Little Ones vs. Homeschooling

This is an article by Diane Hopkins from Love to Learn (http://www.lovetolearn.com/). As lots of us are starting or preparing to start our homeschools, here are some great ideas for occupying your little ones!

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How's it going teaching homeschool with a little one to distract and occupy you? Can be pretty crazy!

I used to struggle with trying to teach the big ones while the little one seemed to carry on a constant disruption. It took a change of attitude, plus some planning to change that in my homeschool.

The change of attitude came unexpectedly as I was searching and praying for a way to keep my toddler or preschooler from messing up my homeschool. Sometimes a change of perspective is all that is needed. Have you read my article, "The Baby is the Lesson"? It has been the most popular thing I've ever written, and I hope it will help you see your little one from a different perspective! (article can be found at http://www.lovetolearn.com/)

Now, to the planning: if you plan ahead, your little one will be lots happier and busier while you are trying to get in some teaching time. Of course, you will involve your preschooler as much as possible in your homeschool: singing, pledge of allegiance, story time, checking the weather, etc. I began school with all my children together, and with an activity waiting nearby on the floor of our schoolroom, such as big legos, a sorting toy, coloring and crayons, or something else to pique my little one's interest when the teaching went over his head. Little ones want to be in the middle of everything, and having something to do close to us would give us time to get going in the morning.

As the morning wore on, my preschooler would get restless and need attention. Time for "Baby Duty"—my term for a 20 minute shift of interacting with the little one in your family. I would assign one child to take the little one outside or into another room and get out a special pre-packed box of delights reserved just for this time, and filled with educational games, puzzles, books to read, an educational toy, perhaps even a healthy snack for two.

"Baby Duty" blessed us in two ways. First, it gave our little one some much needed attention and focused time. But it was also very good for the child assigned to "Baby Duty". It gave him a playful break from study, enabled him to be the teacher for a little while, helped him practice his reading skills while enjoying a story, and created a wonderful bond of friendship and love between siblings. That was the bountiful and unexpected bonus! Both child and little one would come back from "Baby Duty" happy and refreshed!

Claire's 4th Birthday

Our sweet Claire just turned 4! She is becoming such a little lady. She loves to dress up in outfits she creates from pieces of material I have given to her, like the bride outfit above. She also loves to play "bride" right now. Kate has finally gotten old enough for the girls to enjoy playing things together like dress up and house. We had a little party for Claire at a local splash pad. She still loves tea parties (like Gran (above) her great-grandmother) so that was the theme even though we were out in 100 degree weather. We have been so blessed to have our little girl for 4 years and look forward to many more!

South Padre Island 2009

These are pictures from our beach trip back in June. Kenneth had to stay home and work but the kids and I enjoyed several days with my brother and his family and my Mom. Kate loved those sunglasses and actually kept them on for a long time. I have decided that the beach is the best place for kids. They can get so dirty with sand, sticky soda drinks, gooey snacks, etc., then you send them to the water and bam...an instant clean kiddo-love it!

Why Homeschool?

8 Reasons We Homeschool
By Camille Kendall, Troy, Tennessee

Reason 1: If you stop homeschooling and enroll your children at the school down the road, you will have to have them all up, dressed, fed, and outside waiting for the bus by 6:45 every weekday morning with their books and school supplies in tow. Personally, with seven school-aged children living under one roof, I don't think that is humanly possible.

Reason 2: If you stop homeschooling, you will have to graciously endure comments such as, "I knew that homeschooling thing was a totally hare-brained idea. It's good to see you finally came to your senses and decided to do the rational thing." Of course, such comments will come repeatedly and enthusiastically from those unsympathetic relatives who have offered so little help and encouragement all along

Reason 3: Those same dear relatives will also offer the following words of comfort: "Now your kids can finally be normal." Gack! Now there's one compelling reason to not give up! Visit your local shopping mall on a Saturday night, take a long look around, and ask yourself if you really want your kids to become "normal."

Reason 4: At our house, homeschooling means our children have a diverse people group influencing and shaping their lives--70-year-old grandparents, 90-year-old WWII veterans, middle-aged farmers, college professors, trapping buddies, young cousins, and children of family friends. Giving up and going the more "normal" route would mean limiting their peer group primarily to a knot of same-aged friends with little life experience, diversity, or wisdom.

Reason 5: Babies are beautiful; toddlers are terrific; preschoolers are precious; elementaries are exciting; pre-teens are precocious; high schoolers are absolutely fantastically amazing. Do you really want to miss even one single stage of this incredible journey?

Reason 6: I can't think of anything more intensely sanctifying than living together in the crucible of shared family experiences. In this context, none of us can escape the reality of our own sinfulness, and none of us has the opportunity to go too long without the correction, compassion, and/or encouragement of a brother or sister or parent or child. Each of us is challenged by those around us-those who observe us constantly and who see us without a facade-to align our practice with our faith, to love our Lord and our neighbor "not in word or in tongue, but in deed and truth." Call it Extreme Sanctification: Homeschool Edition. Where else will you find so many daily opportunities to run to the Cross, to repent, and to rest in the sufficiency of the work of Christ, if you give up homeschooling?

Reason 7: Homeschooling is an investment not only in your children, but also in their children, and in their grandchildren after them. It is an investment in your church and your community and in the churches and communities and countries where your descendants will live and have influence as adults. Imagine the long-term "returns" of continued investment over a lifetime-and don't give up!

Reason 8: What would you give this homeschool labor up for-what would you have instead? A clean, quiet, orderly house? A career and a sense of relevance in the broader culture? Another income for your financially strapped family? Time to develop under-used talents and pursue suppressed dreams? I would have given up homeschooling for all of these and more, at different points in the journey, but God in His good providence thwarted me.

Now, with two adult children and more on the very brink of manhood and womanhood, what encouragement can I offer to not give up? Persevere, for the rewards truly will far, far outweigh the costs. Words cannot express the joy and the humble amazement that are mine when I look at the children God has given me and consider the men and women they are becoming-nor can words convey the depth of gratitude I feel for God's allowing me, even constraining me, to participate in His purposes for them.

Coffee Anyone???

If you know me, you know that I strongly dislike coffee!! I can't even stand the smell of it! So I never have understood the connection between people and their coffee addictions. However, I have finally discovered why people love their cup of coffee.

It's not really about the coffee (well maybe the caffeine for some of you!).

It's the mood that coffee or any other hot drink in a mug envokes.

Just think about a freezing cold winter day and hot mug of hot chocolate in your very cold hands. You hold it up to your mouth and gently blow on it to cool it down and there you are, in a state of relaxation and peace. Everything else melts away. It's just you and that hot chocolate, ahhhh... until a little person sees it and begs for "just one sip!" And then of course, it's gone! You get the picture. A hot drink, even in 104 degree weather is a beautiful moment of peace. It's a chance to slow down and relax in the midst of anything.

As I said, however, I do not like coffee or hot chocolate in summer. So, for you who don't like coffee either, here's my little secret. Starbucks makes a drink called a hot vanilla cream. It's just frothed milk with vanilla syrup but it's oh so yummy! Of course I am too tight to pay Starbucks price so I just buy either their vanilla syrup or I just recently found an all natural syrup by Le Syrup de Monin (fancy huh!) that is made with pure cane sugar and has no preservatives. Anyway, I heat the milk, then froth it with a little hand held frother (came in a hot chocolate pot), add my vanilla syrup, and bam-serenity in a mug!

Of course, I wait until nap/rest time to make this when I can hide in my room and read my bible, pray, return phone calls, or just before a nap. I sometimes make this at night after everyone is tucked in bed and I need to unwind a minute after a very full day. Not every day, just here and there.

My children have not caught on to this yet- shhh, don't tell them! ; )

It doesn't matter what the drink is, it's just that time to unwind and breathe! So, if it's around 3pm, just think of me hiding in my room, sipping on my vanilla cream and smile- I know i will be! Thank you Lord for a much needed break!

Facebook

Sorry for my lack of Blog attention. What little time I get online has recently been spent on connecting with folks on Facebook. I had no idea how cool FB is! I have found old college roomates and high school friends i always wondered where they went. It's been fun. Check it out if you haven't already.