Mom Is Teaching

I think we’ve all been there. Doing something mundane and ordinary when suddenly it becomes a teaching moment for our kids. Who knew that every moment of your day is an opportunity for kids to learn? When you break free from the “learning only happens from 8-3″ mindset the number of moments that we see as educational blossoms. Here are a few of the fun ones we’ve had lately.

1. Watching the moss grow. I know, it’s moss. But the green stuff fasinates my boys. Pull some up from the sidewalk, pull out the magnifying glass, and fire up Google.
2. Pouring a bowl of cereal. “Where does creal come from? Who makes it? Why? Why? Why?” This is why mommy needs coffee in the morning. He’s ready to learn before I’m out of my jammies and fuzzy slippers.
3. Doing the laundry. “Mommy why is your silver shirt so soft? What’s silk? Let’s go find silk worms in the back yard! What do you mean they aren’t out there?”
4. Going to the post office. We’ve got math (paying for postage), history (Why does this building look so old?), and that socializing everyone keeps talking about (Honey, the nice woman needs to get back to work now. You can stop talking anytime now…)
5. Taking a picture. Especially when I go old school and pull out the polaroid.
6. Driving. Anywhere. Especially if you’re packed right.
7. Paying bills. There’s more of the socialization and a chance to be questioned fifty million times if the electric company will really turn off the power if I buy the boys toys instead of paying the bills.
8. Looking through old photo albums. I think explaining why mommy used to dress so funny is a lesson in history, culture, and society that no child should be without.
9. Finding a dead bird on the front porch. Next to a very content cat. That was difficult to explain without tears. My own included.
10. Checking my email. With a pre/early reader in the house I can’t get on for 5 minutes without “What does that spell? What does that say? That’s an E! And there’s a D! And…”
11. Going to the park. Sure it seems like just a bunch of fun, but there are also some great educational moments. Like if you spin mommy too fast on the merry-go-round she will need to lay very still in the grass for at least 15 minutes.
12. Having a baby. Ask anyone with more than 1 child how much their older kids learned by having a sibling. Just changing diapers alone is a learning experience for everyone.
13. Visiting the grandparents. What can’t you learn when sitting on Papa’s lap?