SlowBurbs.com™ Cultivating a fuller life on the edge™

Every so often I get lucky and can discover something personally relevant in pursuit of a freelance story. This month, for instance, I interviewed two well-respected local elementary principals on what parents can do to support their kids’ public school education. (Short answer: read, feed and listen to them well. Plus, one principal recommended “The Reading Promise” by Alice Ozma.)

Wanting to give a fuller picture of the area’s diverse educational scene, I also interviewed a public-school-educator-turned-home school parent. Her response will resonate with a lot of parents, and it’s certainly “SlowBurbs-y!”

An excerpt from my story:

In order to create an optimal environment for evening study and leisure, Laura Moerdyk thinks that parents might want to change their expectations about Mom or Dad doing all the housework and cleaning in the evening. A former high school teacher and soccer coach, Moerdyk is homeschooling four children and awaiting the birth of the family’s fifth child this fall.

“For us, that our children contribute to keeping the house in order is both a duty and service,” said Moerdyk. “By working together to tidy the house and make meals, we take the pressure off of everyone. This also allows us to be more intentional with our evening free time. Kids are big participants in the success of our family. That in turn helps them succeed academically. All of our kids are performing above grade level.”

Moerdyk believes too that physical activity—a minimum of 45 minutes for each child every day—is “necessary for their contentment and well-being. . . They are more apt to eat their dinner, too, if they’ve expended some energy earlier.”

Good stuff, eh? And I’ll add that my limited interaction with the Moerdyk revealed that the kids are bright, respectful and engaging young people.

If you’re a homeschooler or after-schooler, we’d love to hear how you and your family are creating an optimal home learning experience. Respond here or on Facebook!

Pamela Price is an award-winning blogger, writer, editor, and homeschooler in San Antonio, Texas. She attended public schools from kindergarten through graduate school. Pamela can be found on Twitter at @redwhiteandgrew.