Isolation can be a useful learning tool for teenagers. A stint in isolation can focus teenagers on their own needs. Find out more here about my personal experience of homeschooling my girls.
I have two teenage girls that I have been homeschooling for a few years. During the beginning of June 2020. I decided to sell and leave a very safe country and head to Tuscany Italy.
Rock climbing is great for teens. It’s an individual challenge in where they have to concentrate for that moment. It’s the difference between survival and falling off a cliff. It teaches them to focus in the now and the physical results are brilliant for teens who want to look fit.
No virtual game will help them in this activity. It teaches them individual determination of a strong mindset. The clothes that my daughter is wearing is all preloved North face fashion. Brand new never worn.
My daughters love to hunt for luxury fashion. I am teaching that fast fashion is lazy and not good for the planet.
They help me sell on Vestiare a luxury platform to buy and sell second items.
Lend Yourself To The Stillness
I ended up on a massive estate of wellness, stillness and surrounded by nature. I personally needed to reconnect to my Italian roots both in food, lifestyle and nature. My teen’s interactions were with adults only for several months. Due to the lockdowns and restrictions, their peers and social interactions were all based online. One of the daughters does online schooling. My other daughter has learning difficulties so digital schooling is not working for her for now.
Of No More Expectations
For my daughter who struggles with reading and writing, I can’t place the expectations too high and if at all. The challenge and key are finding educational solutions that work at every stage of her growing being. Teenagers are so fragile in so many ways mentally. Comparing themselves to social media. What I did manage to do was due to the isolation they were protected from face to face bullying. In the past, at school, they got this treatment many times. Due to being third culture kids. My children are and were the minority in their younger years of education. Finding the balance here is the key. As we moved around the social interactions increased and it’s been very healthy for them, mentally. Our kids learn from their peers.
Auditory Integration Therapy
I use for my daughter who daydreams a lot a program called Auditory Integration Therapy at the moment. After fifteen days of light therapy combined with 45min sessions of sound therapy. Her social and speech interaction has improved immensely. She is much more present in everyday interaction. Talks to me much more and even argue back. Which is very new to me and her. It’s important my daughter becomes her own personality and challenges me on a day to day basis.
This therapy has created her willingness to want to learn new things and become independent. Highly recommend this tool with an expert involved.
Sit Under The Diamond Sky
Tuscany at night when it comes to the stars and the moon is magical. Many times we would sit under the sky, look up and dream a dream. In this, I would learn and discover the behaviour of my teens through unplanned chats.
Let your kids share their emotions and listen. It helps them offload a time in their life where they don’t even know why they feel the way they do. Young people need to be guided in what they are interacting with online. Depression and anxiety are two words they use many times. I find it’s a Tik Tok trend that guides their mental choice of words. Be ruthless and monitor what they listen to. It makes a difference. Their online classmates will vary and determine their day to day emotions.
Undivided By Clouds
When I take their tables off them. A dark and gloomy emotional cloud sets in. Go with it, roll with the abuse it will alter after an hour. Force them to walk and talk. Teach them being bored is part of learning and it’s ok to feel like doing nothing. Feeling of loneliness is common through homeschooling and limited peer interaction.
Don’t fight in front of kids about vaccine choices. Do create healthy debates about free choices.
You, Will, Hear The Sound Of Silence
Social groups mean a social life when possible. It’s not possible with us due to our digital nomad lifestyle. So we have to create and plan to meet new people where ever we go. Sports teams are hard to find due to covid 19. But what we do is ski in winter and swim in summer. This childhood is strange and anxiety is part of coping with everyday challenges. Give the kids the tools to cope with remaining calm in their heads.
The Wind, Birds, Rain And Your
Having siblings is easier opposed to being an only child. Smartphones are escapism to force ids to interact face to face. So it is important when kids do meet others they are encouraged to put the TikTok away and just simply play. Even if it means no chat at all. Time teaches that being around peers helps the mind be happy. I noticed when my teenagers interact they come away feeling happier.
Breath In The Silence
It is important for social interaction, finding personal interactions with other people. Using Facebook, zoom for social wellbeing is part of how our kids learn to communicate. Friendships have been formed on face chat, during this pandemic. And many have also left online chats through bullying online. That is ok too. Mental health issues amongst teens right now is high. Mainly due to parents being anxious during a society of change.
It’s a hard slog to get my girls to walks, sports and nature walk. But I do it
The Dark Social Waley
It’s tough times for our kids to be forced to wear masks. Being forced to be vaccinated and make those choices in some countries without the law of parents intervening. But it is important parents are ruthless in the pursuit of what happens with their kids. That means taking the time to listen to their concerns.
My girls wear masks to hide from sad days. I allow it for a while and then take it off them. Our kids can not be gagged in showing public emotions. It’s a social interaction assurance that is happening if parents don’t step up against mask-wearing in schools.
Sir Richard film about the Williams sister is an excellent example of a dad willing to do anything to get his girls on the tennis radar. He taught them how to cope with rejection in depression and the will of self-belief.
Family And Friendship
I use personal adult friends to also mentor my girls. As parents, we have to let go and let them find ways to cope with being bored, unhappy. Don’t confuse anxiety and depression with being bored. They all go hand in hand. Including the tears, they shed when they don’t even know what they crying.
I am learning ways by going with the flow and learning from my daughters. I have no idea if I get it right or wrong. But I create a safe home a home where my girls can share with me or their dad how they are feeling.
Adolescence is an important stage of behavioural habits that must be explored. With more than one child, don’t ever compare them to each other. It can not be more damaging.
The effects of self-isolation are one I am very well aware of. It’s why I moved location to allow my girls to return to familiar ground. The feeling of loneliness is about finding balance with adults, social interaction and living locations.
We stayed in Venice for three months and the children learnt so much about history.
Homework
For me, learning is all day and every day. With tools now in education, this is the time to steer the kids into what they love and are good at. If science ain’t their thing why enforce it. Develop their individual gifts. The best is languages, social interaction, reading the room and network. By teaming up and learning from each other.
The Power Of A Father’s Interaction
My girls have their dad around them all the time. They learn a man’s interaction. The social interactions of having a male around are priceless. My husband is pragmatic and very direct. It tells it as it is. At times my girls end up in tears because is brutally honest about the effects of consistency and work ethic. At times I think it’s very harsh, But life is harsh, people will tell you that one’s ideas are not good ones. Peers will be jealous, hurtful and nasty. It’s who you hang around that will define your success in life.
Be ruthless in whom your kids interact. It’s the difference between hell and a healthy mindset to conquer one’s dreams.
Destroying History Can Not Be Our New Norm
You must be logged in to post a comment.