B: Barrels of Laughs!

Laughter is great medicine! It even says so in the Bible in Psalms, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine..."

I find that laughter really helps in homeschooling! Especially when we are having a meltdown of some sort. One of the best remedies is to find something to laugh, giggle and just get silly about.

At some point or another in the week, I will have a child who gets really upset about their schoolwork. They either woke up on the wrong side of the bed, they hate math that day or one of their siblings has got on their last nerve! It usually ends up with tears and them thinking that the world is over. How do I help them? I could tell them to grow up, that life just gets harder, life isn't fair...etc...what do I do? I help them laugh!

For instance....when a child has really been struggling with a math problem....and I know that if it is wrong again, they are going to start crying....I say something like, "Hmmm......I never knew that 3+1=10...are you sure??" and I start laughing....they pick up on the que that it is ok that they got it wrong and start laughing too. Then we fix the problem together. 

With another child, I might say the exact same phrase, but in a completely serious tone, looking really puzzled...like I have no idea what is going on with this math problem....my child will start smiling thinking..."Ha! Mom doesn't know it either!" Then we dig out the Teacher book, when we see the answer we laugh together looking at how wrong "we" were!

The key is to be in tune with your child, know what makes them laugh, what is going to get that silly spot and go for it! Get them out of their bad day by giving them a merry heart. Cause it is really true, a merry heart DOES work good like a medicine!

Have a great day!