You know what every home school needs?   TIME OFF.

Yep.  My home management tip for today is TIME OFF.  Take a break, go on a vacation, or a stay-cation, or a week break for doing things out of routine.

As you know... I am not actually here this week, I am doing what all good parents do.. I"m taking a break!   We are blessed enough to be able to leave our home for our vacation, but I know two families that are staying home this year for stay-cations, and having a blast with their families.   So it all works. :)

 Tips from my house to yours.

1. Pack well.  Seriously.   If you are gone for two weeks, pack enough for five-six days max.  Give a limited size of container for your children or they will try to take the world with them, this way you teach them important skills of prioritizing and space management.  This picture is of my clothes for two weeks.  More tops than bottoms, I need to toss in a jacket as well yet.  Everyone gets a container this size.  Roll your clothes as they take less space.  Save your loonies and quarters for the laundry and you are good to go. 

2. Pack Food.   Admittedly I don't have a picture as it's the first and last thing I pack.   We do canned goods when we travel rather than prepare from scratch as we go to bear country and the less they can smell the better. We don't need mid-afternoon raiders on our campsite thank you very much.  You'll notice the box of single serving chips... means no open bags of chips for bears to enjoy.   We pack the fresh and frozen food last of course...We'd hoped to find dry ice this year to keep food frozen longer, but I think we'll be doing lots of ice instead...

3. Pack Carefully.   I have changed how I packed things up this year.  I had all the pans and whatnot under the seat, but it felt like too much wasted space on top of them, so I moved them over and was able to pack a ton of things on top.  Even managed to roll the tarp and ground carpet up.. Used to take up 3 x 3 feet and was miserably awkward to move, rolled it fits under the seat for the most part.  So rethink how you pack and you might be surprised at how you can make it work.

4. Be Delighted in the skills your family possesses.  :)
We know have kayaks instead of a canoe as it offers more flexibility.  I LOVE sales.  :)  anyways, how to travel with three kayaks was more problematic than move a canoe, buy my husbands ingenuity lead us to this great solution.  We had to refit the bike rack to make it work (the bikes now travel backward) but it works and I am so thrilled with how he worked it all out.  :)

So this post is part of the homeschool crews five day blog hop.  In case you couldn't guess, the theme of the day was home management.  :)

To see what others have to say, go a visiting, starting by clicking the image below.  :)

Did you know that the five day blog hop for The Schoolhouse crew is happening this week?   Amazing eh, and I'm not even home to help celebrate it.  :)   And visit blogs and all that lovely stuff.  I am really really hoping that a friend of mine will link up my posts for me while I am away, but time will tell eh?

Anyways, the set up is this:

• Monday - Curriculum
• Tuesday -  Planning
• Wednesday - Home Management
• Thursday - Traditions
• Friday - Encouragement

and since today is Monday today we'll talk about curriculum.

I have to admit, with the mirade of curriculum options that are out there, it can be mind-boggling and worrisome to pick the right curriculum for your family.    Will you do a free one?  An expensive one?  Patch things together?   Buy a program that is relatively complete and just work your way through it?    Is price indicative of quality?   Is free, in the end of it all worth it?   Should one do Charlotte Mason, classical, unschooling or ????   So many options, it's hard to pin it down.  

What is a home educating family supposed to do as they try to do right by their children?

Some steps that might help you.

1. Know your children.  Study them.  How do they best learn?   If your child LOVES working on the computer, look into computer based programs.  If they devour books consider a program that has lots of reading in it.   Like to do worksheets?  Some children THRIVE on them.  Hands on?  Lapbooks, experiments, building, creating... just work with it.

2. Budget.   Break down what you can afford to spend.   If one program meets all your requirements but is a bit costly can you do something cheaper in another area?   Can you wait for a sale?   Can you, if you are a blogger, contact the company and see if you can get the product in exchange for a fair and honest review?  Can you share the resource with another family and split the cost?

3. Research research research.   Discover the pros and cons.  Read reviews.  Ask questions of the vendors.    Look at samples.   Do the free viewing if you can.  Take the placement tests.  Consider if it fits with the paradigm of how YOU do school.   For instance if it says you must do a program five days a week but you only school four, can you make it fit without a lot of struggle?

4. Weigh out the pros and cons.   Sometimes it is helpful when considering two curricula to list out the pros and cons side by side. To really see how they compare.  

5. Know your schooling philosophy.  Some families will make out a mission statement for schooling, others will have their philosophy internalized, but if you know your philosophy it will help you determine if it fits.   For instance, if you want to do purely secular approach, you won't want to pick a curricula filled with faith tie-ins, if you want a creationist approach you won't pick a curricula that is heavily pro-evolution.   If mastery approach appeals to you for doing math, looking at a spiral approach would be a no-go.     If you know, at the very minimum, in your head what mindsest fits with your family, it helps in making curricula decisions.

6. Mistakes happen.   Be aware.  You'll do your research, sampling, question asking and get your curriculum home and go .... oh shoot... I didn't realize it involved this or that your children hate it or it's method of doing things doesn't work for you.   What do you do?  Toss it?   If bad enough, seriously, just sell it and move on.   Rework it?  Most curricula, especially the non-computer based ones, can be reworked or have something added to it to make it bearable.   Ignore sections.. sometimes that is all you need to do.   Figure out what part of the program REALLY isn't working and leave it out.   And there are times when you just have to bear down and work through it, it's just the way it is.   Life has moments like that.  :)

Anyways, 6 things that might help you as you approach the new year.  :)

IF you would like to read others thoughts on this broad topic of curricula, click on the image below.  :)   Have a great day!

Kinda combining two posts in one today.  :)     Tips for Homeschooling Parents and Kate's Word on Friday.   Kate's word for today is Decide.

Kate's Five Minute Friday linky is supposed to only take five minutes to write, but I may cheat a little or write super dooper fast.. we'll see how it goes eh? 

It's 331  GO
You have to make decisions in your homeschooling journey, just like you have to in the rest of your life.

Decisions to
1. What method of education will be your primary type - books, hands on, montessori, charlotte mason, eclectic, textbooks, living books etc.  
2. What your end goal is: university, college, people of faith,
3. What materials or lack thereof you will use - unschooler?  Books?   Computer based?
4. What your budget will be?   Focused on free?  Frugal?  Sky's the limit?
5. Will you join a co-op?
6. What curricula will you use?   Everything laid out?  Make your own?   Combination?
7. What planner will you use to keep sane or will you just fore-go this?

Having to DECIDE will surround your life.
People will challenge your decisions.
You'll see what others are doing and question them yourself.

It's part of the lifestyle.. and don't kid yourself, homeschooling does become part of your lifestyle and that's okay.

You need to realize that if you are making decisions for the good of your family as a whole, it will all work out in the end.   Because in the end of it all.. your children have decisions THEY need to make as well.. it's not all on you.  You do the best you can, leave the rest to God and to the ability of your children to make decisions.

Now DECIDE will you be okay with whatever decisions you make?

Okay.. honesty here.. I went one minute over!!!!!  Not too bad was it?   :)

Other Posts In The Tips for Homeschooling Families:
The Importance of Family.
Working and the Homeschool Life. 
Tips: Knowing when to take a break.
Tips: Handling Curve Balls

You can click the image to the left to read what other crew members have to say, or you can start by following the links below:

Melissa @ Grace Christian School
Michele @ Family, Faith and Fridays
Missica @ Through the Open Window
Monique @ Mountain of Grace Homeschooling
Rebekah @ There Will Be A $5 Charge For Whining
Renita @ Krazy Kuehner Days
Sarah @ Renaissance Mama
Sasha @ Such a Time as This
Tawnee @ Adventures in Homeschooling
Tiffany @ The Crafty Home
Tina @ Desperate Homeschoolers

FIVE minute Friday Rules
Get the word.  Write for Five Minutes. Link up.   MOST IMPORTANT: encourage others in the linky.  This is real important and the heart of our community.  :)

Day four of Tips for Homeschooling Parents.  Today's Topic: Dealing with Curve Balls.

What might you ask inspired me to come up with this topic?

See this wee beastie?

Yup.  It's a possum.   Biggest one I have ever seen. 

This opossum was our curve ball today.  You do know what a curve ball is?   A ball that looks like it's coming straight for you, but it swerves away unexpectedly?   We didn't see this beastie coming, but we took advantage of him when he did.

THAT beastie was our curve ball today.   It was a moment to take some time to learn about possums, to do some research, to figure out how to remove him from our property in order to keep him away and to see if he was our mystery predator.  

Possums are actually good for the environment in that they clean up dead stock really well.   BUT they are NOT good to have around small stock.  They'll eat mice, grubs, garbage, insects, rats, other small mammals and what not.

Based on the size of this fellow I'm guessing he's the one who killed some of our young bunnies and one of my son's tanks of mice.

My Lad, instead of doing his science or his math today, had a chance to give this fellow a good look over.   First thing he noticed was  "HE STINKS".

And he did... I have to admit.. this opossum, STANK.   I don't know if it was his natural body odour or if it was his "smell defense" that possums can do.  The Virginia Opossum (Didelphis Virginiana),is not native to Ontario, they came as visitors and decided to stick around.   The stink of him made us keep our distance from him. 

Notice was made of the long tail, the mouthful of teeth and the loud hissing noises directed our way.   This fellow was large one so we took the risk of moving this territorial fellow.  He discovered, far from our home, a LOVELY forest in which to now dwell....he left rather eagerly hissing at us as he left.  

Curve balls are just that you know opportunities to learn in a different way.  Whether it's the unexpected one like illness that changes what our week looks like, dastardly predators caught, accidents or the like.   OR if they are planned curve balls like planned surgery dates (coming up in April), co-op times, or whatever... Curve balls can be viewed with suspicion or dismay, or as an opportunity to do things differently and to learn something new.

How you handle those curve balls is up to you, but I do suggest that you get ready for them, because you will always find they come your way.

Other Posts In This Series
The Importance of Family.
Working and the Homeschool Life. 
Tips: Knowing when to take a break.

Others from the Crew are taking part in this five day blog hop as well.   You can find the whole list here, but below I've listed a few people just to get you started.

Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break
Latonya @ Joy in the Ordinary
Laura @ Day by Day in Our World
Leah @ As We Walk Along the Road
Lisa @ Farm Fresh Adventures
Lori @ At Home: where life happens
Meg @ Adventures with Jude
Megan @ My Full Heart
Melanie (Wren) @ finchnwren
Melissa @ Mom’s Plans

Day Three of Tips for Homeschooling Parents.

As I write this post I have a pounding headache and a drippy nose.   Fun isn't it?  NOT.
I have a boy avoiding me (who has had this same cold) and a hubby being kind to both of us as he finishes up the cold he managed to bring into the house last week.

So as I bleariedly eyed my computer screen thinking what I can I write on, I thought of a conversation I had with my lad over breakfast.

Me "Son, we really should try to get some schooling done today"
Son "No, mom, no no"
M: OH?
S: "Just no mom, we can do other things today".

This is so NOT my son.  Usually he'll say "I can do my Veritas press and my science and my......" and then can we think about if I have to do anything else?

This lad LOVES his on-line schooling.   Everything else he could toss out the window (what child couldn't) but his on-line stuff I never really have to even ask.

AND THEN the clincher.. He disappeared.
Like totally.  

ALSO not like my boy child to do.

What do I hear coming from upstairs.. Cough cough, hack, sneeze, cough cough....

Think perhaps that's a hint that today we should let our colds get the best of us?

Sometimes as parents we need to do that.

Just as if my lad had a bad cold I wouldn't send him off to a public school, just because we are at home schooling, doesn't mean I need to push schooling just because he's home and I can.

I need to.
YOU need to.
Read your children well.

My lad has had flus, colds, not feeling well days where doing school was totally not an issue.    But when he's acting out of character... that's when I find I need to simply listen.   Don't you find it the same in your school?

Time for me to get off this beast and take a break... Sleep sounds good... 

Other Posts In This Series
The Importance of Family.
Working and the Homeschool Life. 

Others from the Crew are taking part in this five day blog hop as well.   You can find the whole list here, but below I've listed a few people just to get you started.
Jeniffer @ Thou Shall Not Whine
Jennifer @ A Peace of Mind
Jennifer @ Faithful Homestead
Joelle @ homeschooling for His Glory
Joesette @ Learning Curve
Kari @ Random Acts of Boyhood
Katie @ Katie’s Daily Life
Kemi @ Homemaking Organized
Kim @ Homestead Acres
Kylie @ Our Worldwide Classroom

Today is day two in the five day blog hop.  And I have to admit I really waffled on what to write about today.   Music?  Faith?   Life happens?   Work?

I finally settled on work.

I touched yesterday on the fact that my hubby is a pastor.   We are part of a small congregation in central Ontario.  We do okay, but not as great as we'd like financially so due to my love of critters I have a small business running a rabbitry.

It's called AT Home Pets.   I raise and sell rabbits and guinea pigs.   It's a lot of work to care for them.  I help my son raise mice.

I am also in the process of learning to make worksheets and curriculum.   I made my first  this week.  The goal is to hone my skills and eventually start to sell them.  I was talking with my lad about this last night about how I am going to hire him to help me create graphics for this endeavor.   He thought that was a great idea.  :)

The question is of course, since you might be thinking, so what.. you have a business, big yip.  What does that have to do with homeschooling?  

I mention all this because like may people in the world it is sometimes a struggle to make ends meet.   To purchase curriculum, to buy supplies, and clothe children.    My hubbies work provides for necessities in life like shelter, food, medical issues, gas and such things.

My business stuff provides for curricula, clothes for me and the lad, treats "just because" and so forth.   Without my income it would be a LOT more difficult to manage the other necessities in life.. like food... we like eat.  :)

Working with animals as a business has provided me with
1. opportunities to teach my son good animal husbandry skills.   Healthy animals make for easier to care for critters, easier to find them homes, better food sources for animals that need them.. remember he raises mice.. his biggest buyer is the local raptor rescue.  He gives them a discount because they help birds of prey get healthy after running into trouble.   He's had to help me think through the type of bedding we use, housing issues, what colours to pursue and such like.
2. opportunities to learn good customer service.    How to be nice with people, friendly, help them discover the joys of owning a pet mouse, to figure out what size of mouse their snake can eat, and so forth.   To write good animal care sheets for the rabbits and guinea pigs and to continually learn so that one can properly educate people when they ask questions.
3. opportunities to do real life math.  If 10 mice cost "X" amount and the guy asks for a deal, what are you willing to do?   Are you going to ask him to buy two more and throw one in for free?   Will you say no?   What if they want free delivery on top of that?     He's learning that good customer service doesn't mean saying yes to every request.    I thought I would need to teach him to save for a rainy day... but this boy is a natural money saver.   He weighs out his purchases carefully which is really nice to see.  He hates that I make him pay part of the mouse food bill but it's part of having them right?  He gets the income, shouldn't he bear part of the price or raising them?
4. opportunities to deal with the less than polite people.  Granted I've shielded him from most of this, but he sees how some people react to the selling of rabbits and guinea pigs (and to a certain extent the mice).   Animal Rights Activists aren't the funnest people to deal with, and he's seen how I've learned to be protective of where I live and how we do things.
5. Opportunities to teach others about animals we know and love.  It amazes me how often people will leap into something without first doing their research.     Selling animals allows us to interact with people, teaching them how to care for their animal, what should and shouldn't be done and guiding them to good sources for information.   There is so much misinformation out there about how to care for animals it's great to guide people to reliable sources.
6. Opportunities to learn time management.   It's not always easy.   Currently I am dealing with a person who wants to buy an animal on Sunday afternoon.   I don't do business on Sundays until after 6 p.m.  This individual is struggling to work around that and it's hard to stand firm.. but family and God is important you know?   It's hard to work around homeschooling needs, family needs, faith issues  in a "we want what we want when we want it NOW" society.   Sometimes it means lost sales which used to be upsetting until we learned this.. the instant gratification people won't have done their research and do we really want our animals going to people who are like that?   Teaching that long term perspective has been eye-opening for my lad.
7. Opportunities to learn new skills. Whether it's learning how to put together worksheets or curricula, or finding out the latest research on mites in guinea pigs, or how to deal with malocclusion in rabbits, finding out what threatens birds of prey... there are always ways to think and improve and do what needs to be done.  Right now we are dealing with a rat problem which with the help of the internet, friends, neighbours and other business people we WILL tackle and keep our animals safe from harm.  We are happy to live and let live, but causing harm has repercussions.
8. Opportunity to be your own boss.  I HATE, yes indeed I will freely admit it.  I hate to be ordered around.   I love being able to be responsible for my own decisions and the running of my own business.  Being told what I can and cannot do irritates me to no end.   So working a job for someone else gives me added stress (which if I have to I deal with) but the freedom of choosing what I feed, how I care, and such like.. I love that freedom.   I disliked working a 9-5 job and dealing with the politics and rivalries you get in a workplace.  Here... the rabbits don't argue with me.. they may stomp their feet for "FOOD NOW!  ME FIRST!!" but they don't talk back or jockey for importance.  Most customers are easy to work with and doing this is a joy.

For my other posts in this five days of tips for homeschool parents see below
The Importance of Family.

You will find other members of the TOS crew participating in this five day blog hop.   The whole list can be found here, or you can start with the folks listed below.

Over this coming week, the Crew from the TOS Review board will be doing a blog hop about Tips for Homeschool Parents.   I thought it might be fun to participate.   I, unlike some others, really have no clue what I will write about from day to day, but that's part of the fun right?

Today I thought I'd talk about Family.   About how important the family as a unit is to homeschooling well.

Families.
They come in all shapes and sizes.  Big, small, loud, quiet, busy, sedate, of faith, not of faith.   All shapes, all styles, all types.   It's a goodly thing eh?

My family is hubby, wife, child.
His family is mom, son
My family is mom, dad(now deceased) and six children.. boys and girls.. now with respective spouses and their offspring.
We are all different.

My now family is quiet, stay at home, relaxed, faith believing folk.   We like being together... reading, watching TV, doing animation, hikes, camping and such like.  This life suits as well.

One of the things I love about my husbands' job (he's a pastor) is his ability to take his job on the road.   So we can go on field trips and as long as he has a pen and paper, or his laptop he can still do sermon prep AND come with us as we experience new things, learning and growing as a family.

It's a good example to my son, to see his father enjoying these excursions as well, to see the importance his dad puts on spending time with family.  

I know that not all families have this luxury.   Many families have "on the job" requirements.   Fields to work, papers to write, business to conduct, power lines to repair and what not.   Every job is different with it's own needs.   I know that we've had times when we wanted Dad to come with us but he needed to do a hospital call or a funeral visitation and such like.   It's part of the job.

In situations like that though, Dad takes the time to ask us, so how was the trip, what did you like, what did you see etc.   He shows an active interest.

It's so important you know?   For both parents to be interested in what the child(ren) are learning and doing.   It shows the importance of it all.

In what other ways are families important with homeschooling?
1. As a support for each other - if one parent doesn't get something, perhaps the other might.  Or a way to weigh one curriculum against another etc.
2. Bounce ideas off each other - if wanting to build a catapult... dad might have the know how mom doesn't.  If cooking a meal from a foreign country, mom might help cook, dad pick recipes and talk over interesting ingredients with a child more patiently than mom might and together a meal is created,
3. To spell each other off.   Or to tag team events.   To be the watch guard if one parent needs to take a break from the work of schooling and life.
4. To help with the clean up, to turn drudgery into family laughter and communication.
5. To learn how to show love for each other... it's the first place it all starts you know?  

Here are some of the other participating bloggers, please check them out.  :)   Each day a new group of us will be featured.  :)

My boy surprised me this week.

He's in Vacation Bible School at one of the local churches.

They put a challenge out to the children.  Complete an activity book (easy enough) and read the book of John (21 chapters...daunting!).

I kept reminding my boy to read it, to complete his activity book and he kept blowing me off.

So I stopped reminding him.  I don't need to remind a boy to do things and have him blow me off.  Consequences will teach.

The second last day.  He's reminded of the benefits of following through on the challenge.

The reminder is out of my hands beyond.. "MOM!   Why weren't you stricter with me and make me do this? AH!!!    How am I going to read it through?   How am I going to do this by tomorrow???!?!?!?!   MOM!!!"

I told him I'm not keen on getting blown off and that I gave him LOTS of reminders and it was his choice to not follow through.   I encouraged him to do his best.

And you know what?   He did it!

I was surprised.

I did help him read six chapters because he was doing a stellar job of reading .. but not only that... he read and he talked about what he was reading.

I was FLOORED.   In less than a day he read the entire book of John, completed an activity book, and turned from stressful boy into "I did it Mom".  

Rather cool eh?

So guess what this means?

I can step up my expectations of my boy and the work he is able to accomplish.  This is a good thing to know.  :)

My boy, who has hitherto been content to read comic books, because everything else is too hard, or too boring, read and enjoyed reading through the book of John.  He understood much and asked excellent questions of what he was reading.

I think it's time to ask a bit more of him.

So tell me this....as you plan your homeschooling this year, have your children surprised you by what they can do and made you revamp some of your opinions and strategies?

Taking part in the blog hop has been fun.
I hope you've enjoyed this week.
If you want to see what others are writing, here's a list below to get you started.
if you want to see a list of all the participating bloggers, GO HERE.

Joanie @ Simple Living Mama
Aurie @ Our Good Life
Jennifer @A Peace of Mind
Jenn @ Treasuring Life's Blessings
Kemi @ Homemaking Organized
Wendy @ Life at Rossmont
Katie @ DailyLife
Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
Kim @ Homestead Acres
Melissa @ Mom's Plans

I don't know about the circles that you run in, but in mine... many homeschool teachers have a subject that isn't so easy to teach OR simply isn't received well.

For me... teaching art is a challenge.
For my son... doing math is WAY on the bottom of his list.

What is THAT subject for you?   What about for your child/student?

As teachers, if we have a problem area, an area that is harder to teach we have all sorts of options available to us for teaching it.
1. If not a core subject we can drop it.   Let it be something that a child can pursue when they mature and are interested enough to pursue it on their own.
2. Source it out.   Get someone else to teach it.  
3. Research and find materials to help you teach it.

Seven different steps to take.

What we can do as teachers, teaching a difficult subject is to
1. Back off a bit.    Figure out what the issue is.  Wording, mental block, terminology, difficulty level,
2. Change it up a bit.   If doing worksheets is causing a mental block, watch a video, do some practical work
3. SHORT sessions.  Seriously.   Right now my boy is trying to understand Commutative properties in basic algebra.   I don't get mom.  Doesn't make sense to me.   I could get all stressed about it, but what I've learned to do is the following: Watch a video....twice.  And then stop. Walk away from it.  Two days later (so tomorrow) I'll read about it with him.  AND thats it.  I won't try to explain it.   I will just let it set with him for a couple more days.  Then next week Tuesday we'll watch the video again.  By then the stress of figuring it out will have eased, and some of the wording will have sunk in and we can look at it with clearer heads again.
4. Give permission to fail.   Remember this: It doesn't matter how long it takes to learn a concept as long as it's eventually learned.
5. Back up a page if you need to.    If a new concept is too hard, just back up to something a bit easier or break it down into smaller parts.
6. Slow and steady wins the course.   In a culture of immediacy it's hard to remember that taking time is not a bad thing.  Cementing the learning in a steady way is a good thing.
7. Ask questions to help gain additional learning.   Don't be afraid to ask questions or even to answer them.  

What steps to you take to help yourself or your children learn THAT subject that just causes you problems?    Share please.  :)

This post is part of a blog hop with a group of delightful women.
Here is a partial list to get you started.

Rebecca @ Raventhreads
Karen @ Tots and Me...Growing Up Together
Rebekah @ There Will Be A $5 Charge For Whining
April @ ElCloud Homeschool
Brenda @ Counting Pinecones
Tara @This Sweet Life
Tara @ Embark on the Journey
Jennifer @ Chestnut Grove Academy
Annette @ In All You Do
Lisa @Farm Fresh Adventures
Tauna @ Proverbial Homemaker

For the entire list, check out this post.

My posts this week can be found at the following links, if you'd like to follow along.  :)

Monday:  Keeping your cool during the back to school rush
Tuesday: Where will your reading journey take you?
Wednesday:  Those hard to teach subjects.
Thursday:
Friday: