Self-motivated Learning

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Self-motivated Learning

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

I get on these kicks and I swear, I can go on 4-5 hours sleep a night. It's all if you're motivated or not, I think. You have to find something you're into. I mean INTO, as in you forget to eat and sleep. That's awesome.

Right now it's apocalyptic books from the library... Life After Doomsday... stuff like that.

Also quite fanatical about baking new treat recipes... cookbooks all over the place...

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Treats? Do you do candy? IMO, that's some of the toughest cooking... doing homemade chocolates, but they're sooooo good. I'm trying to encourage my girls to plan meals in our home, cuz I'd like them to take over for their mom, who has enough stuff to do... but I don't want to force it on them either cuz I want it to be fun for them. The moment they catch wind it's a chore, they hate it... :)

Is it wrong to want to trick your kids into doing things they will enjoy if they don't recognize it as work? :)

--Ray

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

Well, I make chocolate nut clusters and fudge... so far. It's way fun!

I pretend not to "let" the kids help me... it's very sophisticated stuff... then they are begging to do it. HA.

Truffles are next on the agenda. Awesome minty chocolate truffles.... sigh...

-- Edited by Cocobeem at 14:04, 2007-11-27

zealia · Profuse Pontificator

When you say self-motivated learning, I am not sure if you are also talking about independent learning. If so, I will put in another plug from Confutus who you may know from another forum who has a web site and a forum devoted to independent learning. He also keeps a blog where he chronicles his independent learning. Some days I don't feel like reading my online books that are all nonfiction at my library because I am not up to focusing. And in the evenings, I generally like to play rather than study too much. However, I do like to read my books at least about one page of the ones that I am actively trying to make my way through all in a chunk. It gives me a bit of a charge when I do it that way. It is a sense of accomplishment thing too. In case you forgot, the forum is at sapiencekb.com.

As far as your girls planning meals, I think that would be good for them to do on a weekly basis or maybe for the girls to rotate.

alabamabelle · Senior Member

I love to research the 'topic du jour' in books, magazines and the internet.
Something will get my attention from things I read or something I am emailed from my gal-pals and it's off to the races.

Also, I look in on those free online courses that are the self paced gigs where you can check them out without any commitments. They are a great source of ongoing enlightenment.

that and I read all of the time. one of those freaks with a book in both cars, one on the desk, one on on the arm of the recliner, one in the bedroom and carry a different one with me.

I am also trying to learn one foreign language and remember another one. (other than English - HA!)

arbilad · Head Chef

I've met people who have problems remembering English.

Ros · Senior Member

rayb wrote:

Is it wrong to want to trick your kids into doing things they will enjoy if they don't recognize it as work? :)

--Ray

No!

In fact, it's the secret to life--doing things you enjoy because you don't recognize it as work.

Without this little trick, homemakers would be extinct.

Yes they would! admit it!

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

I admit it!

bokbadok · Senior Bucketkeeper

Cocobeem wrote:

I get on these kicks and I swear, I can go on 4-5 hours sleep a night. It's all if you're motivated or not, I think. You have to find something you're into. I mean INTO, as in you forget to eat and sleep. That's awesome.

No dear, that's called a manic disorder. biggrin

nitasmile · Senior Member

Ray wrote: "Treats? Do you do candy? IMO, that's some of the toughest cooking... doing homemade chocolates, but they're sooooo good. I'm trying to encourage my girls to plan meals in our home, cuz I'd like them to take over for their mom, who has enough stuff to do..."

The other day I saw some kind of chocolate melting pot (not fondue) that you can melt chocolate and then cover things with-

I agree w/Abby on having your kids do the cooking once a week, this way it can remain fun for them and not be overwhelming. Maybe finding ways to turn it into a game (if they like games) and/or give prizes.

Here is one fun idea: One website I saw had a neat suggestion about preparing a meal in which every item begins w/the first letter of your name. So maybe the first time your kids could make something in which every item began w/a M for mom or else the letter of your wife's name. To me, it would be a fun challenge for them? And then for the next meal, they could prepare only things that start w/either a D for Dad or an R. THen the next meal they could rotate b/w the names of all your children.

OK- back to self-motivated learning! Even if you learn one thing from each person you meet, I think that counts. Someone once said that each day others learn things we will never learn in this life. There is so much to learn! I've taken several independent study classes but miss the interactions that real life class provides. (this was before web learning).

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

I like that, Nita. It's been my opinion that every person has something they can teach me... and you folks teach me tons of stuff everyday. :)

Euphrasie · Senior Bucketkeeper

Mmmmm.....making candy.

I'm thinking I need to try opera fudge this year. Along with dipped regular fudge, peanut brittle, turtles, dipped caramel...

I'm also making candy 'eggs.' They look hilarious. (Scroll down to day 6.)

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

You mean... I'm manic?

But-but... it feels so good.

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

Oh, my GAWSH, Euph! Those candy eggs - I've got to make those, too.

In fact, I think I'll do that whole 12 days of Christmas for my awesome widow neighbor. Yeah!