Help for Parents!
During this back-to-school season many homeschooling parents will seek advice on how best to facilitate their child’s education. We talk to our homeschooling friends and discuss our current educational struggles, seeking answers to a multitude of questions.
As a veteran homeschool mom, I can totally relate. In talking to other homeschoolers about the issues I’ve faced over the years, I’ve learned to seek out good advice and then filter it as it relates to my own child and his situation. What works for one child, will not work globally for all children.
As we know, children do not come with a manual that says, “Just add water and stir,” or “add generous portions of math and science with a dash of spelling and a liberal amount of love.” Wouldn’t life be better? Well, not really.
As homeschooling parents, we have an advantage over our public-schooling counterparts. Since most homeschooling parents spend a great deal of time interacting with our children, we really get to know them well. We can tell when they are tired, when they have had enough math, when they need a break or just need to chill out and play.
You are the Expert
Homeschooling parents are their child’s expert. Now, if we can only learn to trust ourselves. Don’t stop seeking advice from other experienced homeschoolers but learn to filter it, take the helpful information and let go of the rest. Our children will thank us later.
As an expert on my own child, I try to keep his needs in mind as I evaluate curriculum, interactive websites, activities and projects.
When I have a problem I can’t solve I turn to the Expert’s Expert, for help. Veteran homeschool mom, and author Diane Flynn Keith is an amazing woman. She is the editor of Homefires the Journal of Homeschooling and really understands the developmental stages of children and has offered real insight into how I can best meet my son’s educational, developmental and physical needs.
As the mother of two very different successful young men, she has the ability to guide parents down the path to understanding the needs of our own children. Diane has been instrumental in opening my eyes to the endless possibilities that homeschooling lends itself to.
Diane is available to work with parents — the real experts on their child — to help them make the most out of the homeschooling years and avoid the stress that most parents experience along the road. She’s what I like to call the Expert’s Expert.
New Kids Program
New animated children’s program Secret Millionaire’s Club
Watch an interview with Warren Buffet and a preview of the Secret Millionaire’s Club, as they attempt to save the Omaha Candy Company.
Warren Buffet had this to say, during a recent interview on Squawk Box, discussing his newest project.
“… One way or another you develop financial habits when you’re very young. And the habits you develop live with you for the rest of your life. So if we can get through to some young people that it’s better to be a little bit ahead of the game than behind the game, watch out for credit cards.
The most important message is that the best investment you can make is in yourself. Teaching them if something’s too good to be true, it probably is, and so on. If they learn those things the easy way through these stories early on, it may save them learning it the hard way later on.”
Warren Buffett was featured as the voice of James Madison in the PBS series “Liberty’s Kids.”
Back-to-school Shopping
Remember the dreaded back to school shopping trips? Our local stores always had the worst selection of clothing for back-to-school shoppers and you simply couldn’t go to school wearing some old nothing outfit. We knew we were getting the basics for school and grandma tried but her taste in clothing ran in a different neighborhood than mine — probably even in another universe.
Labor Day Holiday
School always began the first Wednesday, following Labor Day. In Michigan, those first two weeks of school, were hot and humid. Officially we weren’t allowed to wear shorts to school but often the Principal would have mercy and suspend the restriction. Students were eternally grateful — of course. Back in those days our air conditioning was called a window — we opened it.
Those first few weeks of school had nothing to do with books or learning, it was all about positioning, finding your friends and learning what’s cool and what’s not. You found your place or were put in it.
Living a Natural Life
I love the fact that my child is learning about the world by being in the world, living a normal, everyday life. What I like to call a natural life. here are no artificial boundaries. After all, when in a persons life are you confined to a group of your age peers? It’s an artificial environment and unless you go on to a career in the military you will never be subjected to such a harsh environment.
Here in the free world my child is free to choose which job he’ll take, who he’ll work with and where he’ll live. It’s a wonderful place to be.
Fundamentals of Baseball
We try to expose our son to as many new things as possible. He joined a Karate group, participates at church and youth group, etc… Recently he’s been receiving private lessons in the fundamentals of baseball from the father of up and coming, New York Yankee’s pitcher, Phil Coke. You’ve never seen a child so happy about getting tired and sweaty.
He’s been stretching, running bases, catching balls… Coach really stresses stretching. My son is pretty stoked about spending time, learning from the coach of his favorite player — Phil Coke. He’s starting to become a real ball fan. It’s wonderful to see him so excited. This is an experience he’ll take him with him for the rest of his life.
Most children have a block of time between the ages of 12 and 13 where they remember the most of their childhood. Be sure to exaggerate the good times during these tough transition years. Make them count.
Take lots of pictures of the kids — buy, rent or borrow a good digital camera. Even if you can’t print them out you can enjoy them on the computer, create a website or print them out as needed. We have a portable printer that works in the car, so when someone says, I want a copy of that — we give them one — then and there.
Let the kids print some off, and create their own scrapbooks. They are wonderful memory keepers. Each time the child shows it off, looks at it or mentions it, those memories come alive all over again, reinforcing those happy memories. We try to take lots of pictures and show them off either by mail or even e-mail.
Hope you are enjoying the end of summer, fall is just around the corner.
~Annette
