“Follow the child, but follow the child as his leader” – Maria Montessori

Beyond loving your children unconditionally, the most important thing you can do in your homeschool is observe.

If you happen to see me in the wild with my children you’ll most often find me on the periphery. Quiet and still. Sitting on my hands or with them behind my back. Watching.

It’s easy to want to jump in. To try to “teach”. To show. But, the best trained educators and natural teachers know that’s not how children learn best. Children learn from doing. They need to be actively engaged in their learning. Most of the time we need to get out of their way.

Your role as a home educator is more of a guide. It is to support them by providing opportunities and a rich environment that support their natural growth and learning. The best way to develop and optimize these experiences is to observe our children.

This is because I know observations provide valuable insights into where our unique child is coming from and where they need / want to head next. Observations provide valuable insights to

• understand individual development
• inform our planning and guidance
• provide intervention as necessary
• support social-emotional growth
• encourage holistic development
• document progress
• celebrate successes

However, remembering those observations can be tricky. Attention fragmentation comes with the territory. Home educators and caregivers wear a lot of hats.

You don’t need to rely solely on your long term memory. What you need is a Mother’s notebook. A Mother’s Notebook is an amazing observational tool. In fact, the act of writing your thoughts and observations on paper will actually improve your memory.

Keep it Simple

The simplest solution is often the best solution. Carry around a notebook and utensil. Write down what you see. That’s it.

Keep it Objective

The goal here is to be objective. Check your judgments at the door. For a long time I ignored my son’s interest in high speed crashes because I personally don’t enjoy such…action. However, seeing his repeated crash tests, hearing his crash stories, and experiencing a variety of crashes in our pretend play, led me to note this as an important observation. He seeks learning experiences around crashes. Noted. Over time you’ll learn to discern which observations are important. You’ll learn how to replace your judgment with a wide lens of curiosity.

Keep it Small

A small notebook is preferable. Important observations pop up frequently and also randomly. At the grocery store when your child asks about a dollar sign. In the woods when your child randomly asks to go owling. You’ll want something you can fit easily in your bag of choice, preserving precious space.

Keep it Accessible

Carry this baby everywhere as if it’s an extension of you. Mine is carried with me as I move from space to space with my children. Worried you won’t remember to carry it with you? If you can remember to carry a device with you around all day, you can carry a notebook. That’s some tough love, I know. Your device is kryptonite to your observations. Devices displace meaningful connection with distraction, anyway.

Jot Observations and More

I’m going to drift from script here and say that i have honestly used my mother’s notebook for a whole host of things so I can get back to the important work of observation. For real though, you should feel like you can put anything in here. Thoughts and ideas, learning, dreams, worries, successes, to-dos, needs- it’s all good.

Don’t stress trying to keep it organized by topic or by intention. Trust me. I’ve tried organizing notebooks by everything ranging from topics, intentions, and by calendar. It’s so much easier and freeing to let your mind brainstorm in list fashion. Organizing, and planning is a task for your reflection times.

Observation

I’m going to repeat myself because it’s that important.

Thoughts / Ideas

Do you have thoughts that pop up while you are tending to your children’s educational and developmental needs? Me too. We can’t always act on them in the moment. Yet, some are too important to let evaporate. Write them down and move on with confidence you’ll get to them later.

Learning

You’re a learner, too, momma. Each morning during my power hour, I spend time learning a skill or content around our home education. How to leverage my children’s focus was this morning’s topic. Key points were written in my Mother’s notebook for accessibility and ease of implementation. Throughout the day, I’ll easily refer back to the list as I prepare for execution.

Successes

This one’s cool. Take a moment to write down the moments that remind you of your WHY. Put success on a pedestal by writing them in your mother’s notebook. I love to share these with my husband. At the end of a challenging day these can help put our day into perspective. Our children are learning, and they are wonderful whole human beings. Do share these with your children as well. It’ll increase their motivation and love for learning when they are reminded of their successes.

Keep it Reflective

Review and make a plan.Here’s where you process your observations and begin to use them to take action. Read your observations in the evening for a couple reasons.

1. you can organize a to-do list for the morning. Making a to do list jump starts your morning.
2. It’s an opportunity to celebrate daily wins. You get a momentum boost when you review successes and growth. You’ll sleep easier when you lay your head on the pillow in a positive, more confident head space.

Ask these questions What did I see today? What can I do to create an environment to engage / explore / explain this interest / need?

Plan. Choose a couple actionable steps you can take the next day based on these observations.

Execute. Order the book from the library. Schedule a visit to the nature center. Purchase the materials you need for the activity. Take actionable steps to move the needle forward.

Takeaway

A mother’s notebook is the hack you need in your homeschool. You craft a well-tailored education for your children when you prioritize observations. You are moving mountains with all the hats you wear as a mother and as a home educator. This simple hack is THE paired-down system to create an intentional homeschool experience that follows your child’s unique education needs.

Life is WILD. Life is PRECIOUS. Take time to slow down, observe, and design the unique education your child needs.