I answer the most common question I ever get, “Is it easy to homeschool?” It is a complicated question and depends on what aspect you are talking about. I also address some criticism I have recently received and possibly ranted just a bit.
Teaching Chores (A Step Towards Raising Responsible Adults)
As a parent, one of our long-term goals is to see our children become self-sufficient. I would love to achieve this by the time they reach high school, so they can test out their adult skills before fully embarking on adulthood. But how do we bridge the gap between a toddler and a responsible young person? It’s not an overnight process, but with consistent guidance and structure, we can help them grow.
Here are some effective steps you can take:
Identify Age-Appropriate Chores: Start by selecting three chores or responsibilities that are suitable for your child’s age and abilities. These tasks should be manageable but still contribute to the overall well-being of the family. They can be anything that is age-appropriate, no matter how small. It can start with something as simple as folding washcloths for preschoolers.
Implement a Reward System: Introduce a reward system to motivate your child. The reward doesn’t necessarily have to be monetary; it could be a special privilege, a trip to the movies, or something they have been wanting. Here is a structured approach to the reward system:
Determine a specific time frame, such as one month.
Choose a reward that your child will find motivating.
Decide on the number of required positive actions (e.g., completing chores without being reminded).
Visual Aids for Progress: Create a daily chart to help your child track their progress. You can find many templates online, or even get creative and make one together. Visual aids like charts can help children understand their progress and stay motivated.
Set Clear Expectations: Demonstrate each chore exactly how you expect it to be done. Be thorough in your instructions and provide feedback as needed.
Consistency is Key: After implementing the new chores and reward system, stick to it for at least a month. This allows children to understand the expectations and helps to establish a new routine.
Gradual Increase in Responsibility: Once the initial three chores become a part of your child’s routine, it’s time to up the ante. Add three new chores and continue the process of growth and reward.
By following these steps, you can help your child develop a sense of responsibility and pride in their accomplishments. Moreover, as they learn to take on tasks, the load on you will lighten, creating a more balanced and harmonious home environment.
Teaching The Power of Goal-Setting
Let’s face it; goals are not magically met, and plans don’t just happen. We, as parents and educators, need to guide our children in learning how to set objectives and work towards them systematically. This skill is invaluable not only during the summer but throughout their entire lives. It might even save them years of frustration and help them achieve things they never thought possible.
Step 1: Identifying the Goal
Let’s start with an example. Imagine your child has a goal of learning to swim. This is a common summer aspiration, but it’s not something that can be achieved overnight. Start by helping your child identify this specific goal.
Sit down with your child and have them express their interest in learning to swim. Discuss the reasons behind this goal and why they want to achieve it. This step is crucial because it helps the child understand their motivation and commitment to the task.
Step 2: Outline the Goal
Once the goal is identified, the next step is to outline it clearly. Let’s take swimming as an example. The outline could look something like this:
Learning basic water safety skills: This includes getting comfortable in the water, blowing bubbles, and learning how to float.
Mastering the kicking motion: Learning how to kick properly while submerged.
Developing arm movements: Practicing different arm strokes and coordinating them with breathing.
Step 3: Breaking Down the Steps
After outlining the goal, it’s essential to break it down into smaller, manageable steps. This is where the real magic happens. Teaching your child to identify and break down the steps they need to take will help them understand the process better and build confidence in their ability to achieve their goal.
For learning to swim, each of the outlined steps could be further broken down into daily or weekly tasks. For example, practicing blowing bubbles for 10 minutes a day, or doing kicking exercises for a set number of repetitions.
Conclusion
By guiding your children through this process, you’re not only helping them achieve their summer goals but also teaching them valuable life skills. The skills of goal-setting, breaking down tasks, and managing progress are essential for success in all areas of life. So, this summer, let’s not just watch our children’s dreams float away, but help them learn to swim towards those dreams and make them a reality.
Remember, the process may take time and effort, but the sense of accomplishment they will feel is truly priceless.
DEALING WITH THE PLAYTIME “I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO”S
“I don’t know what to play with.” Admit it, you have heard that from your kids. I think it drives every parent crazy, but especially here in the United States where we know that our kids have and do so much! An “I’m bored” in my house is often met with a response about how I always have baseboards that need cleaning. But being over whelmed with toys is not necessarily a problem that just comes from ungrateful children. They really can have so much available to them that they don’t know how to focus or how to clean up. How many times have you found your kid in a trashed room of toys with them walking around aimlessly? Come on, I can’t be the only one;). But it doesn’t have to be that way. How I have always gone about my kids and toys is like toy rotation. But less of hiding things away and more about being intentional.
So lets take an infant. You put them in a play pen full of toys and walk away. They sit in the middle and fuss or cry, right? You wonder why they don’t just pick up a toy and start playing, right? Well, if you sit them in an empty play pen and hand them 1 or maybe 2 toys they are less likely to fuss. Seriously. I heard about this in a Babywise or Growing Kids God’s Way tape before I had any kids. I remember having this frustration with my siblings when they were little. So I had kids… I experimented on them. Yes really, I am that person. But I wanted to know if it was a fluke or actually a thing. And it seemed to be a thing.
This method is also considered really good for development. I mean if you think about it, you are giving them 1 thing to focus on. That means they really figure out everything they can do with it. If they can do something else with it. And it teaches them how to focus and work something out to its end. I know, it sounds way to deep for an infant. So lets jump ahead to that 3-10 age.
As part of our day, since the kids were mobile, we have always had some “go away from me and play” time every day that we are home. So you send a kid off to play, or a group of kids as it is in my house, and they can’t settle on what to do. They flit from thing to thing or can’t agree on anything! So I would always say, “Go play in the kids’ room. You can play with this or this. Which one do you guys want to do?” They tell me their choice and go play. No fighting and no whining. And of course at these ages I am not going to hand them one single rattle but a theme. They pick a set like the kitchen set, Lincoln Logs, Legos, or dolls. Often we would also get 2 who play with one thing and 2 who would play with the other.
Sometimes they will stick with these things for an hour or a week so they really get a chance to delve in to a project. Here is the other secret power of this. You can always make 1 of the suggestions something they don’t play with often. It can help them rediscover a hidden gem. It also can be a way to discover when something can move on to a home that wants it more.
When my kids ranged from 8-14, they do this to themselves. If they are heading off to play they will say, “I am going in the game room to play…” Not so much to ask permission but to let me know that they are getting into an activity and to let their siblings know in case they want to join.
That is it, really. That is my secret to kids playing and learning to focus. When you hear it, it sounds so simple. Yet, if you have never seen it modeled you may never have tried it. Try it out with your kids! Let me know how it works for you.
6 Sources for Free AudioBooks (& a Bonus Resource)
I recently made a video (and post) about read-alouds. As I was progressing through the list, I realized that I didn’t read all the books I consider must read-aloud but I did listen to them. While I do love paper books, audiobooks are wonderful. We listened to them a lot in the car and when doing other things. But, your kids (and you) can go through a lot of books, and that adds up. So here are 6 free sources and 1 extra audiobook learning experience for elementary kids. (I explain the pros and cons of each one along with how they work in the video)
Free Audiobook Resources
From the Library
All the Rest
The Bonus
BookFlix by Scholastic is also through your library online.
Free St. Patrick’s Day Resources
I admit it, we love St. Patrick’s Day over here! We understand it is more of an American holiday than an Irish one but that makes sense because about 10% of Americans claim Irish ancestry. No surprise here, but I am also Scots-Irish;). Here are a few great resources, including a lot of fun videos!
Table of Contents
Confession of St. Patrick
The Confession of St. Patrick is a great way to start every St. Patrick’s Day. It may sound like a stuffy and hard-to-read historical document but it isn’t. I would say it is a read-aloud for 3rd grade and under but a quick read for those older. It would also make for a great oration practice!
Printables
- The Hess UnAcademy has a collection of St. Patrick’s Day writing prompts.
- The Activity Villiage site has a variety of printables that are all St. Patrick’s Day themed from coloring sheets, fuse bead patterns, worksheets, and craft ideas.
- Dltk has a ton of printables too. I love the mazes, word ladders, and St. Patrick’s Day Sudoku (image-based).
History Channel
The History Channel’s website has all types of fun resources. They have information on St. Patrick and separately St. Patrick’s Day. There are articles to read and short videos on all the different aspects of St. Patrick’s Day.
Videos
A Collection of Books for Women’s History Month
Books Mentioned:
Traveling Shoes: https://amzn.to/438LzPo
Coretta’s Journey: https://amzn.to/3Ip7YOX
Florence Young, Mission Accomplished: https://amzn.to/48IVL23
The Daring Book for Girls: https://amzn.to/3Inle6G
The Book of Awesome Women: https://amzn.to/433LLzn
Women of Means: https://amzn.to/3P5B2hV
Spring Activities
Table of Contents
Spring Word Chain
This activity is a fun and interactive way to improve vocabulary and teamwork skills.
Have students form a circle and start a word chain where each student says a word related to spring. The word should be connected to the previous word said by another student. For example, one student says “flower,” and the next student says “sunshine.” The goal is to keep the chain going as long as possible without repeating words. This activity is a great way to generate discussion and laughter while enhancing students’ vocabulary and thinking skills.
Spring Nature Scavenger Hunt
Create a list of spring-themed items or phenomena to find outdoors, such as a blooming flower, a bird’s nest, a butterfly, a rain puddle, etc.
If desired, include additional challenges or riddles to make the hunt more engaging.
This activity encourages students to get outside, engage with nature, and work cooperatively in teams. It’s an excellent way to appreciate the beauty of spring and learn about the changing seasons.
Help students create a small garden in a pot or planter.
Show them how to plant seeds and care for the plants.
Encourage them to decorate the garden with their artwork, such as painted rocks or pinwheels.
DIY Bird Feeder
Have the students create their own bird feeders using simple materials like popsicle sticks, pine cones, and peanut butter. They can then hang the feeders in their backyard or a local park and observe the birds visiting. This activity promotes creativity and an interest in wildlife.
A Vase Full of Spring
Spring is a theme that fits well with tissue paper-based crafts. Kids (or you) can gather loads of colored tissue paper and pipe cleaners. They can make flowers, butterflies, or other decorative items to pop into a vase or display of some sort. This activity fosters creativity and fine motor skills.
Tissue Paper Roses • How to make Tissue Paper Roses – Very…
4 Easy to Make Tissue Paper Flowers • 4 Easy to make Tissue Paper Flowers -…
Easy Tissue Paper Flowers DIY • Easy Tissue Paper Flowers DIY | Welco…
Flower Color Experiment
Gather different types of flowers with white petals, such as daisies or carnations.
Cut the petals from the flowers and place them in separate containers with water.
Add food coloring to each container, one color per container.
Observe how the petals change color over time.
Discuss the scientific principles of color absorption and diffusion.
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Valentine’s without Candy (with Free Printables)
Valentine’s Day and kids, you don’t even have to mention the candy to know it is there. Many kids want to give their friends something special but that doesn’t mean you have to hand out candy! There are some great, fun alternatives out there. I found a few fun ideas for this year!
1. You Rule rulers: Pick up some cheap rulers. Then print out the You Rule PDF. Then cut out the strips and tape them around the ruler.
2. You Make My Heart Bounce bouncy balls: You can pick up a ton of bouncy balls either at the Dollar Store or in the favors area of any party store (or store section;). There is a pdf and directions over at The Crafty Chicks.
3. You Make My Heart Glow: What kid doesn’t like glow sticks/ bracelets? Mine love them!!! I saw a tip that you don’t actually put the bracelets in the strips of paper until the morning of just in case it cracks and activates. Then it will be glowing that night still. The PDF is over at Kommunicated!
4. You Make My Heart Race: You can go out to the Dollar Tree and you can pick up little cars for a steal! Paloma Paper Designs has a great PDF ready for you!
5. You Are a Cutie: While this is a sweet treat, it isn’t candy! You can pick up 5 lbs of Clementines (or Cuties) for less than $5. Then just plop them in the cellophane bag. Cut and staple my You Are a Cutie to the top and they are done.
(First published on NerdFamily)