Rules for Homeschool, and Life

I recently typed up a set of “Rules for Our School,” similar to the set of rules you see posted in typical elementary school classrooms. We’ve tacked it to our new memo board above our dining room homeschool area. Following rules doesn’t seem to be the forte of anyone in my household — we all seem to favor creativity and flexibility over anything that predictable! — but, still, it seemed important to put to paper a set of values that we can use to speak of these things.

Discipline in the Homeschool “Classroom” - But Whose?

I don’t know who these rules are truly for, now that I look at them. Are they to remind my son of positive behavior throughout the day, or are they to remind me how to speak positively instead of judgmentally when things go wrong? I think they’re for me!

I tried to make our set of “rules” positive rather than negative and I hope to be able to both follow them myself and be able to remind my boy what he “can” be doing to contribute in a beneficial way, instead of reminding him so often what he “shouldn’t” be doing.

So here they are, our “rules”…

Rules for Our School

1. Look at the person speaking to you.
2. Look at the material being discussed.
3. Show you understand with your face and your eyes.
4. Watch for a pause when you have something to add.
5. Gesture when you’d like to interrupt.
6. Notice:
   Others’ understanding of your feelings.
   Others’ flexibility to your needs.
   Others’ unexpected acts of kindness.
7. Say thank you.
8. Use Nonviolent Communication (aff).
9. Listen for the difference between “maybe” and “no.”
10. Ask for a break to cool your emotions.

Non-Violent Communication

• Include your own feelings and emotions. Don’t read minds.
• State your personal values. Don’t judge others’ or tell fortunes.
• Be specific about facts.
• Include realistic requests related to your feelings and values.

A Higher Standard of Kindness

My list also ties in well with tomorrow’s holiday here in the U.S., our annual giving of thanks. There are so many things I have to be thankful for these days, but it is so hard to keep them in mind when you’re battling depression as I have been. But things have been brighter of late, so I’ll take tomorrow to try and keep my eyes open and “notice” the good stuff as I mention above.

Wish me luck saying thank you this Thanksgiving! Tomorrow we’ll follow Rules 6 and 7!

And thank you for reading this and for all your support, both expressed and unexpressed, sent along the invisible super-highway of consciousness in little “tubes” of happy thoughts!

Love,

Mama Hope