How Much Do You Teach Your Own?

[Ceres]

I am curious how much the average parent teaches. I have a pet theory that most of what kids learn that sticks is taught to them by their parents even inadvertantly.

[BlackMagicalCat]

I spend lots of time disscussing religion,and politics with me son.

And anything else I think he needs to know,LOL

He thanked me the other day,for pushing him and teaching him.But I discuss with him and try to let him find the answer,If there is one anyway.

[Amethyst Rose]

I could only pick two that apply to my son, at this age - I take him shopping with me, and buy him some educational toys. When he's older, I can image that I'll end up doing everything you listed in the poll, and more. :)

[eldora_avalon]

We watch documentaries, read books together, all sorts of stuff. My son is five and asks so many questions. I buy him books for his age that are science related.

[Catiana]

I pretty much do all of those things with my kids, except the toy thing, because they're too old for toys.

[WillowsMuse]

I do most of these with my boys. They are still young so political discussion is minimal. We love science and read and watch as much as possible, even if it's a bit grizzly at times. ;)

[Kalika]

Well...

So far, our son watches documentaries/educational shows with us. We buy him educational toys (Leap Frog, Legos, etc), and books. We read to him, and ask him to "find" things for us after we point them out... talk to him as we dress him to tell him what we're doing... take him shopping. Name anything and everything that he points to and says "that?" (Which is sooo stinkin' cute by the way! :lol: ) We count in the tub, name the body parts as we soap up (he can point them out to us too if we ask...), sing and dance with him...

So, I guess we actually do alot! :) He's only 14 months old, and everyone always comments on how smart he is for his age, so hopefully that is a good sign. :)

[Athena-Nadine]

Well, Robert is only almost two months old, but I hope that I can check all of those boxes once he's older. :D At the moment, I talk with him and play with him whenever he's awake, and take him for walks to show him his world every single day.

[KaidaMidnight]

RW and I watch educational shows (sometimes kids.. sometimes things on animal planet, or history channel or discovery channel), read books and play educational games (candy land for colors, hi ho cherrio for counting that sort). I'm in the process of teaching him a new computer game we got him for his computer that helps with the alphabet. I don't read newspapers myself (my news come from internet and tv), but I do show him sites that I think might interest him. My two sons go with me whenever I go anywhere shopping wise. RW is kinda young for politics, and finances, but he does know that if he saves his pennies that he finds, he can end up getting bigger things than just a pony ride at the store (they have a pony ride machine that only takes a penny to ride). :)

[Tanya]

we do all of those things, as well as lots of focus on art, gardening, construction and cooking

[Astara Seague]

now they are older we talk a whole lot more about anything and everything I enjoy that!

[Amythyst]

Yes, I agree with you wholeheartedly-- most of what kids learn that sticks is taught to them by their parents. I've been homeschooling now since my 18 year old daughter was six years old. Both my two oldest children finished high school early and started college at 15. My daughter is majoring in art with a minor in business. My son just started this spring. He wants to go into computer programming.

At the other end of the spectrum, I have a child who is a daydreamer and is slower about learning than her siblings. But that's ok too. She's coming into her own at her own pace and is doing just fine.

Everyone learns at their own speed in their own way. It's something that has really hit home with our homeschooling experience! Learning is such an individual experience that I don't know how public schools can "pool" everyone together and make it work.

[MysticWitch]

I am curious how much the average parent teaches. I have a pet theory that most of what kids learn that sticks is taught to them by their parents even inadvertantly.

I watch learning programs with my child like how things are made and how mechanics work.

I do read newspaper articles with them, and magazines. My child love to look at my celebrity gossip magazines. I have even caught him looking at one without me giving it to them. I guess they like looking at the pretty celebrities :rollingla

I dont let my child on the computer too often. When I do, we do puzzles, math, spelling and those type of online sites/programs.

My child almost always comes with me when I go shopping.
They LOVE to shop!

I discuess finances too. I will say..We need 1.00$ for a popcicle.. count 4, 25 cent coins. and etc..

I buy learning activity books.

I teach them math and how to say big words and big sentences.

[Sequoia]

I don't have a daughter, but I care for a child who is as close to me as a daughter or younger sibling - and I do all but one of the above. (She's a little young for me to be discussing nuclear weapons and international politics with :lol: )

Unfortunately, she's in that phase where most of what she's learning is coming from the other kids who are mostly learning from MTV. -_-; Nothing like trying to explain to an eight-year-old why dry humping motions aren't appropriate in public.

[Bunthulhu]

I don't have children, I'm a bit young! But can I still vote in the poll, with what my mom has done with me? :)

[Ceres]

I don't have children, I'm a bit young! But can I still vote in the poll, with what my mom has done with me? :)

Absolutely :) I am trying to see how much people teach their own kids, so hearing from either kids or parents applies.

[Ceres]

Nothing like trying to explain to an eight-year-old why dry humping motions aren't appropriate in public.
LOL! Something like why its not okay to call your brother a penis in public as long as you arent using bad language. :lol: Though when you are five and you feel he richly deserves it, no argument sounds reasonable.

[Bunthulhu]

Well, I have always watched documentaries with my mom and still do, mainly about nature and animals or sometimes history :) I think most people take their kids shopping, often they have no choice! We've been in a money crisis ever since I was about 4 so my mom's always had to be honest with me about financial issues. Me and my mom do discuss current affairs especially if something on the news worries or upsets us. And when I was younger she bought me plenty of games and puzzles, I used to love this computer game about spelling and maths which had a flying purple dragon :lol:

My mom's always been into the big adult-y horror books and when I was younger she didn't want me going anywhere near them so that wasn't exactly something we talked about, but she did used to take us to the library every week or so and me and my brother would each get out a huge stack of books :)

My mom doesn't read the newspaper or use the internet hardly at all so that wrote those two off!! :lol:

[Brighid's Seeker]

We do all those things.

I ask my kids as many questions as they ask me. During the elections one of the kids chimed in "I hate Bush." Our response? Why?

We talk about everything. We share everything.

It is even better now that I am homeschooling my daughter!

[Semele]

We try to expose our kids to a variety of things. Trey, who is almost ten and has Asperger's Syndrome, is a bit more of a challenge to get through to at times, but he is pretty receptive to certain things. He can add numbers and things pretty easily but doesnt seem to really have a basic concept of how much things cost, although he knows how much he is trying to save up to get a replacement gameboy for the one he inadvertently broke because he was sleeping with it open.

I take him to the store with me and let him try to help me choose the best options for the price and he usually is more interested in things for which he has seen commercials. When I try to explain the difference he is usually moving on to something else that has caught his eye. the grocery store is a bad place to try and teach him because of all the visual stimulation and the fluorescent light...distracts him a lot.

At home we do a lot of discussion and activities geared toward teaching him and the girls responsibility and understanding of what the world is like around them. Trey has a fascination with various topics that may last anywhere from three weeks to three months where that is all he wants to talk about. this month it is the Statue of Liberty so we have done a lot of reading on her. She is 152 feet tall and her mouth if over 3 feet wide...that is all I can remember but I am sure he can tell you more. We make him read things when he wants to know something. tricky...but making it fun is easier than trying to force him to read something for which he gets no benefit as he sees it.

The girls on the other hand, we just play with them and count and all kinds of fun baby things that they seem to enjoy. The youngest loves to have books read to her and so she will always bring you a book to read and almost break her neck trying to sit on your lap!