Math Steps and Military Troop Safety: What they have in Common Should I make my boys show all their work in math? If you have 11-14 year old boys, you know why I am asking. They see no point in doing something, unless that something has a point… …let me tell you a little story… I once had a brilliant student in my 5th grade class. (Back in the days I taught 5th and 6th grade) I mean crazy brilliant. We all knew he would grow up to create Iron Man for real or blow up the moon. This student refused, I mean refused, to write down the steps in math. But we stayed on him. We kept making him and he kept refusing. We were determined to help him learn the discipline of showing his work. **************************************** That was about 10 years ago. This morning I woke up curious, so I decided to ask him. Here is the core of my message: Hi there! I wanted to ask you a homeschooling question, that truthfully, you are the most qualified to answer from personal experience… When you were in 5th/6th grade we used to “make you” write out all the steps in math. We argued that as you got into higher and higher math (and problem solving in general) that this would be necessary. …I’m curious from your perspective as a now extremely successful adult… Were we right? Do you now see the value of writing out the steps logically? Why the heck am I asking you? I am now teaching my own younger boys (4, 6, and 7th grade) and every time I am “making them” write out the steps I think of you and wonder. ~Mrs. Sayler His response made my day… “Well, to be fair I am one of the few people in the world that benefited from it.I went all the way through calculus 3 and ended up becoming a non communication signal intelligence analyst in the Air Force. I use high level electro – magnetic theory on a daily You can let your boys know if they want to break apart the signal of a missile guidance or reverse engineer the jammer blocking out all the GPS systems of our troops on the ground, you are gunna have to show your work because it only gets harder the cooler the stuff is.” **************************************** There you have it. Make ’em show their work, otherwise they will be reverse engineering important things in their heads!!! Related: Math Fact Mastery Kit
11 ThanksgivingActivities for Toddlers and Preschoolers! 15 days of Thanksgiving Homeschooling ideas: 11 Thanksgiving Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers! I love Thanksgiving. The decorating, the preparation, the cooking, the whole kit and caboodle. Everyone has their own expectations for this fun day, even the little people in your life. Here are some fun ideas to make the day special for your toddlers and preschoolers, that do not take too much of your time to throw together. Have Fun! Turkey Feather Hunt Parenting knows what my younger kids love to do: Parade around declaring they are the winners to whatever game is being played. (current character lesson: humility). This one is a simple, yet fun idea. Collect some feathers at the craft store and have the “turkey” hide them inside or outside… Then let the hunt begin! Make their own Turkey Cups This one is a two-for. Kids love creating their own special cup, and parents do not have to go through three times the amount of disposable cups! Fruit Gobbler Food.com suggests a cute craft/snack. Make eating a healthy snack fun while waiting for the turkey! Make a Thankful Tree I love this one from Artful Homemaking! Gather some twigs, place in a solid container and supply the kids with leaf shaped coloring pages. They color, write what they are thankful for and then decorate their tree. Fun! Mayflower Hand print: Too Cute! Preschool Crafts for Kids is loaded with cute (and easy) ideas for your little people! Become a Native American Kids love to dress up. Although I know how to do this craft in my sleep, I gathered this link at Free Crafts for Kids. A few paper bags, some construction paper, scissors and glue and viola! Kids are busy and happy for at least 30 seconds:). ***Warning*** I have 5 boys. When they dress up as Native Americans they also “become” Native Americans. They forget the history lessons about how wonderful and peaceful these people were and become savages on a mission. In my house, they dress up and then go outside:). Thanksgiving Movie Festival Build an indoor Fort Pop a Turkey:) Pop some popcorn and create your own Popcorn Turkey! Isn’t this cute? One Charming Party has the directions for this fabulous bird! Pam at Over the Moon has put together a short list of kid friendly Thanksgiving movies. Pool Noodle Toss! Bubble Break! All kids love chasing bubbles. If the weather permits, make a few fun bubble wands, some super duper bubble solution and head outside! More Thanksgiving Activities Here Thanksgiving Math, Reading, Science Activities for 3rd Grade 30 Thanksgiving Activities, Crafts, and Games for K-2nd Grade 21 Thanksgiving Math Activities for Kindergarten 4 Thanksgiving Jokes Solved with Divisibility Fall Math and Literacy Super Bundle- Grades K-2
4 Fabulous Thanksgiving Day Activities 15 days of Thanksgiving Homeschooling ideas: Day Seven : 4 Fabulous Thanksgiving Day Activities 4 Fabulous Thanksgiving Day Activities is a post from Bekki @ A Better Way to Homeschool where we learn to train our children to become lifelong learners. If you have enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Bekki on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+! Thanksgiving is next week! AS you are busily menu planning, shopping, and decorating you might want to prepare a few fun activities for the family. I know we will be preparing our second annual “Turkey Shoot” where we will be shooting balloons and turkey targets with bows and arrows and BB guns… Yes, I live happily with my husband and 5 boys. Here is My Top 4 List of Simple and Fun Activities Thankful Pie Spinner by Simply Modern Mom I love this idea. Trust me, even older kids will enjoy making a spinner wheel. Turkey Feathers You’ll find the directions and the cute printable at by The Idea Room. Thanksgiving Story Bracelets All you need is a pipe-cleaner and a handful of beads and you can lead a wonderfully memorable story time for your kiddos while the turkey is baking. My Monetessori Journey has a nice story printable and the directions for the beads. Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt Kids of all ages will love participating in your first annual scavenger hunt. I love this starter list by Family Fun. Have the kids brainstorm and add a few fun items to make it your own. More Thanksgiving Activities Here Thanksgiving Math, Reading, Science Activities for 3rd Grade 30 Thanksgiving Activities, Crafts, and Games for K-2nd Grade 21 Thanksgiving Math Activities for Kindergarten 4 Thanksgiving Jokes Solved with Divisibility Fall Math and Literacy Super Bundle- Grades K-2 Did You Enjoy this Article? Subscribe to receive our latest and greatest: right here I’d love to here about your Thanksgiving Traditions…
How the Heck to Plan a Successful Homeschool Day Inside: How the Heck to Plan a Successful Homeschool Day and what to do when everything goes wrong. Homeschool kids smell an unplanned day like wild animals smell fear. photo by Photographer: The Typical Female Magazine Normally this is not an issue. I take the time to sit and think through what we are doing in our homeschool day about 4-6 weeks at a time. I create an easy to follow calendar for each of the boys so they know that- “mom has a plan for today, so I better get busy.” I am a little stressed right now because my current calendar/plan runs out in less than 36 hours. The fact that I am not ready for the next step is like a ticking time bomb.Come Monday morning, if I do not have a clear plan of attack for our homeschooling week, my boys will eat me alive. Kids KNOW when we do not have a plan. The run, they hide, they break out the Legos right after breakfast, they seem stunned that we expect them to clean their dirty faces, fix their bed-heads and GASP- learn something. If you do not have a plan, your kids will suddenly forget how to get up, make their beds, add and subtract, multiply and divide, and write legibly. They may even forget that they are homeschooled. I think it is a conspiracy. “Psst-Maybe if we pretend to forget how to do school mom will let us play all day and live in our pajamas.” Can you relate?If kids do not see that we are well prepared for our day, week, or topic they do not buy in to whatever learning experience we set before them. They see us grab our teacher’s manual and then say, “OK, let’s get going. We have a lot of school to do today.” They see us begin reading the lesson and make that certain face that says, “what am I supposed to They see us begin reading the lesson with a confused expression and they silently whisper, “She doesn’t know what to do, let’s slip away”. When we, the teachers, finally grasp the core of today’s lessons they have snuck away from the school area and are resentful that we try to lasso them back to school. If you are honest, you would resent attending a class where the teacher wasn’t prepared too. I took the time to come to school, surely she could have prepared in advance to teach me. You took the time to come to school, surely she could have prepared in advance to teach you. Right? Our kids are no different. They need to see that we have invested in their education by taking the time to become familiar and excited about the learning material before we declare it is time for school. Kids smell a day without a plan and begin wiggling to get out immediately. What can we do: Plan school for 2-6 weeks at a time. In pencil. Become extremely familiar with the material before we try to present it to our kids. (remember the teacher from Ferris Beuller? Help us not be like him! I know this is hard. It takes time. I am currently teaching High School Algebra and Biology to our freshman- no fun. But I have to put in the time to study, otherwise, I confuse the hell out of him.) Schedule lessons out for 2-6 weeks in advance. Write them in pencil, so that when life happens you simply erase and begin again the next day. Never try to teach the school week without a plan. Even if you take a rabbit trail because your kids show a sudden interest in penguins, you will be much better prepared. As homeschoolers include a dinner plan/menu into your school day. Be excited about what you are learning together. How do I plan? I have 4-5 weeks of student calendars printed and ready to go, labeled with their names and dates. I teach 5 core subjects: Bible, Math, English, History, and Science FIRST, mark off all school holidays and family days. I schedule math in first. Cause, it’s easy. It usually is just the next number lesson. I include activities like flashcards, videos, and games in my calendars. If I do not schedule flashcards, the kids do not do flash cards. Kids need reminders. Next, I schedule the rest of the “do the next page” assignments. Handwriting, handwriting, phonics workbook pages, and spelling. Now I have to think. I plan a weekly memory verse and Bible reading. True brain power needed. I have a 5-6 week history focus. History is my core, my golden thread. I look for 3-5 main ideas to pull from a lesson and look for English, Math, and Science activities that go along with what we are learning. I have to skim the readings, pull vocabulary and scour for student activities that will work with my boys. This year I am using Story of the World and they have a great Activity Book from which I pull reading comprehension, map, art, and cooking activities. And then, of course, there is Pinterest. I have a whole series of Homeschool boards to help you and help me. Science is my weakest subject as a teacher. Alas, I am not entirely sure why, but even superman had a weakness. Science is mine. Again, I deal with science in chunks: main idea, 3-5 learning objectives, and at least one hands-on activity per topic. (This is ideal. I am lucky to get 2 experiments in a year). I plan English last. The older my kids, the more I plan. Younger kids need lots of time reading, being read to. Older kids need more and more time writing. Here is a great list to help you teach writing. Lastly, I double check my pencil calendars against the master calendar looking for conflicts. Are we home all of the days I planned to teach school? Are there any obvious monkey-wrench days (days that are destined to fail before they begin). I make adjustments whenever necessary. Sacrifice While every homeschool family has different goals and ambitions, talents and abilities, we all sacrifice something to homeschool.My husband and I personally sacrifice time. Lots of time. It is not easy homeschooling a troop of boys of various ages, grades, interests and learning styles. After 18 years I have learned that the key to success is being prepared before the day begins. [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=14428b946639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] Get your Sample of Homeschool Guide for Real Families
Mosaic Craft: Learning about the Byzantine Emprire and Mosaics Did you know that you can make beautiful crafts with painted eggs shells? My boys and I are studying the Middle Ages right now. We were fascinated with the incredible mosaic displays of the Byzantine Empire. Talk about patient artists! We did some internet research, looked at incredible mosaic designs (like in the Hagai Sophia!) So we decided to give this type of art a try. We collected and painted eggs shells (using nail polish borrowed from a friend with girls), then began creating our own terra cotta pot designs. The kids loved this activity so much! It is funny how easy it is to bypass the messy crafty things with our kids and to opt for the quick “read and discuss” strategy. Things like this take time. It took us two weekends to collect and wash enough eggshells for 3 boys, another few days to paint them (since we opted for nail polish it was stinky!), and then 3 sittings so far to work on the actual mosaics. We have had many discussions as the boys work about how incredible the ancient mosaics are and they are beginning to truly understand that they did not just “happen”. I created an activity packet to go along with our Story of the World study. The inspiration for this packet and activity is from chapter 4, in case you too are reading Story of the World with your kiddos. You can get your copy by clicking on the image.
7 Finger and Hand-painting Thanksgiving Crafts 15 days of Thanksgiving Homeschooling ideas! Free of course! 7 Finger and Hand-painting Thanksgiving Crafts is a post from Bekki @ A Better Way to Homeschool where we learn to train our children to become lifelong learners. If you have enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Bekki on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+! 20 Thanksgiving Math and Reading Activities Day one: Give ‘Em a Hand So I have been looking for those Easy Crafts that Even Mom Will Keep forever:) Here are my Top 7 Finger and Hand-painting Thanksgiving Crafts: Pilgrims with Hand Prints! I found these two crafts On Amanda’s Site. Too cute! Actually, you really have to take a tour. She has some really creative ideas! Cute Native Americans That’s right! Native Americans. My 3 Musketeers and I just finished studying all about these wonderful people. Kid Made Napkin Holders I found these on Crafts by Amanda. My youngest loves to help make the table look extra special. I think he will love these:) Thankfulness Tree This one is stunning. I will likely have my boys make greeting cards of this one! Little Page Turners won me over with this one! I am Thankful Cards I love writing cards to people, don’t you? With all the modern technology I find it refreshing to actually put a stamp on a card and brighten someones day. What a fun card making craft for little ones! Cheryl Gaffney did a beautiful job with these adorable cards! Keepsake Plates The easy Handprint Keepsake instructions can be found here. Thanksgiving potholders! How cute are these? Visit Surviving a Teacher’s Salary for a step by step guide! More Thanksgiving Activities Here Thanksgiving Math, Reading, Science Activities for 3rd Grade 30 Thanksgiving Activities, Crafts, and Games for K-2nd Grade 21 Thanksgiving Math Activities for Kindergarten 4 Thanksgiving Jokes Solved with Divisibility Fall Math and Literacy Super Bundle- Grades K-2 Did You Enjoy this Article? Subscribe to receive our latest and greatest: right here How about You? Do you have an easy and beautiful hand-print/fingerprint art project? Share your link in the comments below!
Books for Homeschooling: Adding Picture Books to Your Homeschooling One of the beautiful things about homeschooling is that we do not have to reproduce a classroom environment around our kitchen table. Aren’t you glad? While I was quick to throw out many “classroom-y” ideas and practices in my first few years of homeschooling, I rediscovered a classroom secret that works like magic at home… Books. Picture books. Many homeschoolers take advantage of their local libraries and Amazon, but how do we present those books to our children? The Seed Was Planted One of my homeschooling mentors mentioned how important it was to surround our children with picture books. Forget the thought that picture books are for preschoolers. Simply select books that are beautifully written and illustrated and cover topics that your children are learning about in history. So, I took my 15 library books and out them all over the window sills in my dining room (where we “do school”). Result: All of the boys were drawn to the books. (All. Even the high schooler!) During breakfast, during snack, during break/free time they would wander over and grab a book to browse. There was no agenda; just enjoy the books. We explored the books, talked about the pictures, and of course read the stories! Lesson learned. As a classroom teacher, I guess I would have collected a book-set themed for what we are studying in history or science. I would have the books conveniently displayed all over the room and in the reading center. I suggest to you, that as homeschoolers we need to find ways to display these books to our children as well. On the kitchen table On the coffee table On the window sills Along our white boards On shelves. Displayed like they would be at a book store. If you have matching toys, stuffed animals or knick-knacks then display them with the books! We need to simply put together a history or science themed collections and then place them before our kids. I personally use Amazon to find the books I want to put in front of our boys, then order them from our library. I always have 10-30 books checked out during the school year! Challenge: Pull 3-10 books from your shelves or the library. Place them in a display-like fashion. Set no agenda. In fact, you ignore them. Observe your kids. I bet you will be as amazed as I was to see the difference it makes! Be sure to comment below and share what works for you! If you need some book suggestions, just let me know. I would be glad to help.
Boys, You are Stuck in an Elevator with an Elderly Woman Ask your boys: “You are Stuck in an Elevator with an Elderly Woman. A voice comes over the speaker saying they are fixing the problem, just be patient. After a few minutes, the elderly woman begins to get really tired. It is just you and her locked in the elevator, how can you help her?” Wait for them to answer.See if they can come up with a solution to the obvious problem. This woman needs to sit or she will be hurting. Praise them for coming up with a way to help her, then ask.“Could you do anything to help her that would require a real sacrifice on your part?” After they come up with another solution share this picture: What did this man do to help this grandma while they were stuck? Our world needs real life Knights in Shining armor like this nameless man in the elevator. Let’s make sure we point out true humility and service to our future men. What did your kids say?Two of my boys said they would help her sit on the floor.One said he would hold her up with his arm around her. All 3 thought this real life solution was awesome!Character does not just spontaneously happen, but it can be coached into existence! [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=140485d46639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox]
Dancing Popcorn Dancing Popcorn? We are embracing science experiments lately. Thank goodness for YouTube! This experiment is called: Dancing Popcorn Make it a full science experiment by downloading these resources… Read More »
Easy and Delicious Chili There are a bazillion ways to make chili. Here’s Mine. Here is my family’s favorite. We call it “Sayler Chili”. This recipe is delicious, freezable, and so easy an 8 year old can make it with a little help. Before you have a heart attack. Confession time. I do use a chili kit. I learned this trick from my mom. She always had her favorite kit of spices, so I learned this speed trick from her. My current favorite kit is this one by Carroll Shelby’s. I like it because they individually package each of the spices inside. That means I can add more or less of each of the spices. I used to be afraid to add all of the cayenne pepper, but I have come to love this one just the way they have it packaged!. Last secret. Beans. Not everyone thinks chili is true chili if it has beans. I understand that. But this is my chili, with my name, so it will have beans. (For those of you with lots of kids like me, beans are a filler. Tomatoes are fillers. chili without beans is expensive if you are feeding 5 boys!!! So I use beans. Lots of beans!) This chili is extrememly forgiving. Simply throw in 2-4 cans of whatever your favorite beans are at the moment. I came up with our current favorite combination because I was out of the beans I usually have on hand. It was such a hit that I had to swear an oath that I wouldn’t change this recipe! I use: Dark kidney beans Bush’s grillin’ beans (bourbon and brown sugar) and those weird looking Ranch Style Beans. Do not panic when you open the Ranch beans! They look kinda gross, but they are delicious! Enjoy! If you have a favorite chili recipe, feel free to link in the comments! You’ll find the actual recipe and grocery list here! Find more of my recipes here! Need a great cookbook? Here is my current favorite. Easy recipes. Measurements to enlarge all recipes. Freezer frendly! Delicious!
Woo Hoo… GRACE! First, Grab your checklist here. Before you go… If you made your way here without joining the series, and don’t quite know how to begin. Just begin here.
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Swords for Boys Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! Start them off right! Teach them about the armor of God! Ephesians 6:10-18 Free printable I believe every boy needs an armory! We love the Cold Steel practice swords. Please understand. Not everyone can handle the responsibility of a practice sword. These are meant as real trainers. Use discretion! If my husband wasn’t such a Godly man who instills self-control and safety in our boys I would never have been OK advancing past the nerf weapons! Our boys love these training swords: Hand & a Half 2 Bokkens Training daggar Gladius Chinese Martial Arts Blade Not quite ready for trainer swords? nerf swords are a fun place to begin!
3 Questions I Ask Myself When I Feel Like Giving Up on Homeschooling: by Kristy at The Little Cottage I found Kristy at The Little Natural Cottage a few weeks ago and just fell in love with her transparency. As a veteran homeschooler, I confess there are many days that I find myself overwhelmed and very tempted to quit. Kristy wrote an article where she shares this reality and how she manages to get over the hump. It really spoke to my heart. Here is her article. If it speaks to your heart like it did to mine, jump over to her site and let her know you were blessed! 3 Questions I Ask Myself When I Feel Like Giving Up on Homeschooling Yes, I feel like giving up sometimes. I get overwhelmed. Frustrated. Off track. And just plain tired. Homeschooling takes all I’ve got and then some, and there are weeks when I just feel like throwing in the towel. Years ago, during an especially difficult season of life, my husband and I agreed that there would never be another option for us regarding educating our children. Homeschooling is a conviction for our family, and we’re sticking with it. But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. So what do I do when I feel like I’m absolutely the wrong mom for the job? Well, after I’ve drank a few cups of coffee, sneaked into the bag of chocolate chips, put the kids down for a nap and escaped to a quiet place with my laptop… I ask myself a few questions. 1. Am I getting enough sleep? The answer to this one is almost always no. I am a chronic overachiever, and sleep is usually the first thing to go when I feel like I don’t have time to tackle one of my beloved projects. Plain and simple, I’m an ogre when I’m sleep deprived. If you don’t believe me, ask my kids. (On second thought, please don’t.) It’s amazing how much better I handle stress (yes, homeschooling can feel stressful at times) when I’m leaving enough margin in my day for sufficient rest. 2. Am I trying to do too much? The answer to this question is almost always yes. It’s hard for us moms to admit it, but we really can’t do it all. Something has to go. For me, the first things I “let go” when the going gets tough are my expectations of a perfect house and my blogging projects. I can’t be a career blogger and a career mother. I just can’t. I have to let go. 3. Why am I homeschooling in the first place? This may seem like a strange question to ask when I’m feeling low, but it’s amazing what a little honest evaluation can do for my resolve. I’m not homeschooling because it’s easy. I’m not homeschooling because I’m cut out for it. I’m not homeschooling because I have a fancy education and I feel smart. I’m not homeschooling because it fits so well with my schedule and personal goals. I’ve chosen life as a homeschool mom because I believe God has called me to it. And since He called me, He will equip me. He will. And He does. More than anything, homeschooling is a walk of faith. I believe that God is bigger than my mistakes. Wiser than my weaknesses. Stronger than my inconsistencies. I believe that He knows and loves my children infinitely more than I could ever know and love them. I believe that He gave them to ME, and me to them, with an eternal purpose in mind. I believe that I can do this, and do it well. Not because of anything good within me, but because I am equipped by God Almighty himself. So is there ever really a time when I’m ready to say, “I quit?” Sure. I say it. And when I reach the end of myself is when I find Him. Holding me. Cheering me on. Giving grace for another day. And another… and another… Thank you Kristy, for your wisdom and heart!Were you blessed? Take a minute to let Kristy know by clicking here.
Look Up from The Screen We were sitting in the waiting room for hours waiting for our son’s turn. He was scheduled for minor surgery and the doctors were running behind. Honestly, it wasn’t that bad waiting. He was 15, so he no longer complains. (Don’t laugh, he really does not complain) Everyone in the waiting room was happily entertained with their electronic devices. The 8 year old, the teenager, and the 3 elderly patients waiting for surgery or loved ones all quietly played on their ipads, computers or phones. After my son was called in, the time went much slower. I finally put down my ipad and said aloud, “I was wondering how people survived waiting rooms before technology. I bet they actually talked to one another…” All of the “patients” were now in surgery. It was just we few parents who remained behind. Suddenly, we all put our toys away and shared our stories. One mom said her son was having surgery because after his cancer, her son had developed an infection. She was more than eager to share their story. Time flew by and the nurses came to call her to recovery. I looked at the last mom in the room and said, “I am going to be nosey and ask you about your son too.” She laughed and shared that he had trauma to his eye from a football injury and then went into the details of how they were going to repair his eye. We chatted for a long time. Just as she was sharing her sons ambitions to join the Navy, and elderly man walked into the room and overhearing her comment said, “The Navy is a great choice!” I asked him of he was a former sailor like my husband, and he went on to chat our ears off about his tour. He was delightful, and we both were able to thank this veteran for his service to our country. Time flew by once we all put out toys away. We became vested in each other’s stories, rooting for our children (And the veterans wife). I bet you will find yourself in a situation this week where everyone around you is engrossed in their screens. I would encourage you to be the first to put yours down and open a conversation. I bet you will be blessed!
Why Freezer Meals? The Last Thing You Want To Do is Make Dinner Inside: One those 27 days out of the month that you don’t feel like cooking, you’ll be thankful for the 2 days you did THIS… At the end of the day, after driving down the mountain with all the kids, shopping at two busy stores, teaching my kids that ‘it’s not ok to slap your brother with the package of bacon’, and realizing that I lost my grocery list somewhere along the way, the LAST thing I want to do is make dinner. I had to come up with a plan. It made no sense to corral 4-5 squirrely boys down Mt. Everest to trudge through the heat and crowds to save a few bucks only to be so tired when I got home that I blew the budget on take-out food. MY SOLUTION? Freezer meals. Ladies, those freezer bags in my freezer saved my life too many times to count. Natalie at A Turtles Life for Me shared how she spent around $100 and was able to freeze 46 meals for her family! I am inspired! Inspired by the book, Dinner’s in the Freezer, Don’t Panic Natalie shares how she shops, prepares, and freezes “perfect sized” meals for her family. Cooking in bulk is a necessity for me. We are busy, my boys eat food by the truckload, and our big stores are down a mountain. Plus, There is a sinister black cloud that hangs over my head all day if I am not prepared for dinner! I may be crazy, but I prefer to pretend to have it all together. My hungry boys ask me all day long what the next meal will be. They have come to depend upon my expert cooking skills. (Laugh with me here). I have used my “Bulk Cooking Days” to teach our sons to cut, prep and prepare meals. Homeschool Life Skills in action! Anytime I can double, triple, or quadruple a recipe I do- and I freeze the extra servings. It’s saved my sanity more than 3.4 dozen times. Freezer Meal Resources: Freezer Meals By Once a Month Mom “Once a Month Meals gives you everything you need to shop, prep and cook a bulk of your monthly meals in just one day — and freeze those meals for when you want to eat them.” Freezer Meals on the Cheap: By A Turtle’s Life for Me “Have you ever heard the story about the boy who woke up on a gorgeous day and his dad told him he had to go out back and chop firewood. The boy asked why he had to spend a warm, summer day chopping firewood and the dad said it was so he didn’t have to do it on a cold, winter day. That’s how I feel about freezer meals. It’s all about sucking it up and committing to an afternoon of slaving away in the kitchen, because you know it will make life SO much easier for the next couple months. This way, when you have that warm, summer day when you’re running your kids here and there and life seems so chaotic… dinner is already made and you look like supermom for doing it all and still putting a healthy dinner on the table!” Cooking Camp for Kids: Teaching Your Kids to Cook- One Tasty Recipe at a Time. By Bekki @ A Better Way to Homeschool “Teaching kids to cook is an invaluable life skill… but it takes time and commitment. With Cooking Camp 1, you will have everything you need to coach and train your kids to become “experts of their meal” over time. Cooking takes practice. There is no way around that. These are family loved recipes shared from my home to yours.” [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=146e73e46639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] Cooking Camp: Teaching Kids to Cook Don’t Panic! Dinner’s in the Freezer! “Hectic lifestyles and over-full schedules make traditional cooking methods nearly obsolete in many families. The results are poor nutrition and budgets strained by the high cost of fast food or commercially prepared meals. Don’t Panic-Dinner’s in the Freezer offers a simple and economical alternative, featuring dozens of recipes designed to be prepared and frozen for future use. With 100,000 copies sold, this book gives practical tips for planning, organizing, and shopping for meals, as well as unique ways to freeze and reheat prepared foods. Every recipe includes measurements for cooking alone or as a joint venture with one or two friends. Families, singles, retirees-everyone who needs to eat-will find fast and easy answers to the question, “What’s for dinner?” Trust me, That’s enough to get you started.
Seed Strips: Gardening Craft I am really excited about this craft/gardening task.I have to thank Amy at Raising Arrows for sharing about this tip last week. One of our kids is completely inspired by all things farming. We really try to find projects that nurture his love for growing things when planning our homeschool day. I was thrilled to stumble upon a tutorial for teaching him how to make his own seed ribbons. If you want to learn more about planting with seed strips, Gardeners.com is a great resource. If you and your kids want to make your own seed strips, you can follow along. Materials needed:Seed packetstoilet paper (We used Costco brand)FlourWaterbowlpaint brush (We used chop sticks) Instructions Place Flour into a bowl and mix with water until it forms a paste. Measure a piece of toilet paper so it is the length of your table.Fold the paper in half. Read Seed packets to determine how far apart to “sow seeds”. Using a ruler, mark the paper with a pen at the proper spacing. (This makes it much easier for younger helpers!)Place a dollop of glue on each mark.Place 1-3 seeds per dollop of glue. Use your table or workspace to create a production line.Cover your table with seed strips. Let the strips dry. If you have enthusiastic helpers, you will need them to rest over night. If you have enthusiastic helpers, you will need them to rest over night. (Kids love using too much glue) Simply (and gently) roll the strips and label. Wrap with rubber band until planting day! When you are ready to plant: Dig trench to the proper planting depth.Unroll strip.Lay strip into trench.Cover with soil.Water. Voila! Planting made easy! My boys LOVED this project. We are ready for our early plantings, how about you? [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=142a79846639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=143dc6846639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox]
Are You New to Homeschooling? In this video, I am answering questions for one of my viewers in Kansas. As I recorded this one, I realized that many new homeschoolers feel the same way she does: frustrated and confused. In this video I talk about: 1. Setting Homeschool Goals 2. Finding your State Requirements 3. Encourage you to consider joining HSLDA.org 4. Choosing a “golden thread” to build your homeschool around. Be sure to leave a comment or question for me after watching the video. If you are a veteran homeschooler, please add wisdom. If you are a newbie, please add questions or concerns that you would like to have addressed. Don’t forget to enter your email to the right so you do not miss any updates. Have a wonderful day!
5 EASY Ways to Deal with Homeschool Frustration Inside: Real solutions for the Frustrated homeschooler You woke up ready to rock this homeschool gig. You even had it all together. Until… You find the baby decorated her wall with her diaper contents and your middle schooler needs help with math. You begin to cry. When 5:00 rolls around you look in the mirror and realize the person staring back at you not only looks like she fought a battle and lost but she forgot to plan for dinner… again. So you cry again and pour cold cereal for dinner. I bump into home-school moms all the time who are frustrated.Are you one of them? … Read More »
How to Make Your Day Flow Peacefully So You Can Enjoy Your Preschooler Inside: Practical ways to help you with that energetic happy preschooler plus a Bonus Naptime Training Game {Printable} First and Foremost. Preschoolers grow up really, really, really quickly. Those hugs and kisses they offer so frequently are numbered. There will be a day that you are chasing them down, so, listen carefully… Hug and kiss your preschoolers a lot! Tell them you love them- More. Second.Take a few days to assess your life. Do you already have a schedule and daily routine or are you like me when I had my second child, snickering behind my back at the suggestion that a preschooler can be scheduled (and love it!). Third. For the sake of the desperate, I am going to assume you are new to parenting preschoolers and homeschooling. You are trying to figure out your older child’s math lesson while your very busy, yet delightful tot is running around. Your delightful little munchkin does not want to sit and wait for school to be done for their fun to begin. They will create their own fun and include glitter and nail polish-so you need a plan. Without a plan, that delightful little munchkin will play with your carving knife, hide in your dryer, or paint your bathroom with nail polish while you are feeling great about your homschooling abilities in the other room. Yes, I am speaking from experience. If you do not have it built into your day already, spend the next week or two establishing a rhythm to your children’s day. Photo by Alicja Colon Create: Rinse and Repeat Schedule. Here’s kinda what I did with my boys. Psst: Anyone who tells you “This is the exact recipe for success for scheduling kids” is lying. Or they don’t have kids yet. Kids definitely need a schedule, love a schedule, thrive when living by a schedule, and can mess up a schedule before you can set a timer. There is no such thing as “one size fits all”, so use this as a guideline to get you started. Sample Rinse Repeat Schedule: Homeschooling with Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers Wake I woke up kids at 7:00. LOL. Who am I kidding? One of my boys woke up at 5:30 every day. I had to train him to stay in bed reading quietly until 7. Yes. You can do that.) Clean room I had my boys make beds and get dressed, even if I was helping them every step of the way. By the way… This is parenting for the win. Have your kids work alongside you while they are incapable of doing it right and train them up in the right attitude/heart. Eventually, they will be able to out work you, but they can also “Out Attitude” you. Train for heart first, ability comes later. Eat breakfast Yes, mama. You too! Calendar Time. 15-20 Minutes. This is a public school term. But my kids loved it. Gather near a calendar or activity board. This is a time of “Repeat after me” or “let’s sing…” Find today’s date. Sing Seven Days in a Week song. Count the dates up to today. Recite the months of the year. Use calendar time to work on any memory work pieces, like bible verse, poetry, or phone numbers. Sing silly songs. 2-4 a day. Mama, don’t roll your eyes. Embrace silly… your kids need it, and frankly so do you. Use Youtube if necessary. Your kids need silly songs. Here are Some starters: Stand Strong, Love my lips, I am a pizza. Need More? Here you go. Memory work: month’s of the year, bible verses, poems, your address and phone number Real Alouds. I know it’s more comfy to cozy on the sofa, but adding a circle time reader is good for teaching sitting still. Weather: talked about the weather, graphed weather, dresses “weather bear“ Counting: Count to 10, or 50, or 100. SKip Counting. Calendar time will quickly turn into a favorite part of your kids’ day. Table activity/ Baby-Toddler 1st Nap Time Cut and paste activities with the little ones. Prepare yourself for, “mommy help me” a bazillion times. Older kids work on things like handwriting, copy-work, spelling. Think, “What can my olders work independently”. Math time for “olders”. 5-15 minutes of instruction, then they work independently. This will not work when the math lessons are tough, they get confused, or you are holding the math lesson sideways hoping that the change of view will help it make sense. Snack Outside whenever possible. Outside play 15-45 minutes- all kids. If you have a picnic table, you can work with older kids while littles play. Let them play for a few first. Please embrace the Danish Motto, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.” Snuggle and Read time, followed by… Roomtime/playpen time Train your littles to play independently. 15-60 minutes. No electronics. Put on music, Pull out a special toy/set of toys, Bring Down the Blocks, Present a fun activity- The key is you help set up a fun activity. Use a timer. When timer dings, sing the clean-up song and teach them to clean up their mess. Help mommy make lunch Oh, mama. Let them help you- at least 3 times a week. The other days, let them play near you or just outside (if safe). Lunch Yes, mama. You too! After lunch.This is a good show time while you work with older kids. I used car seats, high chairs, and playpens to wrangle my squirrelly boys. They Loved the baby Einstein videos:). Pro Tip- Streamline your kid’s meals. When you limit breakfast and lunch choices you bring peace to mealtimes. Take the “What’s for breakfast/lunch question” off the menu. Choose 1-3 healthy things that you will always have for these meals. Nap-time/quiet-time Perfect time to work with older students! My boys napped/rested for 1.5-2 hours every day until their 5th birthday. Kids need this downtime. Mom’s need this downtime. If you are like me with my oldest son, and you find that you never lovingly enforced nap/quiet time- Start tomorrow. [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=1455e0246639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] Art/ errands Free play Dinner prep (include kids in prep- setting table, mixing, measuring, etc- at least 3 times a week) Family time A.K.A.- this time of day moms sit on the sofa and doze off. Bedtime routine (no electronics) All my kids went to bed by 8:00, most were in bed by 7:30 until they were ten. We send older kids to bed before 9:00 to read for a bit, then lights out. Sleep Kids need sleep. Moms need sleep. Dads need sleep. Repeat. Every Day. Click here to Enroll: [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=1467bfd46639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] In this FREE 7-day course, you’ll learn to filter your homeschooling and parenting through the lens of character training. Get on the roster TODAY (it’s FREE!) before the doors close. WHAT YOU’LL GET Stop measuring success by grades, achievements, awards, and worksheets. When you enroll in this course, you’ll discover: The Best Measure of Parenting and Homeschooling Success The #1 Mistake Homeschoolers Make with their Kids One Powerful Phrase that will change the way you homeschool forever But let’s be honest. You’re already rockin’ it as a mom and homeschooler. Lazy moms do not take free Character training courses to improve their parenting skills. Just sayin’. What I hope you glean is that sometimes we all focus on the good things, rather than the best things. That’s what this course is all about. Helping you focus on the BEST. Click here to get on the roster today: [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=1467bfd46639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox]