// - I have homeschooled for sixteen years. Our oldest recently graduated from college, another is a sophomore in college & our youngest is in 7th grade. I would like to offer encouragement to those who are just beginning to homeschool, as well as those whose children are considering college. It takes commitment to remain in homeschooling for the long haul. I would also like others to know that their homeschooled children can succeed in college and in their personal and professional lives.
Milk and Honey Days
Posted on Jul. 23, 2007
I have seen where many bloggers are beginning to get organized for a new homeschool year. As we plugged away at our schoolbooks each day, I remember thinking, "when can I teach them all the things that I want them to know that I think of throughout the week?" I solved that by making a random list of "Things I Want Them to Know Before They Leave Home." I took this list and usually about twice a month we had what I referred to as a "Smorgasboard Day." My now almost 20 year college sophomore son could never remember the word "smorgasboard" and he called them our "Milk and Honey Days." I have no idea where he came up with that name! Isn't it a precious name though?
So what did a "Milk and Honey Day" look like? Each child had a two pocket folder with materials for whatever we were studying that day. There may be a "Color the Classics" color page in there & I would read about a famous composer as they colored. I may have a newspaper clipping about a current event or political news. We may draw the root system of a plant & discuss plant & animal classification. We may have done a Backyard Scientist experiment or collected & pressed leaves. We may have smeared pinecones with peanut butter & birdseed for the birds or grouped Legos together & practiced counting by 2's, 5's or 10's. I may have had a department store sales flyer in their folder so we could discuss & figure discounts. We may have written a note of encouragement to a friend or drawn a map of our state with its rivers, land features and cities. As you can see, the activities were quite random, but the benefit was amazing! It did a world of good to set the textbooks aside for one day or perhaps just one morning & learn about the things the Lord laid on my heart to teach my children.
God has given your children to YOU. Let me encourage you to be willing to close the books every once in awhile. Learning continues. It actually thrives. My children still remember our "Milk and Honey Days." I have decided to re-implement this idea this year with our 7th grader. He wants to call them "Salt and Pepper Days." Enjoy your children!
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Comments from our visitors...
Untitled Comment
Posted at 8:28 PM on Jul. 23, 2007 by
humpty Your 7th grader is probably too old, now, but the curriculum that I use, "My Father's World," actually tells you to "spend some time outdoors today enjoying your Father's World,' every day and schedules in a light day every week for doing exactly that - exploring our Father's world. I love it! We do a lot of our studies outdoors as well.
Milk and Honey Days
Posted at 12:17 PM on Jul. 24, 2007 by
innovativelearning I love the names of those special school days. I just might use one for my self. Thanks
"My Father's World, my kids are not to young. I think I will give this a look.
Hello
Posted at 5:52 PM on Jul. 24, 2007 by
thecatholicapologist Thanks so much for your encouraging comment; it was so nice to hear from you! I'm glad that you had such a good relationship with your former teacher; that is something that I am considering for my own vocation. Those teaching nuns have been so influential in so many kids' lives. I am still trying to discern God's will for my life, though. I enjoyed reading about your homeschooling experiences with your children, that is really sweet!! :)
God bless,
~the Catholic apologist
Wow!!!
Posted at 10:36 PM on Jul. 24, 2007 by
WisdomBuilders How inspiring! I love this idea. I think of stuff even when they're this young, like that someday I would like to read the entire Cronicles of Narnia series to them, or that I would love for them to be able to visit a dairy farm or ice cream factory. Now I am going to borrow your idea and start writing those goals down. Thanks!
Untitled Comment
Posted at 12:02 AM on Jul. 25, 2007 by
bethanyrae Nice idea to do a list like that. When my first two were younger, I just "did" all that stuff with them. Now with my last one, I can't even remember what those things were!!!!! It's so easy the first time around. Now I'm feeling... older or something? I need "the list"!! Could someone just give me a list???! I'll even pay for it!
Thanks for your comment, by the way. I'm not a musician in the sense that your kids are. I just played in instrumental groups all through college, but not as a major or minor. Just for fun!
bethanyrae
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