Category: Homeschooling

Mental Health

I’ve missed posting here for a few weeks. I’ve been struggling with some mental health stuff. It’s just that time of year for me really. But dragging myself through work has been all I’ve mustered most days.

I took the opportunity to cover the mental health part of the curriculum with Steven. We had already covered mindfulness and ANTs. I wanted to make sure we also covered the stigma associated with mental health issues, the different ways people manage them, and resources for when you or someone you know is struggling. It was really just one big discussion, so I don’t have a lot of information to share, but here is a list of resources available to people who need them in Ontario.

I’m starting to feel more like my regular depressed self instead of whatever I’ve been dealing with the last few weeks. I always kind of drop all my self care routines in January or February and pick them back up in March or April, which always makes for a rough month or two. And it’s frustrating because I know exactly how to help myself, I just… don’t.

But writing has always helped, so this is a step in the right direction.

Flying Lessons & Other Stories

I picked up this book back in October when we figured out the problem Steven has with novels. He apparently gets bored with them after a few days. There are so many books I want to introduce him to, and so many I found at the beginning of the year when I was making a suggested reading list for his grade that I honestly just wanted him to choose to read so I could also read them. I suspect quite a few of them will still make it onto my e-reader. But I guess he’s just not a book worm like his parents.

He loves stories, but he likes being able to read them in one sitting, and getting him to read for more than an hour, even when he’s fascinated by the subject matter, is difficult.

So I went looking for a book of short stories that promised to introduce him to a variety of cultures and walks of life. Not just because it’s in the curriculum, but because that is why literature is important to me. It’s a way to learn about and connect with people who live lives much different than mine. Sure, most of the books I’ve read are fiction, but the humanity in them is real.

I honestly haven’t read much of the book yet, but the reviews are all overwhelmingly positive and the authors all look promising. I also found this PDF file that has a lot of good discussion questions. I’m going to get Steven to read a story a week, I think, and have him fill out something like these short story analysis worksheets.

The rest of the week is just going to be grammar review, nothing too exciting. I’ve just come to the realization that my child has no idea how to use a period. How do you get to grade 6 without that knowledge? I’ll share whatever I find for that next week, hopefully.

Stay safe out there!