For the College-Bound, Smart Ways to Borrow.

“Families should recognize that higher education is a business, backed by Madison Avenue-scale marketing, and the advice they receive is likely to be biased. High school counselors encourage students to apply to “name” colleges to boost the high school’s reputation, says Bissonnette. College financial aid officers have a vested interest in getting students to enroll, no matter what the cost. And the media, with its rankings of top schools, exploits parental anxieties.”

In contrast, parents can encourage their students to apply to a college that fits the student and their financial situation.  It’s amazingly simple. Parents know more about their child and their financial situation than a high school counselor.  With that information in hand, the best advice is to apply for a variety of colleges.

The article also gives a few helpful tips.  Here are his suggestions

Start a 529 college savings plan
Maximize scholarships and grants first
Beware of financial aid package that aren’t automatically renewed
Do not borrow more for than your expected starting salary
Overborrowing may spoil your other life plans

I love his conclusion.  It’s a great way to explain what “loan” means to teenagers, in terms they can understand. “If you borrow, double the cost of everything you buy with the loan money — because that’s the real cost of the loan including interest. That $10 pizza is really $20. The $4 latte, $8. And that $100,000 boondoggle to Australia is a whopping $200,000 — an amount that borrower will likely be paying off for decades to come.”

It’s possible to go to college without using loans.  Save money along the way, prepare your child well, make sure they are presented to the college in a positive way, etc.  Choosing the college carefully is a big piece of the puzzle too!

Check out my new profile on The Old Schoolhouse’s Speakers Bureau, and then ask you conference coordinator to invite me to come speak to your conference in 2011!

God created man to work (Genesis 2:15).
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

God works (John 5:17) and we are created in His image.
Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”

Work is hard (Genesis 3:19).
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground

Work is satisfying (Ecclesiastes 5:12).
The sleep of a laborer is sweet

Work hard for the Lord (Colossians 3:23).
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters

Work is a key to a full life (Proverbs 13:4).
A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

We are also given warnings and examples (2 Thessalonians 3.6-15).
6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and
does not live according to the teaching[a] you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”  11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.  14 Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.

Set clear expectations for work during the summer months.  What are your expectations and requirements?

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Highline student charged with violent rape attempt By Levi Pulkkinen, Seattle PI.  A Highline High School student accused of attacking a teen girl with a brick has been charged with attempted rape.

Des Moines teens could face pornography charges by The Associated Press Public school teens at a party shared cell phone video of classmates, and could be prosecuted for child pornography.

Firing at Garfield Stems from Nonexistent Class for Hoop Star By Mason Kelley.  A Seattle Public Schools investigation found that two standout athletes were given passing grades for Spanish despite not doing any work. The incident led to the April 11 firing of Garfield athletic director Jim Valiere.

All three of these incidents were in my local area.

So, the next time someone asks you: “What about socialization?” send them this blog post.

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Are your feet dragging? Do you need a little pick-me-up? Winter is wrapping up and we are anxious for spring — for green, for sunshine, for life, for a little oomph in our homeschool day. It’s easy to get bogged down and for things to turn hum-drum.

A Woman Inspired and Heart of the Matter Online are excited to bring you a Homeschool Refresher conference that is sure to give you a boost. This conference will feature some speakers chosen specifically for their ability to revive, rejuvenate, and renew the hearts and minds of their audience. You are sure to walk away motivated and inspired to achieve great things! To be entered to win the tickets, just comment on this blog post and tell me your favorite part about homeschooling in the Spring.  We will choose a winner on Sunday!.  Good luck!

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Proverbs 1:5
Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.

Sometimes kids will gobble it up, and love reading the Word. Other times… not so much. Same kid, just different stages. It doesn’t mean they have made a long term commitment to fighting you on devotions. In general it just means their brain is focused on other things.

There are two things that can help you train a child to have devotions. First, demonstrate a devotional lifestyle, but having a quiet time yourself. Show your children that real adults really read their Bible on a day-to-day basis, and that will become normal behavior for them.

Second, find a devotional that fits your children. I used two books over time. At the beginning of high school we used The One Year Book of Josh McDowell’s Youth Devotions

We read it together, and discussed the scriptures we read. I called it “cozy couch time” because I wanted it to be a warm, friendly, non-schoolish environment. My goal was for them to love scripture. Like teaching them to love reading, I thought the best way would be to get cozy with the book.

Later in high school, I bought them each their own devotional. Rather than commentaries, I really liked The One Year Bible NIV

Each day it provides a section from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. It was a good fit for me, because sometimes I get bogged down in some sections (Lamentations and Revelation come to mind…..) and having a mix of Old, New, and Wisdom books really helped me have something each day that would spark my interest and keep me excited about devotions.

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The words “teenage” and “rebellion” may seem like they go hand in hand, but it hasn’t always been that way.  In the past, getting older meant a child was becoming an adult.  Look at their behavior that you call “rebellion” and ask yourself some questions.  Is this behavior really my child simply becoming an adult?  Because sometimes what we label as rebellion may simply be the child making a decision for themselves. 

One thing that may help (MAY help, mind you!) is to think about the choices that other adults make.  If your child makes a decision that you don’t agree with, but it’s a decision that other adults make all the time, maybe it isn’t rebellion at all!  Maybe it is simply your child becoming an adult!  For example, their choice in clothing, or how they style their hair.  Their choices may not be your choices.  But are those choices OK?  If another adult made that choice, would be really be upset or confused?  Because if not, perhaps it’s an OK choice for your child to make. 

Here is a picture of one of my children’s favorite “rebellions” – facial hair!

Some parents allow their children many choices in their homeschool.  Instead of telling them when each thing must be done, they just tell them WHAT things must be done. “Finish these ten things before 5:00″ for example – leaving them to decide when they want to do each item.  Some children would prefer to get up at 5:00 and be done by noon!  Is that wrong?   Or just a choice they make?  What if it’s on the other side?  What if they get up at noon, and don’t finish their schoolwork until 5:00?  IS that wrong, or just a choice?

Frankly, in my home, I truly did make them finish their work by 4:00.  I know that it MAY have been a fine choice for them to make, but it didn’t work well with our family.  I needed my husband to “play the heavy” in some areas, so they had to be done before he got home, in order for him to work his magic and make sure it was all done each day.  We had sports in the afternoons, and I really don’t do well after dinner.  Having them turn in assignments during my own times of fatigue would have been horrendous!  So make sure that you decide what works for you family, more than anything! 

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The best online resource I’ve found for making dresses is Jessamyn’s Regency Costume Companion at http://www.songsmyth.com/costumerscompanion.html . From there you can find links to everything you would need including patterns and textiles. The best shop in the Puget Sound area to go for supplies is Nancy’s Sewing Basket in Queen Anne. One of the ladies who works there is the official costumer for the Jane Austen Society of Puget Sound, and she not only has some of the best dress patterns for Regency gowns, but she also carries the kind of Indian muslin fabric popular during that era (this is different from the modern fabric known as muslin. It’s much more sheer).

Although don’t know much about gowns and sewing muslin, I do know a LOT about Facebook.  When I saw the “Austenbook” version of Facebook, I knew I had to share it with you.  If you haven’t read Pride and Prejudice, this is the Cliff’s notes version in Facebook.  Hilarious!

Here is on the Pemberly Ball, here they are for your convenience.  Just think of this as a unit study of Jane Austen.  You have history, literature, home economics (with includes math, of course).  Have fun!

http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/homeschool-pemberly-ball-gowns/1013/

http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/the-down-side-of-literature-based-education/997/

http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/i-hate-literary-analysis-part-4/322/

DIG DEEPER! I offer FREE in-depth information on difficult high school topics Check out my Dig Deeper sites!

Hello everyone,

Although costumes for the Pemberley ball are not required, I’m sure some of you would like to come in one anyway and are wondering how to put one together on a student’s budget. As someone who has bought, constructed, and altered several Regency costumes before (five ladies’ gowns, and two gentlemen’s including our illustrious president, to be precise), I’d like to give you some tips for putting together a fabulous look without using up your life savings.

For the ladies, really all you need is the gown. That’s all anyone will see. A basic starting point for that can be found courtesy of the Jane Austen Centre here.  If you want to buy your own, my best suggestion to you is to look on E-bay. One particularly reasonable vendor is Wendy’s Doll closet: most dresses run between $40-80. They ship very quickly, usually within a week, and are of excellent quality even though the pictures online are not particularly impressive. The only drawback is that are completely unadorned, but all they really need is a sash, which you don’t even have to sew on, and that only costs a few dollars for ribbon. If you’re more ambitious you can also add beading and trim to suit your fancy. Really, all you have to do is put your hair up in a bun. If you want to leave out your bangs, be sure to part them down the center if you really want to be period-correct.

For you gentlemen, there is a really good guides for MacGuyver-ing a look together from secondhand items. It can be found here.   There are also good instructions for tying a cravat here.  Do this so that you will not face the scorn of Sir Percy Blakney, the Scarlet Pimpernel, “Odd’s Fish, m’dear! The man can’t even tie his own cravat!” Remember that most tasteful cravats in Jane Austen’s time were white.For those of you looking for a tailcoat and a waistcoat, I got tailcoats for two of my gentlemen friends from an E-bay vendor called Monkeysuits. In both cases I was able to get them used tailcoats in their exact sizes and in excellent condition for only $20, and waistcoats run about $10, and recieved both items within three days of ordering them. For the waistcoats, the higher they button, the more period-correct they will look. One last word about tailcoats: darker colors were more fashionable for that time period, so given the choice between black or gray, the two most common colors you can find, go with the black. For pants, long pants will work in a pinch, but if you want to go for knee breeches, a good trick is to get a pair of women’s capris or petal-pushers as long as they’re relatively plain and not denim. Then you just stick a pair of white knee socks with them, and you’re done.

Well, that’s about it. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to drop me a line.

Take care and God bless,

Sandra
Vice-President
The Pemberley Society

The HomeScholar’s FREE mini-course “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make Homeschooling High School” will help you homeschool high school with confidence!

My son Alex LOVES all literature, but especially Jane Austen.  We believe he may have been born in the wrong century.  When he got to college, the first thing he did was develop a Jane Austen Club on campus.  The “Pemberly Society” has an annual ball.  Many who attend dress in time-period costume.  They serve food from the era of Jane Austen, and decorate in period decor.  They have English Country dance music, with a caller, just like in the Austen movies.  In the hallway, Alex and his club arranged to have demonstration boards representing different aspects of the time period.  They explained the food, the clothing, and the gender rolls of the Austen time period.  It was a fabulous event!

See what can happen when your kids grow up to love literature?  Look out!

Alex introduced the students who helped him organize the event.

Matt and I were only taking tickets, so I am not in “period dress.”

A gaggle of Austen-ites.

So how did they learn all those fine manners?  Read about it here! Also, check out our favorite literature-based curriculum:  Sonlight.

There’s a problem in those two facts!

But as much trouble as they are, having them at home can be a huge help.  At home they can get the sleep they need while at the same time attend school regularly.  If they were in public school, what time would they need to get up to meet the school bus?  And what time would they finally finish their homework?  So yes, homeschooling can help even with the most basic needs of teenagers.

Being unmotivated is a major issue that ALL parents of teenagers face from time to time.  If your child was in school, their lack of motivation and self-centeredness might not be any different that it is now.  The major difference would be that while homeschooling, they have YOU.  They have a parent, a loving adult, to shape and mold their behavior in the midst of their teenage issues.  They get feedback from a parent who encourages them to not be self-centered, who expresses concern about motivation.  What you don’t want is for the child to be surrounded by other children who feel the same way, and reinforce bad habits and behavior.  Imagine how it would be if they had no one to lovingly encourage them and become mature.

I guess I have focused too much on the differences between public and homeschool in the contrasts here.  I apologize, because I really do try to avoid comparisons between school situations.  But teenagers are hard, and it might not be any better under any other circumstances.  In fact, homeschooling may be the best possible situation to handle these issues.

Best of luck with your teens!  Be strong, be patient.  Remember your five-year plan; strive to be a loving family in the end, when they are adults!

Just remember in the midst of conflict that “this too shall pass.”  Oftentime something miraculous happens when they turn 20.  Hang on!  You will make it!