh, how they would sit quietly drawing pictures or researching in Youtube/Piinterest after their evening bath! They would wear costumes and masks, role play, have us read comic books to them, collect and play action figures with each other or with friends. They would ask tons of questions about the characters, the stories, the changes/evolution in different movies, and more than what we can, sometimes, handle. I love how they are passionate about their interests and we feel fortunate that we have the opportunity to let our kids follow them. They might not make sense to us (parents), but we trust our children and we believe that they should be allowed to find meaning in their own ways. Their birthday parties had superhero themes too! (We let them decide on that and guide them with the details.) Adam had carnival games for his Robin 5th birthday and for James' 7th birthday, he wanted a Batman tea party. 
           However, a transition, interest-wise, is happening. James changed his birthday plan for the second time (after a "Movie Club" theme). Lately, he's been asking if he could have Ninjago masks and Japanese food for his birthday. I've also been printing Ninjago colorpages for the boys and their friends. Yesterday, just for the sake of making them feel special, we initiated a one-and-a-half  hour trip to buy Nijago toys. If I can only take a picture of the look on their faces when daddy announced the news, it was priceless! We even teased them "Ayeeeee, excited.." and they cannot hide their happiness. As a bonus, we passed by a 5D mini movie theatre and tried it because it's cheap and they had a buy- one-take-one ticket deal. 

            Our hearts were filled with so much happiness and the boys expressed how much they enjoyed the day and thanked us repeatedly. I hope we can do this as often as we want to. These are tiny "gifts" that we give or share with our children without any reason, with no strings attached, not as rewards for good behavior, but just mere expressions of how much we value them just for being who they are, just for being part of our lives. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Exploring Naujan, Oriental Mindoro

     About a minute after I started researching about the things we can do in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, I received an electronic notice that informed us that we missed paying our internet bill and then the connection was cut immediately. Usually I would panic, but we resorted to our original plan instead: to explore and be surprised by the things we will find on our own, to be lost and ask about places we can visit, instead of having a list of "things to do". Actually, not-knowing adds a distinct flavor to adventures, which offers a thrill factor when you navigate through places you have not seen an online preview of.  This free-style travel plan also help us take our time and just enjoy the experiences instead of rushing from one destination to another.      So here are some of our new discoveries: The municipality of Naujan boasts a good collection of ancestral homes that took us to another era in our history. For only P100, yes one hundred ...
5 comments
Read more

Day#3: Mansalay's Mangyan Burial Cave, Mangroves, & Buktot White Beach

     While enjoying our ride, Daddy saw a port and was curious, so we stopped to explore like we usually do and it was just the perfect time to enjoy some snacks so we bought some chips at the local sari-sari store as well. As we were licking our salty fingers, we saw some mangroves or bakawan, lining up a portion of the shore. Here are some pictures of what we discovered and enjoyed next.      We walked along the white shore, soaking in the unbelievable sight composed of mangroves, white dead corals mixed in the sand, and clean and clear water. It was definitely a stop worth taking!      When we reached a certain point, we found out that there are sea guards who are more than willing to take us to a cave. The tide was high, so we had to walk in knee-deep water, which made the experience quite relaxing and memorable.      We learned that the Mangyan Burial Cave is the resting place of some skulls and bone...
Post a Comment
Read more

Flexibility in Homeschooling

This afternoon, the nearby public school cancelled their classes. This meant that James and Adam's friends were free, which also meant that our homeschool session would be cancelled. One of the reasons why we chose to homeschool is flexibility. We always have time to accommodate spontaneity. We can slow down with our lessons if a child doesn't get a concept in Math, maybe wait when he's ready for a language arts lesson, or skip a topic that doesn't interest us. In our household, we do not follow grade levels or certain curricula. We also do not give/take tests so there's no need to hurry just to tick off some boxes of to-learn lists. We take our time, we deep-dive if we have to, we stop when we get bored, or we change course when we see signs that learning isn't happening the way we want it to. So today, instead of Math pages, some writing activity, and independent reading, the boys spent the afternoon with friends. Some might think that it's wastin...
Post a Comment
Read more