Quotes to Live By

Here are some quotes that one would need to think upon when the going gets tough!

Dorothy Morrison, My Turn, Newsweek, October 17 1988. p14

Homemaking is not employment for slothful, unimaginative, incapable women. It has as much challenge and opportunity, success and failure, growth and expansion, perks and incentives, as any corporate career.

Maya Angelou for Success

What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.

Dorothy Kelley Patetrson, Where’s Mom? The High Calling of Wives and Mothers, Crossway Books, 2003, p20

The best way to make homemaking a joyous task is to offer it as unto the Lord; the only way to avoid drudgery in such mundane work is to bathe the tasks with prayer and catch a vision of the divine challenge in making a home, helping husband, and nurturing a child.

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Check out my Blog, Building An Ark in Singapore, to see what we have been up to.

Easy Homeschooling Tips by Lorraine Curry

I am re-producing this article written by author Lorraine Curry of Easy Homeschooling books. It is a timely reminder for me as we plod on the school year. May it also bless you.

My 10 Biggest Mistakes
By Lorraine Curry

Mistake #1
BEING TOO EASY ON OUR BOYS

Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore suggest that boys are not ready for formal learning until they are between 8-12 or 14. I misinterpreted this and required very, very little from my boys when they were younger. It was a mistake! My girls were read to and “taught” more consistently from a younger age, and consequently have a higher degree of literacy and mental ability, although they are not that much older than the boys. (No, I do not believe it is merely a difference of the sexes!)

Boys as well as girls will thrive with much early reading aloud, silent reading and “writing” in the form of narrating, or telling stories that Mom captures on tape or writes down. My girls did not even need a spelling class! See more in my book, Easy Homeschooling Techniques.

Mistake #2
NOT KEEPING A CONSISTENT TIME SCHEDULE

Although schooling does not have to be difficult, we fail our children greatly if we do not teach that there are time demands in life and teach them habits and consistency.

Mistake #3
STARTING A BUSINESS BEFORE HAVING A CONSISTENT SCHEDULE

Too many times my business took priority. Schooling would have received its proper time slot, had a firm schedule been in place. I have a whole chapter on business in my book. More than “go for it,” I recommend waiting!

Mistake #4
ALLOWING “PLAY” AND UNRELATED “TALK” DURING SCHOOL TIME

These activities waste much time. Sure, social time is good, but have it before (or after) you start your school time.

Mistake #5
NOT TEACHING MANNERS DILIGENTLY ENOUGH

Teach the strictest basic manners when your children are young! You can always ease up later. There are only a few that should be diligently trained. I love the Southern tradition of teaching children to say “Yes, Sir, Ma’am.” Table manners include chewing with mouth closed, not speaking while eating and waiting to eat until after prayer. Other manners are not interrupting someone who is speaking, and holding doors for the female members of the family. Some manners, such as standing when a woman comes in a room and tipping one’s hat as a greeting, seem to be obsolete, but the basics will never be obsolete!

Mistake #6
NOT PRAYING ENOUGH

That explains itself! Let’s not take God for granted or limit Him! He is mighty and can do marvelous things in our homeschools to help overcome the struggles and discouragement we all seem to experience.

Mistake #7
FAILING TO REQUIRE BOOKS READ; A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF PAGES PER WEEK.

We are doing this now and it is making a difference in our children’s ability to express themselves, well as in their knowledge store.

Mistake #8
NOT ENCOURAGING (ENABLING) EXTRA-CURRICULAR SUCH AS MUSIC OR VOICE LESSONS, AS INTEREST AND APTITUDE ARE SHOWN.

We live “so far” from lessons and I “hate” to leave my home, so I did not make the sacrifices necessary for this. We have four fabulous voices and one or two that are even potentially opera “material.” I’m glad it’s “never too late”!

Mistake #9
ALLOWING INCOMPLETE OR CARELESS WORK

It is such a temptation to do this! When the child thinks they are done with school for the day, and the mom is already doing something else, it is very difficult to make the child recopy or correct errors! But it is very important. This too is training. Good or bad, the choice is ours.

Mistake #10
ALLOWING DAILY USE OF SUGAR OR SUGAR PRODUCTS

There is such a difference in concentration when sugar is used! What is called ADD is probably no more than this! Minds really don’t work as well when diets are not their best.

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Lorraine Curry is the author of 5 Star Easy Homeschooling books. See more articles, FREE copywork, subscriptions, ebooks and more at her website at http://www.easyhomeschooling.com

More Easy Homeschooling Tips.

Find FREE Resources and 5-Star Books at Easy Homeschooling

So much busywork – for mom!

Note : This is to encourage those who are thinking of homeschooling their pre-schoolers but are feeling overwhelmed. 

Lesson Plans, Circle Time, Flashcards, Reading Aloud, Phonics Lessons, Lapbooks, Arts & Crafts, Bible Memory Verses, Field Trips…..

The list goes on…..

Some homeschooling moms I have come across, through emails or chit chatting, put in a huge amount of effort to ensure that their homeschool is a success.

In the beginning of my homeschool journey, I used to be so intimidated with the huge amount of stuff moms are doing with their children. Obviously, I was not doing all that with my children.

Even now, after homeschooling for the past 3.5, almost 4 years, I still occasionally do feel intimidated and sometimes fearful – oh no! they are doing all that for their 2 year old?! I am not even doing half of what they are doing with my 6 year old! 

But experience tells me that the huge amount of work these moms put in is often not sustainable in the long run. And definitely not when you have no help at home and more than 2 children.

Mom runs herself ragged trying to fit everything into a day on top of daily stuff that needs to be done. And soon mom feels like giving up since it is just too overwhelming.

Mom needs to ask herself WHY she is doing all these things. Is she trying to replicate school in her home? Seriously, that is just not possible. Schools have an army of teachers to help out. Teachers do not need to worry about meal planning or wiping up after a toddler. But mom has to juggle many roles.

Or is mom trying to follow some other homeschool moms whose family situation or dynamics is different from hers?

And honestly, does the pre-schooler need to have so much cramped into his day?!

My advice to those who are contemplating homeschooling your pre-schooler but are feeling overwhelmed?

Focus on the basics and then add in the extras when you can.

Decide what your basics are. (Mine are being able to read and being able to do simple maths). Sure plan for the extras (arts & crafts, field trips….) so that you won’t forget to do them but don’t worry if you just can’t. 

Once you get the hang of having your child at home and teaching him the basics, you will find that can add in the extras easily. But don’t try to do everything at the word “go”. You also need to give your child a chance to practice what he has learnt instead of being bombarded with new stuff all the time.

And give your pre-schooler plenty of free time to be bored! Yes, be bored so that he will learn to find things to do on his own. There is no need to entertain your child all the time. If he has siblings then he needs to learn to play with his siblings. That is educational too!

Please, I am not saying do not do all these fun and exciting stuff with your children. If you love doing all these stuff and more importantly your children enjoy them, then please continue and go ahead with what you are doing. You are doing a great job!

But if you are feeling the pressure to perform and do a song-and-dance each day just because you think that is necessary just because some other people are doing it, you may want to re-think how you do your homeschooling.

Personally, I have tweaked and tweaked and am still tweaking our homeschool. It has been challenging to add baby #6 into the mix last year and teaching 2 in primary level. I have reduced my expectations and cut back their work load (which was already very light to begin with!) while we adjust to a baby that is crawling everywhere and needs to be near mom all the time. No point to pile on the work when I can’t clear it fast enough. We are doing more real alouds and being more relaxed in our homeschool.

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Check out my Blog, Building An Ark in Singapore, to see what we have been up to.