Thinking about homeschooling?

I came across this video clip on the Teach Beside Me blog... It's a piece on homeschooling by Glenn Beck and it is very well done. It discusses parents who are considering or are currently taking charge of their children's education. The part about homeschooling doesn't start until about 30 minutes in- so just skip forward if you want.

I loved what the parents said about how once you get out of the mindset of public schools, learning becomes a way of life. Learning becomes the culture of your family. I love that! Everything we do in our home fosters learning. Even if you have chosen a single homeschool philosphy you really will cover all methods if you include your children. You teach Montessori methods when your children help around the house cooking, cleaning, working in the yard; Charlotte Mason when you read living books; Classical when you study the classics; Waldorf when you garden, sew or play make believe... Homeschooling really combines all educational methods over a lifetime and the real learning doesn't occur around a table or desk, it occurs in small moments throughout the day. I love the opportunities to share a wide variety things with my children that I would not be able to if I only had a few hours with them each day.

I also loved the advice from this video- if you are thinking about homeschooling- start by reading. Get the classics and read, read, read. This is what we spend a majority of our time doing and I think it is the thing that will make the biggest difference in the end. I don't want my children to just memorize and spew out facts, I want them to learn to think and be creative. Reading good literature expands the mind in a way few other things do. If you're looking for a great reading list to get started- check out these lists on Ambleside Online. For longer books- check out the audio books from the library and listen in the car or when you're doing housework (we did this with Little House on the Prarie series and my kids almost had them memorized because we listened to each at least three times).

Also, this Glen Beck clip talks about Richard Paul Evans new Michael Vey book. I have not read it yet, but it is in my Amazon cart and I can't wait to read it. They have created this homeschool guide to go along with the book. Awesome! It's available at http://www.michaelvey.com/pdfs/MichaelVey-HomeSchoolGuide.pdf  

The Entitlement Trap Giveaway

I absolutely LOVE this book! If I could choose my favorite parenting book it would probably be this one. The Eyre's have such great ideas about raising responsible people and emphasize the importance of starting early. I love the overall concept of this book- to allow your children to learn from their mistakes while they are young and the stakes are low, rather than when they are adults and the stakes are high.

This applies not only to financial decisions but moral, ethical and other important decisions that must be made in life. I purchased the book to learn how to teach my children good financial responsibility, but found that it offered so much more.

My children are a little young to implement the full household economy, but I have gotten so many great ideas that I can start implementing- such as being paid for doing certain tasks around the house and rewarding them for good behavior rather than just handing out an allowance.

I also love their ideas for establishing and writing down traditions in a prominent place where they become an important part of family life and the idea of keeping family stories to read to the children at bedtime. Their ideas for teaching children how to make responsible choices about drugs, sex, and life goals is invaluable. Helping children make these decisions before they are ever faced with them prevents those spontaneous bad decisions. The whole idea is to prepare your children for the things they will face in life and to do it while they are young so that they can learn how to make intelligent decisions and avoid the confusion and frustration most teens and young adults face.


Here are just a few of my favorite quotes:

• "It is parents, by not saying no and by giving kids what they demand, who become the ultimate enablers. We pour unearned praise over them, protect them from criticism of teachers and coaches, give them everything from toys to automobiles, and make no connections between their freedoms and their responsibilities. We seem to be working for our kids' approval rather than their working for ours."
• "As our lives get busier...we give our kids things instead of time.
• "Entitlement really is a kid trap...it stifles children's initiative, encourages self-centeredness, and mutes their natural and healthy fear of consequences. It makes them feel like the world owes them a living and destroys the connection between effort and reward."
• "...Indulgence...[and] anti-responsibility...holds them back from their potential, from adventure, from their independence, from their creativity, from their fulfillment, and from their happiness.

I love this book so much that I am going to be sending one lucky reader a free copy of The Entitlement Trap!

To Enter:

Leave a separate comment for each entry:

• You promise to read the book if you win!
• If you blogged or facebooked about this giveaway
• If you are a public follower and/or have my button on your blog

The winner will be announced on October 17th. (Be sure to include your email address or have it linked to your profile if you want me to email you- otherwise you will have to check back to see if you are the winner!)

U.S. and Canada Addresses only.
If the prize is not claimed within 3 days a new winner will be chosen.
GOOD LUCK!

New favorite classics

I have been doing a lot of reading and listening to a bunch of audio books the last few months and have been introduced to some new books that for some reason I have never heard of before- but are simply amazing. I love classic literature especially works similar to Jane Austen, well I think I have found her literary sister: Elizabeth Gaskell.

I first watched the Masterpiece Theatre production of Wives & Daughters based on her book and absolutely loved it. Next I saw the BBC version of North & South also based on her novel. Both movies were comparable to Pride & Prejudice and in fact I think I might even like them a bit more if that's possible. I had to read (or rather listen to) Wives & Daughters to see how well the story was followed- and true to Masterpiece/BBC form they followed the book almost word for word. So if you don't have time to read or listen to all 720 pages, at least rent the movie from netflix- it is well worth your time.

A few others that I have come to love are The Bat by Mary Roberts Rinehart, The Princess & The Goblin by George MacDonald and I am just being introduced to Georgette Heyer who has a whole army of novels. If you know of any other works similar in style to these please let me know, I hate not knowing these wonderful things exist (although it is fun to discover them!)

Another good read...

My friend loaned me this fictional book series about an Amish girl, and I thought it would be a fun read, but she did not prepare me for how good it really would be! Just more proof that you cannot judge a book by the cover (or the title).  I was hooked from the beginning and read the first book in two days and the next two in two days. It really is a heart wrencher and tear jerker as well as interesting to learn more about the Amish beliefs and lifestyle (especially since in Kentucky we see them driving their buggy's down the road and shopping at walmart). I highly recommend it. Cindy Woodsmall, When the Heart Cries is the first book, the series is called Sisters of the Quilt.

P.S. Make sure you have something to entertain the children and a few frozen dinners on hand because you will be neglecting everything until you're finished with all three books.

P.S.S. Thanks to all who recommended Hunger Games, it took me a while to get into it, but towards the end I couldn't put it down and am looking forward to reading the second book.

Fun summer read

I have been looking for a really good book series for a while now. I think the last series I loved was Twilight and it's so hard to find books that captivate your attention and keep you up all night anticipating what's going to happen next. At time out for women I was determined to find a "chick-lit" book that I could just curl up with and relax. I picked out English Trifle by Josi Kilpack.

I honestly didn't have high expectations. I just wanted something to read in my down time but I was pleasantly surprised. I wouldn't say it's anywhere comparable to twilight or pride & prejudice, but it is a totally fun read and I love the recipes that are included- can't wait to try them. So if you're looking for a fun lighthearted read while laying out at the beach (sure wish there was a beach around here!) check it out.