I'd like to invite you to enjoy a cup of tea and read through the Tailor Made Homeschool Mom's support group meeting notes. They begin with a history of Tailor Made. Tailor Made is eclectic homeschool mom's support that hopes to meet the unique needs of moms who cut and piece together their curricula to fit the needs of their children. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Wed, 12 Oct 2005 17:07:00 -0500 Wed, 12 Oct 2005 17:07:00 -0500 When you get bogged down by comparison, read this article!!!   http://www.homeschooloasis.com/art_so_what_are_you_doing_for_god.htm http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33429/ Wed, 12 Oct 2005 17:07:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33429/ "Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"  Psalm 133:1, NKJV   Wow!  2002 flew by!  We all enjoyed the awesome autumn weather!  We had fun watching the gifts and bents in our families develop in our homes.  It is such a blessing to watch our children bloom.  Restful, peaceful atmospheres, prioritized, directed discipline, and cultivated lifestyles are so refreshing compared to the stressful, mundane, mishmash offered by the "norm" society today.  We shared wonderful news of how things were going in our families with the group.  It's so much fun to hear how others are doing.  It encourages us and offers us hope when we have a down day.  It also offers a reminder of how we can jump right in where we are and make changes for the better daily.   The October '02 topic of encouragement was "'The Brother Offended Checklist':  Honestly Friendly!"  We went over this wonderfully helpful tool from Doorposts.  It is designed for parents to use when they need to know "What to Tell a Tattletale".  We found ways to apply it for ourselves, first.  We discussed what the Bible tells the "Offended Brother" and the "Offender" to do and then had an evaluation of Tailor Made.  We had an honest discussion and made some future plans for Tailor Made.  We also passed out another interest inventory to help get 2003 organized.   "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."  Proverbs 27:17   "I am a companion of all those who fear Thee, and of those who keep Thy precepts."  Psalm 119:63 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33428/ Wed, 12 Oct 2005 17:04:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33428/ *Please read the article "A Few Interesting Definitions" before you read these meeting notes.   We listened to the song "First Song That I Sing" by Sara Groves (All Right Here CD).    Then, we enjoyed a demonstration based on the web article, "Prioritizing Your Rocks" by Dr. Stephen R. Covey.  http://www.homeschooloasis.com/art_prioritizing_rocks.htm   "Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old, he will not depart from it."  Proverbs 22:6 TAB (the Amplified Bible)   No matter what each person's gift or bent happens to be, we all move through knowledge to understanding to wisdom.  As members of families, we do this in our homes (everyone, not just homeschoolers).  Our homes actually "grow" in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.  (TRIVIUM)    In keeping with the priorities demonstration, we found out what the word home means (in other words, we talked about the knowledge level of 'home').  First things first.   home-4a.  An environment offering security and happiness.  b.  a valued place regarded as a refuge or place of origin.  7.  The place where something is discovered, founded, developed, or promoted; adv. at, to or toward the direction of home.  to the point at which something is directed.  (->"home in" on something) to the center or heart of something; deeply.  (comments-get to the "heart" of the matter).  to move or lead toward a goal (to the truth).  "at home" comfortable and relaxed; at ease "home free" free of tension or stress, usually after expending considerable effort.   Charlotte Mason said,"Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life."   Our homes are an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life.  But, what kind of atmosphere?  discipline?  life?    (A great book on making the home a wonderful atmosphere, discipline, and life is For the Family's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay).   ATMOSPHERE=KNOWLEDGE level of HOME   atmosphere-environment or surroundings regarded as having a psychological, physical, or other influence.   During our organization meeting in July, we were reminded that "God is not a God of confusion but of peace..."  I Corinthians 14:33a   We discussed in March's meeting that we need to establish the habit of attention (self-discipline) in ourselves in order to help develop it in our children.   Philippians 4:9 "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you."   We need to make sure that what our children are learning, receiving, hearing, and seeing are things we want them to practice.   In For the Children's Sake (page 10), Susan Schaeffer Macaulay says "one of the greatest powers for good is a family whose members respect each other and who have learned to function, however poorly, with the rich concepts the Word of God gives us as human beings.  It is almost incredible to think of the stabilizing effect ordinary families can have:  not only for themselves, but as a light in a troubled generation."   DISCIPLINE=UNDERSTANDING level of HOME   Here's where we move into the discipline area.  We learned a lot about discipleship in the August "Mothering by Heart" meeting.  Guess what?  By cultivating the fruit of the Spirit in ourselves, we cultivate it in our children.  Powerful training!  It covers all kinds of character training.  Suggestions for character training curricula included various studies from Doorposts.   cultivator-1. one that cultivates.  2.  an implement or machine for loosening the earth and destroying weeds around growing plants.   We're improving and preparing, growing and tending, promoting, nurturing, fostering, forming, refining, and polishing our children.   REMEMBER!  Consistency is key to discipleship!   There are various "discipline" books, but we're going to discuss it a bit differently.   disciple-one who subscribes to the teachings of a master and assists in spreading them.  An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.   discipline-1.  Training that is expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement.  7.  a branch of knowledge or of teaching.   Here's where we get back to our original verse-Prov. 22:6TAB   In order to find out what our children's gifts/bents are we have to think about priorities again.   From Teaching the Trivium (by the Bluedorns's):  On page 103, the Bluedorn's offer some helpful hints for us to remediate ourselves/our children in the area of time and training. 1.  Kick the entertainment habit! 2.  Start reading! 3.  Ask the Lord to give you an inquiring mind.  (Not like the National Enquirer). 4.  Build vocabulary. 5.  Have discussions with your children. 6.  Make sure your children obey you. 7.  Establish family worship.   That's a lot to swallow!  It's kind of like reading Proverbs 31, eh?   Remember the Charlotte Mason motto:  "I am!  I can!  I ought!  I will!  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"  Phil. 4:13   Once we decide to get serious about the time that is required to discover what each child needs we may feel overwhelmed.  But, AGAIN, REMEMBER THE CM MOTTO and Phil. 4:13!   I highly recommend Discover Your Children's Gifts:  A Parent's Handbook to Recognize and Develop Your Children's God-given Gifts by Don & Katie Fortune!   The Fortunes point out the need to understand our children's gifts and bents because this understanding is what will ultimately aid us in creating a loving atmosphere, a tailored discipline, and a wonderful life in our homes!!!   Not only does this book look at giftedness, if you let it, it can help you realize how learning styles and personalities all make for very interesting dynamics.  Difficult if we don't understand which direction God has each person pointed in.....so, "HOME IN!"    Finding out what makes each family member tick will help our families become a light in the darkness; an example of God's love in action!    Christian Liberty Press' Nature Readers have wonderful stories that demonstrate "gifts/bents" of animals and insects that might inspire some children to develop their own.    Home Grown Kids by the Moore's shares some things to teach in discipline, especially in the area of forgiveness.  Blocks and "physics" on the trampoline can be ways to develop gifts and enhance learning through play.   LIFE=WISDOM level of HOME   life-4.  The physical, mental, and spiritual experiences that constitute a person's existence.  10a.  a manner of living.   Throughout life we are always learning.  Our learning consists of three things:  worship, service, and gaining wisdom.  In July, we talked about "brain triggers" for studying God's Works (subjects).   In order to study His Words as a way of life, Cross-Over suggests:  1.  a wash of Scripture 2.  memorization 3,  doctrine 4.  character qualities (biographies and read aloud time) 5.  prayer 6.  hymnology   These things are the BIG rocks!  These are the things that prioritze our days.   Be cultivators!  Let's create an atmosphere of love and respect.  These things are conducive to learning.  Let's disciple our children and each other in the way each should go, consistently.  Let's live wisely demonstrating all the things that will foster a healthy fear of the Lord!   "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."  Proverbs 9:10   Conversation, prayer, nature study, are simple ways to begin training.  After all, we want to teach healthy habits of attention.  We can start with the simple lesson of the toothbrush which will lead to a healthy dose of wisdom.    We closed the meeting by listening to Nichole Nordeman's "Home".    Titles used for this topic:   The Amplified Bible   New American Standard Master Study Bible   The American Heritage Dictionary   For the Family's Sake:  The Value of Home in Everyone's Life by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay   For the Children's Sake:  Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay   Teaching the Trivium:  Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn http://www.triviumpursuit.com   Discover Your Children's Gifts:  A Parent's Handbook to Recognize and Develop Your Children's God-given Gifts by Don and Katie Fortune http://www.heart2heart.org   A Child's Book of Character Building books 1&2 by Ron and Rebekah Coriell   Christian Liberty Nature Readers http://clpress.hpwebhost.com   Home Grown Kids:  A Practical Handbook for Teaching Your Children at Home by Raymond and Dorothy Moore, forword by Dr. James C. Dobson http://www.moorefoundation.com   "12 Ways to Trigger the Brain...with Any Subject Matter!  (Tips for Mastering New Information Fast and Effortlessly)" by Renee Ellison http://crossover.ellison.net     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33394/ Wed, 12 Oct 2005 14:50:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33394/ Hey Tailors,   Here are some definitions for you to consider (please notice words in CAPS and consider these parts of the definitions carefully):   procrastinate-to put off doing something until a future time.  To postpone or delay NEEDLESSLY.  Latin, pro-forward, cras-tomorrow.  Scholastic Children's Dictionary (SCD)-to put off doing something simply because you do not want to do it.   isolate-to seperate from a group or whole and set apart.  To place in quarantine.  Chemical-to obtain (a substance) in an uncombined form.  TO RENDER FREE OF EXTERNAL INFLUENCE; INSULATE.  Latin, insulatis-made into an island.  SCD-to keep something or someone seperate.  to discover and identify something.   perverse-directed away from what is right or good; pervered.  OBSTINATELY PERSISTING in an error or fault; WRONGLY self-willed or stubborn.   pervert-to cause to turn from what is considered morally right; corrupt.  to bring to a worse condition; debase vitiate.  to EMPLY wrongly or incorrectly, MISUSE; to INTERPRET incorrectly; MISCONSTRUE.  Latin, per-intensive, vertere-to turn.   success-act of succeeding; succession.  that which comes after; hence, consequence, issue, or result of an endeavor or undertaking whether GOOD OR BAD; the outcome of effort.  the favorable or prosperous termination of anything attempted; the attainment of a proposed object; prosperous issue.  that which meets with, or one who accomplishes, favorable results, as a play or player. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33371/ Wed, 12 Oct 2005 14:43:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33371/ "I will instruct you and teach          you in the way which you          should go; I will counsel you with My          eye upon you. Do not be as the horse or as          the mule which have no          understanding, Whose trappings include bit          and bridle to hold them in          check, OTHERWISE they will not come          near you. Many are the sorrows of the          wicked; But he who trusts in the          LORD, loving kindness shall surround him. Be glad in the LORD and re-          joice, you righteous ones, And shout for joy, all you who          are upright in heart." http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33368/ Wed, 12 Oct 2005 14:40:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33368/ "We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give."      -Winston Churchill, British statesman http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33365/ Wed, 12 Oct 2005 14:38:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33365/ This Lord's Day, I arose at six prayed showered nursed the baby fixed breakfast dressed ironed my husband's shirt bathed the baby dressed the baby found my husband's watch curled my hair changed the baby's diaper answered the phone put on some makeup stuck a roast in the oven packed the diaper bag grabbed my Bible dashed to the kitchen for Linda's casserole dish ran to the car and as I strapped my little angel into his car seat, he vomited all over everything, including me and my only ironed dress.   Oh yes, Lord, I shall remember this Sabbath Day, However, I must confess, I am completely stumped on how to keep it holy.        -anonymous (from Mothering by Heart:  Celebrating the Moments that Last Forever by Robin Jones Gunn)     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33364/ Wed, 12 Oct 2005 14:35:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33364/ "I will wait on the Lord...And I will hope in Him.  Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me!"  Isaiah 8:17018 (NKJV)   How are those organizational skills coming along?  Keep on keeping on!  Let's all encourage each other to keep from putting off the necessary needlessly because we do not want to do it.  We all need to remind each other to render ourselves free from much of the extras and insulate our families with peace and rest.  Let's work diligently to interpret ideas and opportunities for what they really are in regard to each individual family's needs.  Remember, success is the result of an endeavor or undertaking.  It may be a struggle to get ourselves organized, but the blessings we will receive far outweigh the challenges that are in front of us.  God is faithful!  "But the hand of the diligent makes one rich."  Proverbs 10:4     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33362/ Wed, 12 Oct 2005 14:30:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/33362/ In order for a support group to actually be "supportive", there needs to be an element of TRUST.  It is a key factor in developing the kind of relationships that allow honest discussion of the simple and complex concerns we have as homeschoolers.   Here are a couple of verses that Tailor Made hopes to keep in mind before, during, and after meetings.  Remember, confidentiality is key to building lasting friendships.    "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much..."  Luke 16:10   "In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy."  I Corinthians 4:2   We strive to be faithful stewards of our time away from our families and desire to be faithful friends that keep their word. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/29470/ Thu, 29 Sep 2005 14:03:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/29470/ The July '02 Tailor Made topic of encouragement was called "Organization:  Home and School Tailoring Apprenticeship.  We all brought our favorite organizational ideas and concerns to the table.  Some brought books or other organizational tools that were no longer neede by their families to share with those who would find them beneficial.  We met at Melony's beautiful home.  Cheryl and Jerri helped cater and some people decided to get a carpool together for the scenic drive.    We realized that we've all been adversely influenced by the "women's liberation" movement.  World War II had a lot to do with the way our grandmothers and mothers were raised before us.  This impacted the way we were raised.  "Rosie the Rivetor" didn't want to go back home from the warplant after the war was over.  It just didn't seem as exciting to cook and clean as it did to be a part of the war effort.  (How ironic?!?....aren't we actually as wives and mothers actually a very strong part of every day's individual "war effort"?)    Well, the attitudes that many of us have learned from our mothers, grandmothers, and maybe even great-grandmothers have been to some extent poor, more or less.  That's where thinking about our relationships with our mothers can be helpful in pinpointing our own negative ideas of some of the things we need to do as far as organizing our homes and homeschooling responsibilities are concerned.  If we look at our mothers idea of the "job" of homekeeper, we might find that she though of it as a lowly task.  With several technological advances in the area of homekeeping, many may find it boring because of convenience.  After all, how many buttons do we push now?  No more washboards means lots of time on our hands.    Or, we may have had a mother who didn't learn many homekeeping skills because of grandmother's poor health.  Polio may have been a factor or some other illness that kept Grandma from being able to do many things around the house.  This would mean that mother didn't learn many things to pass on to daughter and may not have even known that this could create frustration down the line.   Society gravitated toward the "be all you can be" and "you've come a long way baby" slogans.  Being at home all day cleaning and taking care of children became anything but glamourous.  Whole new generations were being raised to chime in with the "what about me?" syndrome as a sort of motto.   But, what about Titus 2:3-5?  "Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, that they may encourage the young women to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that they word of God may not be dishonored."   As far as organizing the home for homeschooling is concerned, we can learn to teach and appreciate this time by utilizing the "12 Brain Triggers".  These can be found by visiting the CrossOver website at http://crossover.ellison.net.  The article is called "Twelve Optimum Ways to Trigger the Brain".  It is amazing how little brain organizers can help smooth things out and save us so much time.    "School" can become learning at home when we implement a little bit of homemaking skills into our children's days.  While teaching them to keep their things organized and to help keep the home in order, much of the "burden" is taken off of Mom which will ease some of struggle to stay on top of things.    Proverbs 15:13,15- "A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken...All the days of the afflicted are bad, But a cheerful heart has a continual feast."    If we keep a cheerful attitude about this, our mission field, we will be more motivated to stay organized in our homes, in our learning, and even in our help with other responsibilities.    There are many benefits to learning homemaking skills.  We can become very inventive, skilled, and creative.  We can develop a better "self image".  Having an orderly home will encourage our husbands and children to be happier because they will be able to learn and rest better in an organized home.  Satisfaction will come from increasing our knowledge and ability in this area.  We can also enjoy the opportunity to show hospitality to others as we'll welcome the chance to entertain others in our homes whether it is planned or on a whim.   Proverbs 16:3- "Commit your works to the LORD, And your plans will be established."   We decided to make up our minds as to whether we are willing to plan our work and work our plans.  That takes courage and determination!   Some hints from the group:   Keep a note pad with tear out sheets.  Jot down needed items and plan the route for errands. Keep a calendar for appointments, birthdays, anniversaries, field trips, workshops, meetings, etc. Plan menus to keep the grocery budget organized and eat fruits and vegetables in season to keep the cost down and stay healthy. For lesson planning, use a journal or your calendar to make a "skeleton" of the week.  Flesh it out daily/weekly/monthly to check the accomplishment of goals. In states that require grades and attendance, note them on the calendar right by the assignment with the child's initials.   Hopefully, these ideas will motivate all of us to begin to make our homes a more comfortable place in which to live and learn.   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/29467/ Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:59:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TailorMade/29467/