TPJ 27: Can Your Child Really Learn Everything through Harry Potter?

Should we follow & encourage our children’s passions - like animals, robots or ballerinas - or drill into them the things they need to know, like math, science, and literacy?

If you are homeschooling do you find yourself wanting to follow your child’s interest and NOT simply replicate the school system in your home but worry they will miss out on the important skills we need to teach them?

Or maybe your child attends school and it seems you always have to fight with them to finish their homework or to study.

No matter what your path, this episode has some inspiration and practical tangible steps to bring the enchantment back to learning!

So, how can we motivate our children to learn the common core subjects? How can we make sure they get the knowledge without undermining their intrinsic motivation? It can feel like the options are to follow the child completely, as in radical unschooling, or impose our agenda on them either by sending them to school or following a set curriculum at home are our only options.

What if I told you there was a third way? In this episode we’re going to explore how to do both. How to follow your child's interests AND make sure they are learning the skills they need to know. I’ll give you 3 actionable steps as well as 3 practical examples to get you started. Here’s what you’ll hear:

[3:51] How will my child learn math if princesses is all she will talk about? 👸

[6:25] Can’t I just force them to learn?

[7:07] What’s wrong with candy in exchange for long division problems completed? 🍭

[8:24] Learning IS fun, right?

[11:29] You can learn EVERYTHING through ANYTHING

[13:22] Step 1: PJ masks, paw patrol, fairies… what is it?

[15:22] Step 2: Map it out

[15:57] Step 3: A little planning goes a long way

[16:36] Example 1: The world through Lego

[23:39] Example 2: Enchant with Harry Potter

[33:06] Example 3: Yes even Princesses can be educational!

By using this method we become a partner in their education. We collaborate with them by following their interests all the way through to the myriad of ways it can actually provide the education we may have on our adult agenda. When we teach and guide children in this way much of the resistance falls away and makes way for passion. With this education then becomes a fun and creative endeavor.

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Show Notes: https://www.theparentingjunkie.com/27