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The Well-Rounded Kid Is A Myth
Here's what works instead...
Hey everyone!
This week we're diving into:
The myth of the "well-rounded" child (and why it might be holding your kids back)
Instagram posts we can't stop saving (seriously good stuff)
Tools that actually work for family learning
Let's jump in!
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π This Week's Instagram Picks
Why traditional schools fall short and how family-centered learning changes everything. This post is a reminder that you are your child's best teacher. (link)
She threw out the worksheets and let her kids move while learning. Test scores went up, tears went down. Here's what she discovered. (link)
My gifted daughter was falling asleep in class while my struggling son felt stupid every day." One mom's wake-up call about who school really serves. (link)
The moment your kid sees you genuinely excited about something, watch what happens. It's like flipping a switch you didn't know existed. (link)
π οΈ Tools & Resources
Homeschool Art Box:
Monthly subscription with art projects, artist highlights, and art history for kids.
Type: Newsletter - Ages: Grades 1-8 - Info: Secular - Cost: $33/month
Anno's China, Anno's Denmark, Anno's Italy, Anno's Spain:
Visual, wordless books that introduce children to different countries through rich, detailed illustrations. Includes cultural, historical, and geographical elements.
Type: Books β Ages: All Ages β Info: Secular β Cost: $7.50β$55.95
Apologia:
Offers a Christian-based homeschool curriculum with hands-on lessons in science, Bible, math, and more for Kβ12 students.
Type: E-Books β Ages: All Ages β Info: Faith-based β Cost: $15β$315
Americaβs Story series:
A narrative U.S. history course for grades 3β6 covering major events, historical figures, and daily life in early America.
Type: Books β Ages: Elementary (Grades 1β5) β Info: Faith-based β Cost: $10β$70
Time4MathFacts:
Interactive, game-based platform for grades 2β5 to help children master addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Type: Games β Ages: Elementary (Grades 1β5) β Info: Secular β Cost: Paid ($39.95/yr)
πββοΈ Deep Dive
The Myth of the "Well-Rounded" Child
You know that voice in your head that says "my kid should try everything"?
Piano, soccer, art, debate club, volunteering β the whole nine yards.
I get it. We want to give our kids every chance to succeed.
But what if I told you this whole "well-rounded" thing might actually be working against us?
Why We Pack Their Schedules
Look, we mean well.
We think if we expose our kids to tons of different stuff, they'll find their thing and be super successful.
So we drive from activity to activity, hoping something sticks.
Here's what I've learned though: being okay at ten things doesn't beat being really good at two or three.
Here's What Actually Works
There's this researcher, Dr. Reed Larson, who studied kids and activities. He found something pretty eye-opening.
Kids who went deep with fewer activities got way better at handling emotions, taking charge, and leading others.
The kids bouncing between tons of activities? Not so much.
It turns out the magic isn't in trying everything.
It's in sticking with something long enough to get really into it.
When kids can focus deeply on what they love, they get into this zone where learning just flows.
They also learn to push through hard stuff instead of just jumping to the next thing.
Why This Actually Makes Sense
Think about people you really admire.
I bet they didn't get there by being just okay at everything. They found what they were good at and went all in.
Now, I'm not saying kids shouldn't try new things.
They absolutely should.
But once you see that spark in their eyes β when they light up talking about dinosaurs or spend hours drawing β that's your cue to lean in, not pile on more stuff.
The Homeschool Advantage
Here's where we've got it good.
We don't have to follow the crowd.
If your kid wants to spend three hours building with Legos, you can let them.
If they want to read every book about space instead of doing that extra math worksheet, you can make that call.
We can say yes to what lights them up and no to what everyone else thinks they "should" be doing.
And guess what? We're not raising kids who only know one thing.
We're raising kids who know how to get really good at what matters to them.
When we follow their lead instead of some checklist, we're not just teaching them skills.
We're teaching them that their interests matter and that going deep feels way better than skimming the surface.
So here's my question: What would happen if you stopped worrying about checking all the boxes and started paying attention to where your kid's energy naturally goes?
What are they already obsessed with that maybe deserves more of your yes?
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