Homeschooling Resources

I had a couple of moms asking me where I have been getting my homeschooling resources from. Getting stuff locally can be really expensive & so I either source for deals online in US site or pre-loved locally. Whilst I would love to DIY stuff myself, it just doesn't make sense for me to do so given the time it takes. I have made some preschool activities on my own but all that cutting, sticking & laminating was eating away all that precious time I could have with the kids. And so I really rather buy that make or borrow.


AMAZON

We come from a family of book lovers. We have awesome libraries but the reality is, how many of us have the time & energy to bring our kids to the library everyday? When Leah was born, I started sources for books online. Then I found the amazing world of Amazon! Omg! Seriously, of all the online stores I could get books from, none have prices that are comparable with Amazon. They are easily 50% cheaper than Popular & STILL a little cheaper that Book Depository. Not to mention the awesome variety that they have. Amazon ships to Singapore for free if you spend a minimum of USD125. Which really isn't that hard. Lol!

Besides books, toys, teaching aids, learning resources are all alot cheaper. Since I have already started preparing for Leah's Primary 1 curriculum, I have also started buying related books and learning resources from Amazon in preparation.

Let's just say that I am not sorry for all that money I have been spending on Amazon. I have skipped on buying clothes, shoes and hell, I have reduced my hair cuts to once a year. I kid you not. BUT, I am not sorry.

Link: http://www.amazon.com/


PRE-LOVED

Our other avenue for resources is from fellow homeschooling moms. Kids outgrow stuff all the time & what is useless for one family could very well be what you need at that moment for a fraction of the price it is sold in stores. So always keep active in Mom groups! Like they say, "Moms helps moms & moms support moms!"



US HOMESCHOOLING SITES

Depending on which curriculum you have picked, their respective site would carry the full range of whatever you need. I have found "Rainbow Resources Centre" to be particularly useful. They carry various different homeschooling curriculums. Which is really helpful if you happen to be one of those moms that like to customise and use bits of different curriculums all at a go.

Link: http://www.rainbowresource.com/



LOCAL PRINTABLES

If you are into printables, there are plenty of free printables available online. Make google your best friend and the only thing you will lack is printer ink and energy with all that cutting & laminating going on. Locally, I have found "Preschool Resources" extremely useful. I have downloaded, printed & laminated a couple of activites from the site and it has turned out awesome!

Link: http://preschoolresources.sg/


Dos...

1. Do make price comparisions. Some sites are cheaper than other but some sites do not offer free international shipping. 
2. Do read the reviews. Especially on Amazon. I find the reviews especially helpful when trying to decide on a purchase.
3. Do be selective. It doesn't mean if a range of books are extremely cheap that you should buy it. Always narrow down your choices based on your needs.

Don'ts...

1. Don't lowball another mom. While it is alright to ask for a price reduction, no one appreciates a cheapskate. After all the mom you are buying a pre-loved resource from is also sourcing for other resources for her kids. So be respectful of other moms when you are shopping for pre-loved stuff.
2. Don't stop. Browsing different sites is a wonderful way of discovering what's new & what's useful for your kids. Plenty of the resources I have come across online, I have never seen them before in my time. 

I hope this has been useful for some of you. I am still learning as I go along & discovering plenty. I will share as I uncover the secrets. Hee... In the meantime, happy sourcing and share the love!

Weaning & Homeschooling

As I sit here typing with a cabbage leaf in my bra, it hits me.

This is it.

I will never have a baby suckling at my breast again.

My breastfeeding journey has really come to an end. No more sleepless nights with Anna waking up constantly looking for my nipple, no more cuddly snuggles during nursing. No more comforting FOR ME with her nursing. Plenty of mixed feelings. While I feel this weaning is really necessay in order for many positive things to take place, I can't help feeling emotional & kinda sad about it. Afterall, I still have a nice supply of milk.

The thing is, the husband & I have been having many discussions about homeschooling & the well-being of our children. We both agree on one thing - we can't have it all. From the time we had our first child, Leah, I have always been an advocate of breastfeeding. I fought against the painkiller jab on my thigh during labour just because the nurse told me that that jab would make Leah sleepy and might affect her being about to latch. I always knew from my first pregnancy on that I wanted to breastfeed my children. No matter how tough. And so I did. The husband says I am extremely determined. I totally agree! Ha!

So anyway, the time has come. To wean. For the simple reason that I cannot homeschool successfully if I am to continue breastfeeding. Anna nurses all night. I haven't slept through the night for a good 4.5 years. To put it simply, the lack of sleep makes me cranky thus affecting my mood & patience with the kids. Also, Anna loves snuggling up to me constantly throughout the day to nurse. Which really takes up ALOT of the day. Something we feel is beginning to adversely affect Leah. Since we weaned Leah off at 24 months (I was hospitalised with a threatened miscarriage), we felt it would be fair to wean Anna off around the same time.

At 26 months, we finally pulled it off. With much tears, clinging, uncertainty & insecurity. Nights in a row, I have been standing in the dark carrying my baby & rocking her to sleep as she would have no other. Neither would I. Coupled with horrid engorged breasts & fevers, I did my last bit the best I could for our breastfeeding journey. Ending it well.

The entire week that the weaning is taking place, we have done absolutely nothing. No worksheets, no activities, no educational field trips. Nothing. Nothing that would get us approved by the homeschooling judge. Lol. But you know what? It doesn't matter. It really doesn't.

That is the beauty of homeschooling. You are flexible. You adjust based on what would work best for you & your children. And because homeschoolers are usually ahead of their cohort in some sense, you have plenty of time in between for breaks or time out to handle the unforseen. And so this entire week, all we did was sing, dance, play and snuggle up to read comforting stories. Both kids know that Mommy is hurting & changes are being made.

We are surviving the week and my girls are learning more about life, love, empathy & compassion than any textbook could ever teach them.

Am I sorry I'm weaning? No. I'm doing what I have to do.

Do I regret not sucking up the pain & fever & pushed on to conduct formal "lessons" for Leah? Definitely not. We are having a different sort of lesson this week. Of which we are not able to explain but they are taking place.

Let's just say, my girls have grown up alot in a week.

Thank you God for another wonderful homeschooling week.

Parental Empathy

A couple of weeks ago, I found out that Leah had been left out of a birthday party invite. Honestly, it stung me like a bee in my ass. She had no idea that that had happened but I did & I hurt for her. So bad. I sat down & thought about how to manage the negative emotions that were overwhelming me. Firstly I was glad that she does not know about it but then again, I have no idea if she will eventually find out. Sadly, hurting is very much a part of their development. Something we cannot hide from. The only thing I can do is teach her how to manage disappointment, get over it & move on. To accept that everyone is different, that people sometimes make decisions based on their situation & that the world is made up of nice & some not so nice people. 

When our kids hurt, we hurt. Sometimes when our kids don't hurt, we also hurt for them. That is the wonderful world of parental empathy. Leaves us fiercely protecting their little hearts. My dear babies, I cannot change the world for you but all I can do is promise that I will be right here for you. Always.