Four Part Harmony: The Maestro Mom

By Krishyon Young
Web Exclusive

Bass, Tenor, Alto, Soprano. When they all come together harmony happens. The deep tones of the Bass, solid and rich, the Tenor with its melodic tenderness, the Alto with mellow full earthiness and the Soprano and her high and bright heady and ringing tones, all contribute to this masterful math equation of music. Certainly one voice alone is beautiful, but four has an unearthly effect on the mind and heart. When the four parts work together they “sing”.

Body, Mind, Heart, Soul. When they all come together harmony happens. They play on each other as musical notes enriching and complementing the whole. Using Four Part Harmony can bring your Homeschooling efforts to life, help restore balance and help your home and school “sing”.

Body: Get outside. Physical exercise is needed every day no matter the season. Skip rope, hopscotch, chase butterflies, ride bikes, run for fun, take a walk, climb trees, swing, play catch. Go sledding, snow shoe, do yoga out doors. “Take it outside,” my mother used to tell me. Healthy food feeds the mind and helps bodies function well. Don’t ignore this crucial element. For some children it will make all the difference. If you skip this step, certain children will not have what they need to succeed in the other three areas. Keep tabs on your children’s reaction to different foods. You may need to eliminate or limit an item to help a child concentrate and feel healthy. Watch how a little fresh air and good food can calm a cranky kid and stop sibling skirmishes.

Mind: Read. Find out what the mind craves and feed it. Does your child love poetry, puppets, puzzles or pyramids? Find out what they love this week and jump in head first. Try the library, search on-line, check out the book store (yes, even TV can work). Offer it all up buffet style and see what entices your child. You may be surprised; he may choose the leafy green science book over the sugary sticker book. Read every single day. Don’t stop reading to your children just because they know how to do if for themselves. Read subjects that interest them. Read both fiction and nonfiction books to your children. Read for fun.

Heart: Cuddle and kiss your kids.Watch the balance carefully between school Marm and loving mommy. There need to be times when you are not harping on your children to do this or that. Just close your eyes to the mess, if you have to, and spend time with each child without making a reference to their half-finished math lesson or their neglected piano practice. They need you to be kind, forgiving, positive and available. Read books that they like and visit the museum or beach with no agenda in mind (you will find they do plenty of learning without your prompting). Just hang out and have down time, time off when neither you, nor your child, are thinking about the pressures that can at times creep into your home because of school. Tell your children how much you love them everyday. Remind your family everyday how unique they are and what you see that is special about them. Ten to One: if a reprimand or correction is given, ten positive pats are needed. Catch children being good and let them overhear you praising them to others. Remember why you are doing this: you love them.

Soul: Pray and Play. What refreshes you and your family? Attending church, time outdoors in nature, quiet time together, family gatherings, sports, working on projects together, all of the above? Find out what refreshes your spirit and make time for it as you would any other important thing on your list of To Do’s. It is one of the essential parts of life and rehearsing the soul helps keep it in tune. Nothing will stop the music faster than a maniac for a maestro. Mom, when you are burned out, you can wave your arms and call out directions all day but you will be ineffective. Do what it takes to keep yourself in the game. If you need a night out every week, make it happen. Plan an afternoon at the movies with friends once a month. Make a standing date with your husband on Friday nights. Do whatever works for you. I hide in a corner of the local library sometimes. It’s free and I can get a little peace and quiet to do my favorite thing: read.

Putting It All Together in Musical Terms. Poco à Poco: Little by little. Slow down; be realistic with your time and efforts. Nothing gets you down faster than never coming to the end of something. There is an interesting saying that vocalists use: “People only remember the ending and the beginning, nothing in between.” Arrange your To Do list to have a healthy start and a sure ending. No one likes to be left wondering, “Is it over? Do I clap now?” By the way, encores are allowed and repeats are sometimes necessary.