The doctors on the show recommended the book as a common sense way to eat healthy food inexpensively. I just thought Clara was adorable! She also had a video filled with more recipes and her stories from the depression. Check it out! Great Depression Cooking with Clara.
Read to what others are saying about The HomeScholar Gold Care Club!
Another Christmas morning and here I sit again at my PC waiting for the kids to get up. The fact that they are 22 and 20 does not change anything on Christmas morning. In my mind they are still 6 and 4 and probably haven’t slept much all night with the excitement. This year there are no big sleds or bicycles under the tree – their tastes now are for smaller/electronic toys and (miracle of miracles – clothes). It will, no doubt, be a wonderful morning with my parents stopping by for brunch and to open presents once again.
Once again…. How many more of these Christmas mornings will we have. Kevin is engaged to the lively and lovely Liz and Alex is quite “involved” with the delightful Cara. Both are graduating in June and then will be off to the races. Try as I might, I can’t deny that this will be the last Christmas morning where they will emerge (eventually) from their beds and come and look at what Santa has brought.
My mom and dad are also aging (who knew that would happen….) How many more Christmas mornings will we have to share Eggs Benedict, laughter and stories. God only knows the answer. All I know is that life is amazing and passes amazingly fast. Do not fail to grasp and appreciate the one-of-a-kind wonder of EACH Christmas morning. Your kids will grow and (if you are as lucky as us) go off to school and start on a life of their own. They will always in some way be your babies, but they won’t be kids anymore.
So today, slow down…Don’t rush through the gifts, the breakfast, the visits, the laughter. Soak it in and enjoy. Take lots of photos and give lots of hugs. You can’t slow time, but you can make certain moments timeless.
We had such an AMAZING response to our blog contest. As you might recall, our contest question was:
“How will creating an AMAZING transcript
help my child achieve their dreams?”
We had over 60 responses and they ranged from over-the-top creative to matter-of-fact statements. All were heartfelt and sincere. After much deliberation (and some debate) we are giving the prize to Morgan! Her entry was a heartfelt request for a Christmas present for her mother, Ellen. Morgan wins the 4-Step Total Transcript Solution. Here is what Morgan wrote:
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Binz:
My desire is to have a career that not only meets my needs, but also the needs of others. Because my future success is based on my education, attending college is important to me. I feel that God is calling me to make a difference by pursuing my dream of becoming a pediatrician. A well-written transcript will be a determining factor of whether or not I can achieve my goal. This being the first time that my mom has ever sent a child to college, I am sure this tool would be just what she needs to make what may seem like a daunting task a positive experience. (I would like to give her this for Christmas.)
Morgan (submitted through my mother’s e-mail with my dad’s help)
Congratulations to Morgan and her mother Ellen, and a HEARTY thank you to ALL who participated. It was a ton of FUN!!!
Launch is tomorrow!!! Also, now is your last chance to sign up for our free webinar called “Credits and Grades and Transcripts, Oh My!!” Register here. Plus, be ready at 12:00 Noon Pacific Time tomorrow for our launch and your chance to win our early responder bonuses! Read more here!
Shopping on Amazon.com today? Two of my videos are available through Amazon now, so you can add that to your shopping cart right next to your Wii Fit and Watches!
The first video, Preparing to Homeschool High School, will help parents who are just beginning to homeschool high school. It’s most helpful for beginners, or parents who feel unsure and really want some encouragement.
Can I ask a favor? If you have previously purchased these products, would you be willing to stop by Amazon and write a review please? I would love some positive feedback for others to see! Thanks so much!
Enter our Total Transcript Solution Giveaway by posting a comment on last Monday’s blog post.
“Doing” homeschool is more important than “planning” homeschool.
I’m a bit of a planner by nature. I *love* to plan. Implementing…. not so much. But it’s the real DOING of homeschooling that is the crucial part. You can plan all day long, but if you don’t actually do the work, it won’t matter. It reminds me of the Parable of the Two Sons.
Matthew 21:28-32
The Parable of the Two Sons
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
” ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
There are some homeschoolers who feel called by God to homeschool, and are dragged kicking and screaming into this lifestyle screaming like the first son, “Noooooooo!!!” If they do the work of homeschooling, they will be successful.
Other parents are called to homeschooling and respond by saying, “Sure! No problem!” They may plan and plan, purchase curriculum, and pay for supplemental experiences. But if they get too distracted by their busy lives, and don’t actually do the work of homeschooling, then they aren’t really doing what the Father wanted them to do. If you plan and plan, but then never actually do, then you have missed the mark.
Doing is more important than planning. It’s not easier and it’s not more fun – at least not for me! But it’s absolutely the most important part.
Remember, if you feel overwhelmed with the “doing” part, you may be attempting too much.
If you enjoy this blog, please take a moment and nominate me for a 2009 Homeschool Blog Award. That would be really great! Thanks.
Someone asked me this week for some tips for beginners. “What will help?” is such a broad question! Here are my suggestions.
First, you can work together with your kids, either by grouping them together in close age groups, or by studying the same content but at different levels. In other words, you can use Sonlight Curriculum and group them together, younger kids doing world history for elementary school, and older kids doing world history for junior high and high school. Although some curricula say they are multi-age, there are no LAWS about age and curriculum, so really ANY curricula is multi-age. The only things you really need to keep separate are:
math
spelling, vocabulary, etc.
expectations.
You can give your kids the same assignment and expect your older child to produce a 1 page paper, your elementary student a paragraph, and your youngest may copy a sentence about the topic. See how that works?
My second tip is my most favorite. I love to recommend the book “Managers of Their Homes” by Teri Maxwell. It made a HUGE difference in my life and homeschool. In fact, that book is the reason why I have been (mostly) consistent with my quiet time, because she really focuses on putting God first and everything else will fall into place. She is not as academic as I am, but I found that to be a nice balance, because I tend to do too much at time.
Finally, for beginners I often recommend Sonlight curriculum. Check it out, and see if it would be a good fit for your children. Because it comes with a nice schedule, it’s perfect for beginners who don’t have a real sense of “how much and how”. The easiest starting place might be Sonlight Core 100.
Have fun learning how to love learning!
Check out my profile on The Old Schoolhouse’s Speakers Bureau, and then ask you conference coordinator to invite me to come speak to your conference in 2010!
Are you doubling-up? Doing too much is a major cause for homeschool burn out. Sure we want to produce well-educated kids, but doing a double amount of a subject may not be the answer. Twice as much information can mean twice as much burn out with half as much education!
Here is a typical question I hear:
I ordered the grammar curriculum from Abeka during the homeschool conference this year before speaking with you. Should I eliminate that if we are using the Latin Road to Grammar?
I’m SO glad you asked that question! YES! Please, please, please eliminate Abeka grammar while you are using Latin Road! The Latin Road is a complete grammar program, and it has all the grammar that you need. It will supplement your reading and writing perfectly, serving two purposes at the same time, with both English and Foreign Language. One of the biggest problems I see from homeschoolers is doubling-up on subjects like English. Using Latin Road for English Grammar PLUS another grammar curriculum would be giving your son two grammar programs. It may be “fun” for some kids, but for most children doing double duty can cause burn out and even rebellion.
Great news is often followed by great confusion. When something wonderful happens, like becoming a National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalist, what exactly do you DO with that information?
Hi Lee,
We just found out that Jacob is a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist! Should I put this information on his transcript we give to the schools we visit in colleges next week? Thanks for all your help the last few months!
~ Cassie in Ohio
Congratulations to all the homeschoolers who have been named National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists! After you have done the screaming and partying, and things are starting to settle down, remember that other homeschoolers have won the National Merit Scholarship before. You are not at a disadvantage, so don’t worry about that!
Yes, yes, YES! Put the words “National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist” on the transcript and hand it to them in person when you visit! It will really help validate the academics of your homeschool. If your child will look them in the eye and produce a firm handshake then VOILA! You have presented the whole package, academics AND socialization!
The National Merit application is pretty long and involved. Make sure you get your transcript up-to-date pronto, and then start to work on those forms right away. There isn’t much room for the information, so it takes a long time to figure out how best to complete it.
When you are applying for colleges, you will need a great homeschool transcript. The good news is you can “do-it-yourself” and save thousands. Discover the“Easy Truth About Homeschool Transcripts.”
It was such a thrill to see a raccoon family in my backyard! I had so much fun watching them! After a while, though, I realized that the raccoon and I had something in common. We both homeschool.
As I was watching, the raccoon mother was carefully explaining the ways of the world to her almost adult-sized child. She was teaching him to crawl up and down the fence, so he could run along the fence like you and I scurry along the highway. Without any government programs, she was managing to teach her young.
The raccoon son was not convinced that going up a fence was a good idea, and he was terrified of falling. She kept calling and calling, but he wouldn’t jump down from the 5 foot fence. Finally she picked him up by the teeth, and carried him down by the scruff of the neck. Immediately she jumped back up on the fence, calling him to climb up again. Over and over they practiced. Then she took him to the bush closer to my house, to practice climbing up and down from the fence using bush branches for a ladder. That’s when I heard the teenager complain. I have to tell you, that young raccoon was NOT happy with his mother! He was yelling at her. She was calmly chirping encouragement, trying to get him to climb down the branches. And he was barking at her loudly, his voice cracking like a teenage boys. He did NOT want to risk the fall. She finally convinced him to come down. I think he only agreed because he didn’t want to be left behind. The sauntered down the garden path, mom all quick and calm, with her son barking at her the whole way. I could hear him complaining all the way to the end of my driveway.
I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about my kids, but I could so completely relate to the mother raccoon! She taught her child an important skill (without being accredited, by the way.) He learned how to get up and down a fence. But it was a thankless task. Instead of being grateful, the child complained the whole time! I’m not mentioning any names, but it’s quite possible that some people in my family complained from time to time. But guess what? They are 19 and 21 years old now, and we ALL have some 20/20 hindsight (that could be why it it called “20/20 hindsight” – you need to be about 20 years old before you get it!) My children have both told me how incredibly thankful they are! They are thankful they homeschooled, and even thankful for the things I made them do, even when they complained.
Keep up the good work, parents. When your children get that 20/20 hindsight and say thanks, will you let me know? Other parents deserve to know that “thanks” are on the way.
Check out my new profile on The Old Schoolhouse’s Speakers Bureau, and then ask your conference coordinator to invite me to come speak to your conference in 2010!
Does your teen have a REALLY rotten attitude? I have seen this sort of thing before, and then PRESTO! The kid turns it around – usually when they find a thing that really floats their boat. Let me throw in a few ideas:
Do you remember when the kids were babies, and things would get really hard and miserable? One thing that helped me at THAT stage of life, was realizing that those things usually only lasted for a week or two. I was never sure whether it was me adapting to them, or them adapting to me, but after two weeks the thing that freaked me out wasn’t freaking me so much anymore.
It’s like that with high school, too. In two weeks, maybe this crisis will be over – or at least lessened. Somehow, someway, it will have gotten better (not perfect perhaps, but no longer a crisis.) So hang in there! Maybe in two weeks, you will have moved to the next crisis, LOL!
You can try letting the student have more control over school (not less control, like with an accredited, online or alternative education program.) Ask your child their preferences. What would they want to study? Be sure to cover the core subjects, but still provide a lot of free time when finished with the core. Have the student look at Robinson Curriculum, PACES, and Sonlight Curriculum to begin with, just as a starting point.
You may want to take your child to the doctor to see if they are depressed or have fallen into something serious. Don’t give meds unless necessary, because you don’t want meds to mask an underlying problem. Still, it’s important to keep our eyes open for serious problems.
Parenting is never easy, but sometimes it can be REALLY hard. I hope these ideas will help.
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