#Unschooling Life Hack: Get Your Kids Involved in a Fun Fashion (Plus: Great Apple Music playlist for cleaning the house/calming everyone down)
We all know home life can be hectic.
Mom, dad, and kids all have their separate agendas and goals. Things they want to be doing and to get done. Time is at a premium. On top of that, you've got the dishes to be done, clothes to be washed, and vacuuming to do. This type of situation tends to lend itself to squabbles, which, when they occur day after day, can be a real energy drain for the fam. You know you all love each other, but damn, if it doesn't just seem like everything is out of wack, sometimes. And by "sometimes," I mean almost every damn day! ;)
My approach tonight.
I mentioned in my previous Unschooling Blog post that I have been affording my 4-year-old son more and more personal freedoms, as I feel I should, and I have been blown away by the results. When he feels that I am actually treating him as an equal, and not a little "half human" that should simply follow my commands, he seems to fill with pride, become empowered, and make pretty damn good choices.
Tonight, after his mother had left for band practice--and we had all had somewhat of a hectic day--I put on some music for atmosphere and told him I was going to clean a bit. He really was getting into the music (the "My Neighbor Totoro," Tonari No Totoro, soundtrack). He was dancing all around in the kitchen and doing flying leaps into the futon, etc. We eventually began dancing together and laughing. It was fun.
Later, we put on an Apple Music Playlist, which is a compilation of Studio Ghibli songs interpreted by the Kazumi Tateishi Trio. It's called "Ghibli Meets Jazz," and it's just great for creating a calm, happy evening atmosphere in the house. I even noticed that my son seemed to be playing in a remarkably relaxed way by himself, while the music was playing. He didn't really notice the music, maybe, but when it stopped, so did his play, and he asked me to put on another song. I thought this was interesting. The relaxed jazz also created a nice atmosphere for when my wife got home. I recommend!
Doing the dishes.
I fucking hate doing dishes. I don't know why, but it is just one of those chores that seems to drive me nuts. Isaiah, my son, was already helping with the vacuum cleaner tonight, so I thought I might make doing the dishes more fun by getting him involved as well. I asked him whether he wanted to rinse or dry. He chose to dry. I had him set up on a bench right behind me in the kitchen. I would rinse a dish, pass it to him, and then he would dry it and choose a good spot for it in the cabinet below. I started to give the dishes "personalities," and making them laugh when he dried them, and making them beg him to stop as if they were very ticklish. He loved this, and we got all the dishes done together. I think he felt proud and mature to be part of the important "adult" process of cleaning the house.
So, I guess the moral of this story is, if you can make it a game...DO IT!!!!! And be sure to have good music on while the game is in gear!
I put this part of the post here at the end (although it is the first part of the title), because in many ways I believe the music really shaped and directed our night tonight, and thank God for that! I'm not sure that without the "existence sauce" the music provides for smoothing things out in the house, we would have ever played the "dish game" at all. So, in short...here's to music, jokes, and games!
That's it for today. Unschool on!
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
Interesting insight. It's so amazing to see how music sets the mood and for that reason I always have my favorite music playing in my home. It's equally amazing how children rise to our expectations of them. If we expect a certain level of performance and behavior we have a pretty good chance of getting it a large percentage of the time.
Such a Nice Idea I will Try To Do it
Hadn't thought about making chores fun! Might be a good idea, though. I use the making fun strategy when we do Math, especially when my son is not very sure about the answer and tends to panic!
thanks for sharing
Such a good idea, getting them involved in the less fun chores of keeping a house will set him in very good stead for the future.
Wow great job friend. In the play way method you have teached your son how to settle things orderly. Thanks, Good parenting skills.
A little kindness goes a long way. Kids remember how you treat them and the childhood memories about a person remain forever. This approach of yours is going to make the bond between you two, stronger. :)
Thank you!
Cool idea this way you get everything done smiling
If your son enjoyed it then you might be lucky and let him do them in the future
I hate dishes so much that now I have a dishwasher
But is still crap because I still have to rinse them myself
I have no kids yet
Nice article keep it up
Very impressive techniques, using in teaching about discipline ..Through entertaining, he was become motivated to perform every task orderly... Appreciate your trial... Thanks for sharing...
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