I get it. With thousands and thousands of students in a school, combined with millions of students nationwide, you need some way to assess their performance to help identify those who are “achieving.” It is a common-sense solution to an industrial situation. This is the same reason there are quality control scanners on an assembly […]
Let’s face it. You aren’t guaranteed that all your children will be just like you. In fact, it is pretty likely that you’ll have at least one that is VERY different. After talking with parents from around the country, I have noticed a common pattern. You see, I am a science geek. I love all […]
For the past 25 years, I have tried to recreate the “Most Perfect Christmas Ever” with my family. Should we always make gingerbread cookies? Do we put a star, an angel, or something unique on top of our tree? Drive around to see the Christmas lights? Dress up in matching sweaters? Get new pjs? There […]
For those of us who begin homeschooling when our children are young, we become accustomed to working alongside them, teaching them new concepts, repeating information, then reviewing or testing what they have learned. And if you have more than one child, it is so helpful if you can teach all of your children the same […]
This past week my mind and heart have been focusing on the struggles we parents have. I talked with a mom who shared that she and her husband differ on how to train their children. I’ve been praying for a family who is struggling so much with parenting that it is straining their marriage. Though […]
From the moment we bring our first child into our home it starts, doesn’t it? The questions, the doubt, the second-guessing. Do we give him a pacifier? How long should we let her cry in the crib before we go get her? Are we reading to him enough? And it continues as they grow, too. […]
As homeschoolers, we have lots of opportunities to face challenges, don’t we? There is the continual attempt to plan our weekly schedule. We are always looking for the best curriculum to meet our child’s needs (and to fit Mom’s needs, too!). We face days where our children don’t understand what we are teaching, or they […]
Have you looked around, lately? With the fall season coming and school underway, the weeks have begun to speed up. I can’t tell you how many times I have already seen “pumpkin everything” advertised. There are only “x” number of days until Christmas. Why does the time from September through December always seem as if […]
This morning I went out early to do some weeding in front of our house. Now before you start thinking that I am one of THOSE people who are up singing with the sunrise and doing 500 things before breakfast, I need to disclose the purpose of my morning chore: We are having people over. […]
For me, it doesn’t really feel like full-on summer until we have passed the July 4th Independence Day celebrations. That holiday brings with it barbecues, picnics, outside family games, and slower days. But with several weeks of summer behind us, things can get a bit challenging when it comes to activities to keep the kids […]