HomeHearts

The Cure to Being Overwhelmed

HomeHearts — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:01:06 +0000

It is easy for any wife and mother to become distracted with the multitudinous duties that daily await her. When we add in the duty of teaching our children — and teaching them well — we can sometimes feel overwhelmed!

It does us well to remember what our real duties are — and what they are not. To shift our focus from the urgent to the one needful thing.

If we really stop to consider how we spend our time, what makes up every single minute of our day, we might surprise ourselves at how far we stray from our purpose. After all, no one can replace a wife’s support, encouragement, inspiration, cheer, love, and interest in her husband. No one can replace a mother’s tender touch, sympathetic ear, watchful eye, or faithful diligence in the training of her children. And no wife or mother can possibly accomplish all of this without first sitting at Jesus’ feet — the one needful thing.

The care of our home is our first duty. While that will look different in every home, it might mean:

meals not hastily prepared, but breakfasts, lunches and dinners planned and prepared with propriety and enjoyed by the entire family at one time at the table.
a house well-kept, clean, well-maintained, and free from clutter.
a home where order reigns, not chaos; where good attitudes are encouraged and disputes are few.
a home where cheerfulness is displayed in a hundred different ways — warm smiles, cheerful flowers, bright colors, lovely music, or an array of personal touches.

Many of these things require us to go slow — quite the opposite of the general way we do things these days!

…[T]hese fluctuations of feeling will by degrees give place to a calmer life, especially if I avoid, so far as I can do it, all unnecessary work, distraction and hurry.

Elizabeth Prentiss, Stepping Heavenward

If we haven’t accomplished all that we want at home, perhaps we can take a closer look at how we do spend our time. Perhaps there are activities, inside and outside the home, that can be put aside, at least for a time, as we reconsider our priorities.

It is to be understood, that for every wife the first duty is the making and keeping of her own home! Her first and best work should be done there — and until it is well done — she has no right to go outside to take up other duties. She is to be a “worker at home!” She must look upon her home as the one spot on earth, for which she alone is responsible, and which she must cultivate well for God — even if she never does anything outside….

Let it be remembered that Christ’s work in the home is the first that He gives to every wife, and that no amount of consecrated activities in other spheres, will atone for neglect or failure there.

J.R. Miller, Home-Making

Practical Notebooking Helps

HomeHearts — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:39:40 +0000

Notebooking gives our children an opportunity

to create — instead of consume,

to think — instead of recall facts,

to produce a reference work or keepsake — instead of filling out a workbook to store or toss.

Are you ready to incorporate notebooking into your homeschool mix?

We have a new series going at our DIY Homeschooler site — 10 Ways to Use Notebooking.

You’ll find ten practical uses for notebooking. Up so far:

You may also enjoy our tips for getting started.

“The Power of Enjoyment” – 6 Principles for Self-Motivated Learners

HomeHearts — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:06:54 +0000

Many educators and most homeschoolers realize that there is more to education than memorizing material, regurgitating it, and forgetting it! And while we realize there must be a better, more enjoyable way, we also know that real learning requires effort on the part of the student.

There are usually two ways around the dilemma — for the teacher to make everything FUN for the student, or for the teacher to require less of the student.

Homeschooling provides an opportunity to do something different — to engage the student! By taking advantage of his natural curiosity, enjoyment, and self-motivation, learning can be not only fun — but more importantly — stick!

“The Power of Enjoyment” is an article by Diana Waring, author of Beyond Survival, that originally appeared in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine that offers six principles that we can encourage in our homeschools that can result in a self-motivated learner:

Create a encouraging learning environment,
Let what is being studied be personally relevant to the learner,
Let learning be a positive experience (not something just done during “school” hours),
Involve the five senses,
Apply deeper thinking skills and include the “big picture,” and
Let the student teach it to someone else (create an output).

Any teacher who implements these six principles will immediately open the door for students to actively involve themselves in the process of learning—a key to self-motivation. And, significantly, students will have the opportunity to actually enjoy the experience.

We heartily agree! In fact, the only things a student really does learn are those things he teaches himself. That means he must be self-motivated.

Want to help to help your student become a self-motivated learner? Read the entire article.

Additional Resources

Creating a Learning Environment
Ideas for laying the foundation.

3 Considerations When Setting the Atmosphere
Includes a focus on the needs of the child, and developing a relationship with him.

The Delight-Directed Approach
Ideas for taking advantage of a student’s interests to encourage learning.

Learning Lifestyle
Ideas for making learning not something that happens during “school” hours, but a part of life!

Bloom’s and Critical Thinking: Complete Series
Ideas for encouraging deeper thinking — in a natural way.

“Homeschool With Confidence”

HomeHearts — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:04:14 +0000

Still on the fence?

“Homeschool With Confidence,” a 3-page download available from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, addresses common objections to homeschooling. From qualifications, cost, and socialization to addressing the needs of special needs, you’ll find words of encouragement.

So you think you want to homeschool? Who do you think you are? Do you have a teaching degree, the patience of Job, perfectly well behaved children, and an immaculate home? No? Well, you’ll fit right in with the rest of us then!

We’ve added this resource to our Still on the fence? page.

Arithmetic for Young Children – Free eBook

HomeHearts — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:27:35 +0000

How do we learn most things? By doing them. Then when we have that experience under our belts and have a familiarity with them, we are ready to “talk” about them.

So it is with math. Before we can discuss abstract operations such as “addition” and “multiplication,” we need to have a hands-on experience with numbers.

Children grow through three modes of thinking about arithmetic. When you understand these three modes you can easily make numerous day to day decisions about teaching. Should your child learn to recite numbers to 100 now? Does she need drill on multiplication tables or more real-life examples? You can have confidence in making these decisions.

Dr. Ruth Beechick, An Easy Start in Arithmetic

Arithmetic for Young Children by Horace Grant, aimed at children ages 3 to 7, takes this approach.

Arithmetic is commonly learned by rote, and is never thoroughly learned; it is almost always an unpleasant task both to teacher and pupil, and conduces very little to the general improvement of the mind. An endeavor has, therefore, been made to prepare this Treatise in such a manner that the pupils shall be entertained in their progress, and shall be led on to discover most things for themselves, and to exert and improve their mental faculties.

With this in mind, the student begins in “the manipulative mode” of learning math, using “counters, pebbles, beans, and small shells. A variety of any kind of small objects, such as wooden cubes, buttons, marbles, nuts, nails, and bits of stick or cork, will also answer the purpose.” The teacher then leads the child through a scripted lesson “so fully worded, and the directions respecting them…so minute, that it is scarcely possible for any teacher, however inexperienced, to go wrong.” (Comforting words for some of us homeschool moms beset with math anxiety!)

As an example, the first lesson asks the teacher to show the child one counter of the type mentioned above, and for the child to then put the one counter on the table. The teacher then asks the child to show her one finger, and one chair. The teacher then asks how many heads or noses the child has.

At first, and for the youngest students, the lessons are kept “exceedingly short; two or three questions will be enough at the commencement, and the lessons may be gradually extended to five minutes. With older pupils the lessons may be lengthened by degrees to ten minutes, or, at the utmost, to a quarter of an hour.” That’s it! Even for the seven-year-old using the book, no more than 15 minutes will suffice for math lessons that will build a foundation that will serve that child for the remainder of his life!

Practically every item in the first grade curriculum can be taught using real-life methods. In fact, they are better taught in real life, including games, than in daily sit-down arithmetic lessons.

Dr. Ruth Beechick, An Easy Start in Arithmetic

Arithmetic for Young Children works its way through weights and measures, and word problems, all using the manipulatives.

For those who appreciate Dr. Beechick’s experience and advice but prefer the hand-holding that a scripted math text provides, Arithmetic for Young Children provides an incredible answer!

Additional Resources

An Easy Start in Arithmetic by Dr. Ruth Beechick
Targeting parents of children in grades K-3, this title explains how children learn math — progressing through manipulative, mental image, and abstract modes of thinking — and then provides a course of learning and suggestions for teaching math for each grade. Excellent tutor for the homeschool handy-mom. (Can also be purchased as one of The Three R’s.)

Oat Bran Muffins

HomeHearts — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:31:07 +0000

Easy to make, lots of “there” there, and oh, so, yummy!

Did You Know?

Sucanat is a less refined sugar, retaining much of the molasses content, which makes it a more nutritionally sound choice. It makes a great substitute for sugar in our baked breakfast and snack items. (We use brown and granulated sugar for desserts.)

However, Sucanat is still sugar!

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1 3/4 cup water
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups oat bran
1 cup whole grain flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Sucanat
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 400⁰F. Line muffin cups with 24 paper baking cups and spray with cooking oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, honey, water, applesauce, oil and vanilla. Add oat bran, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and Sucanat. Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in raisins and nuts.

Divide batter evenly among cups; cups will be full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Additional Modifications

For a lighter muffin use 1/2 cup unbleached white flour and 1/2 cup whole grain flour.
You can substitute granulated sugar 1:1 for the honey.
Brown sugar can be substituted for the Sucanat.

Morning Glory Muffins

HomeHearts — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:13:15 +0000

This takeoff on a very commonly seen recipe on packages of flour makes a delicious breakfast or a great snack! Naturally we’ve added our own enhancements to feed a hungry family and provide a reasonably healthy snack.

Did You Know?

Applesauce can be substituted 1:1 in place of oil for a moist texture in baked products such as muffins, quick breads, and cakes.

Ingredients

2 eggs
3/4 cup non-sweetened applesauce
1/2 cup water
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups whole-grain flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs. buttermilk powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 carrots, peeled and shredded carrots
1 cup medium apple, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup chopped almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Place paper baking cup in each of 18 regular-size muffin cups, and spray with cooking spray.

In large bowl, beat eggs, applesauce, water and vanilla with wire whisk until will blended. Add flour, sugar, buttermilk powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in carrots, apple, oat bran, raisins and 1/2 cup of the almonds.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup almonds over batter.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on wire racks.

Additional Modifications

You can substitute 1/2 cup unbleached white flour and 1/2 cup whole grain flour if you prefer a lighter muffin.
We prefer whole grain Kamut flour for muffins, although we occasionally use whole grain spelt flour.
You can substitute Sucanat for the brown sugar.
3.2.1199

Expectations… Performance… Consequences

HomeHearts — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:48:11 +0000

When we are blessed with children, they arrive as bundles of love, and with abundant hope, and rising expectations. For those of us who educate our children at home, the expectations multiply. There is pressure to perform, and fear of consequences. There is also no one else on which to shift blame if things don’t turn out like we might like.

It is for these reasons that we as homeschool parents need to be very careful about passing the results-oriented pressure we are under on to our children. Our expectations should not be allowed to cripple our children.

Here are some specific stumbling blocks we can watch for:

Performance. A child’s performance should not be the gauge of our love. We should love them no matter how many times or in how many ways they fail us. Imagine…should God predicate His love on our actions. And we are the shining light of the Father’s love to our children. Do they see their Father’s love as contingent on their performance? If so, how much will we be held accountable for the stumbling block we have placed in front of them?

Expecting them to be us. Our children are not little us. They have their own distinct personalities. As they grow older, they will have their own opinions. And as much as we are obedient to God’s command to train them in the way they should go, in the end they have their own faith. We will be freed of a great burden, and will have broken the bonds if we let go of any expectations we might have to create them in our image. They have a Creator. And they have been fashioned in His image for the works He ordained that they would do.

Disappointments. Humans will disappoint. If we cut off everyone who at some point disappoints us we will end up grumpy old loners. Are our expectations too high? Are we expecting more than a particular child is able to accomplish? Is the problem our child’s behavior or our pride?

Assumptions. So many times we assume what a person/child is thinking or going through rather than asking. Further, we predicate our actions based on our assumptions. This is merely another way we serve self. How long would it take to simply ask the question that would clear away any misconceptions? I remember reading about a woman who had a good relationship with her librarian. But on one visit, the librarian was cold and short to her. She immediately assumed she had done something that had offended the librarian and was ready to be defensive. But instead, she decided to ask directly, “Have I done something to offend you?” It ends up, the librarian had just recently lost someone close to her — and the woman had a chance to minister to a friend instead of losing one.

Perfectionism. There are a number of perfectionists among us. There can be good in diligently completing our tasks for the glory of God, doing our utmost for His highest. On the other hand, when we start assessing the perfection in others (in this case, our children), and find them not living up to our expectations, we are the ones who have failed. We need to remove the beam from our own eye! If all we see in others are their failures, we can know with certainty that we need a heart transplant.

Withholding love. Love is unconditional. Our love cannot be dependent on how others treat us. Quite the opposite. They should see the Father’s love each time we turn the other cheek. Everything that Christianity professes to be rests on love.

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Matthew 22:35-40

It is not some one-time event where we “accept” Christ as our Saviour and then live for our own free will.

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

1 John 5:3

The fruit will be love. We will be known by our love.

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. — John 13:35

Beloved, let us love on another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. — 1 John 4:7,8

He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me…. — John 14:21

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. — John 15:12

If our child’s performance does not fulfill our expectations, the consequences should be … love.

Bits of Pasture – Free Devotional

HomeHearts — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 14:42:29 +0000

A new year brings new goals, new plans, and renewed determination. What a better time to start a new devotional?

Bits of Pasture: Handfuls of Grass for the Lord’s Hungry Sheep by J.R. Miller is an oldie, but a goodie by the author of Home-making (also published as The Family). Simple daily readings were complied from Dr. Miller’s sermons, having been read “during several shut-in years.”

Because stimulus and counsel, comfort and sunshine, have been found in these handfuls, with the earnest hope that they may go on, each day blessing and helping others to bless, they are tied together “in His name.”

Each daily offering is short, but contemplative, covering themes such as

The Lord Will Provide
An Eye for Motes
Being–Doing
Serving Christ at Home
The Beauty Within
What to Do With Injuries
Learning Meekness
True Womanhood
The Heart’s Daily Bread
Uplifting Power
God’s Strange Schools
Beauties of Nature
Keeping a Child’s Heart
Christ-likeness at Home
Blessing of Daily Crosses
Loving Unlovely People
Trust Better Than Questions
Finishing Our Work

and enough others to round out one full year of readings that will particularly appeal to a homeschool mom.

Bits of Pasture (also published as In Green Pastures) is in the public domain and available for free download. A .pdf version can be downloaded from Google (wrong title listed but it is the same book).

While fulfilling the promise, “I will feed my flock,” the Shepherd may not lead us by waters of rest and quietness all the way. But always, according to our need, there are bits of pasture, and cheered and strengthened by these earnests of “green pastures” and “still waters,” we follow on.

Joy to the World!: Review & Go-Along Activities

HomeHearts — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:42:42 +0000

Joy to the World!: The Stories Behind Your Favorite Christmas Carols by Kenneth W. Osbeck has been a family favorite in our home for years.

The book covers 25 Christmas carols, one for each day of December through Christmas.

These folk-song-like hymns confront us once again with the profound mystery of the incarnation: God became a humble Babe that we might live and reign with Him eternally. Who can fathom fully this amazing truth? Yet even amid all the glitter and commercialization that dominate our modern culture and tend to dull our spiritual senses, the singing of these simple songs has a way of recapturing our spirit’s focus on Bethlehem’s manger.

The printed music is provided with each song, along with background information on the lyrics and tune. Carols include:

Angels We Have Heard on High
Away in a Manger
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
O Come, Little Children
O Holy Night
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Ring the Bells
The First Noel
We Three Kings of Orient Are
What Child is This?

The old hymns and Christmas carols seem to be less well-known to our children than to us, and even more so our parents and grandparents. Joy to the World! gives us a chance to pass along those inspirational favorites to the next generation.

Suggestions

Through the month of December, cover one song per day.
Read the background information and sing the song. (You’ll find resources below to help you if you are not familiar with the song.)
Create a notebook with one page per song. Copy and illustrate a favorite verse or the chorus from the song. We like story paper best for this type of activity.

Additional Resources

Christmas
Background information, lyrics, mini score and mini music for Christmas hymns.

Good Christian Men Rejoice!
A unit study from Karen Caroe based on 15 Christmas carols and hymns, all but one of which are covered in the book.

Story Paper
Our favorite from Donna Young.