I have been listening to lots of seminars from the Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2008 and thoroughly enjoying it! Thought I would post an article here by Cindy Rushton about scheduling our time here at the beginning of the new school year. Enjoy!
Psst! A Secret to Scheduling Success!
by Cindy Rushton
Want to know one of my biggest secrets to homeschooling the easy way? Want to know one of my biggest secrets to scheduling success? This one secret can make your daily schedule finally fit. It can end your scheduling frustrations forever.
I am not a "schedule by the minute" type of person. (GRIN) I fail with schedules like that. They don't meet my needs. My life includes too many areas that have different needs daily. Timed schedules just do not work for me.
So, what has worked for me? Setting up a framework to my day. This is one incredibly powerful tip. It can make a HUGE difference in your day as well. It just might be the secret that has alluded you through the years.
Wondering what I mean by a "framework" for your day? By framework, I mean a general flow to each day that includes all of the areas of my life that I juggle. But, how do I do that? Here are some quick tips:
1. Decide what should be included in your daily schedule. Look at what you are all about. Look at your goals, activities, values, priorities. Look at your husband's schedule--wrap everything around him. Look at what you need to include in your day to get everything done--quiet times, lessons, homemaking, read alouds, work, etc. This is important. Otherwise, you will include things in your schedule that may not be the very best choices. And...one big risk...you may never get around to the things that matter the most. Decide what really needs to be a part of each and every day for your day to be successful.
2. Decide the best time for the tasks you need to complete each day. This will help you get a good flow to your day. For me, quiet times are just best at the beginning of the day. Chores are great right after them--I need them completed so my brain can focus on the table time. Our business work and errands need to be done in the early afternoon. Read alouds are best before bedtime. You get the picture. When I tried to read aloud over lunch, we had so many distractions that we could never fit it in. Trying to work the business in the morning would never work...and of course, we couldn't take care of business errands at night. See how important it is to really look at the best time to get tasks done. Look at the best time for all of the tasks that need to be done. Look at the best flow to get everything done easily each day. You may not get this right at the beginning, but you will get closer and closer each day. You will love it!
3. Balance your day. Don't let any one area of your life get out of balance. Everything that we do in our day has a tendency to grow into a big time thief--homeschooling, homemaking, home business. Those important aspects of our life can easily grow out of their boundaries. While I love each of them, they can get rather exhausting if we don't keep them in balance with the other things that we have to do. The best way for me to stay balanced is to be reasonable about what I expect for each day, keep things simplified and easy, and keep everything inside of its time of the day. I don't mind those days that we want to dig deeper in a topic that we are studying. I also don't mind those days that we tackle a messy room. I don't even mind those days that we have a special business project that needs more time. But, if those areas were demanding extra time every day, it would be easy to get burned-out, frustrated and battle with our time each day. Want to make it work? Find a balance for your day.
4. Set up routines. Talk about a HUGE help for me. Without routines, things can get so frustrating every day--there are constant decisions, there is more strife in the family, there is no consistency. Routines help us to make things go faster, without the strife and struggle of figuring things out DAILY. Routines reduce the stress of making decisions daily. Routines help our children to know what to expect so they can move through all of the things that they need to do each day. Routines are crucial. They assure a smooth ride. They keep us on track. They keep us out of the ruts. They take us in the direction that we want to go. One of the toughest things I ever did was develop routines in my home. However, one of the most rewarding things that I ever did was develop routines in my home. When I got very, very sick, everything kept going. During those times that I have been stretched, things kept on going. All because of routines. Set up routines. Then, your children will know what to expect. They will learn what is next and next and next. The decisions will be made for you. They will be able to "just do it" with or without you. Set up routines for your family. Develop one set of routines at a time--look for the time of day that things go haywire. If it is morning, for example, look at all that needs to be done. Brainstorm. Make a to-do list for that routine. Write it out. Work it as a checklist until it becomes a habit. If you see other things that need to be added into that set of routines, add them. Tweak it until it is smooth. Then, move to the next troublespot. Do this for all of the times of your day. Watch to see how much it helps!
5. Prune anything that is not necessary. Truth is, we cannot do everything. What we do in our day keeps us from doing other things. It zaps our time, energy, strength. We need to be picky about what we add to our day. Every single thing that we do costs us something. We need to constantly prune those things that are not necessary. Prune anything that hinders, distracts. Be honest. Be ruthless. Prune. Even the good things! Go for the best!
6. Take the squeeze out of your schedule. Watch out for the squeeze in your schedule. Don't fill every minute of your day with something to do. Why? Because there are always going to be crisis situations, interruptions, melt-downs, delays. If we have our schedule maxed out, we will constantly be overwhelmed, overworked, and squeezed. Find ways to take the squeeze out of your daily schedule--cut out extra running, watch out for time thieves, prioritize your daily to-do's (and eliminate any that make the day too tight), cut out extras that are unnecessary, keep the day simple and easy. Keep a relaxed atmosphere. Constantly, take the squeeze out of your daily schedule.
7. Stay flexible! Stay adaptable! Actually, one of the reasons that we really want to develop a framework to our day is so we have more flexibility, so we have more "space" in our day to be adaptable. We want to be able to seize opportunities that come our way. We want to be able to slow down and enjoy our children. We don't want to miss teachable moments. These days just go by too fast. We want to enjoy every second. We want to make sweet, sweet memories. This requires that we stay flexible and adaptable. So, take the time to develop your own framework to your day. Do the tough work. Get your plans together. Work on these suggestions. Then, stay flexible. Stay adaptable. Grasp on to all that God has in store for you!
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About Cindy Rushton…
Cindy Rushton is the hostess of the Back to School Blast, her annual back to school fling for homeschool mothers around the world. Get your ticket NOW and receive her awesome A Quick Start for Notebooking Mini-Set FREE today! Check out all of the details here.
Posted in Encouragement
This is something I have kept on my computer for several years and read each time I am planning school work for the next year.
10 Ways to Simplify Homeschooling
by Colette Longo
1) Keep everything as simple as you can. Jesus wrote with a stick in the dirt, and He was the greatest teacher that ever lived. He used no curriculum or flannel graphs or lesson plans. Homeschooling can be made far more complicated than it should be. A simpler approach is much more effective.
2) Stick to the 3 R's. They form the foundation of life-long learning in every field because they are the tools of study. There will be no need to formalize any other subject if the children are doing their best in these 3, because people who are well grounded in reading, writing and math will approach other subjects boldly, independently and confidently.
3) Let the children teach themselves as much as they are able to. This teaches them responsibility, intellectual independence, and builds confidence. It's also better for the parent/child relationship because you can focus on parenting instead of playing schoolteacher.
4) Use the most direct method available. For reading, read. For writing, write, for math, do it, and for Bible, read it. Don't fall for catchy curriculums or methods that are really just something else for you and your child to learn.
5) Don't worry about your child's age or grade. Just let him do the best he can each day. Children grow intellectually like they do physically: in spurts. Although we may have an audience of skeptical relatives, homeschooling is not a circus, and we refuse to train our children to do tricks for people.
6) Minimize distractions in the home. Watch for excessiveness in entertainments, snacking, outings, phone conversations and the like. These sorts of things can easily get out of hand and compete with the effectiveness of a homeschool and sap the family of time and energy.
7) Seek quality over quantity. A few tapes of great music, a small case of carefully chosen books, a few special play mates, and an occasional outing is better than a large, but poor quality collection.
8) If you must document your school activities, do it after the fact. This way you will not make promises you cannot keep. If you are required to make lesson plans, be as vague as permissible. Don't let transcripts, diplomas, records and tests determine your academic plans. Focus on learning and the rest will follow.
9) Put the needs of your youngest, most vulnerable children first. If an older child gets a little behind in school, I'm sure you can forgive yourself. But if something happened to the toddler while you were busy homeschooling, I don't think you would be able to say the same.
10) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul and don't neglect to seek him early...giving him the first fruits of your day and teach your children to do the same. I know that you are tired and that there aren't enough hours in your day, but we serve a God who can make the sun stand still.
"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Posted in Everything Else - Page 2
I need to put this into practice more -- it's a good reminder . . .
Teach Kids To Do More
One of the parts of our honor definition is that we do more than what's expected. That means seeing what needs to be done and doing it. It means solving problems instead leaving them for others. One family had a sign in their kitchen that read:
If it’s broken, fix it.
If it’s empty, fill it up.
If it’s open, shut it.
If it’s out, put it away.
If it’s messy, clean it up.
If you can’t, then report it.
That’s honor.
Take time to teach children that they don't have to be asked in order to do a job. Honor means that we’re all contributing to family life. In fact, you may ask a child to go around the house and look for one job that needs to be done and do it, then report back to you.
These kinds of discussions and exercises will help children think outside of their little box and discover that they have a responsibility to the family. They can contribute to family life by just seeing something that needs to be done and doing it.
Of course, that's what makes a valuable employee so you can teach your children something more important than just how to get along better in your family. You may be preparing them to be outstanding employees as they get older.
This parenting tip comes from the book, Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes, In You and Your Kids.
If you'd like to continue to receive tips yourself, you can sign up at www.biblicalparenting.org.
Posted in Encouragement - 2
This is one of Laine's Letters and it was too good not to share. (I did get permission first). Her website and subscription information is at the end. Enjoy!
"Do everything without complaining or arguing." Philippians 2:14
How I hear these Words in my mind over and over, especially when I want to do one or the other. Mostly the complaining part. So within the last year I have had this imaginary conversation with a woman from the mid 1800's; and when I am tempted to complain, rather than to thank God for His many goodnesses, I say this silently to her in her era:
How can I complain when I can hold the whole counsel of God in my hands and read it any time I want?
How can I complain when I can go to the sink and hot and cold water pours out for me at the flick of my wrist?
How can I complain when at the push of a button I can have instant heat on my stove?
How can I complain when it takes me minutes to load my washer and at the push of a button all the work is done for me?
How can I complain when I can get into my car and be at a market within 15 minutes?
How can I complain when I can have hot or cold air piped into my car while driving?
How can I complain when I can listen to the most beautiful music while driving?
How can I complain when I can see the doctor or the dentist on the same day I am suffering?
How can I complain when I can write a letter and send it to be received on the same day I sent it?
How can I complain when the shelves are so full of good things at my supermarket?
How can I complain when I can use double coupons to take off more than half of the price of an item?
How can I complain when I can buy clothes cheaper than the cost of just the thread at garage sales and thrift shops?
How can I complain when I can turn on this machine called a vacuum and it sucks up all the dirt for me in my house?
How can I complain when I can turn my oven on and have a fresh cake in thirty minutes using a mixer first to mix it?
How can I complain when I can sleep in front of a fan in the hottest time of summer?
How can I complain when I can go to the air conditioned library in the summer and use their computers for free?
How can I complain when I can talk to my mother in another state on a moment's notice over a hands free phone?
How can I complain when all my trash is picked up every week by this huge truck?
How can I complain when I can soak away my aches and pains in hot water piped right into my tub?
How can I complain when I don't have to use an outhouse, rather a lovely bathroom right inside my home?
How can I complain when I have this big above ground pool right in my backyard to jump into when it is so hot?
How can I complain when with the flick of a switch I can listen to Christian music on my radio while cleaning?
How can I complain when I have a closet full of clothes for my whole family?
How can I complain when I can turn on my t.v. and learn a whole new recipe from a celebrated chef for free?
How can I complain when I can go "shopping" from my freezer?
How can I complain when I can buy canned food for my winter pantry already canned for me?
How can I complain when I can lay fully back in my chaise lounge chair on a heating pad when I am ill?
How can I complain when I want to go to a concert that I can listen to it right in my kitchen on a CD?
How can I complain when at the flick of a switch I can light up a whole room?
How can I complain when at the flick of a switch my bread machine starts mixing my ingredients for me?
How can I complain when I can go to the library and obtain any book, CD, magazine, or recipe I want?
How can I complain when I can open a door and all kinds of foods are kept cold for me in my fridge?
How can I complain when at the flick of a switch I can blend a wonderful drink or batter?
How can I complain when at the flick of another switch my iron is hot and ready to smooth out the wrinkles before church?
How can I complain when I can add numerous long numbers accurately with a calculator I bought for a dollar?
How can I complain when I need glasses now to read when I bought them for a dollar at the Dollar Store?
How can I complain when I have so many competitive stores to shop from?
How can I complain when I just turn on a hose to water my plants?
How can I complain when there are so many beautiful parks to behold?
How can I complain when the roads are so smooth and easily traveled?
How can I complain when I can fly anywhere at a moment's notice if need be on an airplane.
How can I complain when there are shampoos, toothpastes, soaps, and cleansers of all kind to clean, clean, clean?
How can I complain when I can flick a switch and a crockpot slowly cooks my food all day while I am away?
How can I complain when I can warm our bed before we get into it with the softest electric blanket?
How can I complain when my family is far away who I can talk to on a cell phone?
How can I complain when not having a vacation because I've got one whole day a week to enjoy?
How can I complain?
How can I possibly complain?
"For if a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness...I say that a stillborn child is better than he...though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man, even if he lives a thousand years twice - but has not seen goodness." Eccl. 6:3-6
How can I complain when every day is such Sweet Sabbath Rest with Him?
Love,
Laine
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Laine's official website: http://www.lainesletters.com
To subscribe send a blank e-mail to: Laines_Letters-subscribe@welovegod.org
Posted in Reading
Book reviews with a traditional family-values angle . . .
I came across a website that has the kind of book reviews I've been looking for! Book Angles is "one family's attempt to help other families select good books for their children." Books are listed by title and author.
For some reason, I can't get the link to work every time. Not sure if it is my browser or their website. Sometimes, I click on the link and an update page appears. Wait a few seconds and then click on the link where it says "Click here to access your portal." Then the Book Angles website appears. Other times, their website comes up right away. Not sure what the deal is, but it's worth the effort to get to these book reviews if you are trying to find good reading for your family.
