The Monthly Chat


<< Previous editions   February, 2011   Next edition >>

Printable bits of wisdom, ideas, and reflections for your friends and
homeschool group, from the members of HomeschoolClassifieds.com
Opinions expressed are those of the individual authors.
©1997-2009 HomeschoolClassifieds.com, Knoxville, TN

 
Organization/time management
Too many Papers!!

Aaah...yes...papers, papers, everywhere papers! Paper can clutter our home and our lives quite easily.

I just want to encourage you to free yourself, and your family, from being dragged down by the mess of papers in your home. I have definitely had the paper challenge in my life, and continue to strive to get and keep it under control. It's a continually process.

A few tips that I have found helpful to control papers, and my time are:

First of all, take care of incoming papers (especially mail) immediately, or at least the same day. Design a simple filing system and put it there first thing: garbage, urgent, important.

Secondly, delegate to each family member, the responsibility to keep their own papers organized. And remember that this is a important skill that your children will take with them into adulthood! Encourage your children, and take the time to work together to find a simple system that is age appropriate. It will be worth the time. The most important thing is that it is user friendly. No one likes to take the time to put something in it's proper place if it is a pain to do so. It simply just doesn't happen. I love the saying 'everything in it's place'... but that only happens if it is easy to do so.

Lastly, Set aside a few minutes each week for paper control. Even if it's just 10 minutes on a Sunday night. You will be amazed how much can get done in 10 focused minutes.

Start the new year out right, and take control of the paper that so easily can control the mood in your home. I challenge you to step up and tell paper who the real boss is. And as a bonus, teach your children a very important skill.
northland_homeschool
 
Homeschool helps
Remembering to comb my hair

The other day I was walking out of the bank with my very stylish (her choice) 5 year old daughter. I caught sight of myself in a car window, which prompted me to ask Lily, ''Does my hair look brushed?'' She studied me and said, ''Sort of.'' Sigh. What had happened to me? There have been too many of days like this lately. Days when I (gasp!) totally forget to brush my hair, or my teeth (gross!) I had a career in television and film before I started to homeschool. I NEVER would have dreamt of leaving the house without doing my makeup, let alone not combing my hair!!!

That moment changed me. I had that shocking revelation that I keep the house tidy. I keep the horse barn tidy. I make sure the kids are clean, the clothes are clean and that everyone brushes their teeth. Everyone but me. I decided that one of the most fruitful things I can do for myself, and probably for the Lord too (not to mention my husband) is to begin to care for myself a little more.

You are probably going to think that I decided to join a gym, or start a weight loss program. That's for a different day. I decided to take 10 minutes every day just to fix my hair and apply a little makeup. In my 30s, I didn't really need much makeup. Well, everybody knows, 40s are a little different.

Here I found out that applying a little foundation, bronzer, eye and lip liner, and mascara, plus a straight iron to smooth out my already way-too-straight hair takes about 9 minutes total. I looked better. Way better. And, I felt better. Way better.
deltagirl

Other
It's Okay to Waste Money

This sounds like terrible advice for most of us, but it is one of the best pieces I ever received in nine years of homeschooling. The point is that sometimes you will buy curriculum that just doesn't work out for you or your children. Don't keep using it just because ''I spent all that money on it!'' Just know ahead of time that some materials won't be right for you, and it's okay to switch to something else mid-stream. HomeschoolClassifieds.com is a great place to sell those items you decide not to use, as well as a great place to find something different at a discounted price.
specialmom
 
Other
It goes both ways

My thoughts on the announcement quoted here: ''11/18/10 We want to encourage not only well-handled transactions, but also timely email responses and immediate removal (or hiding) of items sold or promised. For this reason, we will shortly begin allowing members to rate these latter two areas -- whether or not a purchase occurs. So, sellers, please remove (or hide) unavailable items promptly, and answer all email queries.''

It goes both ways.

I buy, and I sell. I expect to be treated as a person in either position. While sellers DO need to behave as stated above, the buyers need to do their part, too.

How many times have I had a person contact me about something I have listed for sale...and I reply to them within hours (I do have a life, you know!) and then DAYS later I have to contact them again to see if they're wanting the item(s) or not? In the meantime, I'm fielding other requests for the item(s) and not knowing what else to do besides putting folks on a wait list!

If this stated policy goes into effect, I think that the sellers ought to have the opportunity to rate potential buyers, too. Unfortunately, it seems that most of my buyers aren't even registered on the site, so I'm not sure how that can be done. It just doesn't seem fair to have a double standard - it goes both ways.
mandlhand

Marriage & parenting
Go with Love!

As I continue to share life and learning with my children, I too learn new and old lessons each day. I am reminded that each day brings new situations that I may have not experienced with my children yet. I am also faced with some of the same challenges that we, as parents, must deal with every day - ''Attitude''.
With a soon-to-be fourteen year old in the house, we seem to be faced with a new wave of emotions each day. Some days may be great, some may start great then head down hill, and some may just be days that only a mother could love you through! I decided to take the firm stand and rebuke the attitude through love today. After a firm reminder that a negative attitude would not be acceptable, I reminded him that I loved him too much to go down that dangerous path. I wasn't sure where this approach would take us. After a long day, I went into his room to hug him goodnight (a requirement of all my children). He hugged me tightly and whispered, ''Thanks, Mom, for not letting me have a bad day.'' I was shocked, and my heart melted. My young man still needs his mom. I guess there is nothing that a little love can't handle!
tardese
 
Bible & Spiritual growth
Secular World View or Biblical World View

The secular world view says:
''The cosmos is all there is, or was, or ever will be.'' Carl Sagan

This means there is no God. No Divine Creator. No absolute truth. No purpose for my existence. Only what I can see, touch, or feel matters to me.

I am the one who decides what truth is for me, which may be different from your truth. I decide what is right and wrong. I am the center of the universe. My wants rule supreme.

The biblical world view says:
“In the beginning God Created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

This means there is a God. The Divine Creator. Who is absolute truth. My life has hope, and a purpose.

I can study and learn truth, the order of the universe has a plan, of which I am a part, and I am not alone. Life is a journey with eternity as its end.

How I choose to live it has eternal consequences.
homeschoolmath

Marriage & parenting
Real Person

One day as I was sitting at my computer, my middle son came out and asked me a question. After I answered him, he immediately went back to his room where his younger brother was waiting for him. Alex, the younger one said, ''Cameron, I thought you were talking to a real person but it was just Mommy.'' I laughed.

I laughed, but in reality, sometimes, as a homeschool mom, I don't feel like a real person. Just yesterday, I was in my pajamas and bathrobe all day because I just didn' have time to get dressed. Homeschooling five children (with one on the way) is not always easy, demands most of my ''free'' time and in the midst of it all, I feel like I lose myself. But the Lord says I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am wonderful. He says He will never leave me or forsake me, even if I stay in my bathrobe and my laundry never gets done. He has called me to this homeschooling job and He will equip me to do what He has called me to do. I am a real person in Jesus' eyes (and my kids' eyes too even if they wont admit it!) and the Lord is really all that matters.
1samuel15.22
 
Baby & infant
What to Teach your Baby

What does your baby need to know? What things should you do with him/her in the first year?

Really, it's not much, and it's so easy. The following ideas will help you prepare your child for homeschool preschool (Paraphrased from http://www.thefrugalhomeschoolingmom.com/2010/01/laynies-nursery-school-curriculum-our.html)

Ages 0-12 Months:
Singing the ABC Song among other popular songs
Reading books nightly just a few minutes
Allowing lots of tactile experiences
Listening to lots of different kinds of music
Talking to him/her, about anything and everything
Fingerplays
Playdates, or other social opportunities with other babies
Keeping track developmentally (feeding, teaching him/her to walk, say their first word, sleep through the night, hold a sippy cup, etc… you know, all that good stuff you read about in “The First Year” books)
tfhsm

Bible & Spiritual growth
Sequential Bible pictures wanted!

My husband and I are missionaries in Estonia. We work with children and teach them about God. There are very few resources available here for teaching Bible stories to kids, and most of the children here have never heard many of the “basic” Bible stories I grew up hearing.

I am looking for a collection of pictures to use to tell Bible stories. My hope is that we can find pictures on CD or DVD to project on a screen. Rather than just having one picture to tell a story, we need several in a row that go through the story. For example, for the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den, it would be helpful to have 5 or 6 pictures depicting
scenes from the story. I want to be able to progress through the story using the pictures. We have 50 to 60 kids that come every week, so we need to be able to project the pictures on a screen rather than having small poster-sized pictures to hold up.

Do you sell or know of anywhere I can get something like this?

Laura Wiles, Valga, Estonia (wyleytoo@gmail.com)
lown
 
Homeschool helps
The one must-have for Homeschoolers!

With the myriad of options available to Homeschoolers in this era, one can get dazed quite easily. It can be easy to become time challenged because of simply inundating ourselves with too much information.

Yes, I have been there! I know the time crunches we all experience. Hence, I will be keeping this thought short and to the point!

I was very blessed to have a veteran homeschooling mom take me under her wing quite early on. She carefully 'fed' me information that formed the foundation of our school. I am incredibly thankful for her and what she has given to my families education.

Now, whenever I meet a potential, new or veteran Homeschooler, I can't help but talk about the best book that was ever shared with me and literally is my 'Homeschool bible'.

Need a life line, inspiration, details, or simply just need something but not sure what it is? Pick up 'Educating the Wholehearted Child: A handbook For Christian Home Education' by Clay and Sandy Clarkson. It will be the best investment in your children's education that you ever made.
northland_homeschool

Finance/Econ
Great Websites to save money

Here are three great websites for saving money, which everyone can use help with these days! www.krazycouponlady.com and www.hip2save.com are two
excellent resources for this. There are tons of freebies and they take the guesswork out of where the best sales are, plus links to printable coupons and great sales. The sites are both free!

If you get your children involved it becomes a valuable life skill of thriftiness, it becomes like a game to see how much money you can save, and doubles as a unit study on home economics.

Also, before you order anything online, check out www.freeshipping.org to check if that company has a coupon code for free shipping. With over 3,000 merchants listed, chances are they do.
smith8
 
Lang arts: grammar/composition/writing
Copywork is more than copying

Who needs copywork? It's so hard to come up with a good thing to use for copying, well I have learned that copywork can and should be so much more than copying letters onto a sheet of paper.

We have been using weekly Bible verses for copywork and it has had great benefits for my students. 1) they learn a verse, 2) they are learning to spell & punctuate, 3) handwriting is always improving and 4) they are able to recall it perfectly when I dictate on day 5.

Small steps but they are learning by doing, not just by rote memorization and that is one of our goals. I am learning to love copywork because I'm finally seeing the results!
purplemom4

Homeschool helps
Refreshed

As I sat reading my 5yo's Bible story of the day, I looked out of the window and saw more snow falling. The same view I had seen upon waking for the last few weeks. The same view that just a few days before had left me with a feeling of despair. ''Another freezing morning'', I said to myself. I forced myself out of my nice warm bed, and knelt down to say my morning prayer. As I prayed, God was revealing himself through the weather. I remembered the verse, ''While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night, Shall not cease.'' I praised God for his faithfulness, even if it meant me being cold. So, now I have a new perspective on the winter. With each cold morning, comes the message from a Father that keeps His promises!
tardese

Homeschool helps
Tough Times

Remember that when the days are seemingly endless with bickering with your young teen, or the youngest is whining because she doesn't want to do all her math problems, that God is with you and another day will come and better times will follow.

We have big decisions to make this year regarding schooling, and our hearts break over the possibility of them going to public school, but I have to remind myself that they will be okay and not all change is bad! Growth occurs many times with change.
mzayaz
 
Homeschool helps
Wonderful Resource

Homeschooling is tough! But homeschooling a highly distractable child(ren), is even harder. A resouce I have found to be quite helpful is the book, ''How to get Your Child off the Refrigerator and on to Learning'' by Carol Barnier. Her down to earth style is encouraging. The tips and ideas she shares are easy and really do work! I am grateful for her candor and wisdom with helping homeschool moms help their children learn.
shiloh

Picture books
The Simple Days

Our best memories of homeschooling together are some of the most simple ones...cuddling on the couch reading stories, for example. My ''big'' kids still treasure the stories and picture books I used and they hold a special place on our family bookshelf. They are a reminder of the simple days together and how much fun learning was when we just did what we loved, and didn't get in a rush to accomplish too much at one time.
j.tanaro

Organization/time management
List it, and it will get done.

It does not matter if it is chores for the week, meal-planning, errand-planning, weekly planning, school planning, etc., it is great to make lists! Many times, a first step may be to simply put all your ideas on paper. Then make lists. Have some long-term goals? Write it down, than make a list of steps you can take to achieve these goals. These can be revised as needed so it is an easy way to stay on target!
bookbliss

College/vocation
Start in High School

Homeschooling for High School has been easier than Middle School! We are using the local two year college for their last year at home. They acclimate to the classroom setting and build college credits at a much reduced price. Be encouraged to continue providing the best, individualized, character building education for you temporary gifts from God.
micheleharn