The Holistic Homeschooler

The Week Emotions Ran High

2013-05-24T19:53:00.001-04:00

In my life this week...

Oh, this week. What a mix of emotions it has been!

Business
When the week began, I was highly stressed because I was trying to build a web store and have it finished by Wednesday night for a Facebook party. I also had blog posts to make, giveaways to post and the party itself. Stress, indeed.

New Business
Then I had the party. It was a great success! I didn't finish the web store but I at least announced that it's coming and hosted some giveaways. Emotions were high!

(The web store should be finished soon. You can take a sneak peek at it. Until then, sign up to our newsletter and you'll receive a notification of opening as well as a 15% discount coupon to use.)

Loss of a Family Pet
The following day, I relaxed and had a pretty good day. Until 7pm, that is. At that time, I found my dog having a seizure. I didn't know that's what was happening, but my son did. So we rushed him to the vet. I believe he was brain dead upon arrival. Something was gone from his eyes.

The doctors couldn't stop his seizures with emergency anti-seizure meds. They had to sedate him. Each time the sedative started wearing off, he began seizing again. In the end, we had to put him down.

The doctor said brain tumors cause this and he's probably been having small seizures for a long time but they went unnoticed. She said that's typical. Once I came home, I read up on it. He had shown at least two signs for over a year: "Unlearning learned behaviors" and "depression".

Rocky was 10 years old, just like Lorelai. They've been together most of Lorelai's life. She calls him her "buddy". Her entire body reacted to this. Upon first hearing the news, she cried then couldn't stay awake (the mind trying to escape dealing with it?) and all night she awoke every hour drenched in sweat and crying.

I ran the gamut of emotions this week. I'm pretty tired today.

In our homeschool this week...

I was quite busy but we spent some time on chalk pastel lessons. Lorelai, who has never shown the artistic interest of her brother or sister, is thoroughly enjoying these lessons. If she could do all of them in one day, she would, but I encourage her to "save some for later".

We're about to buckle-down and finish some essay work Alexis has been doing. She's been struggling but we're determined.

I've been writing my curriculum for the year. Usually, I can do it in a matter of hours but not this year. I'm struggling with what to use for Science and geography this year.

Any suggestions?

My favorite thing this week was...

Everything about Wednesday afternoon and evening. My son stepped up and made dinner so that I could get ready for the Facebook party. He always makes the best dinners.

The party ran smoothly. The household ran smoothly. Yep that makes this mama happy.

For the rest of the evening, there was music in our background, the kids were drawing, painting and practicing calligraphy. It was peaceful.

Dinner. Courtesy of my son.

My son drawing.

My kiddos favorite thing this week was...

Alexis has started selling her drawings. She's actually had few paid commissions. She is very excited about that. If anyone's interested, let me know. She'll draw whatever you want. Today, she drew my granddaughter with an anime character. For those of you who do not know, that's what she draws: anime and manga.

This is her advertisement that she's taking commission requests.

Lorelai, again, is very excited about the chalk pastel lessons.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

Chalk Pastel Lessons using A Simple Start in Chalk Pastels

Lorelai and her buddy 2 months ago.

This post is a part of the following link-ups. Please visit these wonderful sites and the bloggers joining in the fun!

Happy Homeschooling!

10 Books That Changed My Life

2013-05-20T23:09:00.000-04:00

Not often can I say a book has changed my life. I love reading and over the years have read countless books on all sorts of subjects. When I was younger, I read mostly parenting books.

I haven't read any of those in many years now. As I've grown older and more experienced at life, I've grown to like myself and not feel I need "experts" to tell me what to do. Most of those books only served to make me feel like I wasn't a good-enough parent anyway. And traveling from one expert's opinion to another only served to confuse me.

There were some books, however, that made a difference for me. In chronological order of life-changing effect are...

10 Books That Changed My Life

(This post contains affiliate links.)

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding - This was the first book that really had a long-lasting impact on my life. At the time of reading, I was 22 and had just given birth to my 3rd child. After twice failing at nursing, this book helped me to (finally!) be successful at it. I learned what to do, what not to do, and not to listen to doctors and nurses on the matter because very few of them have training on the subject. It was also the beginning of doing what I felt was right rather than doing what everyone else thought was the thing to do.

Whole Foods for the Whole Family Cookbook - While the information in this book was helpful and interesting, I never really implemented a more natural way of eating until a few years after reading it. Still, it planted a seed that eventually led me to discovering a more natural, healthy way of eating.

The Attachment Parenting Book : A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby - Never could I have imagined the impact that learning about Attachment Parenting would have on my life! Yes, I learned a lot about mothering, nurturing and what is natural for families. Yes, I developed a closeness with my children that, to this day, garner compliments and kudos from others. We are a very close family full of independent, responsible children and adult children.

I didn't stop at attachment parenting. In time, I learned about homebirthing, homeschooling, eco-living and so much more. I went on to...

Start a natural mothering newsletter
Spend nearly 10 years operating an online forum where I taught others about attachment parenting and natural mothering
Have a blog and web store spring from that forum

All of those things are closed down now as my kids are older and my focus changed. Even so, the friends I made in those days are still my friends today. We've grown together. We've been pregnant "together". We've shared in the growing of our families.

Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book Of Homeschooling- I read the original version in 1991, the same year my first child was due to attend Kindergarten. This book spoke to me. It made so much sense. In the end, I chose to send Amy to school to avoid conflict with my family. But the things I read in that book never left me. I never forgot.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition - In 1997, it all started to come together for me. These ideas of natural foods, trying to treat my son's A.D.H.D. without drugs, and natural living finally started finding a place in my life.

This book changed everything for me. I began studying natural nutrition and herbalism. Eventually, I studied aromatherapy too. Life has never been the same. I view so many things differently than I had previously. Health, pregnancy, birth, the medical establishment, Big Pharma.. I developed a different view of them all.

How to Discipline Your Six To Twelve Year Old Without Losing Your Mind - As I said earlier, I use to read a lot of parenting books. I can't recall most of them. I remember P.E.T. (Parent Effectiveness Training) and this one. But it is this one that had an impact on my life which lasted.

Chore cards, a box for personal items left about to be re-earned, and how to get kids to cooperate to clean the common areas of the home were some of the great How-To ideas in this book.

From this book, I learned how to respond in a way that produces a positive result from negative behaviors.

Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year - While Susan Weed and I may disagree things of a more spiritual nature, her books provide a wealth of knowledge in the ways of nature and natural medicine. This book is no exception. It took me through my last two pregnancies. (If only I had known these things for the first three pregnancies!) It is a favorite among midwives, doulas and homebirthing moms everywhere.

The Verbally Abusive Relationship: How to recognize it and how to respond - I had been in an abusive relationship. Once I was out of it, I experienced a life-changing moment which led me to be employed by a local domestic violence shelter. During my training, I was required to read this.

Life-changing.

I learned exactly how to respond to verbal abuse. I learned how to stop the abuser in his verbal tracks, leaving him with no response or way to get control. Stopping him "in his tracks" prevented the physical abuse. Eventually, he left well-enough alone, knowing he would never succeed in "breaking" me. I've seen the same result for others. Excellent book!

The Bible - "If this list is in the order that you were affected", you may ask, "then why is the Bible so far down on the list?"

The short answer is that I took the long, hard road. I had a spiritual foundation but not the correct understanding or heartfelt motivation to pursue a Christian way of life.

I was 38 years old before I was able to clearly see "the deep things of God" (1 Cor. 2:10).

Malignant Self-Love: Narcissism Revisited - I have often referred to this as "The Bible of Narcissism". It is an invaluable resource for anyone dealing with a narcissist. And since 1 in 20 people are narcissists, I'd say we've all had one, or will have one, in our lives.

My entire family was affected by this book. If only I'd known of it three years earlier than I did. I cannot divulge details. Just know that someone was made safe because we learned how the mind of a narcissist works.

I guess you've learned a bit about me from this post, huh?
What books, if any, have changed your life?

Every Tuesday, for the next ten weeks, I will be participating in a special 10 in 10 blog hop with iHomeschool Network.

This blog hop is inspired by Angie of Many Little Blessings. We would love to have you join us during our ten week adventure. Please link up at Angie’s blog by clicking the image below.

Happy Homeschooling!

10 Playthings All My Kids Have Enjoyed

2013-05-14T00:21:00.000-04:00

I have five children ranging in age from 10 to 27. None of them have ever had an overabundance of toys. Actually, for the most part, they did not have store-bought toys.

I've never seen the logic in expensive, breakable toys. Yes, they had their certain "things" along the way. Lee Anne loved Polly Pockets when she was young. My son collected POGS. Mostly, they've enjoyed traditional toys, the great outdoors and their imagination. Today I share with you...

10 Playthings All My Kids Have Enjoyed

(This section contains affiliate links)

Kitchen Utensils, Pots and Pans
Fisher-Price Toddlerz Chatter Telephone - Who hasn't owned this?
Geometric Stackers and Wooden ABC/123 Blocks - Or these?
Art Supplies - You name it. Crayons, markers, paints of all types, paper, canvases, coloring pencils. I've yet to find a kid who won't find perfect uses for these.
Wheels - Skateboards, Bicycles, Rollerblades. Pretty standard childhood stuff here.
Nature - Trees, mud, gardening, forests, caterpillars, etc. They've all been good clean (or not-so-clean) fun for all of my kids.
Books - I've surrounded my children with books from the beginning. Not all of my children enjoy reading but we all have wonderful memories and books that we jointly "connect" with as a family.
Swimming Pools - Whether a kiddie pool or a larger pool for the entire family, this is a must-have around here. Florida is hot. (And don't forget the beach toys!)
Game Boxes - Yes, beginning with Atari and moving right through Nintendo, Play Station and whatever else, these have been in our home. They may rarely be played with, but they have always been here.
Sports Equipment - Soccer balls, baseball bats, tennis rackets, Volleyball sets, Lawn Darts and other outdoor sports stuff. Oddly, we're not "sports" people. We don't play on teams. We don't watch them on T.V. but we like relaxed playing out in our yard or on a tennis court at the park.

Now you have and idea of the kinds of toys my kids have owned over the 27 years I've been doing this mom thing.

What kinds of toys do your kids enjoy? Share in the comments.

Every Tuesday, for the next ten weeks, I will be participating in a special 10 in 10 blog hop with iHomeschool Network.

This blog hop is inspired by Angie of Many Little Blessings. We would love to have you join us during our ten week adventure. Please link up at Angie’s blog by clicking the image below.

Happy Homeschooling!

The Face of Homeschooling: Interview with Kendra

2013-05-13T01:58:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the May 2013 edition of The Face of Homeschooling, where we help dispel the myths and stereotypes of homeschoolers through interviews with homeschool parents (and sometimes kids).

This month, I'm interviewing Kendra Fletcher of Preschoolers and Peace.

Q. Tell me a bit about why you decided to homeschool.
A. We began homeschooling in 1997, when our oldest child was just 4. I had no intention of homeschooling, but he was super precocious and already reading, both of which I felt were a recipe for disaster in a kindergarten classroom. I wanted to give him the best environment to learn in, and I knew having him home for a few years would be a good start.

Q. Do you use any particular method or curriculum in your homeschool? If so, why did you choose it? How has it benefited your family?
A. We follow a classical framework very loosely. I like the 3 stages of the Trivium because they give me an idea of where my kids are in terms of learning, but I am too interested in new curriculum and shaking things up to stay in a completely classical mode.

One of the best things about homeschooling is the ability to really meet a child where they are, and I’m always thinking about their strengths, weaknesses, and interests. In that way, our homeschooling looks a lot more eclectic than a strictly classical approach.

Q. Do you purchase a curriculum? If so, what advantages and disadvantages have you experienced with it? If you don't use a purchased curriculum, what do you use instead and what are those advantages and disadvantages?
A. I don’t use any one curriculum across the board except for The Mystery of History as our history spine. It grounds us, and everything else we do (read-alouds, geography, copywork, memory work, and art) tends to spin from what era of history we are studying each year.

Q. What is your family situation? Do you work? How do these affect your homeschool?
A. My husband is gone from 5:45 a.m. to 7 p.m., 4 days a week. He has Fridays off but often does paperwork and goes into the office to see emergencies or works with the free dental van in our community.

I enjoy working beyond homeschooling and homemaking, so I write and do some social media marketing for brands as well. I make enough to bank but I couldn’t feed our family on my income. I often do that work in between other daily tasks, but really get to work at night. I’m a dyed-in-the-wool night owl.

Q. What kinds of activities are your kids involved in and how did you determine what they would or wouldn’t do?
A. Our sons have played competitive water polo and one plays golf. Everyone takes piano at one point because I have a BA in music and I think it’s a foundational skill. One plays guitar, two play electric bass, and three sing in the symphony children’s choir.

We don’t surf nearly as much as I’d like to but we are in the ocean as often as possible.

Q. What’s been the most rewarding part of your homeschooling experience?
A. Relationships. I have made a lot of parenting mistakes and lame educational choices over the years, but God has graciously redeemed both. Hands-down, the best thing about homeschooling is the relationships our kids have with us and each other.

Q. What do you find to be the biggest challenge with homeschooling and how do you deal with it?
A. At this point, I am a little over halfway through my homeschooling career (16 years down, 13 to go) and I am a bit bored, a bit underexcited, and a bit tired. That’s a challenge in any career, I think.

Q. Did you always know you would homeschool or how is it that you came about to the idea of homeschooling?
A. Absolutely not. I had no intention of homeschooling but at the same time God brought some really cool homeschooling families into our lives, He was gently nudging me to do the same.

Q. Finish this sentence: Homeschooling is…
A. A fabulous tool. It will not save our children (only Jesus can do that), but it is a great gift He has given us to accomplish what He wants us to do in the lives of our kids. It affords us time, and time is what has allowed those relationships with our kids to blossom and deepen over the years.

Kendra Fletcher is the mother of eight, ages 20 down to 5. While many things could define her life in terms of how she spends her days, she prefers to find her identity in Christ alone, knowing how quickly all the other descriptors can take her focus off the one who has Redeemed her soul. She loves to encourage other moms beginning their homeschool journeys with little ones underfoot. Her website and blog can be found at www.preschoolersandpeace.com, and her personal author blog can be found at www.kendrafletcher.com.

Happy Homeschooling!

Our Khaotic Weekend {Khaotic Kon 2013}

2013-05-11T00:29:00.000-04:00

In my life this week...

I have spent an inordinate amount of time planning. Planning blog posts. Planning projects. Just planning. I'm kind of over it at this point. This computer screen has become my frenemy. It helps earn an income but boy am I sick of staring at it!

But let's talk about something far more interesting:

Khaotic Kon 2013!

I don't know how many of you know anything about anime, manga, Jpop and such things, but Alexis is hyper-focused on this stuff. She has been for a long while. I've never been very into it (of course much of this stuff didn't exist when I was a kid). But last weekend I attended a con with the kids. I had a blast and so did they.

I don't always interact in social situations, but I watch people. What I saw that weekend impressed and fascinated me.

Everyone was so sweet. I saw no snobbery, "cliques" or any other negativity. Everyone was genuinely kind to each other.
Alexis isn't alone in her hyper-interest in these things. I knew there were others interested in anime, J-pop, manga, etc. What I hadn't realized is that so many people were interested in all of the same things she is. Everyone there seemed to know everything about everything.

In our homeschool this week...

I've been writing my curriculum that I didn't write in January. That will post here on Monday. I hope. I'm still working on it.

In the meanwhile, I am just trying to get Alexis through her essay program. She's had a lot of challenges with doing an online course. The Dyslexia is a big challenge when it comes to computer screens. As well, we suspect she has Scoliosis, an ailment that afflicts both her father's side of the family as well as mine. She finds it difficult to sit at a computer too long.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share...

(This section includes affiliate links)

For the rest of May, if you make any purchase at Heritage History for at least $19.99, you'll receive the Early American Library CD for FREE by using checkout code: Spring_2013. I took advantage of this one yesterday. I purchased the Ancient Rome curriculum and got the freebie too.

My favorite thing this week was...

Watching my daughters have the time of their lives at Khaotic Kon.

My kiddos favorite thing this week was...

Alexis met Vic Mignogna, a voice actor in most of the anime shows she watches. She wants to be a voice actor one day and meeting him was a dream come true for her.

Lorelai was a bit of mini-celebrity all weekend. She dressed as Hatsune Miku and, because of her petite stature and young age, she was a hit! All weekend she was being asked for her photo, if others could get a photo with her, and if others could "get a hug" from her. It was so wonderful for her to be able "be" this character and step away from her social anxiety. Very positive!Best weekend EVER for these kids!

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

I have quite a few photos to share this week. And some cute videos.

Cosplay!

Left: Alexis as Haruki Fujioka
Top Middle: Alexis and Lee Anne as we arrived
Bottom Middle: Lee Anne being a "fangirl" and Haruhi not amused.
Right: Lorelai with a My Little Pony character.

Lorelai as Hatsune Miku

#1-Showing off her autographs from Vic Mignogna and Todd Haberkorn

#2 and 3: Hatsune Miku poses

Meeting the voice actors. Dreams come true!

Lorelai meeting Vic Mignogna. She asked for a hug.

Alexis dancing to PONPONPON

Lorelai dancing like Hatsune Miku

This post is a part of the following link-ups. Please visit these wonderful sites and the bloggers joining in the fun!

Happy Homeschooling!

Homeschool Bloggers: We Don't Have Perfect Lives

2013-05-09T02:09:00.001-04:00

For a long while, I've been tossing around ideas about homeschool blogging. Until recently, I always presented "the facts". Information, resources and sharing activities: Those were the basic menu options here at The Holistic Homeschooler. That recently changed when I wrote a couple of posts like this one, this one and finally this big one.

Each time, I was hesitant to post.
Each time, I was anxious while it was "out there".
Each time, I contemplated deleting the post.

I was uncomfortable because of some posts I read a year ago.

Keep Your "Special Needs" Hush-Hush

Last year, I saw a blog post that suggested that we should not reveal our children's "special needs" to others. Being the person I am, prone to worry about my social skills, if I'm saying or doing the wrong thing, and what others think of what I said or did, I was made uncomfortable by that post.

I had never posted about any special needs but it made me wonder what people who know me in real life think of me for mentioning that we have some challenges in my household.

"Am I saying too much?"
"Is that something I'm suppose to keep to myself?"
"Am I creating a hardship on my children by telling others?"

I worried that I may be doing the wrong thing. Yet, at the same time, I couldn't help but think, "Wait! I can't hide some of these things!" Hiding Type I Bipolar Disorder is like trying to hide that your child doesn't have a head. It's just not going to happen.

I think it's better to explain the situation or the challenges so that the people around her can respond appropriately rather than assume she's a brat. It's easier for her if others understand that she feels emotions more intensely than most people.

But do I need to mention those challenges here on this blog?
Maybe not. But it's been a lot easier to write since I opened up and let you guys know, "Hey..sometimes my girls sleep half the day because they haven't slept in three..and we didn't get a lot of formal lessons accomplished. But look at the cool stuff we did do this week!"

And certainly I've been able to do a lot more writing since I can be honest about the chaos that is sometimes my life. Before opening up to you, I would go months without writing. That wasn't fair to me or to my readers.

Put On Your Prettiest Homeschool Face

Another post I saw suggested that we only present a positive image of our homeschool life. To do otherwise, she suggested, places homeschoolers in a negative light.

To an extent, I see her point. I believe we are under a microscope of sorts with some people. They're waiting for us to prove we're incompetent and have made a bad decision to homeschool.

I don't, however, agree that we need to present only a pretty, made-up face like some 1950s show where the women wake up looking absolutely gorgeous, do the dishes in their "Sunday Best", and have kids who say "Gee Golly!" after they've had a stern talking-to from Dad.

Come on. We're real people.

Keep It Real Homeschool Bloggers

I don't believe we, as homeschool bloggers, need to hide who we really are. I believe it's unfair to those who read our blogs. We're imperfect. So are our readers. Those imperfect moms do not want to see a homeschool mom portraying a perfect life.

It may irritate them.
They may think we're fake.
We may even cause some who are insecure to give up homeschooling.

Why would we do that to other homeschool parents?

Each of us plays a role.

We may be a resource like Jolanthe at Homeschool Creations or Stephanie at Harrington Harmonies.

Perhaps we're a source of encouragement like Erica at Confessions of a Homeschooler or Heather at Cultivated Lives.

We may be a source of information for a particular method or style like Mary at Homegrown Learners or Cindy at Our Journey Westward.

Whatever it is we offer the homeschool community, it's important that we're "keepin' it real".

It's about balance.
We don't need to post each problem we have. We don't necessarily need to post any problems. Some of us like to share and others don't. That's fine. But certainly we don't want to drift to the opposite end of the spectrum where we post each and every problem we have in our lives.

We may not be June Cleaver, but we don't want to be the Jerry Springer show of the homeschool world either.

We need to be ourselves. We need to be authentic. We need to be balanced.

Homeschool Bloggers Are Real People

I happen to be a single, working mom supporting two college students, two minor children and my grandchild at the moment (that's 6 of us if you're keeping count). Between all of us, there exists Asperger Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder, and Dyslexia (I'm not even mentioning the co-morbid disorders that exist!).

Name one thing in this situation that strikes you as "perfect".

Homeschool parents, like other parents, have toys all over the living room at times (maybe all the time). We have laundry that piles up or gets left in the washer or dryer for 2 days. We plan a wonderfully nutritious dinner and end up ordering pizza. We plan our wonderful homeschool days only to get called in to work that day. Maybe we never found a minute to plan anything and we wing our way through the homeschool day.

It happens. We're imperfect. For those of us blogging for a living, these things may or may not happen more often than we would care to admit. Embrace it.

Some of the best memories with our children and some of the best lessons they'll learn come from those crazy days that didn't go as planned.

This post was written as a part of the iHomeschool Network's

"Imperfect Homeschool" link-up.

Visit the other great bloggers in this link-up to see what they are sharing today.

Happy Homeschooling!

10 Things Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Has Taught Me About Myself

2013-05-06T23:01:00.002-04:00

One of the surprising things about being a home educator is how much we, the parents, learn. Perhaps we learn some new things while participating in studies with our children, but we learn so much more than that.

We learn lessons about homeschooling. We about our children. We learn about ourselves. Today, we're talking about the latter. Here are ...

10 Things Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Has Taught Me About Myself

1. I love hiking and camping. I never did either as a kid. As a young mother in my 20s, I scoffed at the idea when my then husband suggested these things. What? Me? Tents and bears and snakes and dirt? Are you crazy?

Charlotte Mason's insistence that nature is a great teacher led me out of doors. Nature walks became hiking trips. Hiking trips became camping trips.

As it turns out, I love doing both!

2. Schedules and routines don't make me weird. I've always enjoyed schedules and routines. I recall family members lovingly making jokes that I couldn't breathe without a schedule when I was a child. I enjoyed making schedules (I think it made me feel "grown up") and I did function on a fairly consistent daily routine.

Charlotte Mason helped me understand that routines are not only not "weird" but they're important for children. Yes, I am a bit more in need of it than the average person but it's still important. This is especially so if you have children on the Autism Spectrum or Bipolar spectra.

3. I like the arts. I've never been "into" the arts. I don't draw, paint or anything else artistic. My son could draw well but, honestly, I never paid a lot of attention to it. Sad but true. I started paying attention when he picked up a paintbrush and began painting at the age of 18. I paid attention when, in that same year, he sat down to a keyboard and played "Für Elise" with no previous lessons or training. I was astounded at his natural talent.

I still paid no attention to the arts as a whole.

Then I read Charlotte Mason's thoughts on art, composers, and teaching these things. Our first artist study began in December 2009. I was hooked. I developed an appreciation for the arts that has only grown since then.

4. I enjoy teaching my children. As a child, I pictured myself being a school teacher. As an adult, I've taught in the public schools, taught parenting and child development classes at the school and at the local domestic violence shelter. I taught natural mothering for years. But at home? My kids went to school or we "unschooled".

It wasn't until I began teaching using the Charlotte Mason method that I grew to enjoy teaching my own children. Prior to that, I felt that teaching them was so difficult. Textbooks and worksheets and struggles, OH MY! I didn't enjoy it and neither did they. We really love the Charlotte Mason method.

5. I can teach a child to read. When I began homeschooling, my kids were in middle and high school. I had no idea how to teach a child "from scratch". I didn't think I could teach a child to read. So when Alexis was 5, I sent her to private school. I brought her home at the end of 2nd or 3rd grade. Lorelai is the only child who has homeschooled from Kindergarten. And guess what... She reads!

6. I enjoy the process as much as the end product. It's not enough to want my children to know their ABCs and 1-2-3s. It's not all about the value of X. It's about the process. It's about developing a love of learning in my children. For me, the process of learning is the most rewarding aspect of homeschooling.

Yes. I want them to learn. More than that, I want them to want to learn. I want them to enjoy learning. I want them to seek knowledge because they want to know something. Perhaps loving the process of learning is the end product.

7. I must be careful in teaching my children what "honesty" is. I understand truth. I understand what truth is. I didn't realize that I must instill the habit of "Accuracy of Statement" in them.

"He tells you he has seen 'lots' of spotted dogs in the town––he has really seen two; that 'all the boys' are collecting crests––he knows of three who are doing so; that 'everybody' says Jones is a 'sneak'––the fact is he has heard Brown say so. These departures from strict veracity are on matters of such slight importance that the mother is apt to let them pass as the 'children's chatter'; but, indeed, ever such lapse is damaging to the child's sense of truth––a blade which easily loses its keenness of edge." vol 1 pg 165

8. I must create habits in my children. We are 99% governed by our habits. Training children in good habits while young is vitally important. "Habit is Ten Natures" is an important lesson I've learned.

9. That I must provide an atmosphere fit for learning. "Education is an Atmosphere", Charlotte tells us. This doesn't mean a room full of miniature furnishings and brightly colored wall displays. It means a calm, peaceful, loving home filled with things of beauty (art, music, materials) from which they can learn. It means a place where they learn from life itself.

10. That I must be more disciplined. "Education is a discipline" applies to the children, yes. They must learn to do their work within an allotted time and do it well. But so must we, the homeschooling parent, do the same. Scheduling our days and weeks is easy. Sticking to that schedule is the trying part. But we will not teach our children the value of doing our work in the time allotted if we don't do it ourselves.

Every Tuesday, for the next ten weeks, I will be participating in a special 10 in 10 blog hop with iHomeschool Network.

This blog hop is inspired by Angie of Many Little Blessings. We would love to have you join us during our ten week adventure. Please link up at Angie’s blog by clicking the image below.

Happy Homeschooling!

Knowledge Quest Around the World Geography Unit Study

2013-04-29T01:30:00.000-04:00

This is the 4th and final giveaway celebrating my 4th Blogiversary! Terri at Knowledge Quest is allowing me to give away one copy of Around the World.

Features of "Around the World" Unit Study by Knowledge Quest

This full-color e-book features 9 different countries from around the world. Full of information, beautiful photos and fun activities to help your children learn more about our world and the people living on it.
This book is great if you're in need of a break from your usual homeschool routine. It's perfect for doing something new and different to help break a homeschool rut.

How to Use the Around the World Unit Study

Each of the 9 geography unit studies takes 1 week to complete. How you use it is up to you. You may use your regular curriculum for 3 weeks of the month, then spend one week on a unit study. Perhaps you'll just use it during "breaks" or as an occasional activity. It's up to you. (Free sample study here)

I have one copy available to one winner. The Rafflecopter below requires only that you enter your email address and leave a blog comment. Of course, Knowledge Quest and I would love your follows and "likes" too, but they're not required.

I normally would let this run 2-3 days but because I'm participating in Screen-Free Week, I'm doing as little online work as possible. So this giveaway will end on Friday morning.

If you'd like to go ahead and purchase, you may purchase at Knowledge Quest (affiliate link) for $14.95.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Homeschooling!

Let's Celebrate Screen-Free Week 2013

2013-04-26T11:22:00.000-04:00

This is the 10th and final day in my Screen-Free Family Activities series. On this final day, let's discuss Screen-Free Week. What is it? How do we do it?

What Is Screen-Free Week

Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is the home for Screen-Free Week, an annual event when people, businesses and schools turn off their screens.

-No television.
-No video or mobile games.
-No screens for entertainment purposes.

Does this mean no screens at all?
No. We all use screens for work and school. It's a part of life in our modern society. Most of us cannot go totally screen-free. Unless our school or workplace is participating in this event, most of us will still be using screens to an extent.

How Difficult Is Screen-Free Week?

If you use screens as your primary source of entertainment, it can be tough. But if you plan well, have a list of ideas for alternative forms of entertainment, and are truly committed, you can do it!

How My Family Will Do It
Last year, we went screen-free. It wasn't difficult actually. Although I was permitted to use my screens for work, I didn't. Nor did I use them for homeschool (because I never had). We really did go completely screen-free except for the following which I don't believe count as screens for entertainment:

Using the cell phone for calls.
Using the cell phone for listening to music (How would this be different than an MP3 or CD player?) while doing other things.
Reading books on the Kindle (No different than a "real" book, in my opinion.)

If anyone finds proof that I'm wrong on those things, let me know. ;-)

This year, I see us doing things a bit differently.

I do need screens for work. Whether my cleaning business, work I do here at The Holistic Homeschooler with homeschool businesses, or projects with the iHomeschool Network, there is work to be done. I have writing deadlines, so I'll be meeting those.

But I will not be online for entertainment. Honestly, I'm never online for entertainment unless you count posting a status to my personal Facebook page, which I won't be doing.

Medical Exceptions?
Also, there's Lorelai and Alexis.

I'm going to try alternatives for their issues but they actually do use certain online activities as a means for dealing with some of their symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. Alexis uses it to calm or ignore "racing thoughts" and Lorelai uses one game as a means of calming down when teetering on the edges of mania.

I would call this "therapeutic" and say it's allowed. Again, if anyone finds a different thought on this, feel free to share. But I think if a game calms a child and prevents her from losing mental control, it's a good thing.

I've enjoyed writing this 10-day series. It's been fun. It's been challenging. I hope you've learned some things and gathered a few ideas for spending less time on screens. I know I did!

This series is a part of the 2013 Spring Hopscotch
brought to you by these lovely ladies...

Becoming Healthy & Fit | Alisha at Flourish
Teaching With LEGO | Amy at Milk and Cookies
New Experiences | Angie at Many Little Blessings
Homeschooling Tots & Preschoolers | Carisa at 1+1+1=1
Project-Based Learning | Cindy at Our Journey Westward
Electricity and Magnetism Experiments | Colleen at Raising Lifelong Learners
ABC's of Journaling | Dollie at Teachers of Good Things
Boosting Brainpower | Heather at Cultivating Lives
Hopscotching Across the USA | Heidi at Home Schoolroom
Homeschooling for Free and Frugal | Jamerrill at Free Homeschool Deals
How to Work from Home and Homeschool | Jamerrill at Holy Spirit-Led Homeschooling
Sights to See in Washington, D.C. | Jenn at Daze of Adventure
Autism is... | Jennifer at Jennifer A. Janes
Raising Boys (By a Mom of Five Sons) | Kendra at Preschoolers and Peace
US Presidents | Lauren at Mama's Learning Corner
Things You Can Do With A Can of Tomato Sauce | Laurie at Our Abundant Blessings
Learning to Exercise With Your Kids | Lisa at Chaos Appreciation
Understanding Your Anxious Child | Lisa at Our Homeschool Adventure
Homeschooling the Large Family | Marianne at Abundant Life
Screen-Free Family Activities | Michelle at The Holistic Homeschooler
Healthy Eating | Sarah at Sidetracked Sarah
Planning a Summer Garden | Stephanie at Nature Notebook
Tips for Selling Your House While Homeschooling | Susann at Mama Hopper
Gluten Free Recipes | Tabitha at Meet Penny
Cool Group Projects & Parties | Tabitha at Teaching With Cents
How to Use Coupons | Tabitha at Online Coupon Workshop
Using Games in School | Ticia at Adventures in Mommydom
You CAN be an Artist | Tricia at Hodge Podge

Happy Homeschooling!

"Screen-Free" Can Be a Lifestyle

2013-04-25T15:55:00.002-04:00

We've reached Day #9 in the "Screen-Free Family Activities" series of the iHomeschool Network's "2013 Spring Hopscotch. I want to address a final concern on this post:

Boredom

"Won't my kids be bored without screens?", you may ask.

"It's possible", I may reply.

It really depends how much time they spend using screens as a form of entertainment. My youngest, for instance, doesn't care for screens most times. She may play on Club Penguins when her moods are teetering. She watches T.V. at night if she doesn't have her niece available for play. Otherwise, the T.V. is a source of irritation to her (the noise) and she views computer time as a "waste". So is screen-free boring for her? Not at all. She much prefers to play in the mud and climb trees.

If, however, a child uses these things as a source of constant entertainment, then, you may be the recipient of the "I'm bored" ~~whine~~ serenade, a song no mother enjoys.

Let's see if it's worth the effort.

Screen-Free as Lifestyle

See the photo above? It's not the best photo. It was taken on a bad phone camera. But I love it. It shows my daughter (age 7 at the time) dancing around in a fairy princess dress. Dancing. Behind her, you see my son's paintings on the walls. Next to her is a stack of his paintings. There is a T.V. but it is turned off. In fact, there was no cable service connected to it. It was used for the occasional movie or playing Just Dance. Rarely did either of those happen.

I would suggest that Screen-Free Week isn't about removing all devices from our lives for a week. It's about beginning a lifestyle. If we start while our children are young, it's easy to go screen-free for a week.

My children have been raised without screens for the most part. Television has never been a primary source of entertainment. In fact, we didn't have it for 12 years. Think about that. My 10 year old never had television until 6 months ago. My 14-year-old hasn't had it since she was two. (Yes, I use to sit her in front of Teletubbies as a baby.)

Just so you don't think I'm bragging about our television-free life, it was not a conscientious decision. The simple truth is that there was no television reception where we lived unless we had cable and I didn't. Deliberate or not, living without it has had lasting benefits to my family. They pursue music, art, tree-climbing, dancing and gymnastics.

They're too busy for the T.V. we now have.

Screen-Free Week in our house isn't very different than everyday life. For us it's more like a stay-cation. We simply do more of the things we do all the time like hiking, parks, splash pads and museums.

If the opposite were true and my children were accustomed to screens-for-entertainment, then I'd use Screen-Free Week as a jumping point towards a more screen-free lifestyle.

The Effects of Too Much Screen Time

In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments - there are consequences. - Robert G. Ingersoll

What is considered a "norm" in society isn't necessarily what is good for us. Children who find the majority of their entertainment in televisions, tablets, phones and laptop screens suffer the negative effects such as sleep problems, obesity and lower academic performance.

During Screen-Free Week, we are "Screen-Free". During the rest of the year the goal should at least be "nearly screen-free". In our modern society, we use screens for work, school and information. But we don't need them as a constant source of entertainment.

Children throughout history have had very normal, natural childhoods without screens. Surely we can minimize our children's use of screens so that they are healthy, happy and appreciative of the opportunities around them.

In addition to the many things I've talked about over the last 8 days, I'm sure you can find many more ideas for reducing screen time by visiting the 2013 Spring Hopscotch!

Happy Homeschooling!

Cooking with Kids: No Screens Required

2013-04-24T10:35:00.003-04:00

Today is Day #8 of "Screen-Free Family Activities". I hope you're enjoying this series. I'm enjoying writing it. (And boy is it making me work my brain for ideas!)

Let's talk cooking.

Love it? Hate it? I guess it doesn't matter since we really have no choice in the matter. So why not enjoy it?

Cooking With Kids

My 10-year-old loves to help in the kitchen. She enjoys cutting veggies (supervised of course!) and frying chicken. I can't say I enjoy cooking but I don't dislike it. It's like breathing: I just do it.

But I do enjoy cooking with Lorelai because she enjoys it.

This another bonding activity (see handicrafts post) in which you can share a skill and building memories with your child. And guess what.. no screens allowed!

Now, I can't speak for anyone else, but I've never had a T.V. in the kitchen. But I do often have my phone in the kitchen for reading a recipe. So I'd say that is allowed. It's not being used for entertainment after all. It's certainly more eco-friendly to save recipes in bookmarks or onto your Ziplist than to print them.

Spending time together is just one of the benefits of having kids in the kitchen with you. It's also a chemistry lesson, a math lesson and counts as a life skill or handicraft! If you're very creative, you can turn it into a Geography lesson using International recipes!

Cookbook Giveaway

I have another giveaway in honor of my Blogiversary. I'm celebrating all month and this is the 3rd of 4 giveaways.

Today, Tricia Hodges joins me again in celebration of my Blogiversary by offering her Southern Hodgepodge cookbook bundle! Yay Tricia!

One winner will receive 3 cookbooks offering practical strategies that help save money and get dinner on the table. Each cookbook offers traditional and Southern classic recipes and time-honored how-to tips for making celebrations special.

Now, I am a true southern girl so these cookbooks are exciting for me. If you're interested in owning them, join the giveaway below. You're only required to leave a blog post and submit your email for notification purposes. Of course, Tricia and I appreciate Tweets, Follows and Likes too, so we've included those options.

If you'd like to purchase:
Simply visit Southern Hodgepodge (affiliate link). The bundle is only $4.99!

After you've entered the giveaway, please visit the other talented bloggers at Spring 2013 Hopscotch.

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Happy Homeschooling!

45 Handicraft Ideas

2013-04-23T23:44:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Day #7 of my 10-day series, "Screen-Free Family Activities".

Handicraft. It's not a commonly-used word these days. Many homeschoolers know what it is, particularly those using the Charlotte Mason method of education. But for the most part, it's a "lost" word. So let us first define it.

hand·i·craft

/ˈhandēˌkraft/

Noun

A particular skill of making decorative objects by hand.
An object made using a skill of this kind.

Handicrafts are life skills such as needlework, quilting, knitting, pottery, sewing, crocheting, woodworking, etc.

Charlotte Mason believed that children should be trained in handicrafts, skills which they could use for the rest of their lives.

"The children should not “be employed in making futilities such as pea and stick work, paper mats, and the like.”-Charlotte Mason

Their work should be purposeful. A picture to hang; a rug which decorates and beautifies a wall, a sweater to keep warm; a bracelet of beads to wear...

Passing down your own handicraft skills to your children is great for not only teaching a skill, but spending time together doing something you both enjoy. You can also take the opportunity to learn a skill with your child!

Handicrafts are also a great alternative to screens. They're fun and educational. Most importantly you're developing fond memories and life-long skills for your children.

List of Handicraft Ideas

Applique
Beading
Calligraphy
Candle-making
Carving
Ceramics
Chalk drawing
Charcoal sketching
Clay sculpturing
Crocheting
Cross-stitching
Doll Making
Embroidery
Fiber art
Fiber preparation: spinning, carding, dying
Finger painting
Flower arranging
Gardening
Iron sculpturing
Kiting
Knitting and Loom Knitting
Latch-hooking
Leather crafting
Loom weaving
Macrame
Nature crafts (wreaths, dried arrangements, sachets)
Needlepoint
Oil painting
Pencil sketching
Photography
Picture framing
Pottery
Quilting
Rubber stamping
Scrapbooking
Sewing
Soap Making
Soft metal tooling
Spool-knitting
Videography
Watercolor painting
Weaving (rugs, blankets, baskets, placemats, pot holders, etc)
Weaving pot holders
Whittling
Woodworking

For an extensive list of handicrafts, check out 101 Handicraft Links at Charlotte Mason Help.

What handicrafts do you do? What are you teaching your children? What would you like to learn?

This post is a part of the Spring 2013 Hopscotch. There is a lot of great information being shared by the talented bloggers involved in this project. Please go check out their posts.

photo credit: subarcticmike via photopin cc

Happy Homeschooling!

How to Reduce and Regulate Screen Time

2013-04-22T02:04:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Day #6 of my "Screen-Free Family Activities" series.

Regulating may be an overwhelming idea to some. For others, it's not a problem. In our family, there has never been a lot of time spent on screens because we simply didn't have them. We didn't attempt to have them. We really just didn't care.

I realize that others may spend a good amount of time on screens and need or want to reduce their time on these things. They may or may not find it difficult.

Reducing Screen Time

If you choose to do so, there are ways to permanently reduce screen time.

Keep bedrooms television-free.
Limit television to certain times of day.
Set the example.
Make them earn it.

Regulating Screen Time

Until 2011, the only screen we had at that time was the computer and the kids had no interest in it. Then I got a smart phone. Still, no real interest. But in 2012, we acquired several screens such as tablets and television.

Trust me on this. Just because my children never had these things and certainly never longed for things they'd never had, are in no way immune to being "sucked" into them.

Immediately I saw that they'd watch T.V. all day if I didn't intervene.

So I decided to regulate. I told them they'd earn their screen time. The way that we did it was this:

Completing homeschool assignments = 30 minutes of earned screen time.
Completing chores = 30 minutes of earned screen time.
Reading for 30 or more minutes each day = 30 minutes of earned screen time.

They could each earn 1.5 hours of screen time per day to be divided any way they chose. They could spend the entire hour and a half watching T.V.. They could spend half the time on the computer and half on the Kindle. They could divide it between all the screens available. But once it was spent, it was spent.

Do What Works for Your Family

My children are older. I didn't need to tally up points, or offer tokens for them to collect. But these things could certainly work for younger ones.

Decide how much time is healthy for your child. The following recommendations are a good starting point.

Infant Children (0-2 years): The American Academy of Pediatrics(AAP) does not recommend television for children this young
Toddler Children (2-3 years): No more than a ½ hour of screen time a day
Preschool Children (3-5 years): No more than 1 hour of screen time a day
Kindergarten Children (5-6 years): 1 to 1 ½ hours of screen time a day
School-Age Children (6-12 years): 2 to 2 ½ hours of screen time a day

Then decide how they will earn their screen time and what the reward will be.
- Keep it age appropriate.
- Don't make the goals too difficult to attain.
- Be fair.

Do you have any ideas for regulating and reducing screen time? Do you have a system (or ideas for a system) that could work for others? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Please visit the other talented ladies at the Spring 2013 Hopscotch.

photo credit: Cha già José via photopin cc

Happy Homeschooling!

Encouraging Creativity Reduces Screen Usage

2013-04-19T11:58:00.000-04:00

Today is Day #5 of my 10-day series on "Screen-Free Family Activities".
Did you know that creative thinking decreases as a child gets older?

“Of 1,600 children aged three to five who were tested, 98% showed they could think in divergent ways. By the time they were aged eight to 10, 32% could think divergently. When the same test was applied to 13 to 15-year-olds, only 10% could think in this way. And when the test was used with 200,000 25-year-olds, only 2% could think divergently.” - Sir Ken Robinson (Listen to this YouTube talk: "Do schools today kill creativity?" by Sir Ken Robinson

Why Children Become Less Creative

Children become less creative when they are exposed to a one-size-fits-all environment or education full of stereotyped ideas. It falls back to the adage, "If you don't use it, you'll lose it." If we don't use our legs, for example, the muscles atrophy and we lose the ability to use them. Imagination works the same way. If we do not use our creative abilities, that portion of the brain simply stops working for us.

The idea that each problem or question has only one right answer squashes a child's ability to think divergently. They're being asked, specifically, to think inside-the-box. As parents, we have the ability to help nurture that natural creativity.

A bird drawn from a child's memory and experience.

These are "birds" in the child's math workbook.

After seeing the workbook birds,
the child draws birds like this.

Source: Viktor Lowenfeld and W. Lambert Brittain.
Creative and Mental Growth, 6th ed. 1970. Macmillan, NY. p. 109

This doesn't have to happen. Below is a list of things you can do to encourage creativity:

1. Avoid stereotyping in activities. While it isn't wrong to offer a coloring book or dot-to-dot games here and there, allowing a child to draw freely will encourage imagination. They will color the pictures they have drawn rather than be locked "inside the lines" of pre-made coloring activities.

2. Encourage Photography: Put a camera in their hands. My kids love taking photographs and are very talented at it. It definitely develops an "eye" for lines, shapes, composition and more.

3. Practice creativity yourself. If a child sees that mom, dad or an older siblings enjoys drawing, doodling, writing stories, or painting, they'll be encouraged and inspired. Drawing and coloring won't strike them as a "child's activity".

4. Provide real-life experiences. Experience is a great teacher and children are natural observers. Providing opportunities for children to draw what they see is important to developing creativity. All mammals imitate but humans take it a step further: They create. While they may be drawing what they see, what they do with it (colors, textures, what medium they use) is all their own.

5. Provide an ample amount of materials. Crayons and paper are good. Crayons, drawing pens and pencils, oil pastels, chalks, watercolors, various types of paper, beads, bottles, poster board and canvases are better. You get the idea.

6. Visit art galleries, museums and art shows. Talk about the art you see. Ask questions that make the children look and consider. You may not enjoy abstract art, but have the child look at the painting and tell you what they think it is. Then look at the card or plaque next to the painting. How far off was the child's guess? Have them look again to see if they can see the artist's perspective. (My 14-year-old told me she does this. What a great idea!)

Ask the children to tell you what medium was used such as oil, water color, chalk, acrylic, etc... My 10-year-old is an "ace" at this one.

7. Go on nature walks with a magnifying glass. If a magnifying glass isn't standard equipment in your nature study pack, change that. Having a child observe the smallest details allows them to see how very artistic their creator is and how beautifully nature is painted.

By nurturing creative imagination, children will find better things to do than spend time on screens. I can attest to the fact that a creative child (even older ones) will spend a good amount of time exercising their imagination. The more time they're using creative imagination, the less time they'll spend on screens. My 14-year old does use screens, but as a means for learning more about the art she loves such as drawing techniques or dance moves. It's a productive usage.

What other things can parents do to inspire creativity? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Then please go visit the other talented ladies at the Spring 2013 Hopscotch.

Happy Homeschooling!

More Screen-Free Fun: 50 Things to Do Outdoors

2013-04-18T02:17:00.000-04:00

Today is Day #4 of my 10-day series on "Screen-Free Family Activities".

The most natural things for children to do is play outdoors. So today's post is focused on outdoor activities for the family. Being outdoors provides sunshine (vitamin D!), exercise and great childhood memories.

Today I've compiled a list of things to do outdoors. While many of these activities can be done without adult-participation (think mud pies), all of them can be enjoyed by the entire family.

50 Things to Do Outdoors

(Some links are affiliate links. Read full disclosure.)

1. Go on a hike

2. Visit a zoo

3. Draw chalk pictures on the sidewalk.

4. Paint outside like Monet.

5. Go swimming

6. Make leaf or bark rubbings and label them with the names of the trees.

7. Have a cookout.

8. Work in the yard mowing, weeding, or planting seeds.

9. Visit a state park.

10. Make bird feeders.

11. Play Steal the Bacon, Hide 'N' Seek in the dark, or No Bears Are Out Tonight

12. Have a picnic in your back yard.

13. Learn about clouds.

14. Make a nature collage.

15. Take nature photos.

16. Run through the sprinklers

17. Make mud pies.

18. Sleep under the stars in your backyard.

19. Go for a walk.

20. Visit a farm.

21. Put on a parade for neighbors.

22. Go camping

23. Look for tracks and trails of animals.

24. Have a homeschool Field Day in your yard.

25. Attend a festival

26. Hold a neighborhood talent show in your backyard.

27. Sit on a blanket under a shade tree and read a book.

28. Keep a nature journal.

29. Attend an outdoor concert.

30. Visit a river, pond or lake and study the habitat.

31. Learn about wildflowers. Or butterflies. Or mushrooms.

32. Play traditional outdoor games like badminton, hopscotch, croquet or jumping rope.

33. Go to a farmer's market.

34. Play Outdoor Bingo (free PDF download)

35. Throw a Frisbee.

36. Make paper airplanes and race them.

37. Build a fort.

38. Make s'mores.

39. Finger paint.

40. Decorate windows with washable window paint.

41. Go geocaching.

42. Ride bikes together.

43. Have a dance party.

44. Have a water gun fight.

45. Turn the kiddie pool into a giant bubble bath.

46. Go fishing.

47. Go canoeing.

48. Study seashells.

49. Paint rocks with water colors.

50. Sit on a blanket and make a list of more things to do outdoors.

Can you add to the list? Leave your ideas in the comments.

Then please go visit the other talented ladies at the Spring 2013 Hopscotch.

Happy Homeschooling!

Going Screen-Free with Art

2013-04-17T11:16:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Day 3 of my 10-day series on Screen-Free Family Activities. Today, I want to talk about art.

Art is not only very important to creating well-rounded children, it improves their academic abilities and social skills. Equally important, learning about and participating in art activities is fun. Children love creating masterpieces, whatever they are. We can see this in even the youngest of children as they bring us their drawings of "mom and dad" with over sized heads and stick arms. It's a natural inclination within humans.

Unfortunately, many of us have grown up without the proper tools and experiences for expressing our creativity through art. I can't draw draw or paint. Nearly all of my 5 children, however, have artistic talent.

Art is a natural inclination which must be encouraged.

Reducing Screen Time

What does this have to do with screen time? If our children have these deeper interests and activities, there will be less time spent on screens. My 14-year-old spends a great amount of her time drawing. She usually has music playing on a cell phone, but she's busy with her art.

By providing the materials, time and encouragement, we're giving the children something to do besides staring at screens.

"But I Don't Know Anything about Art"

It's true that many of us have grown up without art in our lives. But does that mean we can't participate now? No. Barb of Harmony Fine arts didn't start drawing until she was an adult raising children. But even if you have no interest in learning to draw or paint, your children likely do. So provide the materials.

Also, learning about art itself is enjoyable. Doing art and artist studies is one of my favorite parts of homeschooling. I don't draw and paint, but I still enjoy learning about the lives, backgrounds and techniques of the great artists.

Exposing Children to Art

There are many ways to include art in your children's lives. Here are just a few:

Visit museums
Attend art shows
Artist Studies
Provide a variety of art materials
Art classes and camps
Co-op classes

Blogiversary Giveaway

Today, I'm giving away a copy of "A Simple Start in Chalk Pastels". This ebook contains a full year of chalk pastel art lessons! This prize was donated by Tricia Hodges of Southern Hodgepodge.

If you would like to purchase:
Visit Southern Hodgepodge (affiliate link). Use the coupon code HODGEPODGE to receive $5 off your purchase of the ebook.

To enter:
Simply leave a blog post and your email address (for prize notification only). Although it is not required, Tricia and I appreciate your "likes", Tweets and shares too.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit the other talented ladies at the Spring 2013 Hopscotch.

Happy Homeschooling!

Replacing Screens with Music

2013-04-16T13:49:00.000-04:00

Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License Luz Adriana Villa A.

"Children learn about themselves and others by playing music together and by listening to each other - tapping into hidden courage that can be played out by singing together or discovering the inner resources to listen quietly to another child's playing." - Judi Bosco, Board Certified Music Therapist

There's no arguing that the list of benefits of music for children is extensive. Music improves neurological function, reading skills and reduces anxiety levels. Including music in a child's life and homeschool is important.

Incorporating Music in Your Child's Life

Screen usage can be reduced by including music into a child's daily life. Below is a list of ways to do that.

Give your life background music - Keep music on rather than television. My fondest memories of childhood were the days and evenings when the house was silent except for the radio or albums. There was always music. It's calming and inspires creativity. What better environment could there be? (Yes, I realize that music may require a screen. I'll admit, even during screen-free week, music is playing on my phone.)
Take Lessons - If you can afford it (or barter it), sign your child up for piano, guitar or voice lessons. Children love music and you never know what talents they've been gifted with until you let them try.
Music and Composer studies - If you're using the Charlotte Mason method, you likely already do these. If not, now is the best time to start.
Sing - Sing with your children. Sing to your children. Do this from birth. If you haven't, that's fine. Start now!
Attend musical productions - Many areas even have free events like Music in the Park or local free symphonies.

Resources for Composer and Music Studies

I hope this post has given you some ideas or inspired some of your own ideas for ways to reduce screen time by including music in your homeschool and daily life.

I'd like to have some more ideas. If you have any, please share in the comments.

Then go check out the other great bloggers at the Spring 2013 Hopscotch.

Happy Homeschooling!

Screen-Free with Preschoolers

2013-04-15T15:57:00.002-04:00

photo credit: a.pasquier via photopin cc

Most of us are aware that too much T.V. time isn't the healthiest thing for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children under age 2 not watch any television and children over age 2 be limited to 1 to 2 hours per day of quality programming (10 hours per week maximum). Sadly, the average toddler or preschool-age child watches 32 hours per week.

The list of things children can do outside of screen-time is endless. What did children do for thousands of years before the invention of the television? Left to simply be children, they will find much to do on their own. Sometimes a little inspiration from mom is necessary, but given the tools and proper environment, imagination is the name of the game.

Here is a small list of things young children can do instead of watching television.

Make a jungle - This is a neat paper craft that young children could do with mom or dad's help.

Make play dough - We've all done this. It's simple and fun. It entertains for hours!

Play with feet - Here are some great ideas for learning about feet. The children can compare feet to those of other animals, make foot prints with fingerpaints and explore movement.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar activities - I found an entire Pinterest board dedicated to this.

Decorate a flower pot

Paint- fingerpainting is easy (and you can make your own). Kids love watercolors too. This is a great opportunity to refine motor skills and explore colors.

Study Bugs - From catep illars to bugs and butterflies, this pinterest board has lots of activities.

Make mud pies - They can do this out of doors, of course. But have you ever seen a mud pie kitchen? Kind of cool!

Again, this is a small list. But hopefully it inspire you to more ideas for screen-free activities with your preschool child.

Could you add to the list? I'd love to see your ideas in the comments.

Then please go visit the other talented ladies at the Spring 2013 Hopscotch.

Happy Homeschooling!

Screen-Free Family Activities

2013-04-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

I'm excited to be participating in the Spring 2013 Hopscotch with the other talented bloggers at the iHomeschool Network.

My series is on Screen-Free Family Activities.

April 29-May 5, my family will be participating the Screen-Free Week Challenge. This will be our second year. Last year, we had a great time. I think this year may be a little more challenging as we've aquired more screens. Still, I'm going for it!

Although I encourage everyone to take the Screen-Free Week Challenge, the following posts are not for that purpose. They're simply some good ideas for reducing screen-time year-round, connecting with our families, and living life more fully.

Here is the list of posts I'll be making over the next two weeks.

Day 1: Screen-Free with Preschoolers
Day 2: Replacing Screens with Music
Day 3: Going Screen-Free with Art (blogiversary giveaway #2!)
Day 4: More Screen-Free Fun: 50 Things to Do Outdoors
Day 5: Encouraging Creativity Reduces Screen Time
Day 6: How to Reduce and Regulate Screen Time
Day 7: 45 Handicraft Ideas
Day 8: Cooking with Kids: No Screens Required (blogiversary giveaway #3)
Day 9: Screen-Free Can Be a Lifestyle
Day 10: Let's Celebrate Screen-Free Week 2013

Please visit the 2013 Spring Hopscotch
brought to you by these lovely ladies...

Becoming Healthy & Fit | Alisha at Flourish
Teaching With LEGO | Amy at Milk and Cookies
New Experiences | Angie at Many Little Blessings
Homeschooling Tots & Preschoolers | Carisa at 1+1+1=1
Project-Based Learning | Cindy at Our Journey Westward
Electricity and Magnetism Experiments | Colleen at Raising Lifelong Learners
ABC's of Journaling | Dollie at Teachers of Good Things
Boosting Brainpower | Heather at Cultivating Lives
Hopscotching Across the USA | Heidi at Home Schoolroom
Homeschooling for Free and Frugal | Jamerrill at Free Homeschool Deals
How to Work from Home and Homeschool | Jamerrill at Holy Spirit-Led Homeschooling
Sights to See in Washington, D.C. | Jenn at Daze of Adventure
Autism is... | Jennifer at Jennifer A. Janes
Raising Boys (By a Mom of Five Sons) | Kendra at Preschoolers and Peace
US Presidents | Lauren at Mama's Learning Corner
Things You Can Do With A Can of Tomato Sauce | Laurie at Our Abundant Blessings
Learning to Exercise With Your Kids | Lisa at Chaos Appreciation
Understanding Your Anxious Child | Lisa at Our Homeschool Adventure
Homeschooling the Large Family | Marianne at Abundant Life
Screen-Free Family Activities | Michelle at The Holistic Homeschooler
Healthy Eating | Sarah at Sidetracked Sarah
Planning a Summer Garden | Stephanie at Nature Notebook
Tips for Selling Your House While Homeschooling | Susann at Mama Hopper
Gluten Free Recipes | Tabitha at Meet Penny
Cool Group Projects & Parties | Tabitha at Teaching With Cents
How to Use Coupons | Tabitha at Online Coupon Workshop
Using Games in School | Ticia at Adventures in Mommydom
You CAN be an Artist | Tricia at Hodge Podge

Happy Homeschooling!

Loving Living Math - 4th Blogiversary Giveaway

2013-04-09T04:02:00.000-04:00

Photo Credit: Michaela Kobyakov

This week, I'm celebrating two milestones.

It's the 4th Blogiversary of The Holistic Homeschooler
My Facebook page reached (and surpassed) 2,000 "likes" on my anniversary. (How cool is that?)

Cindy West of Our Journey Westward is joining me for today's celebration. Her blogiversary gift is a copy Loving Living Math.

Loving Living Math

Loving Living Math is a "how-to" book that will answer all your questions, ease all your fears, and bring skeptics at least closer to the idea of adding living math to their homeschool.

In 46 straightforward pages, you’ll understand what living math is, learn why it can be so effective in your homeschool, and consider various ways to incorporate it into your homeschool schedule. Although some parents use living math exclusively, this book encourages you to supplement textbook lessons with living math lessons and shows you how to effectively do that through problem solving, manipulatives, games and more. Beneficial for students of any age.

Explanations, examples, resources and several sample lessons are provided on the topics of:

logic
problem solving
manipulatives
skill and drill
writing
incorporating other subjects
technology
living literature
games
everyday opportunities
math projects

The book can be purchased at Shining Dawn Books (this is an affiliate link).

More about Cindy:
Cindy West is an eclectically Charlotte Mason homeschooler of three sweet children. She is owner and author of Shining Dawn Books, author of Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners, homeschool speaker, and blogger at Our Journey Westward.

And now for Giveaway #1 (there are more to come!):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Homeschooling!

Review: All About Spelling - Level 1

2013-04-08T03:06:00.002-04:00

Lorelai and I have been using All About Spelling for one month. It's been such a positive experience that I want to share it with you. After struggling for so long with spelling, I'm grateful to have this program which is working wonders for her.

Background

Lorelai has been having difficulties with reading and spelling. While she does well at her lessons, she never seems to retain and recognize words when she sees them elsewhere. This has been an ongoing challenge.

Last month, I purchased All About Spelling. After speaking to the owner, I decided that I'd start at level one and "fast track" Lorelai so that I can be sure she's grasping the basic concepts of spelling.

Materials:

Basic Interactive Spelling Kit

Letter tiles
Magnets for letter tiles
Phonogram CD-ROM (in case you need to learn the sounds)
Divider cards

All About Spelling Level I

Teacher's Manual
Phonogram Cards
Sound Cards
Key Word Cards
Spelling Word Cards
Tokens

Benefits of All About Spelling

Easy to use - The lesson plans are scripted. Simply open the Teacher's Manual and do what it says for each lesson.
Multi-Sensory Program - Through a variety of materials and activities such as flash cards, letter tiles, writing and speaking, this program reinforces concepts through sight, sound and touch.
Mastery-based - Only one concept is taught at a time. Each lesson reinforces previous lessons through reviews before introducing the next concept.
Short Lessons - The child doesn't grow weary or bored from long lessons. A few minutes a day does the trick. (I especially like this as it falls in well with the Charlotte Mason principle of short lessons.)
Materials Included - So far, I've not had to provide anything other than a pencil and paper.
It's fun and it works! - We are really enjoying this program because it's so easy, fun, and it actually does work. Everything Lorelai has learned, she has retained.

The only thing I'll do differently with my next purchase is that I'll buy the Deluxe Interactive Spelling Kit. It seemed we didn't need the tote bag or the Spelling Review Box but I was mistaken. The materials really do need a "home" so that the cards and tokens don't get lost. We've managed to keep them all together but I really want the box for the cards.

We've been using this program for a month and Lorelai loves it! On more than one occasion, she's begged for "more" once our lesson was over. So we went on and completed 3-4 lessons at a time. She's very excited to finally be retaining what she's studied and not having to ask me "How do I spell...." quite as much as she was.

Since we're doing a "Fast Track" process, she'll soon be in Level II. There are seven levels in total and we're looking forward to using them!

How to Purchase

Visit the All About Spelling website. The Basic Interactive Spelling Kit is priced at $29.95 while the Deluxe kit is $49.95.

Each level is $39.95 except Level I which is $29.95. I'm impressed that such an affordable product has given us such great results. Even a single mom, like me, can afford to use this great program.

(Disclosure Policy)

Happy Homeschooling!

A Week of Moments to Remember

2013-04-04T23:59:00.002-04:00

In my life this week...

This week was a week full of moments worth remembering.

I visited with a friend who just found out she has cancer. She's only 37 years old. We met 14 years ago when we both worked at a local health food store. We've been friends ever since. She was on the team of midwives who attended my home birth for Lorelai. Five years later, she was on the same team of midwives for my granddaughter's home birth.

Although we're not the type of friends that talk on the phone all the time or even hang out all the time, she's a very special woman who means a lot to our family. She's watched my kids grow into adults and helped bring my last one into the world. She is family! She's been there for us and now we'll be there for her.

In our homeschool this week...

Week #1 of our Term I

This week was the beginning of our new homeschool year. Since things haven't gone as planned with my tax refund, there was no hoopla to this event. It was business as usual. Alexis is making great strides in her math skills which is giving her great joy. We are going to start her in Math-U-See next month. I believe it will be good for helping her (she has Dyscalculia) because it's multi-sensory. She's behind on her essay course, so we're catching up on that.

My favorite thing this week was...

Spending Saturday with Lorelai and my granddaughter. We went downtown to the coffee shop,then the Asian market, then Berryville. Afterwards, we went to a park that Lorelai has never been to before. It's across the street from the house her dad and I lived in 16 years ago when my adult children were little ones.

It was nice. I got to tell her about living there and things our family did. She actually asked questions about her dad for the first time, specifically questions relating to his Bipolar Disorder.

I'm not sure what prompted those particular questions but I suspect it was an attempt at understanding.. something. Or perhaps trying to relate to him in the only way she knows? I don't know. But I'm glad she had a great day and did show some interest in her dad. It's hard to keep him "alive" in her mind since she was so young when he died.

My kiddos favorite thing this week was...

We went to the fair. We brought back with us: 2 Teddy Bears, 1 Red Plush Puppy, and 2 Goldfish

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

These photos are from our last weekend of spring break.


Lorelai: Outside the Asian market with a box of Pocky On a tire swing at the park Some of that intense joy she exhibits


Alexis taking photos at the fair Lorelai on the carousel Alexis on the flying swings

I am entering this post in the following homeschool link-ups. Please pay them a visit.

Happy Homeschooling!

My Daughter is a Dyslexic Ninja Bipolar Bear

2013-04-04T11:41:00.001-04:00

As most of my readers know, ~~some~~ most of my children have Bipolar Disorder. Around here we make jokes and laugh about it. Now wipe the shocked look off your face. My experience (and I have a lot) is that those with Bipolar Disorder are hilariously funny. That's what first attracted me to my daughters' father (the sense of humor, not the disorder).

In this family, humor is the rule of the day and we have an innate ability to laugh at ourselves. My youngest, while having the most severe form, is the first to to make wisecracks about her bad moods when she's not in a mood cycle. Alexis (nickname Lexi), who has Dyslexia, even nicknamed herself "DysLexi" as a joke. It's good to accept things with humor. Better than being 'down' about it.

Around here, we call the kids Bipolar Bears when referring to certain traits like ~~hibernating~~ sleeping all day. Alexis prefers to call herself a Ninja. That is her own euphemism for Bipolar. If she's up all night because she can't sleep, and someone asks why she's up so late, she says, "I'm a Ninja.".

Writing

On her Deviant Art page, I found this entry into her journal. She's evidently creating an ongoing story. I've made some minor grammatical corrections but this is the intro to her story.

"The story of my life:

I was born a ninja, but my mom didn't want me to live that sort of life. So, she put me in an envelope and sent me to the north pole. There, I was raised by bipolar bears. I loved my bipolar bear family. But, I couldn't help busting awesome ninja moves...

One day, my bipolar bear mother roared to me that had she'd gone to the post office where she got an envelope with a fat baby in it. It was me. She would have eaten me, but... She knew I was destined to be something awesomely saucy. I had always done awesome things like climb snowy mountains... Even when I was 2 days old. Blah blah blah... ANYWAYS. She guessed I was to be a ninja.

So, at the age of 3, I packed my bags, and headed south..."

I like it! Another thing I like is a status she posted on a gray, rainy day:

There is light outside, but the sun is not shining...

When the sun doesn't shine, we don't want to leave the house.
When the sun doesn't shine, we feel gloomy.
When the sun doesn't shine, we crawl back into our beds.
When the sun doesn't shine, we're held back...

And yet...

When the sun doesn't shine, the birds still sing...

And if you missed it last year, here is her Note About Dyslexia.

Art

Her latest works of art:

I had to "auto contrast" because the image was too dark. Now it's got a glare. Sorry about that.

Disclaimer: I respect my children's privacy and level of comfort. Posts such as this one have been discussed with and approved by them.

Happy Homeschooling!

Ideas for Celebrating National Poetry Month

2013-04-02T03:23:00.002-04:00

Original Photo Credit: Mattox

April is National Poetry month. If you not already incorporated the study of poetry and poets into your curriculum, now is a great time!

Studying poetry has been a favorite in our homeschool since we began the Charlotte Mason method. I haven't written about our poetry studies as much as I probably should. In fact, it's been a few years since I posted poems. I need to change that.

Anyway, I thought it would be neat to list some ideas for ways to celebrate National Poetry Month.

Poetry Activity Ideas

Memorize a poem together. Now is as good a time as any to begin the habit of poetry memorization.
Recite a poem for a family member, friend or your homeschool group.
Read a poem each day for the entire month.
Write a letter to someone and include your favorite poem.
Poem in your pocket. You can find ideas for this activity at Poets.org
Use copywork to learn poems. Classical Copywork has an affordable ebook for this. (Read my review.)
Write Pavement Poems. Break out some sidewalk chalk and write poems on the pavement!
Play Hangman using poetry terms.
Gather poetry activity ideas from this Pinterest Board.
Visit the library and check out poetry books.
Attend a poetry reading. Check your local library and bookstores.

Poetry Resources

Grow Your Poetry Collection

(The following are affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.)

Poetry for Young People: Maya Angelou

Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson

Here's A Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry

A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children

It's Your Turn:
What ideas can you think of for celebrating National Poetry Month?

Happy Homeschooling!

The Face of Homeschooling: Interview with Katie

2013-04-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

This is the April 2013 edition of The Face of Homeschooling, where we seek to challenge the one-size-fits all ideas and stereotypes of homeschoolers. This month, I interviewed Katie of Brighton Park.

Q. How many children do you have and what are their ages?

A. I have five children: Identical twin boys, age 12, and three little girls, ages 8, 6 and 2. My twin boys have severe special needs due to birth trauma. I homeschool everyone.

Q. How did you come to the decision to homeschool?

A. My twin boys started in public school. When my eldest daughter was close to preschool age, I noticed that the kids doing best (best manners, most articulate) at my daughter's ballet school had one thing in common: They were the homeschooled. I asked my husband about homeschooling my daughter for preschool. We started homeschooling the boys the following year. We are in our 5th year homeschooling everyone.

Q. What were your biggest challenges, if any, to overcome while deciding to homeschool?

A. Even though I am a pediatric speech pathologist, I had a lot of reservations about homeschooling our twin boys who had special needs. I just had to trust that if God was leading me to it, then he would lead me through it. Five years into our homeschool journey later, the boys are thriving with homeschool.

Q. What methods or styles of homeschooling have you used and which one are you using?

A. We started out using a Catholic curriculum (Catholic Heritage) with a few theme units thrown in for good measure. Now we do a hybrid of Catholic Heritage and Waldorf (my kids call it Crafty Catholic), and I do still throw in the occasional theme unit. It's perfect for our family.

Living in Arizona, we homeschool "lite" during our short spring season so the kids can take advantage of nice weather for play, outside science, and gardening. We have all summer, when it is too hot, to do table work indoors. We homeschool 4 days a week, year-round. The year round schedule works perfect for us as we travel often. Year-round schooling ensures we get everything done.

Q. What are the pros and cons of the style you're using now?

A. The pros of our current system are numerous. I love the religious component of the Catholic Heritage text books for our older daughter. For our twins and younger daughters, Waldorf provides the hands on learning that serves them best. All the kids enjoy the Waldorf stories and crafts. It has been easy to incorporate the two curricula for Saint's feast days and festivals.

The cons with two curricula are the number of choices. I always have way more ideas than I have time.

Q. What has been the most surprising aspect of homeschooling?

A. One of the most surprising things to me was how much closer it would make our family. We are together every day. My husband is self-employed and home much of the week. That gives him more time with the children. I also love the flexibility that homeschool provides which was a benefit I hadn't considered.

Q. What have you learned about your children and yourself on your homeschool journey?

A. I am more aware of the kind of learners my kids are than if they were away at school. I realize how fortunate and blessed I am to have the opportunity to be with them each day.

One thing I have learned about myself is how little tolerance I have for bad parenting in public school parents, homeschool parents, or otherwise. We have an entire generation of children who don't know how to play without a screen in front of them (which can and does affect their language skills).

Q. Summarize your homeschool philosophy or mission statement in a few sentences.

A. I'm sad to say we don't necessarily have a mission statement. What we do have is the opportunity, at the beginning of a new school year, to look at each child individually and ask three questions:

Was homeschool last year a positive experience for them?
Was homeschool last year a positive experience for me (Mom)?
Are they at or above grade level?

The answer to all three of those questions has to be 'yes' for us to continue homeschooling that child into the new year with full confidence.

Q. Finish this sentence: Homeschooling is....

A. ...a job and, like any other job, should be treated with professionalism. Be prepared. Show up on time and dressed. Be organized and bring your "A" game every day for your kids. If you do that, it will be one of the most successful and rewarding endeavors in which you have had the good fortune to participate.

Katie Sullivan, M.S., SLP-CCC, RYT-200, is a pediatric speech pathologist, yoga teacher, homeschooler, Catholic, backyard chicken keeper, DIY'er,and a mom to five children under the age of 12 including twin boys with special needs due to birth trauma.

Her blog Brighton Park was recently featured in Hobby Farm Home Magazine, Lucky online magazine and Parenting.com and is where she shares practical information and artful inspiration in the areas of homemaking, homeschooling, and living an inspired life right where you are by finding the awesome in the ordinary. You can also connect with her on facebook.

*The views, beliefs and opinions expressed in interviews are those of the person being interviewed and do not necessarily reflect those of Michelle Cannon/The Holistic Homeschooler.