Ashleigh Whaley
Homeschooling Adventures and Activities for July 2020.
July Activities:
Homeschooling.
With the start of our new school year, I was very excited when all the children’s school books (Paces) arrived in Zimbabwe. Ordering books in Zimbabwe is not an easy thing. Firstly, one has to move funds to the USA in order to pay for the books. This cannot be done by simple bank transfer, as all our local US dollar accounts have been closed. One has to ask someone in another country to help out!
Once the books have been paid for, they are then shipped to the UK, where they are repackaged and sent onto Zimbabwe. This complicated process takes about two months, so one has to plan well in advance. I always make sure I have enough books for the next year and a half. -Now that the books have arrived I can relax, knowing that the children’s schooling will continue, regardless of the present world chaos.
I love the way Murray John brings his whole collection of farm machinery to school, lined up and ready to work, once he has finished his daily goals. Such freedom of expression and imagination is something I treasure about homeschooling.
We took a week off at the end of July, giving me time to catch up on a few other things. The kids enjoyed a week of fun with their ponies, rabbits and guinea pigs.
My last post; ‘ Is Your Child Receiving a Solid Biblical Education or a Worldly Education? is something every parent needs to address, especially as we head towards the end times.
Homeschooling Friends.
This month it was exciting to have baby ducklings hatching at the stables, as well as baby bantam chicks hatching in Harare.
The children just love all their little friends. The rabbits and guinea pigs certainly keep Paula Joy and Murray John busy each day. Every morning, either the rabbits or guinea pigs join us on my bed, for morning coffee and prayers!
Homeschooling Art.
Horses.
Polo practice in Chinhoyi continued this month and each weekend we see an improvement in the children’s polo. They are now taking two ponies each to practice and are slowly learning how to prepare their ponies for the weekend. They are also learning how to care for them during and after the weekend.
Paula Joy and Murray John are also learning how to play polo on different horses. I make them swap horses, so they learn how to adapt to different horse’s strong and weak points. This is a very good way to build up their horsemanship skills.
We so enjoy the fun and laughter we have each weekend. This is great family bonding time, as we all chat about our game and share how each of our horses have performed.
Homeschooling Sports.
We went to Harare once this month and were able to spend a few hours on the tennis court. Much fun was had, despite the children being rather rusty, after three months off… However, it didn’t take them long to get back into the swing of things.
July Adventures:
Farm Life.
With limited water left in the dams, the children have been watching the wheat grow beneath one pivot. They have also been learning about all the different farm implements. Murray John now has a farm diary, where he writes down whatever he does on the farm.
Both children are now able to drive my double cab vehicle which they so enjoy. Nothing beats being able to drive the fancy car and not just the old farm truck!
With so much space available to us, the children enjoy heading out on their bikes to enjoy the surrounding bush. Sometimes Paula Joy prefers to take out her pony, instead of her bike.
Zimbabwe Economics.
Zimbabwe economic chaos continues to worsen daily. Murray John and Paula Joy have become aware of the worsening situation in the country and they have watched locals making changes to their lives. They are now gaining a sense of appreciation for how people can, for example, change their diets to suit their pockets.
The children have learnt to roast maize over a fire to make popcorn, which is what most of the staff eat for lunch. They are also happy to supply the odd guinea fowl, to be added to the staff cooking pots!
With no end in sight, we can only pray for the economy of our country, as we try to help those who live around us. Covid19 is not a huge concern here, as many people are desperately trying to survive, leaving little time to worry about viruses! Getting through each day has become the main challenge for most Zimbabweans.
Environmental Awareness.
With the cold dry winter upon us, we have to be on the constant look out for fires, as we are now well into our fire season. The children have learnt how devastating bush fires can be for the environment. Whenever we are driving or riding around the farm, they keep an eye out for fires.
Please keep your eye out for my next post in early August, -for more homeschooling and parenting guidance.
Keep safe and keep praying!
“Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3.
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- Our Fun and Fantastic Cape Town Experience.
- Our Homeschooling Adventures and Activities for Nov-Dec 2023.
