Fishing #2



How to Catch a Fish

 This was our second time attempting to fish with the kids.  Only one fish was caught.  Sofia's reaction: "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!  Get away from me, you fish!"  It was a bit accidental.  I don't think she noticed she had caught him until she had reeled him in and he was smacking her in the face.  When we put it back however, she expressed her disappointment with these words, "But I wanted to eat him".

She was very patient.  We sat there for a couple of hours.  When we decided to take a break, she sat on a bench, pulled out her "Science & Nature" notebook from her messenger bag, and began to document the process of how to catch a fish.  You know, now that she's an expert and all.

I absolutely loved this!  Why?  What's the big deal about this, you say.  Because!  This is one of those weird, nature-loving, homeschooling things to do that I would love for my kids to do, but how to get them to do it? The difficulty of convincing a child to take on such a habit feels akin to convincing them to eat brocolli for breakfast on their own free will.  Sofia's weakest area in school is writing  (only because she's so freaking awesome at everything else).  I've suggested nature journaling in the past but haven't tried to push it on her in any kind of organized way because, like a hermit crab, I figured, she would recoil.  But. I planted the seed.  And the seed sprouted all by itself!  That's why it's so exciting to me.

She brought the messenger bag loaded with her newest "Science & Nature" notebook, plus a bird book and some other nick-nacks all on her own which in and of itself is a big deal.  ADHD kids can forget to bring their shoes on their feet if not reminded several hundred times.  It's these little moments of quiet and tiny victories that make my day.