This is Monday morning and I’m sitting in front of my laptop after dropping my kids at the school. I’m in the condition where I’m forced to think that if a bundle of worksheets and written homework on the weekends are like a child labour in the schools.   Don’t mind if you are doing this as a teacher or parent of a home-schooled I’m explaining here why I’m thinking in this way. He returned from school with 9 worksheets and one notebook to be written on weekend. After Friday prayer they reached home and after some snacks, it was evening(about 1.5 hr left to be night)  and asked them to go outside for some week relaxation and friends gathering. As I also feel a little freedom of no work like all working days. So all the homework was pending for the next two off days. At morning after breakfast, all the friends of them were waiting outside so they went and Done many healthy activities and enjoyed much. Noon was the time to study and in the evening they left for the mosque. And Sunday morning again Was the time to play outside as Baba was also at home, they played more than Saturday. When at the study time they sit to do homework younger one who is in the grade one told me, ‘mom I have many worksheets to be done today’. As already prepared children and sharp kids in writing and reading with other activities, my two kids do all of their homework themselves. I just sit for a little time for check and balance. I was shocked with that a lot of worksheets. When Baba told them that they are going to the Fun park, for him it was a time to write more faster. But for so young child of grade one, it was impossible to write all those in one sitting with having an excitement of going outside. So some were done and later after taking bath and eating food they were out And returned much tired. They went to sleep and Sunday ended up. He could not complete all the work. And in this weekend routine, I didn’t mention another thing like reading of Quran, and religious oral activities I used to teach them at home. So it was Monday morning he woke up at 6, wrote all three worksheets and one notebook in about 35 minutes and then ready for school. Got a big thumbs up from Baba and mama for achieving the goal.  It was a good experience for him and me as well. But I’m in the feel of a little guilt.  As a mother, a teacher and as a writer, I feel it is another kind of child labour. I think children should have no work to write for weekends. As they are writing for whole 5 working days at school and in the home as well. Weekend means weekend. It should be just for fun, doing oral and practical activities, to spend more time with family and friends, watching some educational and children fun videos, and outdoor games. My boy was ambitious, keen and prepared but what about the other kids who just started to grip a pencil and just started writing. I want to hear from all of you, Do you agree with me that a lot of writing work and worksheets are like child labour? Do you also think weekends should be weekends for other activities not for writing and boring study schedule? Do you think children learn more with playing, group activities, the family gets to gathers and fun activities? Do you also think writing and reading is the best way to teach kids? Are you agree with me, reading and writing could prepare kids just for sitting in front of desks, instead of giving life skills. Leave your comments about the good or bad experience about worksheets. It’s a time to give a big no to child labour in the study. You can read these articles to know more about skills and activities good for kids to do at home. Read this to know which skills your Home-school kids need to be taught Homeschool activities to teach Six rights of a Muslim towards other(part 1)Seerah series Parenting smart guide to develop study interest in children The methods of a good Homeschooling in Islam?

Ways to teach children of all learning type using the method of good homeschooling in Islam? Fathers and mothers will equally be asked about the upbringing and education of their child, not educational institutes.  And whatever parents teach and train to their child is called homeschooling. Let’s see What is the meaning of homeschooling? Homeschooling. known as home education, is the education of children inside the home. Home education is usually conducted by a parent or tutor. Homeschooling means an informal way of getting knowledge and learning. And informal learning starts when a child born he starts to learn and starts getting life skills. In this regard Parents sibling, society, schools, religion plays the role. Good Muslim homeschooling starts from the lap of the mother and it never ends till the life ends.  Hence, parents could not get full knowledge of every field of life but little knowledge of every field of life is necessary for good homeschooling. Here is a complete guideline for parents who do homeschooling. Homeschooling consists of three facts. What to teach,  Whom to teach  and how to teach?                                   Whom to teach? Education starts from the very first day of birth and ends up with life. But as the methods of good homeschooling are under discussion, only Children’s education will be highlighted here. Every child has own individual learning style. Nowadays, every educationist as well as homeschooling parents aware of these seven learning styles.              8 learning styles: The linguistic learner The naturalist The rhythmic learner The kinesthetic learner The visual or spatial learner The interpersonal learner The Intrapersonal learner. Read more   These learning types find and fit onto the individual persona of the child and are applicable just for preschoolers and a little informal education.  And at the last, formal institutes are using a typical method(more writing and reading). In the homeschooling method, the regular syllabus is available in the market. But a parent or tutor has more flexibility to teach with individual personal learning styles.  How to teach?  The methods of good homeschooling. What strategy should be applied to nourish skills rather than teaching knowledge?   Islam is a complete religion and it has an own code of life which nourishes individual skills. It gave human beings a wonderful homeschooling method(informal training system Like mosques, madrasa) which emphasis training and practice more than learning. Quranic methods of human training have such wonderful features that fit into the methods of good homeschooling. All social development and advanced technology are because of That Islamic(INFORMAL)homeschooling method.   Today it is needed to move back where and follow Quran which has complete homeschooling methods  Now see how Quranic methods of a god homeschooling will be applied, using four sources of information on the children of all learning types to nourish their personal skills. 1) The artistic and verbal method and the tone of voice (as Qur’an uses) in a good Homeschooling help more.  Children love to color and want a variety of toys, clothes, foods, games, stories, poems outings, etc. And they learn while playing but they need dictation(Molding interest and converting information). And dictation should be more attractive with a soft tone of voice and verbal sentences. Instead of teaching the knowledge, convert the information. Suppose, if a child hurts someone(his siblings, friend, and bug or bee), and he would be told not to do this in insulting or dictation method and harsh words would be used to stop him, this will not work.  A good method of good homeschooling is that it makes him realize he did wrong, wisely using soft words and a painful wise tone. like: – oooh it must be hurting him,  it is very painful for him, You must say sorry and hug him, Because of the devil, you did it so say  Astaghfirullah.  This thing and style feel sorry for him. The intellectual and scientific content When children are being homeschooled, they ask,  what is this?  why is this? where is something? etc.  They should be answered wisely with scientific content   Like: –  If Children ask why a bird can fly and I can’t? Answer with scientific reason makes things easy and understandable.  Your answer should be like this; –  he has wings,  it has less weight,  and he can push air and can go high and fly.  Make a paper/origami bird or plan to show the example. Just answering them that because they are the bird and we are not is not enough. 3) The reinforcement of the spiritual dimensions of man. In a Good homeschooling method, a child could be treated according to his own spirit and level of learning. In this regard learning types of a student could help. Read more  4) The appeal to reflect and ponder. In this regard provide material to them and let them practice. Facilitate a child with the application. In a good homeschooling method, a single item could help much.  Activities Like: –  Seed a plant and observe the stages of its growth,  Take the fruit basket and observe the colors and taste of different fruits,  Colors combination(red and yellow makes orange) 5) The appeal to the study of nature. Nature is the world’s best trainer and teacher.  As a homeschooling student, a child gets more time to play and live outside. Spend more time outside near nature and discuss birds, plants, clouds, the sun, day-night, bugs bees, land, and hills.  In this regard, I have another article about mobile apps which helps a child to study nature. 6) The tapping of the historical incidents for evaluation. In the method of good homeschooling,, history works like junk food. Direct from shop to mouth. Stories from the Quran,  Then make own stories for kids like, Story of a pencil was made,  The living style of old ages,  How a knife or fire harmed anyone? The story of the child’s childhood.  And most attracting stories for children are your own childhood stories. 7) The expounding of the mysteries of the creation.Discussion