At a homeschool convention last year, another vendor and I struck up a conversation. He had a lot of energy but seemed a bit uptight; however, he readily admitted that he felt totally out of place because he didn't homeschool and this was definitely not his "typical convention." Not really interested in finding out what his "typical convention" was like, I smiled and assured him that we all knew he was out of place the minute he walked in the vendor hall, but we're a polite group and so we didn't point or stare as we talked about him to each other. He grinned and relaxed a bit.

"Obviously, you're a pretty direct person," He said. "So I was wondering, how does a guy who knows nothing about homeschooling sell his product to homeschoolers?"

Ignoring the fact that this out of place "greedy capitalist" was there just to make a profit, I chuckled and asked him, "Why do you think homeschoolers would even want to buy your product if you know absolutely nothing about us?"

He didn't seem to want to answer that, so I continued, "Get to know us a bit and you'll figure out it's not that hard to sell to us. We're pretty frugal but can be gullible in the right circumstance with a promising product, especially at a homeschool convention."

"Fair enough." He replied. "Then I'd like to show you my stuff and see what you think. But first there's one thing I've been wondering about homeschoolers for quite a while now."

"Oh, and what is that?"

"Why do you homeschoolers have so many kids?"

"Umm, gee, maybe it's because we have more exciting things to do than watch Jay Leno after the kiddos go to bed?!?" (Okay, I didn't really say that but I did think it.)

Instead, I politely tried to explain that for some of us homeschooling isn't just an educational choice but a life decision based on a belief that children are as a blessing from God. He wasn't getting it and I was getting hungry so the conversation quickly died of natural causes.

If I ever run into him again, however, I'm sending him over to Ethan Demme (of Math-U-See fame) who gives a much more thoughtful and complete answer to the question, How do I reach the homeschool community? His post is directed at politicians but he starts from the same premise that you have to know something about us, past and present, in order to reach us.

As a homeschool grad and marketing guru, Demme provides an excellent round-up of information and resources to understand this growing but changing movement of homeschool radicals who actually believe they can teach their children at home and live to blog about it. Check it out and keep in handy if you ever run into my vendor friend at your state homeschool convention.

(Note to Demme: Please add a paragraph on fecundity and homeschoolers, thanks in advance.)

-Spunky

Cross-posted, with permission, from SpunkyHomeSchool

Attention, Super Sleuth Homeschool Moms!

Join our Holiday Hunt!

We're holding several holiday scavenger hunts here on HSB. Once a week for the next three weeks, you'll have a chance to join in the fun each week! (One entry per family per week, please.)

All of the entry details and clues for the first week are below, so please read them carefully.

The Prize!

The prize is this wonderful Christmas devotional--The 12 Days of Christmas: A Guide to an Old Tradition with a New Purpose by Linda Coates and Leslie S. Kelly

The 12 Days of Christmas helps families discover that Christmas Day is the kickoff for the celebration, not the final affair. The twelve-day adventure begins on December 26. In it, you will learn more about the tenets of the Christian faith through wonderful stories and meaningful activities, and create new traditions to last you and your family a lifetime. By uncovering hidden meanings in the old classic Christmas song, Linda and Leslie bring you a new and exciting way to finish one year and begin the next.

 

How to Join in the Holiday Hunt

Put on your detective hat and find the answers to the following clues. You can find every answer by going through the links on our free TOS 2009 Digital Holiday Supplement found here: http://thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Digital-Supplement/Thanksgiving&Christmas.html

Here's what to do:

• Read the clues carefully and find the answers by clicking on the advertisements in the TOS 2009 Holiday Digital Supplement, found here.
  
• Once you have an answer for all six questions, email them to Tan Hogate at thogate@thehomeschoolmagazine.com.
  
• You have until midnight EST Friday, November 13, 2009,  to send Tan your answers.
• At that point, we will conduct a random drawing to determine a winner from this week’s submissions to receive The 12 Days of Christmas by Linda Coates and Leslie Kelly - a Christmas devotional.

Again . . .Each week one winner of our random drawing will win a copy of the beautiful Christmas devotional from Linda Coates and Leslie Kelly, entitled The 12 Days of Christmas: A Guide to an Old Tradition with a New Purpose.

Each day of this devotional has scripture, discussion questions, activities, a prayer, a devotional story, and points to ponder. Your family will delve into the true meaning of Christmas, starting with Day 1-December 26. This is truly a beautiful and meaningful way to celebrate the birth of Christ.

"Whose birthday is it anyway? Have you ever wanted more from the Christmas Season? The Twelve Days of Christmas is more than just another Christmas book. It is a way to recapture what has been lost in the hustle and bustle of Christmas so that this year it can be different. This inspiring book will help you discover that Christmas Day is the jumping point for the real celebration, not the final affair . . .  The Twelve Days of Christmas is a beautiful way to finish one year and begin the next and to celebrate Christ's birth by giving our gifts to the One who has given us the greatest gift of all." Tate Publishing, http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-60696-260-2

This Week's Clues!

Okay, ready for your clues? Here you go!

Remember, click through the advertisers in the TOS 2009 Holiday Digital Supplement to find the answers.

1.     This company is known for their quality films. Find two that films or one film collection on their site that your family would enjoy. List their url/Web address.

2.     This company was voted #1 by Homeschool.com in 1994. Provide their url/Web Address

3.       See if you can find who sells the book The Big Book of American Trivia, Over 3,000 Questions and Answers. Please send us their url/Web address.

4.       Go here for some amazing photos of birds, bears, and other critters. Send us the url/Web address.

5.       Find a wide selection of construction or farm machine on this site. Tell us which one is your favorite and send us the link to one of your favorite machines. (Must include the link.)

6.     Find Sketchy Adventures, it’s free! Send us the url/Web address.

7.     The author of this website has traveled to 46 states and several Canadian provinces to encourage home educators over the past twenty years and look forward to lots of fruitful ministry in the future. Please send us their url/Web address.

Okay Fans, you can do this! Be sure to email your answers to me at thogate@thehomeschoolmagazine.com to be entered into this contest.

Here is the link to our general contest rules: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehomeschoolmagazine.com%2FResources%2FContests.php&h=7b30dad7e6f56369b9abadcd65e0a9f4

Enjoy!

~Tandy Sue Hogate

 ~TOS Marketing Assistant

Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.

The kitchen is obviously a great place to teach Home Ec.  My teaching style for all subjects is very relaxed and this one is no exception, as a matter of fact, I seldom think about teaching Home Ec.  My girls help out in the kitchen and the home with whatever is needed.  They learn basic cooking, cleaning, menu planning, shopping, etc. by participating in the daily routines of the household.  As of yet, there has been no "Home Ec. curriculum", and though it might not be a bad idea for some families, I doubt it will be the way we go.  I do have plans for all of the girls (Mom included) to create a Home Journal which will contain recipes for cooking as well as cleaning (love those natural cleaning products), and whatever other "home keeping" things that we decide to put into them.  I certainly wish that I had started out with one of those when I first attempted to create a home years ago.  It would have saved lots of time and tears, not to mention money!

My 11 year old daughter probably has more cooking and homekeeping skill than many young ladies twice her age.  She, like her Mom, enjoys cooking and can frequently be found perusing a cookbook for a new treat for snack time or dessert.  I believe that is because she has someone at home with her to first of all model this, cooking is fun in our house.  And since a maid has yet to appear in our home to clean up our frequent messes (though no one would complain if she popped in this morning), someone (and that means everyone) must learn to do the house keeping.  And finally, she has  time to practice and develop these skills during the course of her homeschool day.  

We had a conversation over the weekend with the mother of 2 young men who were in my husband's youth group a few years ago.  She said both of her boys are still unmarried and living at home.  They have no desire to get married and move away from Mom because none of the girls they know can cook!  She told us that one young lady blew up their microwave attempting to make a grilled cheese sandwich!  An extreme example, of course, but so many young people today simply do not have the basic skills for running a household.  I understand this dilemma, because though I could cook, I was sorely lacking in the other areas of home keeping when I moved away from home and started a household of my own.  It took some real effort on my part to learn exactly what all went into running a household, especially when that household included children. 

I find it interesting that Titus chapter 2 equates the aged women teaching the younger women to be keepers at home (sounds like home ec. to me) with sound doctrine. 

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.  Titus 2:1-5

My best advice for teaching Home Ec. is to simply include your children in the day to day tasks of the home.  Let them help with the grocery lists, menu plans, cooking, cleaning and so forth.  Give them lots of opportunities to practice and develop these skills as they grow.  Living and learning together is a blessing, and the skills they learn  will bless their future families as well. 

 

Catherine Love lives in the heart of Texas with her husband Carl, and their 3 daughters, Sarah, Hannah, and Cana.  They enjoy cooking, gardening, and learning new things as they live a lifestyle of learning together.  You can read Catherine's Kitchen Adventures and more on her blog- Seeds of Love.

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Save In Piggybacking

In all the changes that I have made this year I have been learning the importance of "piggybacking".  Piggybacking is when you butt one thing after the other and save because it is already heated up.  For example... to dry one load of laundry after the other and save because the dryer is already heated up.  Another way I have piggybacked my savings is when I roast my coffee beans.  I roast what I need for that week...one batch after the other. A third way that I can think of right off the bat is piggybacking while baking or cooking with the oven.  Get the biggest bang for your buck by baking several things together and right after the other.  In the winter time it is also a nice way to raise the temperature a little in your house.  I guess you can say it is like multi-tasking your energy use and save.   .

Now to join in the fun of Tightwad Tuesday....

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  Link your TWT post click on MckLinky and give exact the URL of your post.   (each Tuesday that  you join in on the fun)  

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example of a URL ...

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Canadagirl/693425/

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  Now go ahead link and read and comment on all these other's wonderful TWT's. 

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 Lets save our pennies, nickles, dimes, and dollars  together !

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"There are only a few big ways to save money but there are many small ways ....that all adds up."

 

In a former life that I now dimly remember, I occasionally got free music as a sales associate for The Ark Bookstore in Denver. Normally, the samples were of new, relatively unknown groups that their label was trying to push. There was the rare exception, however, and those were moments that made the low wages and long hours almost worth it. Chief among those moments was when our Sparrow representative stopped by with a pre-release copy of Steve Taylor's 1993 album, Squint. It was the last—so far—studio album that Taylor would release, capping a decade-long career in the Christian music industry. Most folks don't know who Steve Taylor is. However, most Christians have likely heard the Newsboys' song, Shine, which Steve produced and wrote the lyrics to. In fact, Steve's partnership with the Newsboys is what most credit them for their success.

Steve's music has had a huge impact on my life. Songs like Hero, Meltdown, On The Fritz and so many others fed my spirit when I faced religious hypocrisy and pretentious spirituality at a young age where I needed truth and solidarity. Truth confronts, but it also comforts. One of the best examples is in the song, "Curses," where the chorus (echoing Psalm 37:25) repeats,

Never have I seen the righteous forsaken
Never abandoned in the floodlands
Never have I seen their children out begging
Never have I seen them slip through your hands

This simple refrain would echo in my mind every time I faced worries about making mortgage or buying groceries. It remains a reminder that not only is God faithful, but that I am not the first of his children to encounter financial difficulty.

There is something else about the chorus. In this modern,"lower-middle class" lifestyle, I tend to forget the meaning of floodlands. Today, modern civilization has flood control. Rivers that used to rage and ravage towns and cities are now harnessed and regulated by dams and reservoirs. The floodlands were areas that were normally dry but prone to extensive inundation. As a result, no one who could afford to build would build in such an area. They tended to be vast areas with thick undergrowth crisscrossed by a myriad of foot trails. The only inhabitants were the poorest of the poor, vagrants living a nomadic lifestyle and eating hand-to-mouth. If a river were to flood, they would be among the first victims, sometimes the only victims. Being abandoned in the floodlands would never be by choice. It would be the last stop before dying.

God is always mindful of our situation. He never lets us slip through His hands. We make mistakes, but He never does. Also, notice what it doesn't say. It doesn't say that we would never see the floodlands, or walk through them. He may have us pass through the floodlands for any number of reasons, not the least of which would be to reach out to those are also in desperate need. Yet here is the one thing that brings me such comfort: we will never be abandoned! We have a God who carries us through the fiercest storms and the highest waves. Most importantly, when it's all over, we get to go home with Him. That's worth any trek we might face here on earth.

Just in case one thinks I'm blowing smoke, I'll offer a subjective proof, one of many small miracles God has done for me and my family. Two weeks ago, my mind turned to Christmas. It dawned on me that we might not make mortgage, let alone have the ability to purchase gifts this year for my children. Rather than fret, I told God about it and asked Him to please provide Christmas gifts for my kids. Later that week, I got a call from our church saying that a family wanted to bless a family in need with Christmas presents and asked if I would be interested. "Are you kidding? I was just praying about that this week!" I told them. Needless to say, everyone was blessed at how God worked the whole thing. He usually isn't so blatant and obvious. God uses subtle and practical ways for us most of the time. But once in awhile he offers us unmistakable signs that He's there. With God, we are never abandoned.

As my children become older and my teaching load increases due to more students, teaching from a place of rest seems quite inviting to me.  It is like an oasis in the middle of a teaching storm.  I yearn to be able to teach with a sense of calm and peace.  I think I have reached the tip of this iceberg but I am always  eager to listen on conversations (usually cyber ones) that deal with rest.

As I noted a few weeks ago, teaching with a sense of rest can mean many things.  It can mean a sense of contentment  with how you are teaching your children and  the curriculum you are using.  It can also mean paring down the subjects you are teaching to the bare minimum.  This concept scares many homeschooling moms.   This idea is equivalent to academic suicide to the minds of many.  This flies in the face of modern education.  Today in public schools,  the students' days are filled with numerous classes that are not just academic in nature but vocational as well.  The premise for this is that the schools are trying to prepare the student for the world and a job, hence, computer classes, home ec. classes, welding classes, etc.  In overloading the student in this manner, we are increasing the odds that he or she will not be able to learn anything very well.  The basics will be pushed under the rug, so to speak, to make room for the extras. Therefore, we end up with young adults that do not know much about anything.  We, then, wonder why Johnny can't write or read when he graduates high school.   

When we focus on the basics and a few extras, we have time to teach in a thorough and effective way.  When your child is doing the basics of math and language arts (grammar, spelling, writing, lit. study, vocab) plus the extras of foreign language (some are doing 2 or 3 different language studies) and content subjects (history, science, geography, etc,) there is no wonder that it is taking them much longer than 6 hours to get their school work done.  Also, what are they truly learning?  

Climbing Parnassus by Tracy Lee Simmons  and  The Latin-Centered Curriculum  by Andrew Campbell speaks to simplifying our academic expectations of our children.  In doing this, we can teach more deeply and effectively. There is a sense of rest in teaching this way.  Also, teaching this way  requires trust.  We need to trust  that God will fill in the gaps in the way that only He can.  Trust is key in rest.

The first few years of our homeschooling was chock full of various subjects like  geography, science,  vocab, Latin and Spanish plus all of the CM variables of picture study and composer study and we haven't even gotten to the basics yet.   Our days were full and I taught with a cloud of pressure hovering over me the entire time.  When we didn't finish all of our plans (which happened regularly) I felt like a total failure.  Another consequence to this kind of schedule was children who were burnt out come the end of the first term.  They were beginning to hate learning.   This is not how I had envisioned our homeschooling to be.  Again, failure.

It has taken me a few years to clue in, but  I am seeing now that less is better.  I am able to give more time to my kids  to teach them.   We do not have time pressures  anymore. Our frantic, crazy days have been replaced with a relaxed, calm  atmosphere.  It is a soothing balm to my soul.

Our days are now focused on math, reading, writing and grammar.  We do one  content subject which is history.  We do science but in a very relaxed manner.  We will not do science as a formal subject until my children hit Grade 7.  I do teach Latin to my children but it, too, is done in a relaxed manner as my children are dyslexic and foreign langauages are tricky for them.  We also do Plutarch, Greek Mythology, Poetry,  Recitation,  and Shakespeare but they are done one a day.  Even this  sounds like a lot  but it is do-able for us.   We do not feel  the familiar pressures of days gone by.  There is that sense of calm and peace that I have  been trying to attain for the last 5  years.  I am sure  that I will always have to strive  for this rest every year that we homeschool but I think I am up to the challenge. 

 

Julia lives on the Canadian Prairies with her husband,  homeschooling their 3 children (10,8,6) and is attempting to give them a Classical Education.  You can read more  at her blog.