I ended my last blog with the question How do you decide whether to ignore or seize a teachable moment? (See here.)
Kathleen, one of my favorite moms, responded with her answer. Seize when your children are interested.
I never had a problem with my mom’s teachable moments, but I’ve never cared for my dad’s. I think the difference in their cases is that my mom taught when WE were interested; my dad taught when HE was interested.
This perceptive mom pinpointed the overload of teachable moments in my household—and other households with curious parents. Not only did I want my children to learn from any educational opportunities, but also, I wanted to learn. Loaded with new knowledge and understanding due to homeschooling, how could I not pass along new connections as soon as I discovered them?
What could be better than delving deeper into past or current lessons? My sons’ answers: Legos, Playmobils, baseball, and Redwall books—eventually replaced by music, running, and computers.
Kathleen ended with this advice: Keep teachable moments short, responding to cool things as a parent and not as a teacher.
*Used with permission.
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