When you have a family, conversations and thoughts regarding education tend to turn to your little ones. You want to ensure that they are enrolled at the best schools, engaging with the best extracurricular activities, and have the best learning resources in order to gain knowledge and flourish. But education doesn’t have to be limited to childhood. You should focus on your own education too! Here are just a few different ways to fit all sorts of self-education (and consequently self-improvement) into your family’s busy schedule.
Taking an Online Course
If you want an educational experience where you take home a qualification at the end of the course, you want to consider academic higher education. Now, this may seem impossible with a family. But the truth is that institutions are now offering online degrees that range a huge variety of areas and topics – from an online masters in degree in clinical mental health counseling. These courses allow you to study from the comfort of your own home around your familial responsibilities.
Using Educational Apps
Remember that official and academic education aren’t the only forms of education that can benefit you. There are all sorts of other educational resources out there that can easily fit around your current responsibilities. Take educational apps as an example. The past few years have seen a dramatic rise in games that are directly marketed as educational: their prime purpose is to expand your knowledge and improve your personal skills. Many of these have now been made available as an app which can be used on your smartphone or tablet device whenever you get a spare moment. One great app to consider is Elevate, winner of Apple’s App of the Year 2014 and still enjoying profound popularity today. This app is essentially a brain training game that is designed to boost your productivity levels, earning power, and self-confidence, at the same time as improving your competency in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and maths. It’s tailored to suit your individual needs, only allowing you to progress as you become sufficiently competent in the previous level. It tracks your progress and adjusts its difficulty as you improve! Another popular educational app is Duolingo. Duolingo is an interactive app that helps you to learn a second language of your choice.
Reading More Books
With so many distractions at hand on the television and our smartphones, it’s not all too surprising that many of us no longer seem to have time for reading. But there’s so much more to gain from a novel, piece of philosophy, or non-fiction work than you can draw from memes on the Instagram explore page. So buy a new book, download a new E-book, or pick up something from your local library and get into it. You’ll be surprised at how immersive and educational an experience it can be!
These are just a few different ways to incorporate your own education into your family’s schedule. Never stop learning!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
Moms need to use their skills and stay sharp, you’re right that too often we let that go aside for years. Then when it’s time to get back to working (if you left to raise a family) It can be very difficult.
Reading is such an important skill. It’s so important that adults encourage children to read, not just as a skill and tool but as an amazing way to relax.
I haven’t read an actual book in YEARS. I need to make more time to sit down and read more.
I firmly believe that you should never stop learning. I love to read and learn new thing. I also encouraged my kids to never stop reading.
“Never stop learning” that’s 1 of the phrases my aunt used to say all the time. Funny thing, now I say it to my kids. It’s so important to keep learning so you keep your mind sharp.
I am definitely one that likes to keep learning. I try to do a lot of research and something that interests me and more of an experience of thing. I think educating yourself is this favor you can do for yourself.
I love your post about ways to incorporate education into your family. Education just isn’t for school! (a new tagline!!)
I am always encouraging the kids to keep reading even during summer time. We also use math educational apps. The kids dont even realize they’re learning.
Reading books is a must for me. I’m always reading. I think it’s important to always be learning. I’ve found some great apps too.
I really enjoyed reading this post. You provided some really helpful tips. I agree to never stop learning.
These are all good tips. I like the idea of taking an online course. I try and limit app time with the kids but they are handy.
It is important to make sure everyone is on the same page. Education is so incredibly important to healthy lifestyles.
Educational apps are a lifesaver. The lkid can start when they are really7 young with those!
We could definitely use these, especially during this last month of summer break. It’s always good to have educational tools.
Great ideas I would like to integrate when the new school year starts.
There are so many ways to learn from home. I am currently teaching my three year old how to read and it is incredible to watch him!