My Homeschooled Kids are Weird

Newsflash! Yes, it is true that homeschooled kids are weird. At least my kids are.

We have all been sick for a couple of weeks, so life has been a bit slower than usual. Now that the kidlets are feeling better, they have been begging me for school work! Do kids in regular classrooms do that?

This morning C5 demanded that she read a book to me before my morning coffee. She was not going to wait to read it to me either. In my blurry-eyed state I listened and coached her as she read. Even though I thought that the book was not the right match for her, she insisted on finishing the book. Alas, we got through it. I must say her persistence will get her far in life!

The begging continues throughout the day, too, but sometimes it just isn’t feasible to give them work. For example, they desperately wanted some work during that awful time of day right before dinner. I had to give in to the pleading tonight, though. They just wouldn’t back down despite the fact that we were running late on dinner, and they were starving. Amidst all the rushing around the kitchen while Daddy prepared dinner and I cleaned up, the kids worked on a puzzle together at the kitchen table. (It was the best thing I had on such short notice that didn’t required much supervision.) It was a sight to see. C5 was giving A2 a lesson on the letter names and sounds. She was instructing her little sister in the shapes of the letters, too. I heard a lot of, “Good job!” while they were working together. It was so cute!

I just shake my head in these moments. Thank you, God. My children love learning. My children are weird.

Photo courtesy of milena mihaylova

A Lesson in Loving Others

At the end of the sermon this morning our pastor showed a video of an 18 year old young man named Ben Comen. This boy is an inspiration.

My husband and I were so moved by this boy’s story that we shared it with our children. Ben Comen runs because he loves it. He runs with a team because the members of the team love him. Watching this group of kids love Ben made me think about something I have been wrestling with.

We have neighbors who have two boys the same ages as my girls. Her eldest boy mostly likely has Sensory Processing Disorder, SPD, like my daughter. His mom suspects that he is on the autism spectrum as well. This mom is fighting for her boy to be diagnosed and treated. Because our kids share some of the same struggles, I have been sharing resources, information, and support for this mom.

We spend most afternoons at my neighbor’s house because she and I both need another adult who understands. Sometimes things can get a little out of sorts when our kids play together, though. It can be difficult to get all four kids engaged in activities. Sometimes a sound or situation will set off one of the older kids. C5 often has hurt feelings or she and P4 get into a tussle. Although I have seen major progress over the last few months, C5 is often in tears or upset during our time with our neighbors. Yet my kids and my neighbor’s kids ask to see each other. They ask all day long. I don’t understand it since we often struggle to keep the peace.

I have been considering giving everyone a break from these play dates. I am mostly concerned that my sweet child, who is very compassionate and caring, is being forced into a situation that is not good for her. I don’t want her to resent me or to be hurt. I brought this up to my hubby, and he didn’t see anything wrong with me taking her there, but I was still struggling with it.

When I watched this video about Ben Comen, I felt the Holy Spirit assuring me that I am in the right place. My children and I are ministering to this family. In the same way that Ben’s team mates came back to finish the race with him, we are running along side this family and helping them to finish the race and not finish the race alone. I am teaching my little girl how to love other people, even people who are difficult to love.

This is one of the greatest lessons I think I can teach my children.

I Need to Temper My Temper

Patience is required for parenting and definitely necessary when you homeschool your kids. How is that I don’t have ANY patience these days? I have to find a way to change that. My fuse blows often enough that I think that the kids are getting suspicious about whether I truly am sorry for yelling yet again. I don’t know why I do it because it really is the least effective method of motivating the children to do anything.

I have a plan, though.

1. I will take the advice that I read in a devotion from Proverbs 31 Ministries today. It helped me to think about what is behind my anger, and maybe it will help you, too.
2. I will go to bed earlier so I get enough rest.
3. I will have my quiet time in the morning. I have been spending time with God at night, but I think I need to start the day with God.
4. As I learned at Mom to Mom, I will distinguish between childhood irresponsibility and willful disobedience. They are not the same and should not be treated the same way.
5. I will find a more effective way of transitioning my children from one thing to another. That is when they fall apart most often.
6. I will pray in the moment and take time to listen to what God has to say.

How do you get through the day without losing your temper?

Photo courtesy of hampdenarchy

Homeschool Conference Encouragement

Today we went to the homeschool conference! It was so good to be able to attend a couple of workshops and shop for curriculum with my hubby. Sometimes it feels like the kids are all my responsibility so it helps to have hubby with me to make big decisions like what homeschool curriculum we should use.

God is so faithful and He provides exactly what we need. I have been feeling a bit discouraged latley because of the naysayers out there who give me a difficult time about homeschooling. Everyone has an opinion about how I should educate my kids. I really should be used to that, though. Doesn’t that start when your first baby is born and everyone tells you how you should raise your kids? I got used to that so I know that I can get used to the judgment about my kids’ socialization education.

One of the speakers today gave a great tip that I have to share with you. Perhaps you already do this, but I think it is important enough to repeat. Write down a homeschool mission statement and plan. Why are you homeschooling? Who teaches the children which subjects? What will the children learn? You get the idea. The point of doing that is that you may need that information at some point in time. Your school district may ask for that kind of information. Your family and friends might continually ask you those questions. Or you and your spouse might need to be reminded of the answers to those questions when you feel discouraged or frustrated. It is the single most important tip I came away from the conference with today!

I look forward to sharing a few more gems with you from the confernce in the next few posts!

Photo courtesy of mp_eds

Discouraged Homeschooler?

Photo by Saad.Akhtar

Have you been a discouraged homeschooler lately?

I know that we all go through that from time to time. I found a great post about this very topic on the Alpha Omega Publications Blog. The post is encouraging and reminds us that we are not home educating our children alone.

God will provide for you in your time of need.

When I talk to other people about homeschooling, I get mixed responses. I love talking to people who completely support me and my husband for being able to do it. Then I get discouraged when I talk to people who are naysayers. When I am discouraged, it helps to talk with seasoned homeschoolers. The homeschoolers I know are willing to share their ideas and tips when you mention that you have questions or need help. Remember that it is imperative to have support and seek out help when you need it. You are not in this alone!

God will provide for you in your time of need.

Last week I met a seasoned homeschooler at C4’s dance class. She homeschools five children, so she knows what she is talking about. She had many great tips to share with me this week based on the conversation we had last week. I find her presence comforting, too. Her personality is very different than mine, and I appreciate that. I feel as though God place her in my life so I can learn from her. Just seeing her interact with her kids over the next few weeks will teach me more than I could imagine. I feel blessed to know her! I feel encouraged now that I am on the right track.

God provided for me in my time of need.

Kick Start Your Homeschool Without Kicking and Screaming

Kick start your first day back to school without kicking and screaming (from either the kids or you)!

~Mom, you need a little quiet time to get your head in the game. Ask God to lead your school day, and perhaps find a verse that you can keep on hand to motivate you.

~Coffee never hurts in times like these! Try offering chocolate milk or a smoothly to the kids to celebrate returning to school.

~Play some soothing music as you start your day. Music can change everyone’s mood!

~Take it slowly. On days like these you are not getting anything new done. Try doing some review. Perhaps you could play an educational game, or let the kids choose something that they enjoy doing. C4 loves it when I read to her, so we often warm up with a few great books.

~Sometimes having a goal is motivating. Set a goal for the day and reward everyone once you achieve it.

~This might be a day to do some science experiments. Hands-on work can be fun. Do experiments that are completely unrelated to what you have been doing. That might make it seem like they are not doing school work.

~Take the focus off of your life and do something for someone else. Make a meal and deliver it to a family that has a new baby. Visit an elderly neighbor with some homemade cookies. Write thank you notes to your church leaders. Put together a care package for someone serving overseas either in the military or as a missionary.

~Be patient with yourself and the children. it is always difficult to get back into the routine. In a couple of days you will all be back on track!

What do you do on those days when you and the kids are just not interested in getting into school?

Christmas Eve Homeschool Traditions

Photo by baldur

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and our family is really excited! Our day will be FULL of baking, cooking, building a gingerbread house, and tracking Santa’s trip.  I’m hoping God will hold the time still so we can get it all done and savor the special moments.

The children are making zucchini bread for Christmas Day. It is one way that I hope to sneak a vegetable into their diet this week. The girls love baking breads, too. Measuring, pouring, following the directions, and watching the changes to the ingredients are all great math and science experiences. Baking together is also making memories together.

E’s cousin from Mexico is visiting us this Christmas. We plan to make empanadas with her. The kids will learn a little about their heritage through this cooking experience. They can practice their Spanish skills while we cook, and maybe they’ll hear some stories, too.

I am really excited to build a gingerbread house with the kids for the first time this year! We have seen kits in the stores, but buying one was not a priority. Today Daddy found one that was on clearance, though! The gingerbread pieces are already baked, so we just have to construct the house. We are going to have a great time getting messy and laughing together. This is definitely a photo opportunity!

A very special tradition for Christmas Eve is baking cookies for Santa. This year is no different.  He needs a snack so he has energy to deliver all of those toys!

Throughout the night we will track Santa’s trip through NORAD Tracks Santa. There are videos posted that tell where Santa is, and they give a little information about each country. It is a fun way to infuse some geography, culture, and history into your Christmas celebration!

On top of all of that we have a church service to attend. There will be a Chirstmas drama at this family friendly service. A few of our friends have children performing in it, so the kids should be excited about it!

Christmas Eve will be great!

“Mary, A Mother?” Homeschool Advent Activity

Yesterday we finally finished decorating our tree and put our angel on top. I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the Annunciation, the time when the angel, Gabriel, visited Mary to tell her she would be Jesus’ mother. The homeschool activity I chose to do is simple, but the ideas in the discussion are big. Because my children are kinesthetic learners, I have included some movement in the activity. There are also many ideas listed at First-School.

1. What do you know about angels?
2. Fly around like angels for the next couple of minutes.
3. Did you know that an angel visited Mary to tell her about Jesus? This is the story.
   
4. Read the story of the annunciation. As you read, discuss these ideas to discuss and ask these questions: ~Do you remember Mary? When this story happens she is very young like when Mommy and Daddy were waiting to get married. She was waiting to marry Joseph.~Can you imagine seeing an angel? How would you feel if you did see one? Make a frightened face. When an angel talks to a person in the Bible, the angel always tells the person to not be afraid. We read that the people are afraid at first when they see angels. It must be pretty amazing to see an angel!~ Who is Jesus’ mother? Who is His Father?~Mary tells the angel that she will do what God tells her to do. How do you think she felt?
5. Have the children color the story page. Hang the pictures in a prominent place.
6. Memorize this verse this week: For nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:37Luke 1:37
   English: World English Bible - WEB
   37 For everything spoken by God is possible.”
   WP-Bible plugin

This video is a nice compliment to this lesson. The art in the video is beautiful, too.

An Advent Calendar Activity Lesson Plan

We have started our Advent calendar activities in our homeschool! I have searched the blogosphere and seen a few different ideas for calendar activities. This is an example of a lesson plan for one of my Advent calendar activities.

Supplies:

Lyrics to “O Christmas Tree” (We only sang the first verse.) Or try these two sets of translations of the lyrics
Green paper cut into a triangle
Scissors
Glue sticks & white glue
Paper circles
Tissue paper
Pictures of Christmas trees
Yarn
Index card
Bible

Objective:

~To understand that God is ever-present & everlasting.
~To understand that we use an evergreen as our Christmas tree because it reminds us that God is always with us and will always be with us.

I wrote the following information on half an index card and put it into the Advent calendar.

Bible Verse:

~”Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.” Psalm 41:13Psalm 41:13
English: World English Bible - WEB
13 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, From everlasting and to everlasting! Amen and amen.

Kids’ Activity:

~Sing “O Christmas Tree”. Discuss the meaning of the lyrics – the Christmas tree is always green and known as an evergreen. God is also ever-present. He will always be with us ans always love us. Use the following motions when you sing the song:

• Arms in a triangle over your head for “O Christmas Tree”.
• Stretch arms out for “How lovely are your branches.”
• Keep arms stretched and sway to the rhythm of the song for the rest of the lyrics.

~Make a Christmas tree. Look at pictures of Christmas trees and explain that the shape of the tree is a triangle. Use circles for the ornaments. Use yarn for the garland. Glue the Christmas tree onto another piece of paper: white for a snow scene, black for a night scene, or blue for a day time scene.

Family Activity:

~Choose a Christmas tree together.

A Few of My Favorite Christmas Titles

During Advent, my family reads lots of books about the true meaning of Christmas. I think that reading these books helps the kids internalize the”Good News”. Each book also acts as a springboard for discussions about Jesus and the story of His birth. Here are a few of my favorite titles that help establish the foundation of the true meaning of Christmas:

• God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren is one of my favorite books because it explains that Christmas is a gift from God. The book does not ignore the fact that many families keep Santa as part of their Christmas tradition, though. It stays true to the greatness of God and the miracle of Jesus.

• I love the simplicity and the authenticity of The Story of Christmas by Patricia A. Pingry. This book is bilingual, English and Spanish. It is easy enough for the youngest of readers to understand.
• The Christmas Story by Patricia A. Pingry is another book that tells about Jesus’ birth in an easy to understand format. The story is accurate as well.
• Another favorite Christmas tale is How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. I love how the Grinch learns that Christmas is not about the gifts. Instead, he finds that Christmas is about family and love.