Homeschool Do-Over ~ 500th Episode! Do you wish you had a homeschool do-over? What would that look like? After over thirty-two years of homeschooling, there were many things I wish I had done differently. Join your host, Felice Gerwitz, as she celebrates her 500th Podcast Episode for Vintage Homeschool Moms. Don’t miss the special 500th Episode Giveaway HERE. Thanks to our sponsor Media Angels. Visit the website for information about books, classes, and printables such as the Character Planners for immediate download. And we are creating a series of informative classes just in time for back to school! Topics include Streamlining Your Homeschool, Streamline Your Home, Attitude, and Discipline, among a few planned for this year. These classes are short videos as well as handouts to help you plan. The help you need now. Sign up for our email at the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.  We send free monthly planners to o our email list. These vary from year to year and month to month. Don’t miss our, sign up today on the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network. For the notes to today’s broadcast, you can find them at vintageschoolmoms.com. Look for episode 500, Homeschool Do-Over Well, here we are, episode 500, and the topic today is Homeschool due over. If I could go back and begin my Homeschool journey again, which began in 1986-87, I would do so many things differently. But isn’t that the way? How many of us are truly happy with something as precious as a homeschool journey? Our children are the most precious things in our lives, probably after our faith in God and or spouse. Our children are important, as they should be. In all aspects of their life, not just in schooling. What is amazing is at home. Schooling is all-encompassing. It isn’t just about academics. It’s about spiritual growth, mental growth, and of course, physical growth. As parents, we want the best for our children, and there is always room for improvement.  But I want to assure you that a bad day of homeschooling is better than a bad day in public or private education.  In addition, I have talked to hundreds of homeschooling parents for many years as a Conference speaker, and I know that their hearts are in the right place. Sometimes our execution could use improvement, but for the most part, you, Mom and Dad, and Grandparents are doing it well!  But again, the topic of this podcast is Homeschool Do-Overs, so here goes! If I were homeschooling my five children over again, I’d do many things differently. However, there were some things I would not change.  So what would I do differently? I decided to break it up into sections first, faith, family second, household third, and lastly, homeschooling.  Why? Due to the many different dynamics of homeschooling. I want to share a synopsis rather than a play-by-play of everything I would have done differently! Especially since I started homeschooling in 1986. We’d be here all day, if not longer, since I finished my homeschool journey in 2018, clocking in at 32 years. Yes. I know.  Truthfully, I was not passionate about homeschooling until a full year or two into my homeschool journey. Once I realized the benefit of homeschooling and saw the caliber of my new homeschool friends and their passion, I was sold. Tip number one, find like-minded friends! Once I found like-minded friends and those who shared my faith and family values, I knew I was in it for the long haul.  I started strongest with my two oldest, and I could tell you I continued at that pace with my youngest three, but I didn’t. In essence, I had a chance to do it over with the three youngest, but if I had to pick a time I was a better homeschool parent, I’d say it was with the oldest two. I was more relaxed once I embraced homeschooling. What is Homeschooling? Homeschooling is a chance to combine faith, family, and education. It is a chance to encourage your children to love the Lord, family, and school! It allows us to raise independent thinkers, and it is a chance to spend time with our children that we can never get back if they are in traditional education. All of my children are now adults, and they live faith-filled and productive lives, yet I believe it is by the grace of God. There were many prayers said during our homeschool years and still today. I prayed about everything related to family and homeschooling, which helped our journey. A synopsis of faith and homeschool do-over: This is an area that I feel good about, in that we had the freedom to practice our faith and delve into good spiritual books that we used as read-aloud that focused on character traits of the saints and other godly men and women of God. We had good Bible studies, used Bible timelines, and participated in First Fridays with our homeschool community. The area I would have improved upon was assigning more books in the high school year, such as all of the C.S. Lewis books, not just Mere Christianity and the Screw Tape Letters. I would have included a course on Relativism which permeates our world today. The idea that it is “all good” or “your truth” comes from a lack of education and focus on the real truth, not some made-up version. My children have shared difficulty articulating beliefs, and we could all improve in this area. A synopsis of my family dynamics homeschool do-over: Now let’s look at family. I do wish I had been more disciplined to follow through and back up, “No means no, and yes means yes.”  Let’s face it, parents, we are typically swayed by our children. It’s just the nature of parenting. We feel worse for the discipline we give out often than they do. Sometimes I went overboard; for example, my poor second child had to endure one year of no sleepovers! Yes, and the entire year. For one reason, I didn’t like them. I was never a big fan of sleepovers in the first place, especially when my children were younger. However, it turned out to be a good thing, and my daughter has followed in my footsteps, even though she was the one who suffered at the time. In other words, God uses those times for good, even during our worse or over-the-top decisions.  I wish I had worked on one of my children’s attitudes and focused on some of the things that would carry him forward in life. All are self-disciplined except one. [There is a class in the works about cultivating a climate of good attitude within families.] This brings me to another point. I wish I had realized what worked for one does not work for all of them. Even the good methods or ideas! We are a close-knit family, and having family meetings occasionally worked.  A synopsis of my household management homeschool do-over: As far as a household goes, that is an area I struggled with; at times, I could not balance a perfectly clean home and well-educated children. I had to pick one! Sure, we had both somewhat in hand at different times, but more times than I can say, the house suffered. We did not have a perfect home where I could feel that people could stop by and we would be willing to host them at a moment’s notice.  I read all kinds of blogs about having meals planned ahead, schedules for cleaning, and having the kids picked up before the day’s end or before dad came home, as well as having a home that could take visitors anytime without worry.  My in-laws often receive company from up north, and they love to show off the house which their son built, and rightly so. Our home is not fancy but well-built, and I love it! We lived about thirty minutes away.  At this point, all learning stopped, and all hands were on deck to get the house in some semblance of order before our visitors came. Sometimes I said no, and I had a good enough relationship with my husband’s parents that they understood. Still, it was something I wish I did better. I put pressure on myself. We all have insecurities, and this was one of mine! As the years progressed, our homeschool moved upstairs, which was wonderful! The mess was contained in one place, and we could keep the downstairs neat enough. Friends, sometimes it takes time or years, but your family takes precedence. Even so, our house was never dirty – I can’t handle dirt or dishes in the sink, but it wasn’t my mother-in-law’s standard of neatness. Now as far as planning meals and cooking, that I had it down pat and excelled at doubling recipes to freeze one for an upcoming meal, yet laundry and keeping things picked up could have used improvement. Celebrate what you do well and let the rest go – that is the older and wiser Felice’s advice! A synopsis of my education component to the homeschool do-over: What would I do regarding my home education? I would not duplicate private or public schools at home. As a certified teacher, it was natural to teach in a way that was comfortable, but that did not work, and I soon learned my kids did not like school at all. OUR SCHOOL IMPROVED once I learned to relax and incorporate outdoor activities, field trips, and unit studies. I would use unit studies all the way until middle school and perhaps a bit longer, yet always supplement with math or reading if the children needed additional work. I would ignore many of the curriculum suggestions of my friends. Everyone’s kids are different, and I know I used some books that didn’t fit our family’s needs. Another thing, I would use textbooks sparingly in the younger years and focus on learning based on my children’s interests. I am too uptight to unschool but I would have done more child lead learning. My children love the outdoors, and I live in a temperate place that allows us to utilize the outdoors all year. The children were very interested in nature, astronomy, and oceanography. W took many trips to the beach, nature centers and had access to a conservatory for star gazing. I wish I had capitalized on the educational aspect of those situations, using them as a basis for deeper and further study. There is so much that you can do in order to facilitate learning with field trips. I tried to turn some of our vacations into education. My children said I could turn any vacation into school. But can you imagine if we were doing this in reverse? Using field trips as part of our homeschool curriculum? The kids would be very happy to go on home-school field trips and turn that into school during the school year. I was never comfortable with unschooling, but I was very impressed with those who could keep up with that teaching method. As the children became older, I ended up panicking more, especially for those that were college bound. I may be panic is too strong of a word. However, I feel like I did my children a disservice. My second oldest was very interested in writing, and I feel that that was one good thing I did and that I encouraged her to write, and we published three novels. You can check out the Truth Seekers Mystery Series on our website for more information.  However, the focus should have been on trades for my oldest son and the thirdborn. Both ended up working in the vocational field, some area of construction. It helps to own a construction company, but only one son works for us. I insisted that both sons do college-bound work.  It was stressful, not necessarily that he couldn’t accomplish the work but that he hated it! If I could do it over again, my two boys would have a vocational-focused education in various fields. My son taught himself mechanics and has rebuilt or repaired many cars, trucks, and trailers, although his job is in construction with my husband.  Three of my children attended college. Two graduated Magnum Cum Laude and one Cum Laude, and one with a master’s degree. The youngest, an earlier reader, did not have a problem with school, yet I wish we had focused more on mathematics with him because English and writing can easily. Sometimes we focus on our children’s strengths and forget to shore up their weaknesses, but don’t worry!  After his freshman year of college, he asked me to order him a math curriculum for the summer to brush up on some math skills he felt he didn’t know. That, my friends, is one of the fruits of homeschooling and encouraging your children to learn! So even if we mess up, those motivated kids will keep us in line! I mean, seriously, whose kid asks for a math curriculum to do during the summer when they are on a break in college? What a blessing, right?  My youngest three children played sports in high school, and then the youngest two in college; we had some major scheduling that needed to take place to fit all the practice times. This sometimes threw our homeschool out of balance, but it was a great incentive for the children to complete their schoolwork. It was not a given that they had to play. It was school first, then sports. (Share the story of a teammate whose dad benched him.)  One other thing I wish I had done more college prep work regarding testing. Yes, I know many colleges say they will not focus on test results, but studying for testing when you are college-bound teaches you skills needed for analytical thinking, taking the test, and making decisions. I believe that it is important, and you can check out collegeprepgenius.com. Jean Burk is a Podcaster on this network and provides a wonderful curriculum for college prep at a reasonable cost. I know I don’t get paid to say this. My children benefited from her class, and I am forever grateful that I found her in time for the youngest two.  The two youngest also participated in dual enrollment. College and high school credits combined. This was a highly successful time for my children. In subsequent podcasts, I will address some of the comments from parents who participated in a survey where we asked about their homeschool do-over ideas. Here is a synopsis.   Do not duplicate school at home. Be more relaxed and flexible.  Prayed more, seek God’s wisdom. Relationship within the family rather than the 3 R’s Focusing on reading, writing, and arithmetic (math) rather than other things. Consider unschooling, child lead learning, and adding field trips. Some specific curriculums they enjoyed or did not enjoy.  Avoiding the “all in one” curriculums.  Stop using a curriculum that isn’t working for the child. Not starting school so early delay learning with some kids. Identifying learning issues and remediation. Adopting the idea of “there is plenty of time for that” and running out of time! Not buy into the idea of the day (one has a farm and would rather have a smaller property and added travel). Combine subjects within the family. Don’t stress the house over the kids. And so many more comments!  Others discussed keeping prayer front and center of their homeschool decisions; one stated, “God’s to-do list and my to-do list are often two different things.” Friends, we all have regrets, and in our ideal “homeschool do-over world,” we probably would do things we’d want to do differently! Please know homeschooling your children is a blessing. Build relationships, memories and spend time with the Lord. Thanks for joining me on my 500th episode! I pray a blessing on you and your family today and always. The post Homeschool Do-Over appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3>Homeschool Do-Over ~ 500th Episode!</h3> Do you wish you had a homeschool do-over? What would that look like? After over thirty-two years of homeschooling, there were many things I wish I had done differently. Join your host, Felice Gerwitz, as she celebrates her 500th Podcast Episode for Vintage Homeschool Moms. <h4><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/homeschool-do-overs-getting-mom-wise-giveaway/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Don’t miss the special 500th Episode Giveaway HERE.</a></h4> Thanks to our sponsor Media Angels. Visit the website for information about books, classes, and printables such as the Character Planners for immediate download. And we are creating a series of informative classes just in time for back to school! Topics include Streamlining Your Homeschool, Streamline Your Home, Attitude, and Discipline, among a few planned for this year. These classes are short videos as well as handouts to help you plan. The help you need now. Sign up for our<a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/sign-up/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> email</a> at the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.  We send free monthly planners to o our email list. These vary from year to year and month to month. Don’t miss our, sign up today on the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network. <h3>For the notes to today’s broadcast, you can find them at <a href="http://vintageschoolmoms.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">vintageschoolmoms.com</a>. Look for episode 500, Homeschool Do-Over</h3> Well, here we are, episode 500, and the topic today is Homeschool due over. If I could go back and begin my Homeschool journey again, which began in 1986-87, I would do so many things differently. But isn’t that the way? How many of us are truly happy with something as precious as a homeschool journey? Our children are the most precious things in our lives, probably after our faith in God and or spouse. Our children are important, as they should be. In all aspects of their life, not just in schooling. What is amazing is at home. Schooling is all-encompassing. It isn’t just about academics. It’s about spiritual growth, mental growth, and of course, physical growth. As parents, we want the best for our children, and there is always room for improvement.  <h4>But I want to assure you that a bad day of homeschooling is better than a bad day in public or private education. </h4> In addition, I have talked to hundreds of homeschooling parents for many years as a Conference speaker, and I know that their hearts are in the right place. Sometimes our execution could use improvement, but for the most part, you, Mom and Dad, and Grandparents are doing it well! But again, the topic of this podcast is Homeschool Do-Overs, so here goes! If I were homeschooling my five children over again, I’d do many things differently. However, there were some things I would not change.  So what would I do differently? I decided to break it up into sections first, faith, family second, household third, and lastly, homeschooling. Why? Due to the many different dynamics of homeschooling. I want to share a synopsis rather than a play-by-play of everything I would have done differently! Especially since I started homeschooling in 1986. We’d be here all day, if not longer, since I finished my homeschool journey in 2018, clocking in at 32 years. Yes. I know.  Truthfully, I was not passionate about homeschooling until a full year or two into my homeschool journey. Once I realized the benefit of homeschooling and saw the caliber of my new homeschool friends and their passion, I was sold. Tip number one, find like-minded friends! Once I found like-minded friends and those who shared my faith and family values, I knew I was in it for the long haul. I started strongest with my two oldest, and I could tell you I continued at that pace with my youngest three, but I didn’t. In essence, I had a chance to do it over with the three youngest, but if I had to pick a time I was a better homeschool parent, I’d say it was with the oldest two. I was more relaxed once I embraced homeschooling. <h4>What is Homeschooling?</h4> Homeschooling is a chance to combine faith, family, and education. It is a chance to encourage your children to love the Lord, family, and school! It allows us to raise independent thinkers, and it is a chance to spend time with our children that we can never get back if they are in traditional education. All of my children are now adults, and they live faith-filled and productive lives, yet I believe it is by the grace of God. There were many prayers said during our homeschool years and still today. I prayed about everything related to family and homeschooling, which helped our journey. <h4>A synopsis of faith and homeschool do-over:</h4> This is an area that I feel good about, in that we had the freedom to practice our faith and delve into good spiritual books that we used as read-aloud that focused on character traits of the saints and other godly men and women of God. We had good Bible studies, used Bible timelines, and participated in First Fridays with our homeschool community. The area I would have improved upon was assigning more books in the high school year, such as all of the C.S. Lewis books, not just Mere Christianity and the Screw Tape Letters. I would have included a course on Relativism which permeates our world today. The idea that it is “all good” or “your truth” comes from a lack of education and focus on the real truth, not some made-up version. My children have shared difficulty articulating beliefs, and we could all improve in this area. <h4>A synopsis of my family dynamics homeschool do-over:</h4> Now let’s look at family. I do wish I had been more disciplined to follow through and back up, “No means no, and yes means yes.”  Let’s face it, parents, we are typically swayed by our children. It’s just the nature of parenting. We feel worse for the discipline we give out often than they do. Sometimes I went overboard; for example, my poor second child had to endure one year of no sleepovers! Yes, and the entire year. For one reason, I didn’t like them. I was never a big fan of sleepovers in the first place, especially when my children were younger. However, it turned out to be a good thing, and my daughter has followed in my footsteps, even though she was the one who suffered at the time. In other words, God uses those times for good, even during our worse or over-the-top decisions. I wish I had worked on one of my children’s attitudes and focused on some of the things that would carry him forward in life. All are self-disciplined except one. [There is a class in the works about cultivating a climate of good attitude within families.] This brings me to another point. I wish I had realized what worked for one does not work for all of them. Even the good methods or ideas! We are a close-knit family, and having family meetings occasionally worked.  <h4>A synopsis of my household management homeschool do-over:</h4> As far as a household goes, that is an area I struggled with; at times, I could not balance a perfectly clean home and well-educated children. I had to pick one! Sure, we had both somewhat in hand at different times, but more times than I can say, the house suffered. We did not have a perfect home where I could feel that people could stop by and we would be willing to host them at a moment’s notice. I read all kinds of blogs about having meals planned ahead, schedules for cleaning, and having the kids picked up before the day’s end or before dad came home, as well as having a home that could take visitors anytime without worry.  My in-laws often receive company from up north, and they love to show off the house which their son built, and rightly so. Our home is not fancy but well-built, and I love it! We lived about thirty minutes away.  At this point, all learning stopped, and all hands were on deck to get the house in some semblance of order before our visitors came. Sometimes I said no, and I had a good enough relationship with my husband’s parents that they understood. Still, it was something I wish I did better. I put pressure on myself. We all have insecurities, and this was one of mine! As the years progressed, our homeschool moved upstairs, which was wonderful! The mess was contained in one place, and we could keep the downstairs neat enough. Friends, sometimes it takes time or years, but your family takes precedence. Even so, our house was never dirty – I can’t handle dirt or dishes in the sink, but it wasn’t my mother-in-law’s standard of neatness. Now as far as planning meals and cooking, that I had it down pat and excelled at doubling recipes to freeze one for an upcoming meal, yet laundry and keeping things picked up could have used improvement. Celebrate what you do well and let the rest go – that is the older and wiser Felice’s advice! <h4>A synopsis of my education component to the homeschool do-over:</h4> What would I do regarding my home education? I would not duplicate private or public schools at home. As a certified teacher, it was natural to teach in a way that was comfortable, but that did not work, and I soon learned my kids did not like school at all. OUR SCHOOL IMPROVED once I learned to relax and incorporate outdoor activities, field trips, and unit studies. I would use unit studies all the way until middle school and perhaps a bit longer, yet always supplement with math or reading if the children needed additional work. I would ignore many of the curriculum suggestions of my friends. Everyone’s kids are different, and I know I used some books that didn’t fit our family’s needs. Another thing, I would use textbooks sparingly in the younger years and focus on learning based on my children’s interests. I am too uptight to unschool but I would have done more child lead learning. My children love the outdoors, and I live in a temperate place that allows us to utilize the outdoors all year. The children were very interested in nature, astronomy, and oceanography. W took many trips to the beach, nature centers and had access to a conservatory for star gazing. I wish I had capitalized on the educational aspect of those situations, using them as a basis for deeper and further study. There is so much that you can do in order to facilitate learning with field trips. I tried to turn some of our vacations into education. My children said I could turn any vacation into school. But can you imagine if we were doing this in reverse? Using field trips as part of our homeschool curriculum? The kids would be very happy to go on home-school field trips and turn that into school during the school year. I was never comfortable with unschooling, but I was very impressed with those who could keep up with that teaching method. As the children became older, I ended up panicking more, especially for those that were college bound. I may be panic is too strong of a word. However, I feel like I did my children a disservice. My second oldest was very interested in writing, and I feel that that was one good thing I did and that I encouraged her to write, and we published three novels. You can check out the Truth Seekers Mystery Series on our <a href="https://mediaangels.com/store/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a> for more information. However, the focus should have been on trades for my oldest son and the thirdborn. Both ended up working in the vocational field, some area of construction. It helps to own a construction company, but only one son works for us. I insisted that both sons do college-bound work.  It was stressful, not necessarily that he couldn’t accomplish the work but that he hated it! If I could do it over again, my two boys would have a vocational-focused education in various fields. My son taught himself mechanics and has rebuilt or repaired many cars, trucks, and trailers, although his job is in construction with my husband.  Three of my children attended college. Two graduated Magnum Cum Laude and one Cum Laude, and one with a master’s degree. The youngest, an earlier reader, did not have a problem with school, yet I wish we had focused more on mathematics with him because English and writing can easily. Sometimes we focus on our children’s strengths and forget to shore up their weaknesses, but don’t worry! After his freshman year of college, he asked me to order him a math curriculum for the summer to brush up on some math skills he felt he didn’t know. That, my friends, is one of the fruits of homeschooling and encouraging your children to learn! So even if we mess up, those motivated kids will keep us in line! I mean, seriously, whose kid asks for a math curriculum to do during the summer when they are on a break in college? What a blessing, right? My youngest three children played sports in high school, and then the youngest two in college; we had some major scheduling that needed to take place to fit all the practice times. This sometimes threw our homeschool out of balance, but it was a great incentive for the children to complete their schoolwork. It was not a given that they had to play. It was school first, then sports. (Share the story of a teammate whose dad benched him.) One other thing I wish I had done more college prep work regarding testing. Yes, I know many colleges say they will not focus on test results, but studying for testing when you are college-bound teaches you skills needed for analytical thinking, taking the test, and making decisions. I believe that it is important, and you can check out <a href="http://collegeprepgenius.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">collegeprepgenius.com</a>. Jean Burk is a Podcaster on this network and provides a wonderful curriculum for college prep at a reasonable cost. I know I don’t get paid to say this. My children benefited from her class, and I am forever grateful that I found her in time for the youngest two.  The two youngest also participated in dual enrollment. College and high school credits combined. This was a highly successful time for my children. In subsequent podcasts, I will address some of the comments from parents who participated in a survey where we asked about their homeschool do-over ideas. Here is a synopsis.  <ol> <li>Do not duplicate school at home.</li> <li>Be more relaxed and flexible. </li> <li>Prayed more, seek God’s wisdom.</li> <li>Relationship within the family rather than the 3 R’s</li> <li>Focusing on reading, writing, and arithmetic (math) rather than other things.</li> <li>Consider unschooling, child lead learning, and adding field trips.</li> <li>Some specific curriculums they enjoyed or did not enjoy. </li> <li>Avoiding the “all in one” curriculums. </li> <li>Stop using a curriculum that isn’t working for the child.</li> <li>Not starting school so early delay learning with some kids.</li> <li>Identifying learning issues and remediation.</li> <li>Adopting the idea of “there is plenty of time for that” and running out of time!</li> <li>Not buy into the idea of the day (one has a farm and would rather have a smaller property and added travel).</li> <li>Combine subjects within the family.</li> <li>Don’t stress the house over the kids.</li> <li>And so many more comments!</li> </ol> Others discussed keeping prayer front and center of their homeschool decisions; one stated, “God’s to-do list and my to-do list are often two different things.” Friends, we all have regrets, and in our ideal “homeschool do-over world,” we probably would do things we’d want to do differently! Please know homeschooling your children is a blessing. Build relationships, memories and spend time with the Lord. Thanks for joining me on my 500th episode! I pray a blessing on you and your family today and always. The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/homeschool-do-over/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homeschool Do-Over</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Homeschool Do-Over

Intentional Conversations – These 16 Things – Episode 499 Do you have intentional conversations with your children? In this episode, Felice Gerwitz and special guest Brian Perry discuss the importance of introducing your children to the basics of family life and beyond. Will your child be prepared for the “real world?” Our guest today is Brian Perry – Brian is a dedicated Christian, husband, and father of seven. With a passion for coaching, Brian coaches soccer and serves as a counselor at a church camp for kids. He is also an active obstacle course racer and runs his own painting and pressure-washing business. Brian Teaches life skills to kids through his website (these16things.com), which covers 16 skills not typically taught in schools. The website is accompanied by an ebook, 16 Things to Teach Kids That Schools Won’t, that provides further resources and insights. Brian and Luke Grim have created the website and videos you can access for free. Luke is a Christian, husband, father of eight, and retired U.S. Army. He spends his time teaching these topics to his kids and teaches 12th-grade government. He coaches youth soccer, serves as a counselor at a church camp for kids, and leads a men’s group and a small group through his church. He is also a partner in the website these16things.com. The focus of today’s show is the idea of having intentional conversations with your children in order to teach life skills. This came about after Brian heard a podcast on the topic of teaching life skills and the importance of this in your home. [The Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network hosts LifeSkills in the Digital Age with Lisa Nehring.] These conversations can come naturally from situations in your home to taking the initiative to teach your children the importance of budget and balancing a checkbook account. Many of these topics are covered on their website in short videos. Brian believes this mission [of having intentional conversations] is a good idea because kids are being taught fewer life skills than ever and are ill-prepared to live on their own when they become adults. Brain and Luke send weekly emails targeting topics you may want to address with your children. You can sign up for this on their website and view the extensive resources list and the short, informative video presentations. Visit their YouTube channel. https://youtube.com/@these-16-things   The post Intentional Conversations ~ These 16 Things appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Intentional-Conversations-Pinterest-Pin-1000-×-1500-px.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Intentional Conversations – These 16 Things – Episode 499</h3> Do you have intentional conversations with your children? In this episode, Felice Gerwitz and special guest Brian Perry discuss the importance of introducing your children to the basics of family life and beyond. Will your child be prepared for the “real world?” Our guest today is Brian Perry – Brian is a dedicated Christian, husband, and father of seven. With a passion for coaching, Brian coaches soccer and serves as a counselor at a church camp for kids. He is also an active obstacle course racer and runs his own painting and pressure-washing business. Brian Teaches life skills to kids through his website (<a href="http://these16things.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these16things.com</a>), which covers 16 skills not typically taught in schools. The website is accompanied by an ebook, 16 Things to Teach Kids That Schools Won’t, that provides further resources and insights. Brian and Luke Grim have created the website and videos you can access for free. Luke is a Christian, husband, father of eight, and retired U.S. Army. He spends his time teaching these topics to his kids and teaches 12th-grade government. He coaches youth soccer, serves as a counselor at a church camp for kids, and leads a men’s group and a small group through his church. He is also a partner in the website <a href="http://these16things.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these16things.com</a>. The focus of today’s show is the idea of having intentional conversations with your children in order to teach life skills. This came about after Brian heard a podcast on the topic of teaching life skills and the importance of this in your home. [The Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network hosts <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/soft-skills-101/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LifeSkills in the Digital Age</a> with Lisa Nehring.] These conversations can come naturally from situations in your home to taking the initiative to teach your children the importance of budget and balancing a checkbook account. Many of these topics are covered on their website in short videos. Brian believes this mission [of having intentional conversations] is a good idea because kids are being taught fewer life skills than ever and are ill-prepared to live on their own when they become adults. Brain and Luke send weekly emails targeting topics you may want to address with your children. You can sign up for this on their website and view the extensive resources list and the short, informative video presentations. Visit their YouTube channel. <a href="https://youtube.com/@these-16-things" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://youtube.com/@these-16-things</a> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/intentional-conversations-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Intentional Conversations ~ These 16 Things</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Intentional Conversations ~ These 16 Things

 Let’s Talk About: Back to Homeschool Lists with Felice Gerwitz  Can you successfully homeschool easier with back-to homeschool lists? Of course, you can! Listen as Felice shares her aversion to lists, her New Year’s Resolution to make lists and USE them, and how it has helped her formulate a plan for going back to school with style! Back to Homeschool Lists As the back-to-school season approaches, homeschool moms often find themselves juggling various responsibilities and tasks. Making lists can be a powerful organizational tool to help ease the transition and ensure a smoother start to the homeschool year. Here are some list-making ideas that can make back-to-school season easier for homeschool moms. Firstly, create a comprehensive curriculum list. This list should outline all the subjects and topics you plan to cover throughout the year, helping you stay focused and on track. Break it down into weekly or monthly plans to maintain a sense of progress. Next, develop a daily or weekly schedule. Listing out the subjects, activities, and breaks for each day helps establish a routine and keeps everyone accountable. It also allows for better time management and prevents important tasks from being overlooked. Supplies and Materials for your Back to Homeschool Lists Don’t forget to compile a list of necessary supplies and materials. Take inventory of your current stock and note down any additional items needed, such as textbooks, workbooks, art supplies, or science experiment materials. This way, you can shop in advance, avoiding last-minute rushes. Consider making a meal plan list as well. Having a menu prepared for the week can save time and reduce stress when it comes to meal preparation, ensuring that everyone is well-fed and nourished throughout the day. Lastly, create a list of goals for the homeschool year. This can include both academic and personal objectives for each child, providing a sense of purpose and motivation. Regularly review and update this list to track progress and celebrate achievements. By making lists, homeschool moms can relieve the chaos and streamline the back-to-school season. With a clear plan in place, they can focus on creating a nurturing and engaging learning environment for their children. Show Notes:  Select curriculum Purchase or order curriculum Use various websites for ideas – like Pinterest Organize your school space Purchase school supplies Organize your school supplies Organize your books Organize your year Plan field trips Plan holiday breaks Plan your day   Organize your child’s workstation  Handout: Back To School Planning List Example of Check Off Lists Example Check Off Lists-2 More lists on Lists For Back To School Movie Review Lists – Watching Movies Paper Support our Sponsor, CTC Math!  CTC Math — Check out Unlimited Access today!    The post Back To Homeschool Lists | Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3> Let’s Talk About: Back to Homeschool Lists with Felice Gerwitz </h3> Can you successfully homeschool easier with back-to homeschool lists? Of course, you can! Listen as Felice shares her aversion to lists, her New Year’s Resolution to make lists and USE them, and how it has helped her formulate a plan for going back to school with style! <h3>Back to Homeschool Lists</h3> As the back-to-school season approaches, homeschool moms often find themselves juggling various responsibilities and tasks. Making lists can be a powerful organizational tool to help ease the transition and ensure a smoother start to the homeschool year. Here are some list-making ideas that can make back-to-school season easier for homeschool moms. Firstly, create a comprehensive curriculum list. This list should outline all the subjects and topics you plan to cover throughout the year, helping you stay focused and on track. Break it down into weekly or monthly plans to maintain a sense of progress. Next, develop a daily or weekly schedule. Listing out the subjects, activities, and breaks for each day helps establish a routine and keeps everyone accountable. It also allows for better time management and prevents important tasks from being overlooked. <h3>Supplies and Materials for your Back to Homeschool Lists</h3> Don’t forget to compile a list of necessary supplies and materials. Take inventory of your current stock and note down any additional items needed, such as textbooks, workbooks, art supplies, or science experiment materials. This way, you can shop in advance, avoiding last-minute rushes. Consider making a meal plan list as well. Having a menu prepared for the week can save time and reduce stress when it comes to meal preparation, ensuring that everyone is well-fed and nourished throughout the day. Lastly, create a list of goals for the homeschool year. This can include both academic and personal objectives for each child, providing a sense of purpose and motivation. Regularly review and update this list to track progress and celebrate achievements. By making lists, homeschool moms can relieve the chaos and streamline the back-to-school season. With a clear plan in place, they can focus on creating a nurturing and engaging learning environment for their children. <h3>Show Notes:</h3> <ol> <li>Select curriculum</li> <li>Purchase or order curriculum</li> <li>Use various websites for ideas – like Pinterest</li> <li>Organize your school space</li> <li>Purchase school supplies</li> <li>Organize your school supplies</li> <li>Organize your books</li> <li>Organize your year</li> <li>Plan field trips <ol> <li>Plan holiday breaks</li> <li>Plan your day</li> </ol> </li> <li>Organize your child’s workstation</li> </ol> Handout: <a href="http://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Back-To-School-Planning-List.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Back To School Planning List</a> Example of Check Off Lists <a href="http://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Example-Check-Off-Lists-2.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Example Check Off Lists-2</a> More lists on <a href="http://www.ultimateradioshow.com/lists-for-back-to-school" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Lists For Back To School</a> Movie Review Lists – <a href="http://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Watching-Movies-Paper.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Watching Movies Paper</a> <h3>Support our Sponsor, CTC Math!</h3> <a href="https://www.ctcmath.com/how-it-works/home-school" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> CTC Math — Check out Unlimited Access today!</a> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/back-to-homeschool-lists-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Back To Homeschool Lists | Replay</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Back To Homeschool Lists | Replay

Prepare For Storms – Episode 498 As parents, we prepare our kids for many things, but do we prepare our kids for storms? In an uncertain world, there is something we as parents can do to alleviate the fears and help our children cope with the unexpected and sometimes dangerous. Thanks to our sponsor CTCMath.com – please visit their website for more information; our sponsors help us provide free podcasts for you year-round. Storms are a thing, no matter where you live. How prepared are you? As a teenager, I moved to southwest Florida after living up north, New York and even a few years in Canada, to be exact. I lived through ice, hail, and snow storms that kept us homebound for days. I watched as cars skidded off the road during ice storms, and my parent prepared our car with essentials in case we were stuck in a storm. This helped me grow up as I didn’t fear the storm as much as I feared being unprepared. Here in Florida, heavy downpours and lightning storms are the norm in summer. The winters here are mild, with rain storms rare. However, early spring and summer are another story. We had our first near brush with a tornado that barreled down our street and hit a few houses badly but missed ours. We were not as unscathed by previous hurricanes. Most of our previously wooded acreage is now bare, and we had a roof that needed to be replaced after the last hurricane that hit. Listen to this past episode from Rookie Rescue here. Prepare Your Kids One thing I will say is we are always prepared. Not so much for the tornado, since they are very rare, but we know the drill for hurricanes. Safety is important, and letting our children know that we are preparing goes a long way toward helping them feel assured. They also go off of our stress. If we are upset or worried, they will know it. Of course, there is a need for concern. Being honest with your children and listening to their concerns is one way to alleviate any they may have. There are no guarantees, but when it comes to preparation, we can do that ahead of time. Allowing kids to help makes them feel productive and part of the family. As a homeschooler, we turned storms into a science lesson; we studied the origination of storms, picked up a hurricane tracking map from our local news station, and listened for advice from the authorities. The children learned so much about upper lows, fronts, and storm surges. This last hurricane to hit Florida had a record storm surge unseen in past years. Sometimes there is a valid excuse to evacuate. The beach areas and intercostal were all advised to evacuate, and they did. Here is a quick overview to help you prepare:  Identify the types of storms that happen in your area. Do you have the necessary supplies to withstand a power outage? What non-perishable foods do you have on hand? Make a list of things you need, such as flashlights, batteries, and backup power chargers. Check over your list of supplies weeks before whatever “season” begins.  Preparation List:  Batteries and flashlights, battery backup Boxed goods Canned goods Disposable plates, napkins, etc. Water in tubs. Power source: generator (only run outdoors). Extra propane for grills Fill up cars with gas (extra gas cans) Crank radio (or another source that does not need power) A backpack is packed and ready in case you need to leave.  In addition, all important items, such as papers or valuables, should be in waterproof bags and sturdy fire-proof safes. If you need to retrieve these items quickly, it helps to have them packed in a safe in waterproof bags ready to go. We evacuated a few times during the hurricane season, especially when our children were younger. We turned this into a mini-vacation, with chest coolers full of perishable meats, and headed to visit our North relatives. These times were short, but at least we felt our family’s safety outweighed anything else. In recent years with grown children, we’ve hurricane proofed our house as best we can and have backup generators and gas grills for the length of time after we lose power. This last storm power was returned before the “normal for us” two weeks, but our internet capabilities did not for a good two months~ my friends are still a mystery. Some children are afraid of lightning. Listen to their concerns. Are they afraid the storm will come into the home? Identify the problem and again (another time) have a lesson with your child about the science behind lightning. Explain that thunder causes lightning. Light travels faster than sound, so we see the flash before hearing the noise. When we hear thunder, it is too late! We need to get indoors immediately. There are weather apps you can get for your phone that track lightning and let you know when it is a safe distance away so you can go outdoors. What other storms do you have in your area? If you have tornados, then it is important to have an evacuation plan. Do your children know what to do in case of an emergency? Go over the steps to evacuate or go to a safe area like a basement after a severe storm, talk to your children, and address any needs or concerns they may have about what occurred. My children treated storms like a big adventure (I did not share their sentiment), but having kids who were excited rather than frightened was helpful. My daughter, now a young adult, weathered the last storm here with us. She had not been through a storm in all the years since she left for college. It turns out her area was not hit as hard as we were, but it was good to be together as a family for peace of mind, and we had food and generators running and were all safe. When children are smaller, it is good to let them see the real world and not shelter them totally. That does not mean we go and show them the devastation in pictures or by watching startling news stories on air, but it does mean we address and deal with their concerns. In this way, our kids will grow to be resilient and prepared to deal with hardships in the future. Some kids have an unfounded fear. For example, a fear of the dark. Think back to your childhood. How was this addressed? Sometimes our fears are not addressed, and that can make them worse. Scaring each other by hiding behind doors, under beds, etc., was not allowed in our home. This was a rule in my home growing up as well. I believe this helped my kids feel safe and confident in our homes. (I don’t like scary movies and never watch them for the same reason, this puts unneeded fears and concerns in our hearts for no reason!) I think talking to your child and letting them stay with you during a storm is important. Being united as a family, being prepared and being aware of the dangers, and addressing them ahead of time is helpful.     The post Prepare For Storms appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Prepare-For-Storms-Pinterest-Pin-1000-×-1500-px.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Prepare For Storms – Episode 498</h3> As parents, we prepare our kids for many things, but do we prepare our kids for storms? In an uncertain world, there is something we as parents can do to alleviate the fears and help our children cope with the unexpected and sometimes dangerous. Thanks to our sponsor <a href="http://CTCMath.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CTCMath.com</a> – please visit their website for more information; our sponsors help us provide free podcasts for you year-round. Storms are a thing, no matter where you live. How prepared are you? As a teenager, I moved to southwest Florida after living up north, New York and even a few years in Canada, to be exact. I lived through ice, hail, and snow storms that kept us homebound for days. I watched as cars skidded off the road during ice storms, and my parent prepared our car with essentials in case we were stuck in a storm. This helped me grow up as I didn’t fear the storm as much as I feared being unprepared. Here in Florida, heavy downpours and lightning storms are the norm in summer. The winters here are mild, with rain storms rare. However, early spring and summer are another story. We had our first near brush with a tornado that barreled down our street and hit a few houses badly but missed ours. We were not as unscathed by previous hurricanes. Most of our previously wooded acreage is now bare, and we had a roof that needed to be replaced after the last hurricane that hit. Listen to this past episode from <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/rookie-rescuer/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rookie Rescue here.</a> <h4>Prepare Your Kids</h4> One thing I will say is we are always prepared. Not so much for the tornado, since they are very rare, but we know the drill for hurricanes. Safety is important, and letting our children know that we are preparing goes a long way toward helping them feel assured. They also go off of our stress. If we are upset or worried, they will know it. Of course, there is a need for concern. Being honest with your children and listening to their concerns is one way to alleviate any they may have. There are no guarantees, but when it comes to preparation, we can do that ahead of time. Allowing kids to help makes them feel productive and part of the family. As a homeschooler, we turned storms into a science lesson; we studied the origination of storms, picked up a hurricane tracking map from our local news station, and listened for advice from the authorities. The children learned so much about upper lows, fronts, and storm surges. This last hurricane to hit Florida had a record storm surge unseen in past years. Sometimes there is a valid excuse to evacuate. The beach areas and intercostal were all advised to evacuate, and they did. <h4>Here is a quick overview to help you prepare:</h4> <ol> <li>Identify the types of storms that happen in your area.</li> <li>Do you have the necessary supplies to withstand a power outage?</li> <li>What non-perishable foods do you have on hand?</li> <li>Make a list of things you need, such as flashlights, batteries, and backup power chargers.</li> <li>Check over your list of supplies weeks before whatever “season” begins.</li> </ol> Preparation List: <ol> <li>Batteries and flashlights, battery backup</li> <li>Boxed goods</li> <li>Canned goods</li> <li>Disposable plates, napkins, etc.</li> <li>Water in tubs.</li> <li>Power source: generator (only run outdoors).</li> <li>Extra propane for grills</li> <li>Fill up cars with gas (extra gas cans)</li> <li>Crank radio (or another source that does not need power)</li> <li>A backpack is packed and ready in case you need to leave.</li> </ol> In addition, all important items, such as papers or valuables, should be in waterproof bags and sturdy fire-proof safes. If you need to retrieve these items quickly, it helps to have them packed in a safe in waterproof bags ready to go. We evacuated a few times during the hurricane season, especially when our children were younger. We turned this into a mini-vacation, with chest coolers full of perishable meats, and headed to visit our North relatives. These times were short, but at least we felt our family’s safety outweighed anything else. In recent years with grown children, we’ve hurricane proofed our house as best we can and have backup generators and gas grills for the length of time after we lose power. This last storm power was returned before the “normal for us” two weeks, but our internet capabilities did not for a good two months~ my friends are still a mystery. Some children are afraid of lightning. Listen to their concerns. Are they afraid the storm will come into the home? Identify the problem and again (another time) have a lesson with your child about the science behind lightning. Explain that thunder causes lightning. Light travels faster than sound, so we see the flash before hearing the noise. When we hear thunder, it is too late! We need to get indoors immediately. There are weather apps you can get for your phone that track lightning and let you know when it is a safe distance away so you can go outdoors. What other storms do you have in your area? If you have tornados, then it is important to have an evacuation plan. Do your children know what to do in case of an emergency? Go over the steps to evacuate or go to a safe area like a basement after a severe storm, talk to your children, and address any needs or concerns they may have about what occurred. My children treated storms like a big adventure (I did not share their sentiment), but having kids who were excited rather than frightened was helpful. My daughter, now a young adult, weathered the last storm here with us. She had not been through a storm in all the years since she left for college. It turns out her area was not hit as hard as we were, but it was good to be together as a family for peace of mind, and we had food and generators running and were all safe. When children are smaller, it is good to let them see the real world and not shelter them totally. That does not mean we go and show them the devastation in pictures or by watching startling news stories on air, but it does mean we address and deal with their concerns. In this way, our kids will grow to be resilient and prepared to deal with hardships in the future. Some kids have an unfounded fear. For example, a fear of the dark. Think back to your childhood. How was this addressed? Sometimes our fears are not addressed, and that can make them worse. Scaring each other by hiding behind doors, under beds, etc., was not allowed in our home. This was a rule in my home growing up as well. I believe this helped my kids feel safe and confident in our homes. (I don’t like scary movies and never watch them for the same reason, this puts unneeded fears and concerns in our hearts for no reason!) I think talking to your child and letting them stay with you during a storm is important. Being united as a family, being prepared and being aware of the dangers, and addressing them ahead of time is helpful. The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/prepare/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prepare For Storms</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Prepare For Storms

Summertime – Making Family Memories Episode 277, Making Family Memories Making family memories is one of the most important things you will ever do as a family. As homeschool parents, we naturally make memories with our children each day, but in this episode, we explore making positive memories! Thanks to our sponsor – Media Angels. The topic of making family memories is very important to me, and I recall my own parents trying very hard with a meager budget to create memorable events for us each summer. There were eight siblings and they all pitched in to buy a house in upstate New York. I remember the house being very small but most of what I remembered was the stream with running water that ran across the property and we happily played in, the baths outside in a big steaming metal tub, and the huge play balls we enjoyed with my cousins. The food was delicious, the fresh watermelon and barbeque chicken on the grill. This was a family adventure and we spent time there every summer up until I was in the third grade. One of my uncles was part owner of this house and when he aged and retired to Florida, he and my aunt were frequent visitors to our home and family events. He would smile as he surveyed the table, the decorations or the big homemade cake and his comments resonated with me, he would say that no matter what we do with our children each day, making memories is the most important. I recently heard the same quote at a business meeting – and that seemed like the Lord’s confirmation that this is something so many of us need to hear. The quote was something like this, “People will forget what you say, what you do, but they will not forget how you make them feel.” This is the basis for so many successful businesses. How do you feel when you walk into a coffee house, or a small mom and pop business where people say hello when you walk in the door? There are several brands that focus on the user experience – and that is the key to their success. Another brand continually updates their food, their product line because they listen to the customers and again they want to make the customer welcome and a “regular.” Applying business principles to our families seems rather cold, but in reality, it is a good way to look at things through a different set of filters. I know what it is like to be sleep deprived and wake up early to see my husband off to work, then stay up late with a little one who just would not go to sleep! There was nothing special I thought I was doing during those years, but I was wrong. Spending time with your children is so important – listening to your children is another aspect of parenting often overlooked. When I discussed this podcast with my husband I asked him for his input and this is what he said was important and foundational for him:  Sharing the children’s interests Learning about their passions Making an effort to listen and be involved  Making memories with your children takes into consideration so many different aspects of raising kids. It’s those little things that the kids will remember and believe me, the strangest things you’ve done as a family stand out. When I asked one of my kids what they enjoyed the most about their week, they said helping Daddy paint! I have to admit it was a bit of a messier proposition than my husband had hoped and of course, it took longer but my son remembered that as the fun activity of the week. Top 10 Activities to Make Memories with your family   Faith building events  Retreats Camps – as a family Bible studies One day events   Camping  Slowly build up your camping gear Look for sales Ask around or borrow   Campfire Stories  Begin with a topic Each person adds to a story One person shares a made-up story   Cooking together  Use a boxed set of ingredients Try something new Use skewers   Work on a project together  Painting Planting a garden Set up a swing set   Pets  Visit pet store Think about pet sitting Think about purchasing a pet   Road trips/traveling  Day trips – upcoming podcast DIY trips – here and here Visit friends or family on the cheap   Volunteer work as a family  Habitat for Humanity homes Soup kitchen Ask at your local church, adopt a family   Backyard or neighborhood stargazing  Learn about the stars Invest in good binoculars Go to the planetarium or local nature center   Collections – rocks, shells, antiques, etc.  Decide on a collection Figure out storage – box under the bed or shelves, etc. Go on trips to collect    If you loved this episode, listen to more Vintage Homeschool Moms episodes: Homeschool Lifestyle Last Minute DIY Tips Money Saving Field Trips All About Teaching Raising Spiritually Strong Kids Six Homeschooling Insider Tips Best Staycations for Kids Avoid Curriculum Pitfalls Top 10 Parenting Secrets 45 Family Date Night Ideas The post Summertime Making Family Memories | Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3>Summertime – Making Family Memories</h3> Episode 277, Making Family Memories Making family memories is one of the most important things you will ever do as a family. As homeschool parents, we naturally make memories with our children each day, but in this episode, we explore making positive memories! Thanks to our sponsor – <a href="http://www.mediaangels.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Media Angels.</a> The topic of making family memories is very important to me, and I recall my own parents trying very hard with a meager budget to create memorable events for us each summer. There were eight siblings and they all pitched in to buy a house in upstate New York. I remember the house being very small but most of what I remembered was the stream with running water that ran across the property and we happily played in, the baths outside in a big steaming metal tub, and the huge play balls we enjoyed with my cousins. The food was delicious, the fresh watermelon and barbeque chicken on the grill. This was a family adventure and we spent time there every summer up until I was in the third grade. One of my uncles was part owner of this house and when he aged and retired to Florida, he and my aunt were frequent visitors to our home and family events. He would smile as he surveyed the table, the decorations or the big homemade cake and his comments resonated with me, he would say that no matter what we do with our children each day, making memories is the most important. I recently heard the same quote at a business meeting – and that seemed like the Lord’s confirmation that this is something so many of us need to hear. The quote was something like this, “People will forget what you say, what you do, but they will not forget how you make them feel.” This is the basis for so many successful businesses. How do you feel when you walk into a coffee house, or a small mom and pop business where people say hello when you walk in the door? There are several brands that focus on the user experience – and that is the key to their success. Another brand continually updates their food, their product line because they listen to the customers and again they want to make the customer welcome and a “regular.” Applying business principles to our families seems rather cold, but in reality, it is a good way to look at things through a different set of filters. I know what it is like to be sleep deprived and wake up early to see my husband off to work, then stay up late with a little one who just would not go to sleep! There was nothing special I thought I was doing during those years, but I was wrong. Spending time with your children is so important – listening to your children is another aspect of parenting often overlooked. When I discussed this podcast with my husband I asked him for his input and this is what he said was important and foundational for him: <ol> <li>Sharing the children’s interests</li> <li>Learning about their passions</li> <li>Making an effort to listen and be involved</li> </ol> Making memories with your children takes into consideration so many different aspects of raising kids. It’s those little things that the kids will remember and believe me, the strangest things you’ve done as a family stand out. When I asked one of my kids what they enjoyed the most about their week, they said helping Daddy paint! I have to admit it was a bit of a messier proposition than my husband had hoped and of course, it took longer but my son remembered that as the fun activity of the week. Top 10 Activities to Make Memories with your family  <ol> <li>Faith building events <ol> <li>Retreats</li> <li>Camps – as a family</li> <li>Bible studies</li> <li>One day events</li> </ol> </li> <li>Camping <ol> <li>Slowly build up your camping gear</li> <li>Look for sales</li> <li>Ask around or borrow</li> </ol> </li> <li>Campfire Stories <ol> <li>Begin with a topic</li> <li>Each person adds to a story</li> <li>One person shares a made-up story</li> </ol> </li> <li>Cooking together <ol> <li>Use a boxed set of ingredients</li> <li>Try something new</li> <li>Use skewers</li> </ol> </li> <li>Work on a project together <ol> <li>Painting</li> <li>Planting a garden</li> <li>Set up a swing set</li> </ol> </li> <li>Pets <ol> <li>Visit pet store</li> <li>Think about pet sitting</li> <li>Think about purchasing a pet</li> </ol> </li> <li>Road trips/traveling <ol> <li>Day trips – upcoming podcast</li> <li>DIY trips – here and here</li> <li>Visit friends or family on the cheap</li> </ol> </li> <li>Volunteer work as a family <ol> <li>Habitat for Humanity homes</li> <li>Soup kitchen</li> <li>Ask at your local church, adopt a family</li> </ol> </li> <li>Backyard or neighborhood stargazing <ol> <li>Learn about the stars</li> <li>Invest in good binoculars</li> <li>Go to the planetarium or local nature center</li> </ol> </li> <li>Collections – rocks, shells, antiques, etc. <ol> <li>Decide on a collection</li> <li>Figure out storage – box under the bed or shelves, etc.</li> <li>Go on trips to collect</li> </ol> </li> </ol> <h3>If you loved this episode, listen to more Vintage Homeschool Moms episodes:</h3> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/vintage1-homeschool-lifestyle/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homeschool Lifestyle</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/last-minute-diy-entertainment-tips/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Last Minute DIY Tips</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/money-saving-field-trips/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Money Saving Field Trips</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/teaching/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">All About Teaching</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/spiritually-strong-kids/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Raising Spiritually Strong Kids</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/6-homeschooling-insider-tips/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Six Homeschooling Insider Tips</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/best-staycations-for-kids/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Best Staycations for Kids</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/homeschool-curriculum/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Avoid Curriculum Pitfalls</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/parenting-secrets/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Top 10 Parenting Secrets</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/category/shows/vintage-homeschool-moms/page/2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">45 Family Date Night Ideas</a> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/summertime-making-family-memories-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Summertime Making Family Memories | Replay</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Summertime Making Family Memories | Replay

Prepare Your Kids ~ Rookie Rescuer: Episode 497 Are your kids prepared? Join us for the Rookie Rescuer interview with author and creator Firefighter Tommy Neiman and your host, Felice Gerwitz. The author of Rookie Rescuer shares his thoughts on homeschooling (he was a homeschool dad) as well as his newest project, and interactive workbook for kids. In this podcast we learn that firefighter Neiman wears many hats. Not only as a firefighter and paramedic but in Christian ministry. His life work is serving others, saving lives and sharing the good news. He answers questions such as how he became a firefighter to discussing how Rookie Rescuer is more than just a workbook introducing children to a firefighter’s life (it is) but also how he has incorporated faith into the book. He grabs the children’s attention with 12 calls he experienced in real life, and additionally there are vocabulary words (relating to rescue) as well as spiritual lessons. The lessons contain an overall theme and a scripture verse that is recommended to the children, with a memory verse as well. Lt. Neiman discusses several of his firefighter calls and explains that while this is riveting for children it is also a way to gain their spiritual attention as well. He explains that parents are the first responders for their children, not only taking care of their physical needs but also their spiritual needs. He explains that we can be an example to our children and that we should.Lt. Tommy Neiman is a a firefighter/paramedic with Saint Lucie County Fire-Rescue and also a former homeschool dad to three wonderful kids. He is the author of a Rookie Rescuer, a workbook where he take kids on actual I’ve had and present powerful Spiritual truths at their level. He was honored as 2003 Firefighter of the Year for the state of Florida and spoke at the Florida Governor’s prayer breakfast for Governor Jeb Bush. He worked with the Discovery Channels Shark Week for a shark bite call I had and responded to New York during 9/11 in 2001. For more information visit his websites: www.tommyneiman.com or wwww.RookieRescuer.com.The post Prepare Your Kids – Rookie Rescuer appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Prepare-Your-Kids-Rookie-Rescuer-Pinterest-Pin-1000-×-1500-px.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Prepare Your Kids ~ Rookie Rescuer: Episode 497</h3> Are your kids prepared? Join us for the Rookie Rescuer interview with author and creator Firefighter Tommy Neiman and your host, Felice Gerwitz. The author of Rookie Rescuer shares his thoughts on homeschooling (he was a homeschool dad) as well as his newest project, and interactive workbook for kids. In this podcast we learn that firefighter Neiman wears many hats. Not only as a firefighter and paramedic but in Christian ministry. His life work is serving others, saving lives and sharing the good news. He answers questions such as how he became a firefighter to discussing how Rookie Rescuer is more than just a workbook introducing children to a firefighter’s life (it is) but also how he has incorporated faith into the book. He grabs the children’s attention with 12 calls he experienced in real life, and additionally there are vocabulary words (relating to rescue) as well as spiritual lessons. The lessons contain an overall theme and a scripture verse that is recommended to the children, with a memory verse as well. Lt. Neiman discusses several of his firefighter calls and explains that while this is riveting for children it is also a way to gain their spiritual attention as well. He explains that parents are the first responders for their children, not only taking care of their physical needs but also their spiritual needs. He explains that we can be an example to our children and that we should.Lt. Tommy Neiman is a a firefighter/paramedic with Saint Lucie County Fire-Rescue and also a former homeschool dad to three wonderful kids. He is the author of a Rookie Rescuer, a workbook where he take kids on actual I’ve had and present powerful Spiritual truths at their level. He was honored as 2003 Firefighter of the Year for the state of Florida and spoke at the Florida Governor’s prayer breakfast for Governor Jeb Bush. He worked with the Discovery Channels Shark Week for a shark bite call I had and responded to New York during 9/11 in 2001. For more information visit his websites: <a href="http://www.tommyneiman.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.tommyneiman.com</a> or <a href="http://wwww.RookieRescuer.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">wwww.RookieRescuer.com</a>. The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/rookie-rescuer/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prepare Your Kids – Rookie Rescuer</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Prepare Your Kids – Rookie Rescuer

Let’s Talk About Your Homeschool Teaching Checklist! with your host Felice Gerwitz  Do you have a Homeschool Teaching Checklist? It’s time to get personal. How are you doing? But you may be saying, “Hold on! We just started school.” And that’s why this podcast is soooooo important. Before the year gets away from you and you waste an entire year, let’s look at your methodology, how the kids are doing, and most importantly, the sense you feel at the end of the day. Is it one of satisfaction or one of thinking you are not getting enough done? I’ll explore some tried and true methods and explain ways to short-cut your child’s education without sacrificing true learning. Listen to this podcast on giving your child time to find their passion here. Handout: 49-VHM_TeachingCheckList Show notes:    Thanks to our sponsor, CTCMath.com – we are pleased for their continued excellence in education and dedication to the homeschool community. It is due to sponsorships that our programs continue to come to you without cost. Please visit the website and check out their curriculum.     Different teaching philosophies in the homeschool world:    Charlotte Mason Classical Education Notebooking Unit Studies Textbook/Workbook Eclectic Unschooling  Enjoy this podcast? Try these Vintage Homeschool Moms podcasts: Just for homeschool moms. Vintage Homeschool Moms preserves the best of the past while blessing future generations with the fruit that comes from putting God first and using the experience as a teacher. Your host, Felice Gerwitz, is a Christian wife, mother, and educator-turned-homeschool-mom in 1986. She began homeschooling as a trial and never looked back.  Felice’s topics range from home education, child-rearing, enterprising moms, SAHM (Stay at Home Moms), WAHM (Work at Home Moms), and so much more. Top Vintage Homeschool Moms Podcasts Homeschool Lifestyle Last Minute DIY Tips Money Saving Field Trips All About Teaching Raising Spiritually Strong Kids Six Homeschooling Insider Tips Best Staycations for Kids Avoid Curriculum Pitfalls Top 10 Parenting Secrets 45 Family Date Night Ideas   The post Homeschool Teaching Checklist | Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h2>Let’s Talk About Your Homeschool Teaching Checklist!</h2> <h2>with your host Felice Gerwitz </h2> Do you have a Homeschool Teaching Checklist? It’s time to get personal. How are you doing? But you may be saying, “Hold on! We just started school.” And that’s why this podcast is soooooo important. Before the year gets away from you and you waste an entire year, let’s look at your methodology, how the kids are doing, and most importantly, the sense you feel at the end of the day. Is it one of satisfaction or one of thinking you are not getting enough done? I’ll explore some tried and true methods and explain ways to short-cut your child’s education without sacrificing true learning. <a href="http://ultimateradioshow.com/time-to-learn/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Listen to this podcast on giving your child time to find their passion here.</a> Handout: <a href="http://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/49-VHM_TeachingCheckList.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">49-VHM_TeachingCheckList</a> <h3>Show notes: </h3> <h4>Thanks to our sponsor, <a href="http://www.ctcmath.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CTCMath.com</a> – we are pleased for their continued excellence in education and dedication to the homeschool community. It is due to sponsorships that our programs continue to come to you without cost. Please visit the website and check out their curriculum.</h4> <h4></h4> <h4></h4> <h4></h4> <h4></h4> <h4>Different teaching philosophies in the homeschool world:</h4> <ul> <li>Charlotte Mason</li> <li>Classical Education</li> <li>Notebooking</li> <li>Unit Studies</li> <li>Textbook/Workbook</li> <li>Eclectic</li> <li>Unschooling</li> </ul> <h3>Enjoy this podcast? Try these Vintage Homeschool Moms podcasts:</h3> Just for homeschool moms. Vintage Homeschool Moms preserves the best of the past while blessing future generations with the fruit that comes from putting God first and using the experience as a teacher. Your host, Felice Gerwitz, is a Christian wife, mother, and educator-turned-homeschool-mom in 1986. She began homeschooling as a trial and never looked back.  Felice’s topics range from home education, child-rearing, enterprising moms, SAHM (Stay at Home Moms), WAHM (Work at Home Moms), and so much more. Top Vintage Homeschool Moms Podcasts <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/vintage1-homeschool-lifestyle/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homeschool Lifestyle</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/last-minute-diy-entertainment-tips/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Last Minute DIY Tips</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/money-saving-field-trips/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Money Saving Field Trips</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/teaching/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">All About Teaching</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/spiritually-strong-kids/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Raising Spiritually Strong Kids</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/6-homeschooling-insider-tips/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Six Homeschooling Insider Tips</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/best-staycations-for-kids/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Best Staycations for Kids</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/homeschool-curriculum/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Avoid Curriculum Pitfalls</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/parenting-secrets/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Top 10 Parenting Secrets</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/category/shows/vintage-homeschool-moms/page/2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">45 Family Date Night Ideas</a> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/teaching-checklist-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homeschool Teaching Checklist | Replay</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Homeschool Teaching Checklist | Replay

Blessings From Heaven ~ Episode 495 Do you have blessings from heaven? Our children are indeed blessings, but in our busy lives, it is hard to appreciate this fact. This podcast will look at ways to encourage and love our kids as God intended. Thanks to our sponsor, CTCMath.com – check out their amazing math curriculum for K-12 My schoolroom has a plaque that has been there for many years. It reads, “Dear Lord, grant me the patience to endure my blessings!” I began my homeschool journey in 1994 and ended in 2018! It still hangs there as a reminder. I love the quote by St. Mother Theresa – It is very important that children learn from their fathers and mothers how to love one another- not in the school, not from the teacher, but from you. It is very important that you share with your children the joy of that smile. There will be misunderstandings; every family has its cross, its suffering. Always be the first to forgive with a smile. Be cheerful, be happy. Mother Theresa said so many things that are still quoted today, and I will share some of these relating to our children throughout this podcast. However, I know… IT IS NOT EASY to be cheerful and happy, especially when I was in the midst of school-aged kids. I was too busy keeping up. Of course, I think back fondly on those days – but if you are in the middle of diaper, laundry, and homeschooling older children, I know what you are going through! The saying little kids–little problems, big kids–big problems is real. At times I struggled to appreciate one of my sons, and I often prayed, Lord, please help me to love him as You love him. It helped tremendously. Instead of only looking at the bad behavior, I remembered he was a child of God, and I prayed blessings upon him. My husband and I often prayed for our kids. We prayed together as a family, still daily struggles cropped up. Many of you who are listening homeschool your children. And you are truly heroes for loving your kids and caring enough to make the effort this takes on a daily basis. This can not be minimized or forgotten. One of my best blessings is watching my grandchildren be homeschooled–and loving it. Homeschooling takes most of the day for many of us, especially as the children get older. Most importantly, our time and devotion to our children make a difference. Yet, it is sometimes a struggle to have our children finish their schoolwork and chores and do what they require each day. We are constantly on them for something. How can we appreciate our blessings from heaven when dealing with their basic needs, raising and correcting misbehavior? That is tough. For this to happen, there needs to be a foundation that comes from love. Another Mother Theresa quote: “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” We have an example of the unconditional love of God; he loves the sinner but not the sin. We can use this as a foundation of our love for our children. We separate them from misdeeds and focus on correcting them with love. Our kids need to know they are loved. You do this by saying it to them, and if you are uncomfortable with this, tell them at some point that you care. We think we do this as parents, but more times than not, we expect our kids to know they are loved. In romantic love, we would never expect to know we are in love; we’d want to be told. Of course, you can show you love someone by your actions, but as parents, our actions tend to be relegated to feeding, clothing, and caring for our kids. Are you honest with your kids? Think about this question. When you are upset with them for an infraction, is it said with love or anger? When you need them to listen when you speak (which is always), are you clear in your instruction? Our frustrations with our children stem mostly from the lack of follow-through and how the children seem to have selective listening. I’ve witnessed this in my own family. Therefore I tried to give clear instructions and needed to make myself follow through. I had to check to be sure what I asked was completed, and if not, there were consequences. My daughter is an amazing example of parenting. She is calm and very rarely raises her voice. She deals with things in an uplifting way, and her kids listen well. Observing other people enjoy their children was an eye-opener for me. I was so busy doing that I found I was missing the biggest gift right in front of my eyes. Sitting with a dear friend and watching the children play in her backyard, I was surprised to find our conversation focused on her love of watching her children. [All I could think about was enjoying adult time, and my friend wanted to watch her kids and how cute they were!] Yet, I walked away changed. I could see not only her love for children but also for them individually. She is one of those people who appreciates the little things. I learned to stop and appreciate my kids. Now it is almost impossible. If you are sitting outdoors watching your children play, how easy is it to jump on a call, text, or go on social media? None of those things are wrong, and I get it — we all need a break, but just for a few minutes, watch your kids, observe their antics, and enjoy them. You may be thinking I don’t know you, your family, or what your kids are like, and you are absolutely correct. I don’t. You know your family the best, and even if it is just a few minutes of joy, take it! As a mom and dad, there is so much to do; sitting idly doesn’t happen unless you have a full staff at home to help. My family grew from two kids to five, and I had a dad who lived with me in his 70s and mid-80s. We were able to enjoy our kids, younger and older, and multi-generations. I was able to watch the impact of my father (my mother died years before) and my mother and father-in-law on my children. We can learn so much from our parents, even as adults. If we want our children to love and honor us, we must set an example whenever possible. I host, A Few Minutes with God on our sister network, The Ultimate Christian Podcast Network. And I have given challenges at the end of each broadcast for the last two years. I decided a challenge would be a good way to practice what I preach, so in the spirit of solidarity, I will join you in the next week in appreciating my blessings, praying for them daily, and letting them know they are loved. I have several resources below: Resources: Blessings From Heaven Building Relationships with Your Kids here. Family Bonding Time here. Time Management here. Relaxing Tips for Mom here. And I want to leave you with two more quotes by Mother Theresa: How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers. and … The child is the beauty of God present in the world, that greatest gift to a family.   The post Blessings From Heaven appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Blessings-from-heaven-1.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Blessings From Heaven ~ Episode 495</h3> Do you have blessings from heaven? Our children are indeed blessings, but in our busy lives, it is hard to appreciate this fact. This podcast will look at ways to encourage and love our kids as God intended. Thanks to our sponsor, <a href="https://ctcmath.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CTCMath.com</a> – check out their amazing math curriculum for K-12 My schoolroom has a plaque that has been there for many years. It reads, “Dear Lord, grant me the patience to endure my blessings!” I began my homeschool journey in 1994 and ended in 2018! It still hangs there as a reminder. I love the quote by St. Mother Theresa – It is very important that children learn from their fathers and mothers how to love one another- not in the school, not from the teacher, but from you. It is very important that you share with your children the joy of that smile. There will be misunderstandings; every family has its cross, its suffering. Always be the first to forgive with a smile. Be cheerful, be happy. Mother Theresa said so many things that are still quoted today, and I will share some of these relating to our children throughout this podcast. However, I know… IT IS NOT EASY to be cheerful and happy, especially when I was in the midst of school-aged kids. I was too busy keeping up. Of course, I think back fondly on those days – but if you are in the middle of diaper, laundry, and homeschooling older children, I know what you are going through! The saying little kids–little problems, big kids–big problems is real. At times I struggled to appreciate one of my sons, and I often prayed, Lord, please help me to love him as You love him. It helped tremendously. Instead of only looking at the bad behavior, I remembered he was a child of God, and I prayed blessings upon him. My husband and I often prayed for our kids. We prayed together as a family, still daily struggles cropped up. Many of you who are listening homeschool your children. And you are truly heroes for loving your kids and caring enough to make the effort this takes on a daily basis. This can not be minimized or forgotten. One of my best blessings is watching my grandchildren be homeschooled–and loving it. Homeschooling takes most of the day for many of us, especially as the children get older. Most importantly, our time and devotion to our children make a difference. Yet, it is sometimes a struggle to have our children finish their schoolwork and chores and do what they require each day. We are constantly on them for something. How can we appreciate our blessings from heaven when dealing with their basic needs, raising and correcting misbehavior? That is tough. For this to happen, there needs to be a foundation that comes from love. Another Mother Theresa quote: “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” We have an example of the unconditional love of God; he loves the sinner but not the sin. We can use this as a foundation of our love for our children. We separate them from misdeeds and focus on correcting them with love. Our kids need to know they are loved. You do this by saying it to them, and if you are uncomfortable with this, tell them at some point that you care. We think we do this as parents, but more times than not, we expect our kids to know they are loved. In romantic love, we would never expect to know we are in love; we’d want to be told. Of course, you can show you love someone by your actions, but as parents, our actions tend to be relegated to feeding, clothing, and caring for our kids. Are you honest with your kids? Think about this question. When you are upset with them for an infraction, is it said with love or anger? When you need them to listen when you speak (which is always), are you clear in your instruction? Our frustrations with our children stem mostly from the lack of follow-through and how the children seem to have selective listening. I’ve witnessed this in my own family. Therefore I tried to give clear instructions and needed to make myself follow through. I had to check to be sure what I asked was completed, and if not, there were consequences. My daughter is an amazing example of parenting. She is calm and very rarely raises her voice. She deals with things in an uplifting way, and her kids listen well. Observing other people enjoy their children was an eye-opener for me. I was so busy doing that I found I was missing the biggest gift right in front of my eyes. Sitting with a dear friend and watching the children play in her backyard, I was surprised to find our conversation focused on her love of watching her children. [All I could think about was enjoying adult time, and my friend wanted to watch her kids and how cute they were!] Yet, I walked away changed. I could see not only her love for children but also for them individually. She is one of those people who appreciates the little things. I learned to stop and appreciate my kids. Now it is almost impossible. If you are sitting outdoors watching your children play, how easy is it to jump on a call, text, or go on social media? None of those things are wrong, and I get it — we all need a break, but just for a few minutes, watch your kids, observe their antics, and enjoy them. You may be thinking I don’t know you, your family, or what your kids are like, and you are absolutely correct. I don’t. You know your family the best, and even if it is just a few minutes of joy, take it! As a mom and dad, there is so much to do; sitting idly doesn’t happen unless you have a full staff at home to help. My family grew from two kids to five, and I had a dad who lived with me in his 70s and mid-80s. We were able to enjoy our kids, younger and older, and multi-generations. I was able to watch the impact of my father (my mother died years before) and my mother and father-in-law on my children. We can learn so much from our parents, even as adults. If we want our children to love and honor us, we must set an example whenever possible. I host, <a href="http://www.afewminuteswithGodPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Few Minutes with God</a> on our sister network, The Ultimate Christian Podcast Network. And I have given challenges at the end of each broadcast for the last two years. I decided a challenge would be a good way to practice what I preach, so in the spirit of solidarity, I will join you in the next week in appreciating my blessings, praying for them daily, and letting them know they are loved. I have several resources below: Resources: Blessings From Heaven Building Relationships with Your Kids <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/building-relationships-with-kids/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here.</a> Family Bonding Time <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/family-bonding/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here.</a> Time Management <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/time-management-for-parents-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here.</a> Relaxing Tips for Mom <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/relaxing-tips-for-mom/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here.</a> And I want to leave you with two more quotes by Mother Theresa: How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers. and … The child is the beauty of God present in the world, that greatest gift to a family. The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/blessings-from-heaven/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blessings From Heaven</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Blessings From Heaven

Time Management Parents Episode 412 There is hope! Are you ready for time management that will help you to reclaim your day and feel good at the end? Is this too good to be true? No, it is a reality, and if I can do it, you can as well. How does it happen? Well, very easily with one sheet of paper and four squares. Today I will help you figure out the main issues that steal your time and the hope on how to reclaim it. Thanks to our sponsor CTCMath, a wonderful Math curriculum for the entire family of school-aged children. This one-stop shop has grades K-12; check it out. Homeschoolers can save 50%! Let’s get our time management back! Does your day lack focus? Are you overwhelmed with the shuffling of papers, trying to get school “done,” and keeping up with the household chores? You can see why there is such burnout among moms, especially moms who homeschool. Even at the beginning of the year! I have to say I struggled with this for many years, and it left me feeling tired, defeated, and like I wasn’t getting anything accomplished each day. I felt like a young mom with little children. If I kept everyone safe by the end of the day, it was a win! However, I wanted so much more. Especially for those who are new to homeschooling or even if you are a pro, you need the help that comes from getting all of your ducks in a row. Let me cut to the chase here. I was out of time because my time was managing me instead of the other way around. What was interrupting my day? What’s getting in the way of time management? Easy, three things:  Talking on the phone (substitute social media here and texting). No set schedule for household chores. Disobedient kids  I had a defeatist attitude and could not wait until my husband came home so I could dump all of my daily woes on him, and guess what? That didn’t work out too well. My husband ran his own business and often needed my help to do the payroll or help with management and the details of filing payroll taxes, filling out forms, and so much more. Fast forward, and we raised five kids and have not one but three businesses that we run out of our homes successfully. How did this happen? Believe me, it was not overnight, but now I can share those tips and techniques with you, and these are even better than what I had in my toolbox at the time. Rules are made to be broken, but sometimes you can look at them as good suggestions, so take heart as I share some quick ones with you.  Just because you get an idea, it does not mean you have to act on it right now. Write it down and look at it at lunchtime or after dinner, and plan for it. Quickly one thing I do not do, even with a business, is looking at emails in the morning – emails such the life and my day away from me. Unless I have planned for this, I don’t do it until after lunch. People who really need to get hold of me quickly know how to do this. Everything else can wait. I learned my time wasters. See number one – but there were others. I let myself get sidetracked, and once I learned the keys to keeping myself on track, it worked. Make a plan and stick to it – I know, for those of you kindred spirits that are spontaneous. But believe me, it works. Every self-help book or how to get organized is not going to help you get organized if you refuse to do what it suggests (same with this broadcast) Seek help when needed.  I think that is important to note that many times we think an issue is one problem when it is really something else. Another issue with time management is that we have false expectations or, perhaps, no expectations at all! So first, it is homework time. I am going to encourage you to stop this recording and write out your most pressing need and what you hope to accomplish. What is your main expectation? Is it a peaceful home? Is it happiness that surpasses all understanding? Is it kids that get along, laundry washed, dried and folded, and put away in one day? Is it meals planned? What is that? What is important to you? So the first thing to do is look at your expectations, hopes, and dreams and break them down into a day, week, month or even a year. Remember the old saying, “Rome wasn’t built in one day.” But I am going to add my Felice twist here –  “But the fires that destroyed Rome were set on purpose.” What fires are you setting for yourself? I’ve looked at my expectations and goals and realized that they were so grandiose and my expectation so unattainable that I was setting myself up for failure. It wasn’t going to happen even with a household of full-time employees! So, let’s get realistic. I’m not going to tell you the platitudes I’ve read like, “make every minute count,” or “delegate,” or “make easy-to-serve meals.” This is a duh, duh, and double duh. We are talking about surviving the day here. But what I will tell you is that you need to use what you have on hand. I’m an author, which I do believe most of you know, and years ago, my daughter wanted to write a novel. I told her, “Christina, I don’t know how to write a novel,” and she said, “Mom, we are homeschoolers. We will figure it out.” Moms and Dads, if you are listening. You may or may not be homeschoolers – but if there is something you want to do, you can figure it out. The one novel turned out to be three and sold in catalogs such as Christian Book Distributors, currently on Amazon and my website, MediaAngels.com, and have been around the world. We figured it out. Time management is what is important to you. The list usually looks like this:  Need to manage the kids. Need to manage the home. Need to teach school (for those who are homeschooling.) Need time with my spouse. Need to keep my sanity.  Kids always seem to be number one when they should not hold that revered position. As a Christian, the first thing that should be on the list is a time of prayer. I’ve talked about this before, but the days I did not wake up, grab a cup of coffee, my Bible and have a short prayer session with the Lord was the day that all heck broke loose. So, we need to rearrange the list and have it look something like this.  Keep my sanity. Begin the day with God. Time with my spouse – figure out when to have a meaningful conversation, spend time and date night even if it means to put the kids to bed and grabbing some popcorn and watching a movie at home. Manage my home. What is pressing? Laundry? Food? Use your weekends, bulk cook, and freeze. Just like a copy machine is a blessing to every homeschool family, so is an upright or chest freezer. Manage my kids. Mean what you say and say what you mean. Follow through. Practice good behavior. If this means having your kids repeat after you, do it. I have several audios on this topic, and I also have audios I have created for the kids. See the links below. Have your kids listen to them. Side note here – Tell your kids you are on the same side. Sometimes I think we are in a battle, and the kids need to know there is one leader, it is you as a parent, and the troops need to file in… if you do not have a set of consequences this is important to think about. Ahead of time. School! Yes, this is last. My kids learned despite my beautifully created curriculum or lessons. Read, read, and read. If you want your kids to learn life lessons do it in books, if you want your kids to learn math get a curriculum. I have a series of character-quality free downloads I give away every month on the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network, you can sign up to get them and past sets are for sale on my website at MediaAngels.com. Why is this? Because prior to the 1960s, character was infused and morality in schools, families, and churches. Now, it is all revisionist and secular. Interestingly I read a quote recently from a past president that shocked me. In the words of John Adams: “Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any others.”Friends, this is the key; we must bring morality and all that is good and holy into our homes. If that means restricting screen time, do it – if it means only watching good movies, get Pureflix. I realize this is a challenge for some of you, but I have faith in you. You can do it!  Lastly, the key here – how to do it how to get organized. Fast Track.  One week at a glance. Take a sheet of paper and draw a horizontal line and a vertical line. So, it has 4 squares. Faith, Kids, School Household. You can use different headings on each of these squares for whatever you want. This is an overall sketch of what you are going to do and accomplish. The weekly goals if you will. You will not get detailed with the kid’s schooling, other than maybe to put a time frame, or perhaps books you are going to read as a family, etc. Square one: Faith you can add spouse there as well. But first, you need to get right with God. You need to be filled up before you can pour into others. My show – AFewMinutesWithGodPodcast.com Square two: Kids – what are your overall goals – is there something in particular or one kid, in particular, that is the squeaky wheel that needs help. Whether it is academic or discipline. At a time of war they always went after the leader, so if there is one child that is leading the others astray begin there. School. Once again the overarching here – do you have a field trip, are you going to do a science experiment, watch a specific video -put this on your list. Household. When are you doing the laundry, prepare meals – you can have a start time, etc … list it here:  Whatever you use make it work for you! Make it your own. I really do believe you can figure this out and reclaim your time. Time management is you managing time and making an effort to not allow it to manage you! Resources: Past Vintage Homeschool Moms Podcasts and Show notes to help you!  I have several past podcasts and if you look at the show notes page, you will see links to download a bunch of forms! 1. Here is one on Homeschool Forms and another on Last-minute Christmas prep – contains a 4-square planner Running Your Home Like a CEO Easy Way Planning link here      The post Time Management For Parents | Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Time-Management-For-Parents-.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Time Management Parents Episode 412</h3> There is hope! Are you ready for time management that will help you to reclaim your day and feel good at the end? Is this too good to be true? No, it is a reality, and if I can do it, you can as well. How does it happen? Well, very easily with one sheet of paper and four squares. Today I will help you figure out the main issues that steal your time and the hope on how to reclaim it. Thanks to our sponsor <a href="https://ctcmath.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CTCMath</a>, a wonderful Math curriculum for the entire family of school-aged children. This one-stop shop has grades K-12; check it out. Homeschoolers can save 50%! <h3>Let’s get our time management back!</h3> Does your day lack focus? Are you overwhelmed with the shuffling of papers, trying to get school “done,” and keeping up with the household chores? You can see why there is such burnout among moms, especially moms who homeschool. Even at the beginning of the year! I have to say I struggled with this for many years, and it left me feeling tired, defeated, and like I wasn’t getting anything accomplished each day. I felt like a young mom with little children. If I kept everyone safe by the end of the day, it was a win! However, I wanted so much more. Especially for those who are new to homeschooling or even if you are a pro, you need the help that comes from getting all of your ducks in a row. Let me cut to the chase here. I was out of time because my time was managing me instead of the other way around. What was interrupting my day? What’s getting in the way of time management? <h3>Easy, three things:</h3> <ol> <li>Talking on the phone (substitute social media here and texting).</li> <li>No set schedule for household chores.</li> <li>Disobedient kids</li> </ol> I had a defeatist attitude and could not wait until my husband came home so I could dump all of my daily woes on him, and guess what? That didn’t work out too well. My husband ran his own business and often needed my help to do the payroll or help with management and the details of filing payroll taxes, filling out forms, and so much more. Fast forward, and we raised five kids and have not one but three businesses that we run out of our homes successfully. How did this happen? Believe me, it was not overnight, but now I can share those tips and techniques with you, and these are even better than what I had in my toolbox at the time. <h3>Rules are made to be broken, but sometimes you can look at them as good suggestions, so take heart as I share some quick ones with you.</h3> <ol> <li>Just because you get an idea, it does not mean you have to act on it right now. Write it down and look at it at lunchtime or after dinner, and plan for it. Quickly one thing I do not do, even with a business, is looking at emails in the morning – emails such the life and my day away from me. Unless I have planned for this, I don’t do it until after lunch. People who really need to get hold of me quickly know how to do this. Everything else can wait.</li> <li>I learned my time wasters. See number one – but there were others. I let myself get sidetracked, and once I learned the keys to keeping myself on track, it worked.</li> <li>Make a plan and stick to it – I know, for those of you kindred spirits that are spontaneous. But believe me, it works.</li> <li>Every self-help book or how to get organized is not going to help you get organized if you refuse to do what it suggests (same with this broadcast)</li> <li>Seek help when needed.</li> </ol> I think that is important to note that many times we think an issue is one problem when it is really something else. Another issue with time management is that we have false expectations or, perhaps, no expectations at all! So first, it is homework time. I am going to encourage you to stop this recording and write out your most pressing need and what you hope to accomplish. What is your main expectation? Is it a peaceful home? Is it happiness that surpasses all understanding? Is it kids that get along, laundry washed, dried and folded, and put away in one day? Is it meals planned? What is that? What is important to you? So the first thing to do is look at your expectations, hopes, and dreams and break them down into a day, week, month or even a year. Remember the old saying, “Rome wasn’t built in one day.” But I am going to add my Felice twist here –  “But the fires that destroyed Rome were set on purpose.” What fires are you setting for yourself? I’ve looked at my expectations and goals and realized that they were so grandiose and my expectation so unattainable that I was setting myself up for failure. It wasn’t going to happen even with a household of full-time employees! So, let’s get realistic. I’m not going to tell you the platitudes I’ve read like, “make every minute count,” or “delegate,” or “make easy-to-serve meals.” This is a duh, duh, and double duh. We are talking about surviving the day here. But what I will tell you is that you need to use what you have on hand. I’m an author, which I do believe most of you know, and years ago, my daughter wanted to write a novel. I told her, “Christina, I don’t know how to write a novel,” and she said, “Mom, we are homeschoolers. We will figure it out.” Moms and Dads, if you are listening. You may or may not be homeschoolers – but if there is something you want to do, you can figure it out. The one novel turned out to be three and sold in catalogs such as Christian Book Distributors, currently on Amazon and my website, <a href="http://MediaAngels.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MediaAngels.com</a>, and have been around the world. We figured it out. <h3>Time management is what is important to you. The list usually looks like this:</h3> <ol> <li>Need to manage the kids.</li> <li>Need to manage the home.</li> <li>Need to teach school (for those who are homeschooling.)</li> <li>Need time with my spouse.</li> <li>Need to keep my sanity.</li> </ol> Kids always seem to be number one when they should not hold that revered position. As a Christian, the first thing that should be on the list is a time of prayer. I’ve talked about this before, but the days I did not wake up, grab a cup of coffee, my Bible and have a short prayer session with the Lord was the day that all heck broke loose. So, we need to rearrange the list and have it look something like this. <ol> <li>Keep my sanity. Begin the day with God.</li> <li>Time with my spouse – figure out when to have a meaningful conversation, spend time and date night even if it means to put the kids to bed and grabbing some popcorn and watching a movie at home.</li> <li>Manage my home. What is pressing? Laundry? Food? Use your weekends, bulk cook, and freeze. Just like a copy machine is a blessing to every homeschool family, so is an upright or chest freezer.</li> <li>Manage my kids. Mean what you say and say what you mean. Follow through. Practice good behavior. If this means having your kids repeat after you, do it. I have several audios on this topic, and I also have audios I have created for the kids. See the links below. Have your kids listen to them. Side note here – Tell your kids you are on the same side. Sometimes I think we are in a battle, and the kids need to know there is one leader, it is you as a parent, and the troops need to file in… if you do not have a set of consequences this is important to think about. Ahead of time.</li> <li>School! Yes, this is last. My kids learned despite my beautifully created curriculum or lessons. Read, read, and read. If you want your kids to learn life lessons do it in books, if you want your kids to learn math get a curriculum. I have a series of character-quality free downloads I give away every month on the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network, you can sign up to get them and past sets are for sale on my website at <a href="http://MediaAngels.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MediaAngels.com</a>. Why is this? Because prior to the 1960s, character was infused and morality in schools, families, and churches. Now, it is all revisionist and secular. Interestingly I read a quote recently from a past president that shocked me. In the words of John Adams: “Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any others.”Friends, this is the key; we must bring morality and all that is good and holy into our homes. If that means restricting screen time, do it – if it means only watching good movies, get Pureflix. I realize this is a challenge for some of you, but I have faith in you. You can do it!</li> </ol> Lastly, the key here – how to do it how to get organized. Fast Track. <ol> <li>One week at a glance. Take a sheet of paper and draw a horizontal line and a vertical line. So, it has 4 squares. <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/4-Square-Planner-December-blank.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Faith, Kids, School Household</a>. You can use different headings on each of these squares for whatever you want. This is an overall sketch of what you are going to do and accomplish. The weekly goals if you will. You will not get detailed with the kid’s schooling, other than maybe to put a time frame, or perhaps books you are going to read as a family, etc.</li> <li>Square one: Faith you can add spouse there as well. But first, you need to get right with God. You need to be filled up before you can pour into others. My show – <a href="http://www.AFewMinutesWithGodPodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AFewMinutesWithGodPodcast.com</a></li> <li>Square two: Kids – what are your overall goals – is there something in particular or one kid, in particular, that is the squeaky wheel that needs help. Whether it is academic or discipline. At a time of war they always went after the leader, so if there is one child that is leading the others astray begin there.</li> <li>School. Once again the overarching here – do you have a field trip, are you going to do a science experiment, watch a specific video -put this on your list.</li> <li>Household. When are you doing the laundry, prepare meals – you can have a start time, etc … list it here:</li> </ol> Whatever you use make it work for you! Make it your own. I really do believe you can figure this out and reclaim your time. Time management is you managing time and making an effort to not allow it to manage you! Resources: Past Vintage Homeschool Moms Podcasts and Show notes to help you! <ol> <li>I have several past podcasts and if you look at the show notes page, you will see links to download a bunch of forms! 1. Here is one on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/homeschool-forms/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homeschool Forms</a> and another on</li> <li>Last-minute Christmas prep – <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/last-minute-christmas-prep/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">contains a 4-square planner</a></li> <li>Running Your <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/running-your-home-like-a-ceo/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Home Like a CEO</a></li> <li>Easy Way Planning <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/easy-way-planning/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">link here</a></li> </ol> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/time-management-for-parents-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Time Management For Parents | Replay</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Time Management For Parents | Replay

Relaxing Tips For Mom ~ Episode 494 Do you have your favorite relaxing tips for mom? Or are you shaking your head and wondering where you will find the time to relax? In this podcast, I will share some quick tips to get in those relaxing minutes even when you struggle to find the time! Thanks to our sponsor CTCMath, a wonderful Math curriculum for the entire family of school-aged children. This one-stop-shop has grades K-12; check it out. There was a time when a topic like this would make me irritated. I didn’t think I needed to relax; the truth was harder to accept. I was upset because I didn’t think I had the luxury of time. I was so overwhelmed I didn’t think I had time to relax until I decided that if I didn’t take care of my own health, I’d have my kids and husband taking care of me, which meant slowing down. The first thing I did was look at all of those volunteer, unpaid positions. And when I began scaling back, I found my stress level went down, and so did my time management. I had more time to work with, and I was much happier. Does this mean I never volunteer? Of course not! I am the coordinator of a women’s prayer ministry now, but when I was homeschooling, and my kids were younger, I volunteered in much smaller roles that I could accomplish on my time at home. I also found that there were things that I could do quickly that were “pick me ups,” and all of these could happen during the day. Some will have you laughing, but I am telling you all are tried and true. In other words, yes, I did these things! The first thing I’ll ask you to do is make a list of all the things you do each day, then during the week – take out a one-week calendar and map out these times. If you already have a planner, take it out and look at it. Are there any gaps in time?  Here are two to get you started if you do not have a good calendar and goal setting set:  12-Month Checklist Calendar Set: Setting Goal Set – 12 months  Before I begin, I want to warn you that your kids, especially if they are younger, are going to join in with you, especially with my quick relaxing tips. Kids are so amazing; if yours are like mine, they want to be where you are! My husband created a playroom off of our schoolroom for the kids upstairs, and they still would drag down their toys to play nearby. So, again, don’t be surprised if you are attempting a quick fifteen-minute foot soak and you find some little feet in with yours! First, where do you find the time?  Look for it and snatch those pockets of time:  While listening to kids reading, watching television, or even paying bills, you can do almost anything on the list below. Cut out social media – that can be stressful! I spent lots of time there. Space out when you look at emails. I do not allow notifications on my phone, but I do allow digests. This gives me things “at a glance” and saves time. While sitting in traffic, I can listen to music, drink lemon water, or watch the clouds.  Quick Relaxing Tips for Mom  Foot soak. Use episome salts, one or two drops of lavender, or your favorite essential oil scent. Fifteen minutes is all you need. Rub lotion on your hands, arms, or legs. This is a quick pick-me-up! Diffuse lemongrass oils or your favorites, and sit with your eyes closed for five minutes. Have the kids sit with you and just be in the moment. Watch the clouds. I do this in traffic or when I sit outdoors while the kids play and watch the clouds go by – I love it, and it is so relaxing! Drink water with a sprig of mint or a slice of lemon. Use a squirt of lemon juice if you don’t have fresh on hand. Neck rub – my kids gave me the best neck rubs, and I used to ask for “neck-rub-coupons” for gifts when they were younger. Five-minute walk. I have a thread mill and enjoy a quick walk when I feel tired. Listen to nature; there are many nature soundtracks to help you relax. We used to have specific songs for cleaning day. Make a playlist of the opposite, relaxing songs to help you…relax! A foot massage. I purchased one of those slide-in foot massagers, and it is great! I take it out when I need a few minutes of relaxation. Yes, they work, and no I dont’ want to get up after ten minutes, so I often do at least fifteen. Sit. Yes, something as simple as sitting for a few minutes is invigorating. I found my legs so tired each evening until I realized I was standing when I could be sitting doing activities like folding clothes.  Longer Relaxing Tips for Mom  Dinner out with my husband, or even a drive! Get a manicure or pedicure. Would you believe it took me months to use the gift card my friends purchased for me? I just couldn’t seem to make the time. I usually get two or three a year; taking my daughters is so much fun. Read. I didn’t have time to read long novels when I was homeschooling, but I could read spiritual books and a chapter daily. Baths are a favorite of mine. Bath salts help give you the at-home spa experience. Add a terry cloth robe and a bathtub pillow. These are great birthday and Mother’s Day gift ideas. Time on the phone to talk to a family member or friend. With text messages the norm, it is so nice to have time to catch up!  What are your favorite relaxation tips? Share them with me. We are each so different, and maybe running or exercising is your go-to for relaxation! I never made it to that point in my life, even when I ran each day. Take some time and make a list and try to do one or more things a week, if not each day, and you will be glad you did! The post Relaxing Tips For Mom appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Tips-for.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Relaxing Tips For Mom ~ Episode 494</h3> Do you have your favorite relaxing tips for mom? Or are you shaking your head and wondering where you will find the time to relax? In this podcast, I will share some quick tips to get in those relaxing minutes even when you struggle to find the time! Thanks to our sponsor <a href="https://ctcmath.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CTCMath</a>, a wonderful Math curriculum for the entire family of school-aged children. This one-stop-shop has grades K-12; check it out. There was a time when a topic like this would make me irritated. I didn’t think I needed to relax; the truth was harder to accept. I was upset because I didn’t think I had the luxury of time. I was so overwhelmed I didn’t think I had time to relax until I decided that if I didn’t take care of my own health, I’d have my kids and husband taking care of me, which meant slowing down. The first thing I did was look at all of those volunteer, unpaid positions. And when I began scaling back, I found my stress level went down, and so did my time management. I had more time to work with, and I was much happier. Does this mean I never volunteer? Of course not! I am the coordinator of a women’s prayer ministry now, but when I was homeschooling, and my kids were younger, I volunteered in much smaller roles that I could accomplish on my time at home. I also found that there were things that I could do quickly that were “pick me ups,” and all of these could happen during the day. Some will have you laughing, but I am telling you all are tried and true. In other words, yes, I did these things! The first thing I’ll ask you to do is make a list of all the things you do each day, then during the week – take out a one-week calendar and map out these times. If you already have a planner, take it out and look at it. Are there any gaps in time?  Here are two to get you started if you do not have a good calendar and goal setting set: <ol> <li><a href="https://mediaangels.com/product/12-month-printable-planner-bundle/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">12-Month Checklist Calendar Set:</a></li> <li><a href="https://mediaangels.com/product/12-month-printable-planner-bundle/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Setting Goal Set – 12 months</a></li> </ol> Before I begin, I want to warn you that your kids, especially if they are younger, are going to join in with you, especially with my quick relaxing tips. Kids are so amazing; if yours are like mine, they want to be where you are! My husband created a playroom off of our schoolroom for the kids upstairs, and they still would drag down their toys to play nearby. So, again, don’t be surprised if you are attempting a quick fifteen-minute foot soak and you find some little feet in with yours! First, where do you find the time?  Look for it and snatch those pockets of time: <ol> <li>While listening to kids reading, watching television, or even paying bills, you can do almost anything on the list below.</li> <li>Cut out social media – that can be stressful! I spent lots of time there.</li> <li>Space out when you look at emails. I do not allow notifications on my phone, but I do allow digests. This gives me things “at a glance” and saves time.</li> <li>While sitting in traffic, I can listen to music, drink lemon water, or watch the clouds.</li> </ol> Quick Relaxing Tips for Mom <ol> <li>Foot soak. Use episome salts, one or two drops of lavender, or your favorite essential oil scent. Fifteen minutes is all you need.</li> <li>Rub lotion on your hands, arms, or legs. This is a quick pick-me-up!</li> <li>Diffuse lemongrass oils or your favorites, and sit with your eyes closed for five minutes. Have the kids sit with you and just be in the moment.</li> <li>Watch the clouds. I do this in traffic or when I sit outdoors while the kids play and watch the clouds go by – I love it, and it is so relaxing!</li> <li>Drink water with a sprig of mint or a slice of lemon. Use a squirt of lemon juice if you don’t have fresh on hand.</li> <li>Neck rub – my kids gave me the best neck rubs, and I used to ask for “neck-rub-coupons” for gifts when they were younger.</li> <li>Five-minute walk. I have a thread mill and enjoy a quick walk when I feel tired.</li> <li>Listen to nature; there are many nature soundtracks to help you relax. We used to have specific songs for cleaning day. Make a playlist of the opposite, relaxing songs to help you…relax!</li> <li>A foot massage. I purchased one of those slide-in foot massagers, and it is great! I take it out when I need a few minutes of relaxation. Yes, they work, and no I dont’ want to get up after ten minutes, so I often do at least fifteen.</li> <li>Sit. Yes, something as simple as sitting for a few minutes is invigorating. I found my legs so tired each evening until I realized I was standing when I could be sitting doing activities like folding clothes.</li> </ol> Longer Relaxing Tips for Mom <ol> <li>Dinner out with my husband, or even a drive!</li> <li>Get a manicure or pedicure. Would you believe it took me months to use the gift card my friends purchased for me? I just couldn’t seem to make the time. I usually get two or three a year; taking my daughters is so much fun.</li> <li>Read. I didn’t have time to read long novels when I was homeschooling, but I could read spiritual books and a chapter daily.</li> <li>Baths are a favorite of mine. Bath salts help give you the at-home spa experience. Add a terry cloth robe and a bathtub pillow. These are great birthday and Mother’s Day gift ideas.</li> <li>Time on the phone to talk to a family member or friend. With text messages the norm, it is so nice to have time to catch up!</li> </ol> What are your favorite relaxation tips? Share them with me. We are each so different, and maybe running or exercising is your go-to for relaxation! I never made it to that point in my life, even when I ran each day. Take some time and make a list and try to do one or more things a week, if not each day, and you will be glad you did! The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/relaxing-tips-for-mom/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Relaxing Tips For Mom</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Relaxing Tips For Mom

Preserving the best of the past with an eye to bless future generations the show offers no excuses, perfection or compromise. Felice hosts this weekly show on Monday at Noon Eastern, often with guests.

Please follow me on iTunes or your favorite cell phone app!    Mother’s Day Gifts, aka “What Mom Really Wants,” is the topic for today’s podcast. As a long-time mom – my first child was born in 1980 – I’ve had some experience *WINK* celebrating Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day has been a time of joy and, truthfully a time of hardship! We moms want to be grateful for whatever we have. While this is true, and I am grateful, I’ve also struggled. Listen as I share some tips for the best Mother’s Day gifts ever, and be sure to subscribe to the Vintage Homeschool Moms podcast! This episode is brought to you by CTCMath.com – a wonderful math curriculum for all of your homeschool needs, or to brush up on new skills. Mother’s Day Gifts – What Mom Really Wants Episode 271 I’m including something personal at the end — so stay tuned for Mother’s Day Gifts that I now learn to except and enjoy! I’ve had some exhausting Mother’s Days! When my children were little, I was sleep deprived, and I don’t do well with little sleep. I’m not one of those people that thrives on four hours or less and feels so productive. No, I’m the crash and burn Mom who would fall asleep while nursing my baby in the middle of the day. When baby number two came along, baby number one was a wild-man two-year-old, and he kept me awake in the day, so no worries about falling asleep! At least baby number one was sleeping through the night, and two, well, let’s say she finally slept all night at age four! Then came numbers three, four, and five. A larger home, and guess what? Our home turned into a party central. All of the family came for Mother’s Day dinner, and somehow my day turned into a frustration for all. The kids and my husband had to help clean up, I had to cook, and everything had to be perfect when the first mom came! I finally became wise and learned that with these easy tips, I could reclaim my Mother’s Day! First of all, I had to think about what I really wanted to do. Did I want to go out to a costly meal? Did I want a gift that we couldn’t really afford? Did I want to stress my husband and kids by wondering, “What does mom really want for Mother’s Day? Truthfully the best Mother’s Day gift is to be appreciated and loved. Those precious handwritten cards with “Mommy, I love you!” are the ultimate best! Mother’s Day gift selection for me from my family was not working! After years of costly presents, presents that didn’t fit, household items I didn’t want, and the worse, costly flower bouquets ordered and delivered by the florist–have you seen how much they cost?! I said enough! We needed to cut back financially and it was getting so out of hand. It all came to a head, after the following event. One Mother’s Day, after church and breakfast, my husband decided to take the three younger children fishing. Our subdivision has many small ponds and drainage streams/ ditches where fish abound. He was doing this to give me “alone time.” As I sat with my feet propped up, enjoying my day, my older son came home and looked smug. I knew something was up! Later I learned from the little kids–you’ve gotta love them; they can’t keep a secret–“Dad called up Neal and asked him to buy and bring us flowers — your Mother’s Day gift — to us– at the pond! Isn’t that great Mom?” So much for secrets. I certainly gave flower delivery an entirely different spin! Yes, as my husband walked in to hand me flowers! A gift. And I was grateful, especially for the smaller price tag, but I decided that day…it’s now or never time to take charge of my own Mother’s Day gift!   First, my sanity tips for Mom, and next, my ideas for the best gifts ever — or ones I’d enjoy!Here are my Mother’s Day Sanity tips:1. If you are cooking, make an easy meal: Baked Ham, store-bought scalloped or mashed potatoes, frozen or canned veggies, and prepared salads.2. Do a potluck. Everyone loves to show off a special recipe. Assign different entrees or sides and desserts to those attending and let everyone else help with the meal.3. Use paper products. The trees will survive another day.4. Flowers. Buy yourself some. You can get them locally at a discount. Make your own arrangements. Hint: Use all of one color and baby’s breath for filler. You can not mess up. I promise!5. Do something for you. Is it a 15-minute uninterrupted shower or soak in the tub? Is it a manicure? Is it a book that you want to read?What I’ve learned from the thirty-eight years of being a mom… many times, your family wants you to have the perfect day because they really do love and appreciate you; they need help! Being proactive goes a long way to making your day wonderful!My favorite Mother’s Day gift was going to church, then out to the beach, and one of our favorite casual restaurants. There is a pizza restaurant that has an extensive sandwich, and salad menu as well. Here we can sit with an amazing view and enjoy each other’s company. The food is delicious and then we can go to the beach and enjoy a few hours before it gets too hot! When we get home, the kids help clean out the car; it gets vacuumed while I shower. Then, prep for an evening meal handled by my now grown-up teens and husband! Things have changed but then, I had to ask for the change, something we moms don’t want to do!Suggestions for Great Mother’s Day Gift Ideas:1. Gift Subscriptions – sometimes there are subscriptions I won’t buy for myself and I really want. This is my top list. DO you have any you would add? Audible Kindle Unlimited or other eReader subscriptions Streaming movie channels – like Hallmark *wink Streaming radio channels2. Coupons from kids I love you mommy notes! Neck messages “Chore upgrade” coupons Car wash3. Flower bushes Rose bushes Flowers planted Mulch Tree planted4. Household Trash emptied each day! House cleaned Floors cleaned5. Devices Sleeve for laptop New phone case eReader Battery chargerRelax. Have Fun. Enjoy Your Day.Enjoy this podcast? Listen in to these:   Tips to Strengthen the Mother-Daughter Relationship Flowers for Mom     The post Special Replay | Mother’s Day Gifts appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Please follow me on iTunes or your favorite cell phone app! <a href="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/vintage-homeschool-moms" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vintage-homeschool-moms-ultimate/id717402509?mt=2" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Mother’s Day Gifts, aka “What Mom Really Wants,” is the topic for today’s podcast. As a long-time mom – my first child was born in 1980 – I’ve had some experience *WINK* celebrating Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day has been a time of joy and, truthfully a time of hardship! We moms want to be grateful for whatever we have. While this is true, and I am grateful, I’ve also struggled. Listen as I share some tips for the best Mother’s Day gifts ever, and be sure to subscribe to the Vintage Homeschool Moms podcast! This episode is brought to you by <a href="https://ctcmath.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CTCMath.com</a> – a wonderful math curriculum for all of your homeschool needs, or to brush up on new skills. <h3>Mother’s Day Gifts – What Mom Really Wants</h3> Episode 271 I’m including something personal at the end — so stay tuned for Mother’s Day Gifts that I now learn to except and enjoy! I’ve had some exhausting Mother’s Days! When my children were little, I was sleep deprived, and I don’t do well with little sleep. I’m not one of those people that thrives on four hours or less and feels so productive. No, I’m the crash and burn Mom who would fall asleep while nursing my baby in the middle of the day. When baby number two came along, baby number one was a wild-man two-year-old, and he kept me awake in the day, so no worries about falling asleep! At least baby number one was sleeping through the night, and two, well, let’s say she finally slept all night at age four! Then came numbers three, four, and five. A larger home, and guess what? Our home turned into a party central. All of the family came for Mother’s Day dinner, and somehow my day turned into a frustration for all. The kids and my husband had to help clean up, I had to cook, and everything had to be perfect when the first mom came! I finally became wise and learned that with these easy tips, I could reclaim my Mother’s Day! First of all, I had to think about what I really wanted to do. Did I want to go out to a costly meal? Did I want a gift that we couldn’t really afford? Did I want to stress my husband and kids by wondering, “What does mom really want for Mother’s Day? <h3>Truthfully the best Mother’s Day gift is to be appreciated and loved.</h3> Those precious handwritten cards with “Mommy, I love you!” are the ultimate best! Mother’s Day gift selection for me from my family was not working! After years of costly presents, presents that didn’t fit, household items I didn’t want, and the worse, costly flower bouquets ordered and delivered by the florist–have you seen how much they cost?! I said enough! We needed to cut back financially and it was getting so out of hand. It all came to a head, after the following event. One Mother’s Day, after church and breakfast, my husband decided to take the three younger children fishing. Our subdivision has many small ponds and drainage streams/ ditches where fish abound. He was doing this to give me “alone time.” As I sat with my feet propped up, enjoying my day, my older son came home and looked smug. I knew something was up! Later I learned from the little kids–you’ve gotta love them; they can’t keep a secret–“Dad called up Neal and asked him to buy and bring us flowers — your Mother’s Day gift — to us– at the pond! Isn’t that great Mom?” So much for secrets. I certainly gave flower delivery an entirely different spin! Yes, as my husband walked in to hand me flowers! A gift. And I was grateful, especially for the smaller price tag, but I decided that day…it’s now or never time to take charge of my own Mother’s Day gift! <h3>First, my sanity tips for Mom, and next, my ideas for the best gifts ever — or ones I’d enjoy!</h3>Here are my Mother’s Day Sanity tips: 1. If you are cooking, make an easy meal: Baked Ham, store-bought scalloped or mashed potatoes, frozen or canned veggies, and prepared salads. 2. Do a potluck. Everyone loves to show off a special recipe. Assign different entrees or sides and desserts to those attending and let everyone else help with the meal. 3. Use paper products. The trees will survive another day. 4. Flowers. Buy yourself some. You can get them locally at a discount. Make your own arrangements. Hint: Use all of one color and baby’s breath for filler. You can not mess up. I promise! 5. Do something for you. Is it a 15-minute uninterrupted shower or soak in the tub? Is it a manicure? Is it a book that you want to read? What I’ve learned from the thirty-eight years of being a mom… many times, your family wants you to have the perfect day because they really do love and appreciate you; they need help! Being proactive goes a long way to making your day wonderful! My favorite Mother’s Day gift was going to church, then out to the beach, and one of our favorite casual restaurants. There is a pizza restaurant that has an extensive sandwich, and salad menu as well. Here we can sit with an amazing view and enjoy each other’s company. The food is delicious and then we can go to the beach and enjoy a few hours before it gets too hot! When we get home, the kids help clean out the car; it gets vacuumed while I shower. Then, prep for an evening meal handled by my now grown-up teens and husband! Things have changed but then, I had to ask for the change, something we moms don’t want to do! <h3>Suggestions for Great Mother’s Day Gift Ideas:</h3>1. Gift Subscriptions – sometimes there are subscriptions I won’t buy for myself and I really want. This is my top list. DO you have any you would add? <ul> <li>Audible</li> <li>Kindle Unlimited or other eReader subscriptions</li> <li>Streaming movie channels – like Hallmark *wink</li> <li>Streaming radio channels</li></ul>2. Coupons from kids <ul> <li>I love you mommy notes!</li> <li>Neck messages</li> <li>“Chore upgrade” coupons</li> <li>Car wash</li></ul>3. Flower bushes <ul> <li>Rose bushes</li> <li>Flowers planted</li> <li>Mulch</li> <li>Tree planted</li></ul>4. Household <ul> <li>Trash emptied each day!</li> <li>House cleaned</li> <li>Floors cleaned</li></ul>5. Devices <ul> <li>Sleeve for laptop</li> <li>New phone case</li> <li>eReader</li> <li>Battery charger</li></ul>Relax. Have Fun. Enjoy Your Day. <h3>Enjoy this podcast? Listen in to these:</h3> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/tips-stregthen-adult-mother-daughter-relationship/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Tips to Strengthen the Mother-Daughter Relationship</a> <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/flowers-for-mom/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Flowers for Mom</a> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/mothers-day-gifts-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Special Replay | Mother’s Day Gifts</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Special Replay | Mother’s Day Gifts

Soldier Lessons ~ Just For Kids ~ Episode 493 What are soldier lessons? These are things we can learn from soldiers and apply to our lives. The military men and women are tough and become tough through training and the ideals of protecting others. They give of themselves for noble causes. In this JUST for Kids episode, we can learn from the men and women that serve our country. This episode is brought to you by CTCMath.com – a wonderful math curriculum for all of your homeschool needs, or to brush up on new skills. I want to welcome you to this podcast and encourage you to like this episode and share it with a friend, this helps us tremendously and in doing so, pays it forward. Do you know a soldier? Perhaps you have a family member or a neighbor, or maybe you live in a town that has a military base. Maybe you know what a soldier does, and maybe this is new information for you. In my family, my youngest son is in the Army and he is a 2nd Luietnent. I’ve watched him work very hard to get in shape and eat right. This is way before he was sent to training. I think we can learn so much from soldiers and that is what this episode is all about, learning by watching others and using the useful information in your own life. Each branch of the military has a set of rules the soldiers follow, but most are very similar. There are words like loyalty, honor, respect, duty, giving of yourself (selfless), courage, and integrity. Do these words mean anything to you? In a family we do these things,  we are loyal to our family and have respect for our parents and siblings, we have our duties, the things that are required of us, and we give of ourselves when we are asked to do things that are above what is expected. Having integrity means not cheating or stealing and doing what is right, these are also called morals. Courage may not be something that is used as much in families because you should feel safe in your own family. But maybe you might need courage if there is something you must stand up for, even yourself. We will get back to these traits in a minute. Something remarkable that I’ve noticed about my own soldier son and his friends is that many are self-motivated. What does this mean? It means they do the hard things because they are supposed to not because someone makes them. I watched my son fill a backpack with forty-five pounds of weight and walk and run until he could do at least five miles well. It turns out he had to do 12-14 miles or more rucks – that means walking and running with a heavy weight on your back. He said sometimes his pack weighed 100 lbs. He trained in water, in the mountains, and in the swamps and this prepares the soldiers for the different terrain they may experience. What these young men do is train to be ready. Are you ready? Ready for what? For your life? How are you training to be the best you can be? Many times we try to get away with doing the least amount of work, right? What if you are asked to clean up your room? Is it easier to pick up your clothes and put them away or is it easier to kick them under the bed for another time? What did you say? If you said kick them under the bed, that is a short-term solution – this means you will eventually have to do the work of getting those clothes out and taking care of them, so why not do it right away? In your life, you can be the best you can be or the worse. Who wants to be last or be a loser? No one. You might say you don’t care, but all of us care.  What can we learn about life from a soldier? Soldiers must do the best they can or they will be cut out, fail their training, be sent to the end of the training to do it again, or worse get dropped. That means they will get jobs that no one else wants. If a soldier does the best they can they will be selected for important jobs because they have proved they can do it. Don’t you want to get the best jobs instead of the worse? If you show you can do the easy stuff you will. It takes practice. No one not even a soldier is great at a job the first time. Let’s say you are not happy OR you may think no one cares about you so why should you try? The only person you can make care of is yourself. You should want to do the best you can because you can, not because of what you think others will say. That is being a soldier, the kind of soldier that puts integrity and honor first. Integrity is doing what is right and not cheating someone and trusting yourself to make good choices. Honor is carrying respecting others and serving others in a way that is right and just. Write down the words loyalty, honor, respect, duty, giving of yourself (selfless), courage, and integrity. Think about how you live your life and think about ways you can improve. All of us can get better and learn from others, not just kids but adults as well. How can you be more loyal? Show honor and respect within your family. How can you do your duty in a way that is correct and how can you give of yourself to your family and friends? What about courage and integrity? How can you use those in your daily life? In the training that some soldiers go through they are sleep deprived and don’t have enough to eat. Sleep deprivation means they are not allowed to sleep very much each day, and often work through the night. Sometimes they stay up all day and all night. Not having enough to eat is hard, it means the soldiers go hungry. Why does this happen? To make the soldiers stronger, and to show them that if they can withstand this type of hardship they can do anything. They keep going, they do not stop, they do what they are told, and they do it to the best of their ability. They are hungry. They are tired. They have to push beyond their limits. That makes them stronger. Thankfully in your life, you can go to bed at a decent time, and no one makes you wake up to take a walk in the woods to do training, thankfully! In your life, you can eat three meals a day and often have snacks if you are hungry. Try to be like a soldier and don’t eat your snacks or dessert one day. How does that make you feel? If you can deny yourself a treat, you can deny yourself something else like doing the wrong thing. You may be tempted to sneak that cookie before mealtime when your mom tells you to wait or do something else that is not right. Showing yourself that you have the willpower (that is the power to go against the easy way or what you want to do) will make you a stronger person. I hope this makes you think about the ways you can improve your life. Can you make a plan to try one thing a day? One day try to be loyal, another respectful, try to do your chores or school work the best you can, another time be helpful to others and another has the courage to stand up for what is right and to have integrity in all that you do. Can you imagine if we all tried to live lives like this we would be so much stronger and better! When people do not act the best it causes all of us to pay for it in some way. We lock our cars and our homes because we are worried someone might steal from us. We put our money in the bank for the same reason. People get hurt when others do not act honorable. But the best place to show that you can be the best is at your own home. If you can try these things without anyone knowing about it – and I am sure your brothers, sisters, and parents will notice. Just like being bad gets attention, being good and doing what is right does as well. I pray that looking at the good qualities of a soldier that is to fight and protect us is very helpful to our own country. It is designed to keep us safe. Acting honorably in your own family will be helpful to all! The post Soldier Lessons appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/VHM-Just-for-kids-pin.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Soldier Lessons ~ Just For Kids ~ Episode 493</h3> What are soldier lessons? These are things we can learn from soldiers and apply to our lives. The military men and women are tough and become tough through training and the ideals of protecting others. They give of themselves for noble causes. In this JUST for Kids episode, we can learn from the men and women that serve our country. This episode is brought to you by <a href="https://ctcmath.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CTCMath.com</a> – a wonderful math curriculum for all of your homeschool needs, or to brush up on new skills. I want to welcome you to this podcast and encourage you to like this episode and share it with a friend, this helps us tremendously and in doing so, pays it forward. Do you know a soldier? Perhaps you have a family member or a neighbor, or maybe you live in a town that has a military base. Maybe you know what a soldier does, and maybe this is new information for you. In my family, my youngest son is in the Army and he is a 2nd Luietnent. I’ve watched him work very hard to get in shape and eat right. This is way before he was sent to training. I think we can learn so much from soldiers and that is what this episode is all about, learning by watching others and using the useful information in your own life. Each branch of the military has a set of rules the soldiers follow, but most are very similar. There are words like loyalty, honor, respect, duty, giving of yourself (selfless), courage, and integrity. Do these words mean anything to you? In a family we do these things,  we are loyal to our family and have respect for our parents and siblings, we have our duties, the things that are required of us, and we give of ourselves when we are asked to do things that are above what is expected. Having integrity means not cheating or stealing and doing what is right, these are also called morals. Courage may not be something that is used as much in families because you should feel safe in your own family. But maybe you might need courage if there is something you must stand up for, even yourself. We will get back to these traits in a minute. Something remarkable that I’ve noticed about my own soldier son and his friends is that many are self-motivated. What does this mean? It means they do the hard things because they are supposed to not because someone makes them. I watched my son fill a backpack with forty-five pounds of weight and walk and run until he could do at least five miles well. It turns out he had to do 12-14 miles or more rucks – that means walking and running with a heavy weight on your back. He said sometimes his pack weighed 100 lbs. He trained in water, in the mountains, and in the swamps and this prepares the soldiers for the different terrain they may experience. What these young men do is train to be ready. Are you ready? Ready for what? For your life? How are you training to be the best you can be? Many times we try to get away with doing the least amount of work, right? What if you are asked to clean up your room? Is it easier to pick up your clothes and put them away or is it easier to kick them under the bed for another time? What did you say? If you said kick them under the bed, that is a short-term solution – this means you will eventually have to do the work of getting those clothes out and taking care of them, so why not do it right away? In your life, you can be the best you can be or the worse. Who wants to be last or be a loser? No one. You might say you don’t care, but all of us care.  What can we learn about life from a soldier? Soldiers must do the best they can or they will be cut out, fail their training, be sent to the end of the training to do it again, or worse get dropped. That means they will get jobs that no one else wants. If a soldier does the best they can they will be selected for important jobs because they have proved they can do it. Don’t you want to get the best jobs instead of the worse? If you show you can do the easy stuff you will. It takes practice. No one not even a soldier is great at a job the first time. Let’s say you are not happy OR you may think no one cares about you so why should you try? The only person you can make care of is yourself. You should want to do the best you can because you can, not because of what you think others will say. That is being a soldier, the kind of soldier that puts integrity and honor first. Integrity is doing what is right and not cheating someone and trusting yourself to make good choices. Honor is carrying respecting others and serving others in a way that is right and just. Write down the words loyalty, honor, respect, duty, giving of yourself (selfless), courage, and integrity. Think about how you live your life and think about ways you can improve. All of us can get better and learn from others, not just kids but adults as well. How can you be more loyal? Show honor and respect within your family. How can you do your duty in a way that is correct and how can you give of yourself to your family and friends? What about courage and integrity? How can you use those in your daily life? In the training that some soldiers go through they are sleep deprived and don’t have enough to eat. Sleep deprivation means they are not allowed to sleep very much each day, and often work through the night. Sometimes they stay up all day and all night. Not having enough to eat is hard, it means the soldiers go hungry. Why does this happen? To make the soldiers stronger, and to show them that if they can withstand this type of hardship they can do anything. They keep going, they do not stop, they do what they are told, and they do it to the best of their ability. They are hungry. They are tired. They have to push beyond their limits. That makes them stronger. Thankfully in your life, you can go to bed at a decent time, and no one makes you wake up to take a walk in the woods to do training, thankfully! In your life, you can eat three meals a day and often have snacks if you are hungry. Try to be like a soldier and don’t eat your snacks or dessert one day. How does that make you feel? If you can deny yourself a treat, you can deny yourself something else like doing the wrong thing. You may be tempted to sneak that cookie before mealtime when your mom tells you to wait or do something else that is not right. Showing yourself that you have the willpower (that is the power to go against the easy way or what you want to do) will make you a stronger person. I hope this makes you think about the ways you can improve your life. Can you make a plan to try one thing a day? One day try to be loyal, another respectful, try to do your chores or school work the best you can, another time be helpful to others and another has the courage to stand up for what is right and to have integrity in all that you do. Can you imagine if we all tried to live lives like this we would be so much stronger and better! When people do not act the best it causes all of us to pay for it in some way. We lock our cars and our homes because we are worried someone might steal from us. We put our money in the bank for the same reason. People get hurt when others do not act honorable. But the best place to show that you can be the best is at your own home. If you can try these things without anyone knowing about it – and I am sure your brothers, sisters, and parents will notice. Just like being bad gets attention, being good and doing what is right does as well. I pray that looking at the good qualities of a soldier that is to fight and protect us is very helpful to our own country. It is designed to keep us safe. Acting honorably in your own family will be helpful to all! The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/soldier-lessons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Soldier Lessons</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Soldier Lessons

Truth Seekers Mystery Series Episode  Join Felice Gerwitz as she interviews her co-author in the Truth Seeker’s Mystery Series, Christina (Gerwitz) Moss. Christina shares her homeschool experience and how the series evolved from an idea to three books in the series. Thanks to our sponsor, CTCMath.com – we are pleased for their continued excellence in education and dedication to the homeschool community. It is due to sponsorships that our programs continue to come to you without cost. Please visit the website and check out their curriculum. Christina began the idea of writing a novel and finally convinced her mom it was a good idea. When Felice, a non-fiction author with a publishing company, Media Angels, Inc., explained she didn’t know how to write a novel, her daughter shot back. “We are homeschoolers; we can figure it out!” And figure it out; they did. First In The Truth Seekers Mystery Series Christina’s first novel, The Missing Link Found (Book One in the Truth Seekers Mystery Series), outsold her mother’s Creation Science: A Study Guide at the convention debut. In fact, this book helped children learn about Creation science in a fun way, and in turn, they were enthusiastic about attending creation science events.   Encourage Your Kids to Solve Their Own Creation Science Mystery Media Angels, Inc. offers the Creation Science Camp. Perfect for homeschool, co-op, or Christian school classroom. Each day you study one day of God’s amazing Creation! One Week of Full Activities or break it up into a longer period of time. Your choice. This digital download is a special price right now. Save 50%!   If you Enjoyed this Podcast on the Mystery Series, Listen to This: The Truth Seekers Mystery Series Perfect for Summer Reading – Keys to the Past: Unlocked    The post Truth Seekers Mystery Series | Special Replay appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Truth-Seekers-Mystery-Series-.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Truth Seekers Mystery Series Episode </h3> Join Felice Gerwitz as she interviews her co-author in the Truth Seeker’s Mystery Series, Christina (Gerwitz) Moss. Christina shares her homeschool experience and how the series evolved from an idea to three books in the series. Thanks to our sponsor, <a href="http://www.ctcmath.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CTCMath.com</a> – we are pleased for their continued excellence in education and dedication to the homeschool community. It is due to sponsorships that our programs continue to come to you without cost. Please visit the website and check out their curriculum. Christina began the idea of writing a novel and finally convinced her mom it was a good idea. When Felice, a non-fiction author with a publishing company, Media Angels, Inc., explained she didn’t know how to write a novel, her daughter shot back. “We are homeschoolers; we can figure it out!” And figure it out; they did. <h3>First In The Truth Seekers Mystery Series</h3> Christina’s first novel, The Missing Link Found (Book One in the Truth Seekers Mystery Series), outsold her mother’s Creation Science: A Study Guide at the convention debut. In fact, this book helped children learn about Creation science in a fun way, and in turn, they were enthusiastic about attending creation science events. <h3>Encourage Your Kids to Solve Their Own Creation Science Mystery</h3> Media Angels, Inc. offers the <a href="https://mediaangels.com/product/creation-camp-digital-download/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Creation Science Camp</a>. Perfect for homeschool, co-op, or Christian school classroom. Each day you study one day of God’s amazing Creation! One Week of Full Activities or break it up into a longer period of time. Your choice. This digital download is a special price right now. Save 50%! <h3>If you Enjoyed this Podcast on the Mystery Series, Listen to This:</h3> <blockquote><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/the-truth-seekers-mystery-series-perfect-for-summer-reading-keys-to-the-past-unlocked/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Truth Seekers Mystery Series Perfect for Summer Reading – Keys to the Past: Unlocked</a></blockquote> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/mystery-series-gerwitz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Truth Seekers Mystery Series | Special Replay</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Truth Seekers Mystery Series | Special Replay

Faith and Homeschooling Episode # 262 Faith and homeschooling, how do these two things work together? Is faith and homeschooling a part of your life, or are faith and homeschooling compartmentalized? In this episode, we explore why our faith should be an integral part of our homeschool day and integrated into our lives. Our children learn best by example, and what better way to show our children than through the experiences in a well-rounded homeschool curriculum? Thanks to our sponsor, CTCMath.com – we are pleased for their continued excellence in education and dedication to the homeschool community. It is due to sponsorships that our programs continue to come to you without cost. Please visit the website and check out their curriculum. Show Notes: Faith and Homeschooling Homeschooling is a lifestyle with learning coming easily into our daily experiences. In this way, my children recognize the opportunities presented to them as part of what we do but also part of their school experience. Quick Tips for incorporating faith into you homeschool: Let’s get started. Incorporate Bible into your daily homeschooling routine. Kids watch us; are we praying? Do you use a journal in prayer? Do you study the Bible? I created the course, Homeschooling with Proverbs– because I wanted a family Bible course with all of us on the same page. Homeschooling and faith in our family are intertwined, although it didn’t begin that way. Listen to the audio as I share my beginning of the homeschool journey. Make prayer a large part of your day – faith in practice. We pray as a family and still do this today, even with grown kids in the house, kids home from college, and kids who work and live at home. Daily prayer keeps our family focused on the real meaning of life – a life with God. Prayer has been answered in abundance in our home by keeping God first in our lives. Use a Curriculum that is Christian faith-focused. Do you use a curriculum devoid of faith or one that encourages your faith journey? My daughter and I wrote a series of Creation based novels that are still popular today. You can find them on MediaAngels.com or on Amazon: Novel 1- Missing Link Found, Novel 2- Dinosaur Quest at Diamond Peak, Novel 3- Keys to the Past Unlocked, along with study guides. These novels have a Christian focus, and the children are homeschooled (of course!). We also studied the creation vs. evolution discussion and studied a series I also wrote on the topic. How do you incorporate faith in your homeschool? My kids have gone on to college and be able, successfully, to present scientific evidence for creationism in the college classroom and with professors in private. This came from years of homeschooling and study. Additional Tips for Introducing Faith into Your Homeschool  Celebrate feast days; make it part of your homeschooling curriculum. I love to celebrate the names of my children and the days on a religious calendar. You can find information here Visit places that are notable, churches and shrines. I share a testimonial about doing this as a child with my family in Italy when I toured the Vatican and Sistine Chapel in Rome as well as a friend who came to know God through the churches in Europe.   Media Angels Creation Bundle Do you believe that God created all … what about the world? Do you think HE could have created the world as stated in the Book of Genesis? This series will answer those questions and so much more! No boring science here! Great hands-on activities that children love, and they’ll actually remember what they’ve learned long after the books are closed. Read great books, demonstrate theories with activities, and learn the joy of knowing our universe was created by an amazing God. Completely re-edited with many pages added, including lesson plans!  This is written for all grade levels integrating all subjects. This includes outlines, activities, experiments, vocabulary, reading lists, math ideas, book reviews, reproducible sheets, and much more. Get yours here.    The post Faith and Homeschooling appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3>Faith and Homeschooling</h3> Episode # 262 Faith and homeschooling, how do these two things work together? Is faith and <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/begin-homeschooling/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">homeschoolin</a>g a part of your life, or are faith and homeschooling compartmentalized? In this episode, we explore why our faith should be an integral part of our homeschool day and integrated into our lives. Our children learn best by example, and what better way to show our children than through the experiences in a well-rounded homeschool curriculum? Thanks to our sponsor, <a href="http://www.ctcmath.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CTCMath.com</a> – we are pleased for their continued excellence in education and dedication to the homeschool community. It is due to sponsorships that our programs continue to come to you without cost. Please visit the website and check out their curriculum. <h3>Show Notes: Faith and Homeschooling</h3> Homeschooling is a lifestyle with learning coming easily into our daily experiences. In this way, my children recognize the opportunities presented to them as part of what we do but also part of their school experience. <h3>Quick Tips for incorporating faith into you homeschool:</h3> Let’s get started. <h4>Incorporate Bible into your daily homeschooling routine.</h4> Kids watch us; are we praying? Do you use a journal in prayer? Do you study the Bible? I created the course, <a href="http://mediaangelsmembership.com/homeschooling-proverbs-online-curriculum/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homeschooling with Proverbs</a>– because I wanted a family Bible course with all of us on the same page. Homeschooling and faith in our family are intertwined, although it didn’t begin that way. Listen to the audio as I share my beginning of the homeschool journey. <h4>Make prayer a large part of your day – faith in practice.</h4> We pray as a family and still do this today, even with grown kids in the house, kids home from college, and kids who work and live at home. Daily prayer keeps our family focused on the real meaning of life – a life with God. Prayer has been answered in abundance in our home by keeping God first in our lives. <h4>Use a Curriculum that is Christian faith-focused.</h4> Do you use a curriculum devoid of faith or one that encourages your faith journey? My daughter and I wrote a series of Creation based novels that are still popular today. You can find them on <a href="http://www.mediaangels.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MediaAngels.com</a> or on Amazon: Novel 1- Missing Link Found, Novel 2- Dinosaur Quest at Diamond Peak, Novel 3- Keys to the Past Unlocked, along with study guides. These novels have a Christian focus, and the children are homeschooled (of course!). We also studied the <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/preparing-your-kids-to-defend-creation-science/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">creation vs. evolution discussion</a> and studied a series I also wrote on the topic. How do you incorporate faith in your homeschool? My kids have gone on to college and be able, successfully, to present scientific evidence for creationism in the college classroom and with professors in private. This came from years of homeschooling and study. <h4><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/how-to-homeschool-practical-tips-and-advice-to-launch/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Additional Tips</a> for Introducing Faith into Your Homeschool</h4> <ol> <li>Celebrate feast days; make it part of your homeschooling curriculum. I love to celebrate the names of my children and the days on a religious calendar. You can find information<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_of_saints" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> here</a></li> <li><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/virtual-field-trips-planning/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Visit places that are notable</a>, churches and shrines. I share a testimonial about doing this as a child with my family in Italy when I toured the Vatican and Sistine Chapel in Rome as well as a friend who came to know God through the churches in Europe.</li> </ol> <a href="https://mediaangels.com/store/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <h3>Media Angels Creation Bundle</h3> Do you believe that God created all … what about the world? Do you think HE could have created the world as stated in the Book of Genesis? This series will answer those questions and so much more! No boring science here! Great hands-on activities that children love, and they’ll actually remember what they’ve learned long after the books are closed. Read great books, demonstrate theories with activities, and learn the joy of knowing our universe was created by an amazing God. Completely re-edited with many pages added, including lesson plans!  This is written for all grade levels integrating all subjects. This includes outlines, activities, experiments, vocabulary, reading lists, math ideas, book reviews, reproducible sheets, and much more. <a href="https://mediaangels.com/store/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Get yours here.</a> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/faith-and-homeschooling-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Faith and Homeschooling</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Faith and Homeschooling

Moms Fill UP Your Tank ~ Episode 492 When moms are empty, there is nothing to give; in this episode, we discuss how to fill up your tank so that you can pour out the best to your family. Join Felice as she shares her struggles and victories as a busy mom, business owner, and homeschooler. Thanks to our sponsor, CTCMath.com – we are pleased for their continued excellence in education and dedication to the homeschool community. It is due to sponsorships that our programs continue to come to you without cost. Please visit the website and check out their curriculum. Each of us measures success differently. Maybe success is getting the laundry washed, dried, folded, and put away all in one day. For someone else, success is getting through the day without spills and serving sibling squabbles. For another, it might mean figuring out a pesky Algebra problem. For me, success means accomplishing something no matter what I do. I invite you to visit my website for a selection of Character Planners here for your kids, just in time for any season. Years ago, I would not have created a podcast on this topic because I am what I would call a mommy martyr. What is the definition of a mommy martyr? That is someone who doesn’t think they need any help and can do everything on their own! I struggled with thinking I needed any time for myself. I thought it was selfish if I wanted a few minutes to regroup, change my clothes, or even use the restroom without an audience. Any mom with kids under five totally understands what I am saying. So, it is no wonder that we sag at the end of the day and are greet our spouses with lackluster enthusiasm. As a young mom, my wonderful and caring mother-in-law shared a book with me that caused me to laugh so hard I had tears in my eyes. It spoke of being showered, dressed and ready at the end of each day to greet your spouse. To be fair, I don’t go anywhere without some eye makeup on – that is just me. I don’t like to look like I am dragging, and it is amazing what a little mascara and a light coating of eyeliner can do to make my eyes pop! Not that it is the same for everyone. But if we look good, even for ourselves, it is a blessing to others. Of course, the lady on the cover wore heels, no less. She considered this the guide to being a good mother and housewife. But nowhere within the pages was this lady a homeschool mom – and that friend makes us unique. As homeschool moms, we don’t get that daily break of having kids at school, but even parents whose kids go to school find their days filled with all types of activities, many family-focused. How can we divide our day to give ourselves a break? A good friend shared that she would switch off time with another homeschool parent. Maybe they had craft days during this time, but instead of using her time grocery shopping or cleaning, she spent the time at the park praising God or praying in some way. She said that filled her up with the love of God to the point that she was ready to tackle the rest of the week. For me, that time of prayer was in the morning during my first cup of coffee. I had a chair in my bedroom and had instructed my little ones to wait until I was done for breakfast and prayer time with them. My husband left early in the morning, and I used the time after he went to work to pray. The kids learned early on that if they interrupted me with something unnecessary, in their words, “Mommy was grouchy all day.” What is helpful to you? If you have little ones, the answer might be just getting them down for naps or sleeping all night. It is different for each of us, depending on the stage of life we are in. However, filling up the time that we have can take minutes. Here are some helpful ideas, and please use this as a jumping-off point. We moms are great multi-taskers! Perhaps doing one of these things while doing something else will be useful. Playing music while folding laundry. Listening to a favorite podcast while emptying or filling the dishwasher. These small things can be so helpful! One mom told me she and her children listened to my podcasts while painting a room. I have specific podcasts that I call the “Just for Kids Series,” and these are available as well. Whatever that is, it may take some planning, but it is helpful. Truly friends, sometimes it takes seeing a short list of ideas to spark our own. It really boils down to planning your time wisely. If we do this, we can easily increase the time in our day. Our checklist planners and our current free offering, our “Organize IT” monthly planners, are designed to help moms as well. These are available on the MediaAngels.com website or to our subscribers of this network. You can sign up here for our weekly eZine and planners. Quick Ideas For Moms  Take time in the early morning for yourself, whether that is a cup of coffee, tea, or your favorite drink. A prayer meditation on an app, or the Bible, something that fills you with joy, is helpful. Music – do you have a playlist of favorite songs? When you need that, pick up and listen to one! Use an essential oil diffuser – it is amazing how a little bit of lavender goes a long way, or whatever your favorite scent. Changing out of your PJs – I know we like to be comfortable. But either make the day jammies day, and the entire family can sit around in loungewear or change after breakfast. I always feel better when I start the day fresh. Put on light makeup. This does wonders for me. Once, I tried going without eyeliner, and everyone kept telling me I looked tired when I was not! Try looking your best for yourself!  If you have a little extra time, here are some things I enjoy that may be helpful; again, remember to make up your own list of things, even if it is a wish list at this point in time. Longer Ideas for Moms  Read a good book. Sure, it may take a month to get through to the end, but at least you have something to look forward to at the end of the day. Listen to an audiobook; I have a subscription to an audiobook service and listen in the car while doing errands. The public library has free services. Plan a date night. Even if it is in the home after the kids are in bed, it is something to look forward to! My husband and I take turns asking each other out via text. It really lifts my mood during the day. One of my friends trades off with her husband, and each week one of them plans an outing for the other. Downtime. Go to the park or just out for a drive alone if you need time for solitude. As one mom shared, “I wish someone would put me in my room for time out!” If you can’t get away, allow your kids movie time and retreat to your room for some quiet time alone. When I suggested this to a friend, she looked at me as if I was brilliant; the thought had never occurred to her. Sitting outdoors and observing nature. This is so soothing to me. It is not in my nature to sit and enjoy my surroundings but when I do I am so blessed. The other day a red cardinal sat on our backyard fence singing, which was so beautiful — but instead of just enjoying it I had to find my phone and snap a picture. Trying to slow down and fill up does not come easy, but when we do, we will be happy we did.  I so wish we were in a room chatting to share ideas, but I hope some of these were helpful or, at the least, gave you ideas of your own. We, moms, are unique. We give our time and efforts to our kids, and it is a thankless job but something we would do all over again and again. We signed up for this, and I pray you are blessed in your own journey and living the dream! The post Moms Fill Up Your Tank appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/VHM-Momsfillupyourtanks-Pinterest-Pin-1000-×-1500-px.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Moms Fill UP Your Tank ~ Episode 492</h3> When moms are empty, there is nothing to give; in this episode, we discuss how to fill up your tank so that you can pour out the best to your family. Join Felice as she shares her struggles and victories as a busy mom, business owner, and homeschooler. Thanks to our sponsor, <a href="http://www.ctcmath.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CTCMath.com</a> – we are pleased for their continued excellence in education and dedication to the homeschool community. It is due to sponsorships that our programs continue to come to you without cost. Please visit the website and check out their curriculum. Each of us measures success differently. Maybe success is getting the laundry washed, dried, fol<a href="https://mediaangels.com/product/character-counts-12-pack-character-planners-for-kids/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"></a>ded, and put away all in one day. For someone else, success is getting through the day without spills and serving sibling squabbles. For another, it might mean figuring out a pesky Algebra problem. For me, success means accomplishing something no matter what I do. I invite you to visit my website for a selection of <a href="https://mediaangels.com/product/character-counts-12-pack-character-planners-for-kids/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Character Planners here</a> for your kids, just in time for any season. Years ago, I would not have created a podcast on this topic because I am what I would call a mommy martyr. What is the definition of a mommy martyr? That is someone who doesn’t think they need any help and can do everything on their own! I struggled with thinking I needed any time for myself. I thought it was selfish if I wanted a few minutes to regroup, change my clothes, or even use the restroom without an audience. Any mom with kids under five totally understands what I am saying. So, it is no wonder that we sag at the end of the day and are greet our spouses with lackluster enthusiasm. As a young mom, my wonderful and caring mother-in-law shared a book with me that caused me to laugh so hard I had tears in my eyes. It spoke of being showered, dressed and ready at the end of each day to greet your spouse. To be fair, I don’t go anywhere without some eye makeup on – that is just me. I don’t like to look like I am dragging, and it is amazing what a little mascara and a light coating of eyeliner can do to make my eyes pop! Not that it is the same for everyone. But if we look good, even for ourselves, it is a blessing to others. Of course, the lady on the cover wore heels, no less. She considered this the guide to being a good mother and housewife. But nowhere within the pages was this lady a homeschool mom – and that friend makes us unique. As homeschool moms, we don’t get that daily break of having kids at school, but even parents whose kids go to school find their days filled with all types of activities, many family-focused. How can we divide our day to give ourselves a break? A good friend shared that she would switch off time with another homeschool parent. Maybe they had craft days during this time, but instead of using her time grocery shopping or cleaning, she spent the time at the park praising God or praying in some way. She said that filled her up with the love of God to the point that she was ready to tackle the rest of the week. For me, that time of prayer was in the morning during my first cup of coffee. I had a chair in my bedroom and had instructed my little ones to wait until I was done for breakfast and prayer time with them. My husband left early in the morning, and I used the time after he went to work to pray. The kids learned early on that if they interrupted me with something unnecessary, in their words, “Mommy was grouchy all day.” What is helpful to you? If you have little ones, the answer might be just getting them down for naps or sleeping all night. It is different for each of us, depending on the stage of life we are in. However, filling up the time that we have can take minutes. Here are some helpful ideas, and please use this as a jumping-off point. We moms are great multi-taskers! Perhaps doing one of these things while doing something else will be useful. Playing music while folding laundry. Listening to a favorite podcast while emptying or filling the dishwasher. These small things can be so helpful! One mom told me she and her children listened to my podcasts while painting a room. I have specific podcasts that I call the “Just for Kids Series,” and these are available as well. Whatever that is, it may take some planning, but it is helpful. Truly friends, sometimes it takes seeing a short list of ideas to spark our own. It really boils down to planning your time wisely. If we do this, we can easily increase the time in our day. Our checklist planners and our current free offering, our “Organize IT” monthly planners, are designed to help moms as well. These are available on the <a href="https://www.mediaangels.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MediaAngels.com</a> website or to our subscribers of this network. You can <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/sign-up/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sign up</a> here for our weekly eZine and planners. Quick Ideas For Moms <ol> <li>Take time in the early morning for yourself, whether that is a cup of coffee, tea, or your favorite drink. A prayer meditation on an app, or the Bible, something that fills you with joy, is helpful.</li> <li>Music – do you have a playlist of favorite songs? When you need that, pick up and listen to one!</li> <li>Use an essential oil diffuser – it is amazing how a little bit of lavender goes a long way, or whatever your favorite scent.</li> <li>Changing out of your PJs – I know we like to be comfortable. But either make the day jammies day, and the entire family can sit around in loungewear or change after breakfast. I always feel better when I start the day fresh.</li> <li>Put on light makeup. This does wonders for me. Once, I tried going without eyeliner, and everyone kept telling me I looked tired when I was not! Try looking your best for yourself!</li> </ol> If you have a little extra time, here are some things I enjoy that may be helpful; again, remember to make up your own list of things, even if it is a wish list at this point in time. Longer Ideas for Moms <ol> <li>Read a good book. Sure, it may take a month to get through to the end, but at least you have something to look forward to at the end of the day.</li> <li>Listen to an audiobook; I have a subscription to an audiobook service and listen in the car while doing errands. The public library has free services.</li> <li>Plan a date night. Even if it is in the home after the kids are in bed, it is something to look forward to! My husband and I take turns asking each other out via text. It really lifts my mood during the day. One of my friends trades off with her husband, and each week one of them plans an outing for the other.</li> <li>Downtime. Go to the park or just out for a drive alone if you need time for solitude. As one mom shared, “I wish someone would put me in my room for time out!” If you can’t get away, allow your kids movie time and retreat to your room for some quiet time alone. When I suggested this to a friend, she looked at me as if I was brilliant; the thought had never occurred to her.</li> <li>Sitting outdoors and observing nature. This is so soothing to me. It is not in my nature to sit and enjoy my surroundings but when I do I am so blessed. The other day a red cardinal sat on our backyard fence singing, which was so beautiful — but instead of just enjoying it I had to find my phone and snap a picture. Trying to slow down and fill up does not come easy, but when we do, we will be happy we did.</li> </ol> I so wish we were in a room chatting to share ideas, but I hope some of these were helpful or, at the least, gave you ideas of your own. We, moms, are unique. We give our time and efforts to our kids, and it is a thankless job but something we would do all over again and again. We signed up for this, and I pray you are blessed in your own journey and living the dream! The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/moms/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Moms Fill Up Your Tank</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Moms Fill Up Your Tank

Homeschool Secret Weapon ~ Episode 491 The homeschool secret weapon is not the perfect curriculum, perfectly run home, or peaceful household. While all of those things are great, the true secret lies in the little-known information, and once you get it right, the rest falls into place. Join veteran homeschooling mom Felice Gerwitz as she shares her homeschool experience with you. Visit the updated MediaAngels.com website for classes, books, and planners to help you on your homeschool journey. If you missed my last podcast, Homeschooling Secrets, check it out here. So…it’s time to dig deep, and I need your full attention. Sure, homeschool moms are great multi-taskers. You may be driving, folding clothes, or perhaps even painting a wall with your kids. (I’ve received emails telling me the favorite activities of my listeners.) But, seriously, I need your attention today because the information I am sharing with you will take some convincing. It is not that my information is incorrect or that it is flawed in some way; the issue at hand is that humility may get in the way. I’m not trying to be vague if you have listened to any of my past 490 podcasts a ridiculous number, I know, and I’m still at it; I normally get right to the point. The Real Secret Weapon The truth is the secret weapon is you, mom, or dad. Not to put pressure on you more than you possibly put on yourself, but the simple fact is you are it! You are the head of your home, classroom, discipline, and organization in your family, the head honcho, or whatever title you give yourself. Who gives the final word on what happens in your child’s education? You. In regard to your child’s physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being in the palm of your hand. Literally. How did I come to this conclusion? Carefully. Over the years, I placed blame on various sources, entities, and even my own shoulders for what I considered academic or character struggles my children went through in their life. The curriculum was easy – if my child didn’t “get” Algebra using one book, no worries – we purchased another. Character struggles were the result of a young age (they are too young to get it), too little knowledge (we haven’t covered that yet) or lack of information (we are working on that). But at some point, I had to stop and say, “I can’t blame their teacher because I am their teacher.” Instead of that statement being a burden, I embraced it. I realized that I could not address the issue without acknowledging my shortcomings. If my child was misbehaving, I had many options, but I had to do something to correct that behavior, or I’d see it again and again. I’d turn into the nagging, repeating parent. Word on the Street At every convention I attended, I found the next best thing. Yet, upon implementation, I found that this next-best thing was not what I was looking for, whether it was a book, workbook, video, game, or even a book on scheduling and organization. I discovered that I needed to be “all in” in order to embrace what we were learning and be there to support my child in the process. As homeschoolers, we tend to want to set it and forget it. Give your child a book and walk away and then become frustrated when they walk away from the table and never come back, lose their book, or fail to complete an assignment. This all happened in the course of my 32 years of homeschooling. My discovery came from many discussions with my husband, homeschool friends, and children. First, my husband shared information he learned from listening to a homeschooled dad of a large family, a Catholic Psychologist he listened to on the radio. He loved this man and his advice, especially to dads.  His advice was that moms hold so much power in their hands. They can determine if the child receives privileges. It is up to them. That is not novel advice, but in the context of homeschooling it becomes powerful. We are with our children 24/7, and our children know what buttons to push; they know when we are tired, or they conquer and divide, tell mom or dad that the other parent gave permission when this isn’t true. Or, they blur the lines of exactly what it means when you ask, “Did you complete your assignment?” Homeschool Secret Weapons Tool Box: Having the tools to get the results you need is in your tool chest of homeschool secret weapons. And what are these?  You have the power of yes or no. You can remove distractions. You can set boundaries. You can decide if a child forgoes a snack or a treat. You can give permission or take it away.  My daughter brought home some friends when she attended a local university. One girl went on and on about how she was now an adult. I asked what age constituted adulthood and, secondly, when she turned said age. She answered eighteen and that her birthday had been a few months prior. So, I concluded you had been an adult for three months? She saw where I was going with it, and my daughter just laughed and rolled her eyes. This friend then proceeded to tell me that she and my daughter had had quite a few conversations, and she considered my interest in her life excessive. (She wasn’t quite blatant, but I knew what she meant.) I explained, “Well, this household is not a republic or a democracy. It is a monarchy, and I am the Queen.” My daughter had a smile on her face, thankfully because she had heard it before, but this girl was appalled. So I went on to explain further. You Are The Queen Being the head of your household and reigning as Queen means caring for those in your charge (your spouse, your children), laying down your life for your kingdom (your family), and providing the best within your means. A responsibility, yes, but a privilege as well. It is a weighty responsibility; we need to refill our tanks occasionally. (I have an upcoming podcast on the topic). Being the Queen is also a thankless job. We do it because we are born into this and thrive if it is done well. The homeschool secret weapon is our attitude and our outlook on our homeschool journey. It is placing things in perspective and not stressing the small stuff (guilty of both). Honestly, I had to pull away from the homeschool community at large for a time. I had to pull back and reexamine my focus on my spouse and children and regroup. I founded this Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Community out of a need to celebrate what was good in homeschooling with people I knew (the majority of the people on this network are those I know personally or have met in real life). You can trust these podcasters as having your best interest in giving homeschool advice. Next Step Friends, you are the homeschool secret weapon, and the question is, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to realize the power you have and use it wisely? I pray that this information has been helpful and you can use it to benefit your children and your family life. We undervalue our service to our family, or at best; we are too humble to appreciate it — that is why I asked for your full attention at the beginning of this podcast. I know your hearts are good, and you want what is best for your children, and when there are frustrations or difficulties, it is easy to blame others or even your children for their lack of cooperation. Knowing we have the tools at our disposal is a good start.     The post Homeschool Secret Weapon appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/VHM-Homeschoolsecretweapons-Pinterest-Pin-1000-×-1500-px.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Homeschool Secret Weapon ~ Episode 491</h3> The homeschool secret weapon is not the perfect curriculum, perfectly run home, or peaceful household. While all of those things are great, the true secret lies in the little-known information, and once you get it right, the rest falls into place. Join veteran homeschooling mom Felice Gerwitz as she shares her homeschool experience with you. Visit the updated <a href="https://www.mediaangels.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MediaAngels.com</a> website for classes, books, and planners to help you on your homeschool journey. If you missed my last podcast, <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/homeschooling-secrets/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homeschooling Secrets, check it out here.</a> So…it’s time to dig deep, and I need your full attention. Sure, homeschool moms are great multi-taskers. You may be driving, folding clothes, or perhaps even painting a wall with your kids. (I’ve received emails telling me the favorite activities of my listeners.) But, seriously, I need your attention today because the information I am sharing with you will take some convincing. It is not that my information is incorrect or that it is flawed in some way; the issue at hand is that humility may get in the way. I’m not trying to be vague if you have listened to any of my past 490 podcasts a ridiculous number, I know, and I’m still at it; I normally get right to the point. <h4>The Real Secret Weapon</h4> The truth is the secret weapon is you, mom, or dad. Not to put pressure on you more than you possibly put on yourself, but the simple fact is you are it! You are the head of your home, classroom, discipline, and organization in your family, the head honcho, or whatever title you give yourself. Who gives the final word on what happens in your child’s education? You. In regard to your child’s physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being in the palm of your hand. Literally. How did I come to this conclusion? Carefully. Over the years, I placed blame on various sources, entities, and even my own shoulders for what I considered academic or character struggles my children went through in their life. The curriculum was easy – if my child didn’t “get” Algebra using one book, no worries – we purchased another. Character struggles were the result of a young age (they are too young to get it), too little knowledge (we haven’t covered that yet) or lack of information (we are working on that). But at some point, I had to stop and say, “I can’t blame their teacher because I am their teacher.” Instead of that statement being a burden, I embraced it. I realized that I could not address the issue without acknowledging my shortcomings. If my child was misbehaving, I had many options, but I had to do something to correct that behavior, or I’d see it again and again. I’d turn into the nagging, repeating parent. <h4>Word on the Street</h4> At every convention I attended, I found the next best thing. Yet, upon implementation, I found that this next-best thing was not what I was looking for, whether it was a book, workbook, video, game, or even a book on scheduling and organization. I discovered that I needed to be “all in” in order to embrace what we were learning and be there to support my child in the process. As homeschoolers, we tend to want to set it and forget it. Give your child a book and walk away and then become frustrated when they walk away from the table and never come back, lose their book, or fail to complete an assignment. This all happened in the course of my 32 years of homeschooling. My discovery came from many discussions with my husband, homeschool friends, and children. First, my husband shared information he learned from listening to a homeschooled dad of a large family, a Catholic Psychologist he listened to on the radio. He loved this man and his advice, especially to dads.  His advice was that moms hold so much power in their hands. They can determine if the child receives privileges. It is up to them. That is not novel advice, but in the context of homeschooling it becomes powerful. We are with our children 24/7, and our children know what buttons to push; they know when we are tired, or they conquer and divide, tell mom or dad that the other parent gave permission when this isn’t true. Or, they blur the lines of exactly what it means when you ask, “Did you complete your assignment?” <h4>Homeschool Secret Weapons Tool Box:</h4> Having the tools to get the results you need is in your tool chest of homeschool secret weapons. And what are these? <ol> <li>You have the power of yes or no.</li> <li>You can remove distractions.</li> <li>You can set boundaries.</li> <li>You can decide if a child forgoes a snack or a treat.</li> <li>You can give permission or take it away.</li> </ol> My daughter brought home some friends when she attended a local university. One girl went on and on about how she was now an adult. I asked what age constituted adulthood and, secondly, when she turned said age. She answered eighteen and that her birthday had been a few months prior. So, I concluded you had been an adult for three months? She saw where I was going with it, and my daughter just laughed and rolled her eyes. This friend then proceeded to tell me that she and my daughter had had quite a few conversations, and she considered my interest in her life excessive. (She wasn’t quite blatant, but I knew what she meant.) I explained, “Well, this household is not a republic or a democracy. It is a monarchy, and I am the Queen.” My daughter had a smile on her face, thankfully because she had heard it before, but this girl was appalled. So I went on to explain further. <h4>You Are The Queen</h4> Being the head of your household and reigning as Queen means caring for those in your charge (your spouse, your children), laying down your life for your kingdom (your family), and providing the best within your means. A responsibility, yes, but a privilege as well. It is a weighty responsibility; we need to refill our tanks occasionally. (I have an upcoming podcast on the topic). Being the Queen is also a thankless job. We do it because we are born into this and thrive if it is done well. The homeschool secret weapon is our attitude and our outlook on our homeschool journey. It is placing things in perspective and not stressing the small stuff (guilty of both). Honestly, I had to pull away from the homeschool community at large for a time. I had to pull back and reexamine my focus on my spouse and children and regroup. I founded this Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Community out of a need to celebrate what was good in homeschooling with people I knew (the majority of the people on this network are those I know personally or have met in real life). You can trust these podcasters as having your best interest in giving homeschool advice. <h4>Next Step</h4> Friends, you are the homeschool secret weapon, and the question is, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to realize the power you have and use it wisely? I pray that this information has been helpful and you can use it to benefit your children and your family life. We undervalue our service to our family, or at best; we are too humble to appreciate it — that is why I asked for your full attention at the beginning of this podcast. I know your hearts are good, and you want what is best for your children, and when there are frustrations or difficulties, it is easy to blame others or even your children for their lack of cooperation. Knowing we have the tools at our disposal is a good start. The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/homeschool-secret-weapon/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homeschool Secret Weapon</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Homeschool Secret Weapon

Homeschooling Secrets ~ Episode 490 There are secrets, and then there are homeschooling secrets that you should know. This podcast is not for the faint-hearted! Here we will discuss the truth that, as the Scriptures say, will set you free! This podcast is brought to you by Felice Gerwitz, who will share her top tips for her thirty-two years of homeschooling. Buckle up! Would you like an open-it-and-go unit study for the entire family? Try Media Angels, unit studies, and great planners to get organized. These can be found on the store page at MediaAngels.com Considering Homeschooling As a young married woman with my first child on the way, I didn’t consider homeschooling, nor was it on my radar. Many years later, I found myself at playgroups with a toddler and hearing people discuss the possibility, so I did what any sane person would do and talked them out of the idea. After all, did they have teaching degrees or certifications as I did? I wasn’t planning on homeschooling but returning to teaching once my school-aged children were enrolled. What happened instead was after some frustrating meetings with the school system, it turned out my oldest child had mild learning issues and was speech delayed. I placed him in a private school and my daughter in a high-end-high-dollar preschool. I began to research and met a friend whose husband was a doctor, and she herself had a master’s in education and began homeschooling her daughter. She helped me put things in perspective. After my first frustrating year, I found that I had to make my own decisions and what worked best for my family. Other than following whatever the laws are in your state (and I would have moved if our laws were like some states which mandate what books you can use), we were free to learn in a way that was best for my kids. I’ve broken these secrets down into various categories. The first is just general information about how to look at homeschooling, the second regards parenting, the third is practical, regarding curriculum, and the last is important in regard to household chores and meals. So here you go some top-secret tips to help you in your homeschool planning: Homeschooling Secrets 101 ~ General  Decide your homeschooling philosophy – just like a business has a slogan, come up with one for your family. This will help, I promise. We brainstormed as a family and came up with things like: We are stronger together, Gerwitz Strong, and what we decided upon: As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15) Know why you are homeschooling. Is it academic? Is it to help your child with their worldview? Is it to give your child a stable family life? Is it to help your child spiritually or psychologically? Is it for a reason, learning advanced or learning delayed? Is it to avoid the issues plaguing education in our world today? Get a support group, whether it is a best friend who has your back, your spouse, or a good homeschool support group. Ignore well-meaning extended family members who think they know what is best. Polite responses include, “Bless your heart; thank you so much for sharing your opinion with me.” It goes a long way instead of arguing your point. (Tell the story of tongue twisters.) Select a time frame to homeschool. I am going to do this for one year, etc. Time Management for Parents.  Homeschooling Secrets 101 ~ Parenting  Create Memories – Family Bonding Time Know you are the parent and are in charge. Obedience is not an option, and getting the kids on board is important. Set boundaries. Tell the kids what you expect during a typical homeschool day. Give kids time to think. Blog post here Set rewards upon completion of work at the end of the week. Catch them doing going and encourage the—power of words.  Homeschooling Secrets 101 ~ Curriculum &amp; Planning  Learning begins with life lessons, at home and outside of the home, through hands-on exploration. Begin with research, and start with Cathy Duffy’s website of top curriculum picks. 101-102 Podcasts – Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network – search any topic Plan your year – summer is best. Break down your books with monthly/weekly goals Keep Friday open if at all possible – doable in younger years. Catch-up day, field trips, etc.  Homeschooling Secrets 101 ~ Household  Plan once and forget it. Meals, laundry day, etc. Routines rather than schedules. Every day is the same, with some revisions (laundry etc.) All hands on deck. Enlist the kid’s help with chores. Bulk cooking, so meals are easy during the school week. (Make double each meal and freeze) Plan trips on one day. Doctor, lessons, grocery (order online and pick up).  Overall the secret to homeschooling is to be true to yourself and your goals and vision. Once I lost that, I floundered. With my oldest two, I had more energy being younger, more resources, and more time overall. When I had my next three after a gap of some years (My story is here), my oldest daughter reminded me to make learning fun for my youngest kids. I did this by adding some hands-on activities like science fair projects and history fairs, giving them time to think and delve into their interests. I also added extracurricular activities like sports; my children, the youngest three, were very good athletes and played competitively and in college. This focus and motivation helped tremendously in their school work. My homeschool journey felt never-ending at times, but I was committed and all in – the result is we have a family that is very close to each other. My youngest kids even roomed together for a year in college. I have kids who love the Lord and are faithful and, best of all, who know that we are there for them no matter what lies ahead. We are a family, and we are there for each other. And that is the best outcome I could hope for, and I pray that for all of you as well. The post Homeschooling Secrets appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/VHM-Secretstohomeschooling-Pinterest-Pin-1000-×-1500-px-1.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Homeschooling Secrets ~ Episode 490</h3> There are secrets, and then there are homeschooling secrets that you should know. This podcast is not for the faint-hearted! Here we will discuss the truth that, as the Scriptures say, will set you free! This podcast is brought to you by Felice Gerwitz, who will share her top tips for her thirty-two years of homeschooling. Buckle up! Would you like an open-it-and-go unit study for the entire family? Try <a href="https://www.mediaangels.com/store" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Media Angels</a>, unit studies, and great planners to get organized. These can be found on the store page at <a href="http://MediaAngels.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MediaAngels.com</a> <h3>Considering Homeschooling</h3> As a young married woman with my first child on the way, I didn’t consider homeschooling, nor was it on my radar. Many years later, I found myself at playgroups with a toddler and hearing people discuss the possibility, so I did what any sane person would do and talked them out of the idea. After all, did they have teaching degrees or certifications as I did? I wasn’t planning on homeschooling but returning to teaching once my school-aged children were enrolled. What happened instead was after some frustrating meetings with the school system, it turned out my oldest child had mild learning issues and was speech delayed. I placed him in a private school and my daughter in a high-end-high-dollar preschool. I began to research and met a friend whose husband was a doctor, and she herself had a master’s in education and began homeschooling her daughter. She helped me put things in perspective. After my first frustrating year, I found that I had to make my own decisions and what worked best for my family. Other than following whatever the laws are in your state (and I would have moved if our laws were like some states which mandate what books you can use), we were free to learn in a way that was best for my kids. I’ve broken these secrets down into various categories. The first is just general information about how to look at homeschooling, the second regards parenting, the third is practical, regarding curriculum, and the last is important in regard to household chores and meals. So here you go some top-secret tips to help you in your homeschool planning: <h3>Homeschooling Secrets 101 ~ General</h3> <ol> <li>Decide your homeschooling philosophy – just like a business has a slogan, come up with one for your family. This will help, I promise. We brainstormed as a family and came up with things like: We are stronger together, Gerwitz Strong, and what we decided upon: As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15)</li> <li>Know why you are homeschooling. Is it academic? Is it to help your child with their worldview? Is it to give your child a stable family life? Is it to help your child spiritually or psychologically? Is it for a reason, learning advanced or learning delayed? Is it to avoid the issues plaguing education in our world today?</li> <li>Get a support group, whether it is a best friend who has your back, your spouse, or a good homeschool support group.</li> <li>Ignore well-meaning extended family members who think they know what is best. Polite responses include, “Bless your heart; thank you so much for sharing your opinion with me.” It goes a long way instead of arguing your point. (Tell the story of tongue twisters.)</li> <li>Select a time frame to homeschool. I am going to do this for one year, etc. <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/time-management-for-parents/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Time Management for Parents.</a></li> </ol> <h3>Homeschooling Secrets 101 ~ Parenting</h3> <ol> <li>Create Memories – <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/family-bonding/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Family Bonding Time</a></li> <li>Know you are the parent and are in charge. Obedience is not an option, and getting the kids on board is important. Set boundaries. Tell the kids what you expect during a typical homeschool day.</li> <li>Give kids time to think. <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/homeschool-kids-time-think/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blog post here</a></li> <li>Set rewards upon completion of work at the end of the week.</li> <li>Catch them doing going and encourage the—power of words.</li> </ol> <h3>Homeschooling Secrets 101 ~ Curriculum &amp; Planning</h3> <ol> <li>Learning begins with life lessons, at home and outside of the home, through hands-on exploration.</li> <li>Begin with research, and start with <a href="https://CathyDuffyReviews.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cathy Duffy’s website</a> of top curriculum picks. 101-102</li> <li>Podcasts – Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network – search any topic</li> <li>Plan your year – summer is best. Break down your books with monthly/weekly goals</li> <li>Keep Friday open if at all possible – doable in younger years. Catch-up day, field trips, etc.</li> </ol> <h3>Homeschooling Secrets 101 ~ Household</h3> <ol> <li>Plan once and forget it. Meals, laundry day, etc.</li> <li>Routines rather than schedules. Every day is the same, with some revisions (laundry etc.)</li> <li>All hands on deck. Enlist the kid’s help with chores.</li> <li>Bulk cooking, so meals are easy during the school week. (Make double each meal and freeze)</li> <li>Plan trips on one day. Doctor, lessons, grocery (order online and pick up).</li> </ol> Overall the secret to homeschooling is to be true to yourself and your goals and vision. Once I lost that, I floundered. With my oldest two, I had more energy being younger, more resources, and more time overall. When I had my next three after a gap of some years (<a href="https://mediaangels.com/product/one-more-child-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My story is here</a>), my oldest daughter reminded me to make learning fun for my youngest kids. I did this by adding some hands-on activities like science fair projects and history fairs, giving them time to think and delve into their interests. I also added extracurricular activities like sports; my children, the youngest three, were very good athletes and played competitively and in college. This focus and motivation helped tremendously in their school work. My homeschool journey felt never-ending at times, but I was committed and all in – the result is we have a family that is very close to each other. My youngest kids even roomed together for a year in college. I have kids who love the Lord and are faithful and, best of all, who know that we are there for them no matter what lies ahead. We are a family, and we are there for each other. And that is the best outcome I could hope for, and I pray that for all of you as well. The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/homeschooling-secrets/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homeschooling Secrets</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Homeschooling Secrets

Faith Building Activities Episode 325 Having fun and learning while teaching the faith, yes! Faith-building activities are discussed, as well as ways to help your children see the spiritual connection between faith and the Bible. So, we all want to help our children grow in the Lord; in fact, the Scriptures tell us this Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. And of course, Deuteronomy 6:5-9 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA) Scriptures as Faith Builders Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole strength. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart: And thou shalt tell them to thy children, and thou shalt meditate upon them sitting in thy house, and walking on thy journey, sleeping and rising. And thou shalt bind them as a sign on thy hand, and they shall be and shall move between thy eyes. And thou shalt write them in the entry, and on the doors of thy house. There are so many more Scriptures as well! However, the most amazing thing I’ve learned, and I am sure you’ve experienced this, is that our kids pick up our worse habits! And, I’m sure it is because it is the ones that are modeled the most – yes, I’m talking to myself here as well. But the good news is that if we model great behavior, praying, reading our Bible, and doing Bible Study, the kids will also pick up our habits. Prayer as a Faith Builder First, stop and pray. Ask the Lord how best to teach your children. Ask the Lord to help you to find those teachable moments that bring home the love and compassion the Lord has for each one of us and especially His unconditional love for us! You know, when you look at other religions outside of Catholicism and Christianity, you find that the gods that these faiths worship require different things. Some require obedience and submission, others require worship or ritualistic sacrifice. Our God only requires our obedience and love, and He returns His love to us. Christianity is the truth. It is the real thing. It is not a falsehood. And, with that comes an amazing responsibility to teach our children and share the good news. Here are my top 10 favorite Faith Building Activities: The First 5 Faith Building Activities  Attending Church Praying as a family – before meals, in the evening. Daily praise reports – what are we thankful for each day? We do this every evening after our evening prayers or devotionals Reading the Bible – and add a journal for older kids, be sure to check out this podcast on Teaching the Bible Listening to good Christian audios: Such as Christian music, or teaching audios like Adventures in Odyssey  And 5 More Faith Building Activities  Watching good Christian films, for example, on sites like PureFlix. Story Starters: make a list of questions such as: What would Jesus do? Give them different scenarios, such as when mom asks you to pick up your clothes, help with the dishes, or do chores in general. Games that teach Christian concepts – https://childrensministry.com/10-active-indoor-sunday-school-games/ One we use to play as kids focused on the need to trust. What you would do is have someone stand in front of an adult and tell the kid to fall back. Most of the time, kids just can’t let go. The idea is that God is there all the time for us, and we need to let go to feel his arms around us, His embrace. Another fun game that was in the handout link on the show notes is giving two different kids a set of combination locks. One is given the combination, and the other isn’t. One will struggle, and the other will open the lock easily. The point here is to show that when we try to do things on our own, without listening to God, we struggle. But if we listen to God and follow His instructions, things will go so much easier. Acts of service. Helping at a food kitchen, collecting clothes and gently used toys to donate, visit the elderly at nursing homes. Memorizing Scripture and Prayers.  Remember Friends, remember that the best way to teach about our faith is by demonstrating your love of God to others and setting an example. I pray that this podcast has been helpful and ask that you share the show with a friend, give me a star rating on iTunes or any podcast app where you listen, and please join me next week when I discuss helpful tips for parenting.   The post Special Replay | Top 10 Faith Building Activities appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3>Faith Building Activities Episode 325</h3> Having fun and learning while teaching the faith, yes! Faith-building activities are discussed, as well as ways to help your children see the spiritual connection between faith and the Bible. So, we all want to help our children grow in the Lord; in fact, the Scriptures tell us this Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. And of course, Deuteronomy 6:5-9 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA) <h3>Scriptures as Faith Builders</h3> Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole strength. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart: And thou shalt tell them to thy children, and thou shalt meditate upon them sitting in thy house, and walking on thy journey, sleeping and rising. And thou shalt bind them as a sign on thy hand, and they shall be and shall move between thy eyes. And thou shalt write them in the entry, and on the doors of thy house. There are so many more Scriptures as well! However, the most amazing thing I’ve learned, and I am sure you’ve experienced this, is that our kids pick up our worse habits! And, I’m sure it is because it is the ones that are modeled the most – yes, I’m talking to myself here as well. But the good news is that if we model great behavior, praying, reading our Bible, and doing Bible Study, the kids will also pick up our habits. <h3>Prayer as a Faith Builder</h3> First, stop and pray. Ask the Lord how best to teach your children. Ask the Lord to help you to find those teachable moments that bring home the love and compassion the Lord has for each one of us and especially His unconditional love for us! You know, when you look at other religions outside of Catholicism and Christianity, you find that the gods that these faiths worship require different things. Some require obedience and submission, others require worship or ritualistic sacrifice. Our God only requires our obedience and love, and He returns His love to us. Christianity is the truth. It is the real thing. It is not a falsehood. And, with that comes an amazing responsibility to teach our children and share the good news. <h3>Here are my top 10 favorite Faith Building Activities:</h3> <h3>The First 5 Faith Building Activities</h3> <ol> <li>Attending Church</li> <li>Praying as a family – before meals, in the evening.</li> <li>Daily praise reports – what are we thankful for each day? We do this every evening after our evening prayers or devotionals</li> <li>Reading the Bible – and add a journal for older kids, be sure to check out this podcast on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/teaching-the-bible-to-kids/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Teaching the Bible</a></li> <li>Listening to good Christian audios: Such as Christian music, or teaching audios like Adventures in Odyssey</li> </ol> <h3>And 5 More Faith Building Activities</h3> <ol> <li>Watching good Christian films, for example, on sites like <a href="https://www.pureflix.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PureFlix</a>.</li> <li>Story Starters: make a list of questions such as: What would Jesus do? Give them different scenarios, such as when mom asks you to pick up your clothes, help with the dishes, or do chores in general.</li> <li>Games that teach Christian concepts – <a href="https://childrensministry.com/10-active-indoor-sunday-school-games/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://childrensministry.com/10-active-indoor-sunday-school-games/</a> One we use to play as kids focused on the need to trust. What you would do is have someone stand in front of an adult and tell the kid to fall back. Most of the time, kids just can’t let go. The idea is that God is there all the time for us, and we need to let go to feel his arms around us, His embrace. Another fun game that was in the handout link on the show notes is giving two different kids a set of combination locks. One is given the combination, and the other isn’t. One will struggle, and the other will open the lock easily. The point here is to show that when we try to do things on our own, without listening to God, we struggle. But if we listen to God and follow His instructions, things will go so much easier.</li> <li>Acts of service. Helping at a food kitchen, collecting clothes and gently used toys to donate, visit the elderly at nursing homes.</li> <li>Memorizing Scripture and Prayers.</li> </ol> <h3>Remember</h3> Friends, remember that the best way to teach about our faith is by demonstrating your love of God to others and setting an example. I pray that this podcast has been helpful and ask that you share the show with a friend, give me a star rating on iTunes or any podcast app where you listen, and please join me next week when I discuss helpful tips for parenting. The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/top-10-faith-building-activities-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Special Replay | Top 10 Faith Building Activities</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Special Replay | Top 10 Faith Building Activities

Family Bonding Time ~ Episode 489 How can you create that special family bonding time when everyone has different schedules? In this podcast, Felice shares some ways that are more than playing games together. Check out MediaAngels.com and the wonderful books and products on the website. Check out the Character Planners that are geared for the entire family. They are written specifically to involve the family in demonstrating the character trait throughout the month and are more than just worksheets. They contain many group activities. A few weeks ago, I attended a wedding for the son of some dear friends with a large family. During this time, I was able to catch up with the children who are now grown up! One of the sons, who now has two children of his own, shared how he remembers catching his first fish in our pond and all the good times our families had when we camped together. He said he had such a happy childhood that he was now creating memories with his family. As parents, we crave close ties with our spouses and our children. If you had a good childhood growing up, you want to recreate that experience, or if you feel your childhood was lacking in some way, you want to remedy this with your own children. However, as parents, we often fail to work at our relationships, and for most of us, it is enough to crawl into bed with the thought, “Glad I made it through today!” When my children were little and mobile, I told my husband they were all safe for one more day. It was a daily struggle to corral little ones and homeschool the older children. If any of these experiences mirror yours, you understand that a family that gets along and is close is sometimes an oddity. Most of us spend our time correcting and working with the children in one area or another that closeness and relationships take a back seat, especially when you have so much filling your day. I realized at different times in our lives that we needed to work together as a family. This was especially important as my children were getting older, and our lives would soon take different trajectories. Family Bonding took place over read-aloud books in the evening, with camping, with short day trips during a time in our lives when longer trips were not possible. Family bonding happened over the campfire in our backyard or my husband building a tree house and the kids making me lunch so we could do “school” in the treehouse loft. Bonding occurred when my husband made the kids breakfast and let me sleep in. I woke up to a stillness and quiet that had me bolting out of bed, only to find the four of them by the edge of our pond, out front, eating a breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. Sometimes our family forged bonds when we least expected it, and even with the age gap between the older two and the younger three, there is something there that is more than siblings but true friendship. How do you recreate this experience in your own homes? I will share with you some of the activities that worked well for us. When you enjoy family time together, you are creating a legacy. A tradition that may be passed down from generation to generation. This is something to consider when gathering ideas for future use. In our family, we were unable to take a long vacation. We took one ten-day vacation that was coupled with a wedding and two other shorter trips of about five days each, one in a rented RV. Yet even though our vacations were limited due to my husband’s work constraints, we still forged memories. We took day trips on Saturday to visit nearby museums, parks, notable historic structures such as an old library and a historic train, and activities such as the Strawberry Festival in a nearby town every February. We had picnics at the park and viewed the night sky in our own backyard. We also had our family tradition of Friday evening pizza and movie night. This changed when the children grew older and became involved in sports. So, we selected another evening that was free as our pizza night. We had a game night on a rare occasion, as my son said, “We think we are a game family, but we are really not!” Too many tough competitors in this family. We enjoyed games, but most were educational during school hours. As my children became older and their schedules varied, we still worked on family time when we were together. This included various activities, some made up at the spur of the moment (that I want to collect in a book someday soon), and others were long and thought out. I wanted the children to pray for each other, and my focus on the gifts Scripture talks about – the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. I focused on: Kindness, generosity, joy, charity, self-control, faithfulness, peace, and patience. (There are 12 in all, but my focus was on these.) I handed everyone door hangers with a beautiful mountain or ocean picture and a Bible verse on the front one year. On the back, they were to place stickers with each of the “Fruits of the Spirit,” the ones that were our focus. Once this was completed, I asked them to write their names on the hanger. I then collected the door hangers and had each person select one from with the names hidden. Once they identified the item’s owner, I asked them to pray for a few minutes and ask the Lord which ones they would select to pray for each day. Then put a star next to that attribute and hand the hanger back to the person. I selected one of my sons and picked Faithfulness and Patience for him — some picked two. We wrote down the attributes and put them in our Bible as a reminder to pray. Even if we were miles apart, we could be assured of each other’s prayers. This year I gave Christmas cards to each person and had them select a random name. If they selected their own name, they placed it back in the box. I then talked about being an encouragement to each other; my husband says that our home is a place to feel safe and loved and that they can come to each of us for help whenever needed or just to talk. I then asked everyone to write a card to this person that they could keep all year long as a reminder that they are loved and encouraged. We didn’t do this immediately as I wanted time to think and pray. This is a reminder, as I have my card in the Bible, that I am loved and cared for. You can adapt these activities to younger children by selecting a name for each person to pray for, and then in your evening prayer, you can spend time praying for each other. Explain to the children the seriousness and importance of this activity. Whether you are praying for a character quality, such as “diligence,” or quality, such as “faithfulness,” the importance of knowing your family is there for you is really the crux of what it means to bond as a family. I pray these activities to spur ideas of your own and understanding that each person feels valued, cherished, and loved will repair many of the hurts within families and those from outside.       The post Family Bonding Time appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/VHM-Family-Bonding-Time-pin.png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Family Bonding Time ~ Episode 489</h3> How can you create that special family bonding time when everyone has different schedules? In this podcast, Felice shares some ways that are more than playing games together. Check out <a href="https://mediaangels.com/store" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MediaAngels.com</a> and the wonderful books and products on the website. Check out the Character Planners that are geared for the entire family. They are written specifically to involve the family in demonstrating the character trait throughout the month and are more than just worksheets. They contain many group activities. A few weeks ago, I attended a wedding for the son of some dear friends with a large family. During this time, I was able to catch up with the children who are now grown up! One of the sons, who now has two children of his own, shared how he remembers catching his first fish in our pond and all the good times our families had when we camped together. He said he had such a happy childhood that he was now creating memories with his family. As parents, we crave close ties with our spouses and our children. If you had a good childhood growing up, you want to recreate that experience, or if you feel your childhood was lacking in some way, you want to remedy this with your own children. However, as parents, we often fail to work at our relationships, and for most of us, it is enough to crawl into bed with the thought, “Glad I made it through today!” When my children were little and mobile, I told my husband they were all safe for one more day. It was a daily struggle to corral little ones and homeschool the older children. If any of these experiences mirror yours, you understand that a family that gets along and is close is sometimes an oddity. Most of us spend our time correcting and working with the children in one area or another that closeness and relationships take a back seat, especially when you have so much filling your day. I realized at different times in our lives that we needed to work together as a family. This was especially important as my children were getting older, and our lives would soon take different trajectories. Family Bonding took place over read-aloud books in the evening, with camping, with short day trips during a time in our lives when longer trips were not possible. Family bonding happened over the campfire in our backyard or my husband building a tree house and the kids making me lunch so we could do “school” in the treehouse loft. Bonding occurred when my husband made the kids breakfast and let me sleep in. I woke up to a stillness and quiet that had me bolting out of bed, only to find the four of them by the edge of our pond, out front, eating a breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. Sometimes our family forged bonds when we least expected it, and even with the age gap between the older two and the younger three, there is something there that is more than siblings but true friendship. How do you recreate this experience in your own homes? I will share with you some of the activities that worked well for us. When you enjoy family time together, you are creating a legacy. A tradition that may be passed down from generation to generation. This is something to consider when gathering ideas for future use. In our family, we were unable to take a long vacation. We took one ten-day vacation that was coupled with a wedding and two other shorter trips of about five days each, one in a rented RV. Yet even though our vacations were limited due to my husband’s work constraints, we still forged memories. We took day trips on Saturday to visit nearby museums, parks, notable historic structures such as an old library and a historic train, and activities such as the Strawberry Festival in a nearby town every February. We had picnics at the park and viewed the night sky in our own backyard. We also had our family tradition of Friday evening pizza and movie night. This changed when the children grew older and became involved in sports. So, we selected another evening that was free as our pizza night. We had a game night on a rare occasion, as my son said, “We think we are a game family, but we are really not!” Too many tough competitors in this family. We enjoyed games, but most were educational during school hours. As my children became older and their schedules varied, we still worked on family time when we were together. This included various activities, some made up at the spur of the moment (that I want to collect in a book someday soon), and others were long and thought out. I wanted the children to pray for each other, and my focus on the gifts Scripture talks about – the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. I focused on: Kindness, generosity, joy, charity, self-control, faithfulness, peace, and patience. (There are 12 in all, but my focus was on these.) I handed everyone door hangers with a beautiful mountain or ocean picture and a Bible verse on the front one year. On the back, they were to place stickers with each of the “Fruits of the Spirit,” the ones that were our focus. Once this was completed, I asked them to write their names on the hanger. I then collected the door hangers and had each person select one from with the names hidden. Once they identified the item’s owner, I asked them to pray for a few minutes and ask the Lord which ones they would select to pray for each day. Then put a star next to that attribute and hand the hanger back to the person. I selected one of my sons and picked Faithfulness and Patience for him — some picked two. We wrote down the attributes and put them in our Bible as a reminder to pray. Even if we were miles apart, we could be assured of each other’s prayers. This year I gave Christmas cards to each person and had them select a random name. If they selected their own name, they placed it back in the box. I then talked about being an encouragement to each other; my husband says that our home is a place to feel safe and loved and that they can come to each of us for help whenever needed or just to talk. I then asked everyone to write a card to this person that they could keep all year long as a reminder that they are loved and encouraged. We didn’t do this immediately as I wanted time to think and pray. This is a reminder, as I have my card in the Bible, that I am loved and cared for. You can adapt these activities to younger children by selecting a name for each person to pray for, and then in your evening prayer, you can spend time praying for each other. Explain to the children the seriousness and importance of this activity. Whether you are praying for a character quality, such as “diligence,” or quality, such as “faithfulness,” the importance of knowing your family is there for you is really the crux of what it means to bond as a family. I pray these activities to spur ideas of your own and understanding that each person feels valued, cherished, and loved will repair many of the hurts within families and those from outside. The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/family-bonding/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Family Bonding Time</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Family Bonding Time

Let’s Talk About the Best Ways To Nurture Relationships With Your Child  Special Replay | Podcast # 157 The experts are in the house! We will learn about the best ways to nurture relationships with your child! S Whether you have one child or multiple children, we all want a good relationship with our kids. We want children who grow up wonderful, happy, and settled in life – and what better way than beginning their journey at home. In this broadcast, we discuss some tips as well as some ideas. with Felice Gerwitz and Special Guests – Israel and Brook Wayne ~ Family Renewal … and Hal and Melanie Young ~ Making Biblical Family Life Practical  Special Sponsor – Media Angels, Inc. – by homeschool moms for homeschool moms  Show Notes: Best Ways To Nurture Relationships With Your Child Felice Gerwitz – Tips on the Best Ways To Nurture Relationships with your child  Your relationship with your spouse (single parents – your relationship with the Lord) Love your kids enough to do what you need to do Be available Threatening and repeating parent Be the type of parent you wish you had  Israel and Brook Wayne – Tips on the Best Ways To Nurture Relationships with your child Authors of “Pitchin’ A Fit”   Bring your child close to you when you discuss issues Correct in a different environment like outdoors on swings (Brook explains this on the audio)  Hal and Melanie Young – Tips on the Best Ways To Nurture Relationships with your child  Little ones are real people Listen and interact Show delight Parenting styles change as they age Teens – talk them through Authentic praise Need to be there for them God gave us these children – He’ll provide Pray, repent, and apologize when needed – we all mess up  Photo credit – DepositPhoto.com All Rights Reserved. Copyright Wavebreakmedia The post Special Replay | Best Ways To Nurture Relationships With Your Child appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h2>Let’s Talk About the Best Ways To Nurture Relationships With Your Child</h2> <h4>Special Replay | Podcast # 157</h4> The experts are in the house! We will learn about the best ways to nurture relationships with your child! S Whether you have one child or multiple children, we all want a good relationship with our kids. We want children who grow up wonderful, happy, and settled in life – and what better way than beginning their journey at home. In this broadcast, we discuss some tips as well as some ideas. <h4>with Felice Gerwitz and Special Guests – Israel and Brook Wayne ~<a href="http://ultimateradioshow.com/family-renewal/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Family Renewal </a>… and Hal and Melanie Young ~ <a href="http://ultimateradioshow.com/making-biblical-family-life-practical/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Making Biblical Family Life Practical</a></h4> <h4></h4> Special Sponsor – <a href="http://www.MediaAngels.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Media Angels, Inc</a>. – by homeschool moms for homeschool moms Show Notes: Best Ways To Nurture Relationships With Your Child Felice Gerwitz – Tips on the Best Ways To Nurture Relationships with your child <ol> <li>Your relationship with your spouse (single parents – your relationship with the Lord)</li> <li>Love your kids enough to do what you need to do</li> <li>Be available</li> <li>Threatening and repeating parent</li> <li>Be the type of parent you wish you had</li> </ol> Israel and Brook Wayne – Tips on the Best Ways To Nurture Relationships with your child Authors of “Pitchin’ A Fit”  <ol> <li>Bring your child close to you when you discuss issues</li> <li>Correct in a different environment like outdoors on swings (Brook explains this on the audio)</li> </ol> Hal and Melanie Young – Tips on the Best Ways To Nurture Relationships with your child <ol> <li>Little ones are real people</li> <li>Listen and interact</li> <li>Show delight</li> <li>Parenting styles change as they age</li> <li>Teens – talk them through</li> <li>Authentic praise</li> <li>Need to be there for them</li> <li>God gave us these children – He’ll provide</li> <li>Pray, repent, and apologize when needed – we all mess up</li> </ol> Photo credit – <a href="http://DepositPhoto.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DepositPhoto.com</a> All Rights Reserved. Copyright Wavebreakmedia The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/best-ways-nurture-relationships-child-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Special Replay | Best Ways To Nurture Relationships With Your Child</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Special Replay | Best Ways To Nurture Relationships With Your Child

Felice has a big heart for others and her passion shows in her podcasts. She follows the guide of the Lord on her topics. Even on the hard topics you can hear her love for those that will listen and she prays that the Lord will use each one where it is needed. I love Felice and look forward to gleaning from her and her knowledge.

A Super Mentor

It feels like listening to a wise mentor.

Gentle, wise advice

Vintage Homeschool Moms

All About Teaching ~ Insider Must Know Information For Homeschoolers Episode 359 What are the insights that teachers know that you don’t? Believe me, not much. How do I know? Yet I can easily sum up some teaching ideas ~ 20+ that you can easily use at home. Sponsor! Overcomer Movie Trailer URL for Overcomer Movie:  Site URL for the Overcomer Movie All About Teaching: A Blog Post ~ Must Know Teaching Tips Question: So, trick question. Ready? What is the one thing no educator, no matter what their degree is –  has that you don’t have? Answer: You have more love for your kids then any teacher could possibly have. Therefore you want what is best for your children and homeschooling is one way that you can be sure your children learns what is most important. Teaching Tips: If you’ve decided to homeschool you’ve been over the homeschool laws in your state and fielded questions on socialization. Believe me, homeschool kids don’t have the public / private school’s kids fear of peers and they won’t have the struggles most kids have of feeling they can’t say anything or people will think they are dumb! My five homeschooled kids did not have filters. They could easily converse with adults or peers and had no difficulty ordering in a restaurant or asking for more ketchup at a fast-food counter. They are all pretty self-sufficient. Down to doing their own laundry and cooking. We made life skills part of their homeschool with chore and responsibility charts. I never regretted one moment of homeschooling my children or the co-ops where I taught a group of children. In my homeschool journey, I met people who homeschooled for religious reasons (we didn’t start that way, but ended up that way), those who wanted their children to know their native language as well as English and music as a prerequisite to every other subject, and those who played sports or travelled extensively. I also met people whose sole purpose was for their children to attend an Ivy League College. Every one of those people (no judgments here) had a reason for homeschooling that was unique and different. So, just because you are listening to this podcast on teaching doesn’t mean you have to agree with every single point, but I do hope it is beneficial for you!  A statement of faith is a wonderful using scripture or a family statement of honor Start with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and memory work age-appropriate Curriculum Homeschool Method Schedule. A list of books, time to teach, etc. Don’t try to duplicate school at home Organize your supplies, books, and materials. Here are some resources on dejunking, time management, organization secrets Plan Outings Plan Your Year Ahead Public Speaking Resources -charts, books biographies, this podcast website! Field Trips Look around you! Everything is school. Online resources and classes.  Teaching techniques: I had an amazing college instructor or taught us to find the answers rather than to memorize the work. While this was important pre-dating the digital age in our children’s case it is important to understand that information is important and the application of information is key. Someday our kids will have jobs and the idea that we can find everything online precludes learning. Why remember what we can find with a click of a button. We do not want the information to be dumbed down! Teaching is basically easy, and people tend to make it difficult.  Experiential learning and hands-on for little kids with phonics, and multiple modalities Reading – reading – reading! Silent and out loud. Kids love it. Interest-based learning – allow kids to explore. Teaching using memorization and charts Prepare by reading ahead in textbooks, etc. Student prepared to teach. Textbooks and workbooks/questions that are answered. Unit study. Topic immersion. Presentations.    The post All About Teaching appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/All-About-Teaching.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>All About Teaching ~ Insider Must Know Information For Homeschoolers Episode 359</h3> What are the insights that teachers know that you don’t? Believe me, not much. How do I know? Yet I can easily sum up some teaching ideas ~ 20+ that you can easily use at home. Sponsor! Overcomer Movie Trailer URL for <a href="http://www.overcomermovie.com/videos-photos?vid=ya2Hev-VkVw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcomer Movie:</a> Site URL for the <a href="http://overcomermovie.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcomer Movie</a> <h4>All About Teaching:</h4> <h4>A Blog Post ~ Must Know <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/teaching-tips" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Teaching Tips</a></h4> Question: So, trick question. Ready? What is the one thing no educator, no matter what their degree is –  has that you don’t have? Answer: You have more love for your kids then any teacher could possibly have. Therefore you want what is best for your children and homeschooling is one way that you can be sure your children learns what is most important. Teaching Tips: If you’ve decided to homeschool you’ve been over the homeschool laws in your state and fielded questions on socialization. Believe me, homeschool kids don’t have the public / private school’s kids fear of peers and they won’t have the struggles most kids have of feeling they can’t say anything or people will think they are dumb! My five homeschooled kids did not have filters. They could easily converse with adults or peers and had no difficulty ordering in a restaurant or asking for more ketchup at a fast-food counter. They are all pretty self-sufficient. Down to doing their own laundry and cooking. We made life skills part of their homeschool with chore and responsibility charts. I never regretted one moment of homeschooling my children or the co-ops where I taught a group of children. In my homeschool journey, I met people who homeschooled for religious reasons (we didn’t start that way, but ended up that way), those who wanted their children to know their native language as well as English and music as a prerequisite to every other subject, and those who played sports or travelled extensively. I also met people whose sole purpose was for their children to attend an Ivy League College. Every one of those people (no judgments here) had a reason for homeschooling that was unique and different. So, just because you are listening to this podcast on teaching doesn’t mean you have to agree with every single point, but I do hope it is beneficial for you! <ul> <li>A statement of faith is a wonderful using scripture or a family statement of honor</li> <li>Start with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and memory work age-appropriate</li> <li>Curriculum</li> <li>Homeschool Method</li> <li>Schedule. A list of books, time to teach, etc.</li> <li>Don’t try to duplicate school at home</li> <li>Organize your supplies, books, and materials. Here are some resources on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/de-junking-and-homeschool/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dejunking</a>, <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/organization-freedom-tools-part-5-fah-episode-18/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">time management</a>, <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/200th-episode-best-kept-organization-secrets/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">organization secrets</a></li> <li>Plan Outings</li> <li>Plan Your Year Ahead</li> <li>Public Speaking</li> <li>Resources -charts, books biographies, this podcast website!</li> <li>Field Trips</li> <li>Look around you! Everything is school.</li> <li>Online resources and classes.</li> </ul> <h4>Teaching techniques:</h4> I had an amazing college instructor or taught us to find the answers rather than to memorize the work. While this was important pre-dating the digital age in our children’s case it is important to understand that information is important and the application of information is key. Someday our kids will have jobs and the idea that we can find everything online precludes learning. Why remember what we can find with a click of a button. We do not want the information to be dumbed down! Teaching is basically easy, and people tend to make it difficult. <ul> <li>Experiential learning and hands-on for little kids with phonics, and multiple modalities</li> <li>Reading – reading – reading! Silent and out loud. Kids love it.</li> <li>Interest-based learning – allow kids to explore.</li> <li>Teaching using memorization and charts</li> <li>Prepare by reading ahead in textbooks, etc.</li> <li>Student prepared to teach.</li> <li>Textbooks and workbooks/questions that are answered.</li> <li>Unit study. Topic immersion.</li> <li>Presentations.</li> </ul> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/teaching/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">All About Teaching</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

All About Teaching

The Art of Story Telling Episode 276 People love stories and the art of storytelling is often lost. Learn some of the best techniques for telling a story and use storytelling in your homeschool lessons to enhance your teaching. Thanks so much to our sponsor of the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network and this podcast, Time 4 Learning – have you checked out this website? My mother was an expert storyteller. She didn’t know any of the techniques or arts of storytelling that people study. She just did it. Most of her stories were about Biblical characters. I knew about Adam and Eve, Jonah and the Whale, Noah and the Ark, the parting of the Red Sea and of course the parables of Jesus. Yet, she loved the idea to tell stories about the fictional child who had every material possession, lived in a beautiful house, had all the best toys but was missing the most important ingredient and that was love, friendships, and family. My mom’s storytelling was renowned in our family. I remember her telling us stories as young children, and she continued on with my children, nieces, and nephews. As young adults we would sit inside, often in the air-conditioning, while we watched as outside, next to an inviting swimming pool, my mother had our her grandchildren and their cousins sitting in rapt attention as she spoke. Her stories loosely followed this theme:  Once upon a time — this set the scene for something wonderful that is going to happen. It is a happy time or a very sad time and whatever that was, the story is going to center around this theme. The meat of the story is what is happening or about to happen. The “what” is happening to the person and it will be just the saddest or happiest thing. We love this person, usually it is someone we can identify with or an underdog – someone who you hope will come on top. And of course we are on the edge of our seats because we know something is going to happen and it probably isn’t going to be good! Something happens — what is it that happens? Does it begin in the day, at night, before dawn? What will happen that will change the entire outlook of this person and seem impossible to overcome? Impossible is important — there is no way out– we can’t believe it and hope that there is a resolution. Until… something else happens and then the story can continue or come to a conclusion Solution. What or who solves the problem? Who comes along? Is it by chance? By prayer?  Storytelling should be taught in your home. You kids will love it, I promise. How many little ones do you know that want to put on plays. Children love to perform and the younger the better! It isn’t until they get older that they start to have inhibitions and think things are silly. So, how can you implement storytelling into your homeschool?  Use it as a  means to teach subjects. I once read a wonderful story about punctuation that I used for many years in my homeschool. I wish I could find it and share it with you. But the punctuation personalities were written in humor, the period was a final person, the exclamation point had so much energy, the comma had to pause and think, etc. History, of course, lends itself to storytelling very easily. Have your children give a summation of something read with a story. A storytelling event does not need to be fiction – it can be a personal story, and a biography or an autobiography about a book you’ve read. You can use storytelling as a treat for a completed lesson or an end of the week ending to your school. Be creative. Storytelling can be used in almost everything from sharing how you personally struggled with a particular subject or as a way to allow your child an outlet to an otherwise boring subject.  Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor -Time 4 Learning  Time4Learning provides the tools and resources students need to build skills and confidence in the core subjects like math, language arts, science, and social studies. No matter how long you’ve been homeschooling or whatever your current situation, Time4Learning is a flexible, online curriculum that can be tailored to your child’s individual needs. The comprehensive, award-winning curriculum allow students to study confidently and excel at their own pace, making it ideal for all kinds of learners, whether they are mainstream, gifted or special needs. Click Here to Visit Time 4 Learning!  The post Storytelling appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3>The Art of Story Telling Episode 276</h3> People love stories and the art of storytelling is often lost. Learn some of the best techniques for telling a story and use storytelling in your homeschool lessons to enhance your teaching. Thanks so much to our sponsor of the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network and this podcast, <a href="http://time4learning.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Time 4 Learning</a> – have you checked out this website? My mother was an expert storyteller. She didn’t know any of the techniques or arts of storytelling that people study. She just did it. Most of her stories were about Biblical characters. I knew about Adam and Eve, Jonah and the Whale, Noah and the Ark, the parting of the Red Sea and of course the parables of Jesus. Yet, she loved the idea to tell stories about the fictional child who had every material possession, lived in a beautiful house, had all the best toys but was missing the most important ingredient and that was love, friendships, and family. My mom’s storytelling was renowned in our family. I remember her telling us stories as young children, and she continued on with my children, nieces, and nephews. As young adults we would sit inside, often in the air-conditioning, while we watched as outside, next to an inviting swimming pool, my mother had our her grandchildren and their cousins sitting in rapt attention as she spoke. Her stories loosely followed this theme: <ol> <li>Once upon a time — this set the scene for something wonderful that is going to happen. It is a happy time or a very sad time and whatever that was, the story is going to center around this theme.</li> <li>The meat of the story is what is happening or about to happen. The “what” is happening to the person and it will be just the saddest or happiest thing. We love this person, usually it is someone we can identify with or an underdog – someone who you hope will come on top. And of course we are on the edge of our seats because we know something is going to happen and it probably isn’t going to be good!</li> <li>Something happens — what is it that happens? Does it begin in the day, at night, before dawn? What will happen that will change the entire outlook of this person and seem impossible to overcome?</li> <li>Impossible is important — there is no way out– we can’t believe it and hope that there is a resolution.</li> <li>Until… something else happens and then the story can continue or come to a conclusion</li> <li>Solution. What or who solves the problem? Who comes along? Is it by chance? By prayer?</li> </ol> Storytelling should be taught in your home. You kids will love it, I promise. How many little ones do you know that want to put on plays. Children love to perform and the younger the better! It isn’t until they get older that they start to have inhibitions and think things are silly. So, how can you implement storytelling into your homeschool? <ol> <li>Use it as a  means to teach subjects. I once read a wonderful story about punctuation that I used for many years in my homeschool. I wish I could find it and share it with you. But the punctuation personalities were written in humor, the period was a final person, the exclamation point had so much energy, the comma had to pause and think, etc. History, of course, lends itself to storytelling very easily.</li> <li>Have your children give a summation of something read with a story.</li> <li>A storytelling event does not need to be fiction – it can be a personal story, and a biography or an autobiography about a book you’ve read.</li> <li>You can use storytelling as a treat for a completed lesson or an end of the week ending to your school.</li> <li>Be creative. Storytelling can be used in almost everything from sharing how you personally struggled with a particular subject or as a way to allow your child an outlet to an otherwise boring subject.</li> </ol> <h3>Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor -Time 4 Learning</h3> Time4Learning provides the tools and resources students need to build skills and confidence in the core subjects like math, language arts, science, and social studies. No matter how long you’ve been homeschooling or whatever your current situation, Time4Learning is a flexible, online curriculum that can be tailored to your child’s individual needs. The comprehensive, award-winning curriculum allow students to study confidently and excel at their own pace, making it ideal for all kinds of learners, whether they are mainstream, gifted or special needs. <a href="http://bit.ly/Time4LearningHomeschool1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click Here to Visit Time 4 Learning! </a> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/storytelling/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Storytelling</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Storytelling

Elimination Diet Episode 303 So, friends, I began the elimination diet the first of October thinking this was a great idea to lose some weight before the holiday binge-eating begins! It has worked fabulously well. In this episode, I’m going to report in at week two and share the ups and downs of healthy eating. But the best news? I lost 8 lbs.! Thanks to our sponsor! The movie Change in the Air — visit the movie trailer at ChangeInTheAir.com I’ve done other podcasts on healthy eating and for the most part, I’ve accomplished many of my previous goals and I have to thank you, my listeners,for the help. Since I’m going public I have the motivation because I podcast about this journey. For those of you who struggle with weight loss ,t here are many diets out there that promise results but few deliver. Basically ,w eight loss has a key ingredient that is missing in most diets. Today I will share with you these keys as well as some options for healthy eating. The biggest threat to our health is GMOs – that stands for genetically modified organisms. If you do only one thing for your family health today is look for products that say GMO free! Even teas my have GMOs. I’ll have a link later on that is worth viewing. So, weight loss takes work! As a busy mom, homeschool mom and more it is not a great idea to start one more thing, right? Wrong. Moms so many of us walk around feeling horrible and tired all the time. When I was in my early 30’s I could barely keep my eyes open after lunch to listen to the my two kids read. I’d fall asleep with them prodding me awake. It didn’t help that our reading corner was on the floor in the corner, with comfy bean bag chairs! I realized it was my diet. As a busy mom, lunch time meant gto rab a quick sandwich and eat standing up while my kids watched a 30 minute educational video and I took out the load of laundry, folded it and put in another load. While I accomplished much each day, I was so tired. I was also at my lowest weight. Thinner than in college! Yet, my calories for the most part were empty. When I had my third child I was flagged with low iron and the nurse suggested Cream of Wheat cereal – preferable to me than the iron pills that made me sick. I loved cream of wheat with milk, sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon! Definitely not a low calorie treat. And, I watched my iron numbers rise until I was out of risk. Food has such an impact on our health and what we eat is not different. So, here is what you do. And, don’t shoot the messenger, this isn’t fun.  Write down everything you eat and drink for a three day (or a week) span and take a look at any empty calories. What can you eliminate right off the bat? Any sugary drinks (even diet drinks are not good for you – and today I will not get into my rant about those). Chips, cookies, candy bars? Sugary “healthy snacks” – yogurt, etc. No sugary drinks and no… wait for it, coffee!  The key to dieting is as follows:  Mindset – are you serious about losing weight or just getting healthy? Lifestyle change. Do you think that what you eat has an impact on your health? If so what are you going to do about this/ It takes time to shop, cook and plan. Are you willing to give healthy eating the time to learn and implement these changes?  Here is what I did, I eliminated the following foods from my diet. Dairy, some meats (like steak, roasts, etc.), night shades (no tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, etc.), all sugar (even diet alternatives like stevia), no coffee, corn, glutens/wheat, soy, peanuts What can I eat? I thought it would be easy to show you a comparison list of alternatives:  Dairy – Almond, Coconut etc. No cheese unless it is free of words like gum, and preservatives. Even gluten free cheeses are off limits right now. Meats – chicken and ground beef. Portion size? What fits in the palm of your hand. And grilled fish. Vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, lettuce, onions, asparagus, bok choy, etc. Lots of water and green tea in the morning – that is my coffee alternative right now. Once a day I drink a large glass approx. 16oz. of water with 1-2 teaspoons of Braggs apple cider vinegar. Fruit: berries are fine. I purchased a bag of organic frozen veggies for smoothies. Gluten free flours such as almond, etc. Some nuts like almonds, cashews or walnuts. Condiments – must be gluten free and sugar free. I stick to balsamic vinegar, olive oil, coconut oil, and grapeseed oils, ghee is a good substitute for butter.  You may want to know what I am eating. It is not all salads although typically I love Caesar salad with grilled chicken or steak. Since steak is off limits right right now. For breakfast: Smoothie with almond milk and organic fruit or 2 eggs fried with ghee Lunch: Stir fried vegetables – I make this in a large batch and heat up small portions for lunch; salad with olives, hearts of palm, onions, raw veggies, cooked beets – with a sprinkle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sometimes I’ll add a small piece of grilled chicken. Soup – bone broth chicken home made with carrots and shredded chicken. Dinner: Grilled chicken Small hamburger patty — grilled Baked fish with ghee, salt and pepper with a squirt of lemon Sides: asparagus, mixed veggies, beets or avocado. So far I haven’t been bored with the food. I try to batch cook like I do for family meals. It is so much easier for me, working from home to heat things up as needed and assemble a quick salad. I wash salads in batches. One of the best tools for the home is a salad spinner. It gets all of the water out of the lettuce and is great. I use essential oils, especially Bergamont that is great for relaxing. I purchase them from DoTerra. I also take 4-Life Supplements and here is the detox supplements I used called the Digest4Life Reset System– which are great! One last thing – please watch some YouTube videos about GMOs – I know some of them are long. But it is important to your health. I’m just sorry that some of the non-GMO foods are so expensive. I wish they were not. Not all GMO foods are labeled something I believe is very important. The video will teach you how to identify GMO produce, even organic. Friends, our health is important so we can take care of our families and ourselves. I’ve had five kids, my father lived with me for 12 years before he died and I have a houseful of grandkids at least one time a week! To keep up our energy and stay healthy it is more than just eating supplements, although those are important! Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor – Change is in the Air Movie  This story embraces the imperfections that make us human, offers a way to set ourselves free and asks us all to take a good, long look at the wild birds in the sky. Watch the trailer here! The post Elimination Diet appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Elimination-Diet.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Elimination Diet Episode 303</h3> So, friends, I began the elimination diet the first of October thinking this was a great idea to lose some weight before the holiday binge-eating begins! It has worked fabulously well. In this episode, I’m going to report in at week two and share the ups and downs of healthy eating. But the best news? I lost 8 lbs.! Thanks to our sponsor! The movie Change in the Air — visit the movie trailer at <a href="http://changeintheairmovie.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ChangeInTheAir.com</a> I’ve done other podcasts on healthy eating and for the most part, I’ve accomplished many of my previous goals and I have to thank you, my listeners,for the help. Since I’m going public I have the motivation because I podcast about this journey. For those of you who struggle with weight loss ,t here are many diets out there that promise results but few deliver. Basically ,w eight loss has a key ingredient that is missing in most diets. Today I will share with you these keys as well as some options for healthy eating. The biggest threat to our health is GMOs – that stands for genetically modified organisms. If you do only one thing for your family health today is look for products that say GMO free! Even teas my have GMOs. I’ll have a link later on that is worth viewing. So, weight loss takes work! As a busy mom, homeschool mom and more it is not a great idea to start one more thing, right? Wrong. Moms so many of us walk around feeling horrible and tired all the time. When I was in my early 30’s I could barely keep my eyes open after lunch to listen to the my two kids read. I’d fall asleep with them prodding me awake. It didn’t help that our reading corner was on the floor in the corner, with comfy bean bag chairs! I realized it was my diet. As a busy mom, lunch time meant gto rab a quick sandwich and eat standing up while my kids watched a 30 minute educational video and I took out the load of laundry, folded it and put in another load. While I accomplished much each day, I was so tired. I was also at my lowest weight. Thinner than in college! Yet, my calories for the most part were empty. When I had my third child I was flagged with low iron and the nurse suggested Cream of Wheat cereal – preferable to me than the iron pills that made me sick. I loved cream of wheat with milk, sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon! Definitely not a low calorie treat. And, I watched my iron numbers rise until I was out of risk. Food has such an impact on our health and what we eat is not different. So, here is what you do. And, don’t shoot the messenger, this isn’t fun. <ol> <li>Write down everything you eat and drink for a three day (or a week) span and take a look at any empty calories.</li> <li>What can you eliminate right off the bat? Any sugary drinks (even diet drinks are not good for you – and today I will not get into my rant about those).</li> <li>Chips, cookies, candy bars?</li> <li>Sugary “healthy snacks” – yogurt, etc.</li> <li>No sugary drinks and no… wait for it, coffee!</li> </ol> <h3>The key to dieting is as follows:</h3> <ol> <li>Mindset – are you serious about losing weight or just getting healthy?</li> <li>Lifestyle change. Do you think that what you eat has an impact on your health? If so what are you going to do about this/</li> <li>It takes time to shop, cook and plan. Are you willing to give healthy eating the time to learn and implement these changes?</li> </ol> Here is what I did, I eliminated the following foods from my diet. Dairy, some meats (like steak, roasts, etc.), night shades (no tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, etc.), all sugar (even diet alternatives like stevia), no coffee, corn, glutens/wheat, soy, peanuts What can I eat? I thought it would be easy to show you a comparison list of alternatives: <ol> <li>Dairy – Almond, Coconut etc. No cheese unless it is free of words like gum, and preservatives. Even gluten free cheeses are off limits right now.</li> <li>Meats – chicken and ground beef. Portion size? What fits in the palm of your hand. And grilled fish.</li> <li>Vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, lettuce, onions, asparagus, bok choy, etc.</li> <li>Lots of water and green tea in the morning – that is my coffee alternative right now. Once a day I drink a large glass approx. 16oz. of water with 1-2 teaspoons of Braggs apple cider vinegar.</li> <li>Fruit: berries are fine. I purchased a bag of organic frozen veggies for smoothies.</li> <li>Gluten free flours such as almond, etc.</li> <li>Some nuts like almonds, cashews or walnuts.</li> <li>Condiments – must be gluten free and sugar free. I stick to balsamic vinegar, olive oil, coconut oil, and grapeseed oils, ghee is a good substitute for butter.</li> </ol> You may want to know what I am eating. It is not all salads although typically I love Caesar salad with grilled chicken or steak. Since steak is off limits right right now. <h4>For breakfast:</h4> Smoothie with almond milk and organic fruit or 2 eggs fried with ghee <h4>Lunch:</h4> Stir fried vegetables – I make this in a large batch and heat up small portions for lunch; salad with olives, hearts of palm, onions, raw veggies, cooked beets – with a sprinkle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sometimes I’ll add a small piece of grilled chicken. Soup – bone broth chicken home made with carrots and shredded chicken. <h4>Dinner:</h4> Grilled chicken Small hamburger patty — grilled Baked fish with ghee, salt and pepper with a squirt of lemon Sides: asparagus, mixed veggies, beets or avocado. So far I haven’t been bored with the food. I try to batch cook like I do for family meals. It is so much easier for me, working from home to heat things up as needed and assemble a quick salad. I wash salads in batches. One of the best tools for the home is a salad spinner. It gets all of the water out of the lettuce and is great. I use essential oils, especially <a href="https://www.doterra.com/US/en/site/felicegerwitz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bergamont</a> that is great for relaxing. I purchase them from <a href="https://www.doterra.com/US/en/site/felicegerwitz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DoTerra</a>. I also take 4-Life Supplements and here is the <a href="https://www.4life.com/felicegerwitz/product/digest4life-reset-system/1185" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">detox supplements</a> I used called the Digest4Life Reset System– which are great! One last thing – please watch some YouTube videos about GMOs – I know some of them are long. But it is important to your health. I’m just sorry that some of the non-GMO foods are so expensive. I wish they were not. Not all GMO foods are labeled something I believe is very important. The video will teach you how to identify GMO produce, even organic. Friends, our health is important so we can take care of our families and ourselves. I’ve had five kids, my father lived with me for 12 years before he died and I have a houseful of grandkids at least one time a week! To keep up our energy and stay healthy it is more than just eating supplements, although those are important! <h3>Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor – Change is in the Air Movie</h3> This story embraces the imperfections that make us human, offers a way to set ourselves free and asks us all to take a good, long look at the wild birds in the sky. <a href="http://bit.ly/changeintheair" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Watch the trailer here!</a> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/elimination-diet/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Elimination Diet</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Elimination Diet

Countdown to Christmas Planning Episode 310 The countdown to Christmas can be a wonderful and blessed time, especially if we make a plan that this year will be different. The stress and harried approach is now in the past and we are going to do this with prayer and the grace that comes only from God! In this episode Felice shares some of her secrets to getting it down with plenty of time to spare. Our sponsor — Heirloom Audios. Lasting value and spiritual benefits — Christian history – audio adventures Movies for the Minds CD Sets  GiveTheAdventure.com Friends, it is time to take charge of our lives and get ready for the best Christmas ever with the focus on what really matters. I have about three steps to this plan so it is easy to implement and so simple! One thing I would recommend is that you begin each day with prayer and end each day with prayers. We use an advent wreath. I have a special countdown to Christmas activity you can do with your children and I’ve podcasted about this as well – the link for that podcast is on this episode 310 First is make a list and cross off anything you do not want to do. I’m serious! Here is what a typical Christmas countdown list looks like:  Decorate the house / buy or put up the tree Take a Christmas picture for a card/write and send cards Buy or make presents for ____ people. Wrap Presents Bake cookies or gifts to give or keep to eat. Shop for Christmas dinner Prepare ahead for Christmas dinner Set Up for Christmas day Finish last minute prep – presents or wrapping Make Christmas Dinner  What is on this list that you can avoid? The two that stand out for me are the Christmas cards and the baking. Everything else you have to do… whether you buy presents or make them. You still have to wrap them. Second is put your list in order of deadlines Print out a month at a glance calendar – I have one on the show notes of VintageHomeschoolMoms.com if you don’t have one. You will need to add the dates to the calendar as it is blank. Use a pencil and list your deadline dates. Try to get your shopping done one week ahead of time. Third: Implement your list! Helpful Christmas Countdown Hints:  Decorate in one day if at all possible. This includes setting up the tree (in our case we buy a fresh tree). It also means getting help to watch the little ones and enlisting the help of the entire family! Shop online whenever possible. I’ve enclosed a link to a helpful article on Moolah.com about 5 best apps. The one I use is Honey. It does a great job online in telling me if there is a coupon I can use and it automatically https://www.joinmoolah.com/blog/5-best-apps-for-receiving-a-price-drop-alert/ When you are shopping check your phone and compare – I know you do this anyway, but many times it is just as cheap to buy it now in the store. Stores have become very good at price comparing themselves. Use gift bags… this is a huge time saver. One of my friends has 11 children and she uses one large gift bag to keep all the children’s gifts in. They love the idea of getting to their gifts quicker (her words) and she says they take turns watching each child open their gifts. Christmas baking – one friend doesn’t bake at all it stresses her. For me the stress in not in baking – it is my destresser! It is in sending out 100+ Christmas cards with a Christmas letter. Now, I only send out cards to immediate family and if we can get a picture taken at Thanksgiving, then great! If not – the card goes out without the photo. Making vs. buying gifts. If you have time, I love the idea of personally created gifts. You can make gift mixes (my December printable will have some of my mix ideas for muffins). Otherwise, start this in the summer. It is so much easier that way!      The post Countdown To Christmas Planning appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Holiday-Countdown-1.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Countdown to Christmas Planning Episode 310</h3> The countdown to Christmas can be a wonderful and blessed time, especially if we make a plan that this year will be different. The stress and harried approach is now in the past and we are going to do this with prayer and the grace that comes only from God! In this episode Felice shares some of her secrets to getting it down with plenty of time to spare. Our sponsor — Heirloom Audios. Lasting value and spiritual benefits — Christian history – audio adventures Movies for the Minds CD Sets  <a href="http://www.GiveTheAdventure.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GiveTheAdventure.com</a> Friends, it is time to take charge of our lives and get ready for the best Christmas ever with the focus on what really matters. I have about three steps to this plan so it is easy to implement and so simple! One thing I would recommend is that you begin each day with prayer and end each day with prayers. We use an advent wreath. I have a special countdown to Christmas activity you can do with your children and I’ve podcasted about this as well – the link for that podcast is on this episode 310 First is make a list and cross off anything you do not want to do. I’m serious! Here is what a typical Christmas countdown list looks like: <ol> <li>Decorate the house / buy or put up the tree</li> <li>Take a Christmas picture for a card/write and send cards</li> <li>Buy or make presents for ____ people.</li> <li>Wrap Presents</li> <li>Bake cookies or gifts to give or keep to eat.</li> <li>Shop for Christmas dinner</li> <li>Prepare ahead for Christmas dinner</li> <li>Set Up for Christmas day</li> <li>Finish last minute prep – presents or wrapping</li> <li>Make Christmas Dinner</li> </ol> What is on this list that you can avoid? The two that stand out for me are the Christmas cards and the baking. Everything else you have to do… whether you buy presents or make them. You still have to wrap them. Second is put your list in order of deadlines Print out a month at a glance calendar – I have one on the show notes of <a href="http://VintageHomeschoolMoms.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">VintageHomeschoolMoms.com</a> if you don’t have one. You will need to add the dates to the calendar as it is blank. Use a pencil and list your deadline dates. Try to get your shopping done one week ahead of time. Third: Implement your list! Helpful Christmas Countdown Hints: <ol> <li>Decorate in one day if at all possible. This includes setting up the tree (in our case we buy a fresh tree). It also means getting help to watch the little ones and enlisting the help of the entire family!</li> <li>Shop online whenever possible. I’ve enclosed a link to a helpful article on <a href="http://Moolah.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Moolah.com</a> about 5 best apps. The one I use is Honey. It does a great job online in telling me if there is a coupon I can use and it automatically <a href="https://www.joinmoolah.com/blog/5-best-apps-for-receiving-a-price-drop-alert/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.joinmoolah.com/blog/5-best-apps-for-receiving-a-price-drop-alert/</a></li> <li>When you are shopping check your phone and compare – I know you do this anyway, but many times it is just as cheap to buy it now in the store. Stores have become very good at price comparing themselves.</li> <li>Use gift bags… this is a huge time saver. One of my friends has 11 children and she uses one large gift bag to keep all the children’s gifts in. They love the idea of getting to their gifts quicker (her words) and she says they take turns watching each child open their gifts.</li> <li>Christmas baking – one friend doesn’t bake at all it stresses her. For me the stress in not in baking – it is my destresser! It is in sending out 100+ Christmas cards with a Christmas letter. Now, I only send out cards to immediate family and if we can get a picture taken at Thanksgiving, then great! If not – the card goes out without the photo.</li> <li>Making vs. buying gifts. If you have time, I love the idea of personally created gifts. You can make gift mixes (my December printable will have some of my mix ideas for muffins). Otherwise, start this in the summer. It is so much easier that way!</li> </ol> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/christmas-planning/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Countdown To Christmas Planning</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Countdown To Christmas Planning

10 Holiday Planning Tips – Episode 307 Holiday planning help is right here! In this episode, we will discuss some ways to help you to plan ahead and keep that overwhelmed feeling away! I am happy to share with you some tips for making it work no matter what your day looks like. Thanks to our sponsor Media Angels, Inc. Media Angels membership site with great self-paced lessons and classes for your kids while you plan for the holidays. Please share this episode with a friend and like the VintageHomeschoolMoms podcast on iTunes. First things first, let’s talk. Do you have something hot or cold to drink? Are you sitting down? This is really important and I want your attention on this one. The most important thing about the holidays is not what the house looks like, what you are serving or who is coming over to the house (or where you are going.) The most important thing is to focus on the sentiment behind the day. If you ask a child what is their favorite things I guarantee it isn’t the house you live in, the car you drive or what you ate on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas or Easter. I bet it is the time you spent together and the fun they had doing things together with family members. If you’ve lost a loved one as many of us have, the holidays can bring back painful memories, but we must praise God that we had our loved ones as long as we did — even if it was for a short time. The experience of knowing someone and the impact on our lives will change us forever and this memory alone should encourage us to forge good and strong alliances with our children. Remember the theme for the various holidays are similar: Thanksgiving is gratitude and thanking God for all things. Christmas is for giving the way our Lord was given to us by God the Father. We celebrate by the awe of the Nativity and give to others. Easter is for the grace given to us by the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and the blessing this is for our life as a Christian. All three major holidays reflect the theme of gratitude, thanksgiving, awe, grace, and ultimately joy! Doing things for others will increase this feeling of joy — and by serving we receive so much more! What needs planning?  Homeschooling – still need to school right? Baking/Cooking—sure if you plan on cooking Shopping – budgeting Decorating house? Clothing—church service? Or family party.  Of course, there are many subdivisions in each of these points. So, what I’d like to share is ideas for different age children dealing with your homeschooling.  Don’t change your schedule for the first two weeks of Nov. but consider adding topics dealing with the holiday – whether it is Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter. If you have little children, replace their fun time activities with crafts and things you can use with decorations. For older teens, they will more than likely school up to Thanksgiving week, although I always took off the week of Thanksgiving. Kids could catch up with their work, or finish us their assignments or help!  Okay, here we go! 10 Holiday Planning tips that won’t break the bank and will get a jump on whatever season you are approaching.  The list. What does your list look like? If you have our planners try the 4-Square approach. That is my go-to for a one-page list of everything that needs to get done. Each month I give away a planner to our subscribers at the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network. These planners are so helpful! I break a sheet of paper into 4 grids (2 across and 2 down) with the headings of faith, kids, school and household. For the holidays you may add a planner that says the specific goals you want to achieve. My headings for Thanksgiving look like this: Faith, Menu, Buy/Make ahead, That Day Next is to plan on doing things incrementally. As homeschool moms, you can’t do everything at once. Your plans need to be realistic. Make a list, and circle things you might get done today – the rest leave for another day! Organize your time and start early. If you haven’t don’t worry — I working on another podcast with last minute holiday tips! If you can bake a casserole, let’s say mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, au gratin or scalloped potatoes, that freezes very well. Make ahead rolls or cookie mix. Pull it out of the freezer the day before and thaw in the refrigerator. For roll,s you may want to take them out of plastic bags and allow them to thaw at room temperature. Keep decorating cost down by making it yourself. I used cheap plastic shower curtain rings and wrapped them with ribbon. A craft the kids helped me with and glued the end down. These were our napkin rings. If you have cloth, great. If not paper works well. They can do this while you read to them. Four weeks before if possible Who is coming? Figure out your guest list so you can plan. OR if you are going to someone’s house what are your bringing? Three weeks before planning your menu if you are hosting a meal. I’ve had Thanksgiving at my home for the last 15 years or so, with a big crowd. This year it is immediate family only. Only 15 counting grandkids. I will use one big table with added smaller tables attached and have a buffet. My meal is the same each year, a small ham, lasagna, and a small turkey with plenty of sides, fruit tray, cheese, and cracker tray. My family loves appetizers and one of the only times they have them is on the holidays. These I buy frozen or make my own. Spinach dip, mini-hotdogs, mini-pizza bites, and a baked cheese (recipes in November planner!) Two weeks before shop for your ingredients, look for sales and buy ahead whenever you can. One week before (or sooner) prepare the baked casseroles and the items you can easily freeze and thaw. For example, my lasagna is already made and waiting in the freezer! You can keep lasagna for six weeks although ours never lasts that long. Room arrangement. Do you need to bring extra chairs (or have guests bring them or tables?) Do you need to move back the couch or other furniture? Decide how you will set your table. Are you fancy or simple? I have tablecloths I purchased after the holiday and keep that year after year for events. I like fresh flowers my one big splurge but I can keep the cost under $20 easily with foliage from outdoors and baby’s breath. I love that stuff! I also reuse glass flower containers. This year since I’m not going fancy I’ll use mason jars with festive ribbon.  One day ahead. When will you begin your bigger roasts? I’ve cooked the ham the day ahead and it has been fabulous heated up. I wrap it tight and place it in a warm oven so it doesn’t dry out. Prepare your turkey the day before. Did you brine it? Or do you need to prep it for baking? I do it ahead of time and place it in the baking dish so all I have to do is put it in the oven. This year I may add stuffing to the turkey since it is way smaller than years past. I also chop or get any dips or cheese ready. My husband loves this job because he eats as he does it. So nice to have the cheese in little cubes and ready to toss on a tray. The day of the event. Smile, pray to the Lord that all goes well and dig in! Get the kids to help with setting the tables or arranging things, putting out crackers, etc. Put the turkey in at the right time to allow it to rest about 30 minutes or more before carving and serving. Be sure to pull out your casseroles and leave them on the counter. Cold lasagna will take two times as long to bake as cool lasagna!  Enjoy your holidays, it’s all about the friends and family — remember that. The food is an added blessing and we must be thankful in all we do. Be sure to look at our free planners available each month with your subscription to the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network. Please share this epsiosde with a friend!   The post 10 Holiday Planning Tips appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Holiday-Planning.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>10 Holiday Planning Tips – Episode 307</h3> Holiday planning help is right here! In this episode, we will discuss some ways to help you to plan ahead and keep that overwhelmed feeling away! I am happy to share with you some tips for making it work no matter what your day looks like. Thanks to our sponsor Media Angels, Inc. <a href="http://www.mediaangelsmembership.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Media Angels membership site</a> with great self-paced lessons and classes for your kids while you plan for the holidays. Please share this episode with a friend and like the VintageHomeschoolMoms podcast on iTunes. First things first, let’s talk. Do you have something hot or cold to drink? Are you sitting down? This is really important and I want your attention on this one. The most important thing about the holidays is not what the house looks like, what you are serving or who is coming over to the house (or where you are going.) The most important thing is to focus on the sentiment behind the day. If you ask a child what is their favorite things I guarantee it isn’t the house you live in, the car you drive or what you ate on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas or Easter. I bet it is the time you spent together and the fun they had doing things together with family members. If you’ve lost a loved one as many of us have, the holidays can bring back painful memories, but we must praise God that we had our loved ones as long as we did — even if it was for a short time. The experience of knowing someone and the impact on our lives will change us forever and this memory alone should encourage us to forge good and strong alliances with our children. Remember the theme for the various holidays are similar: Thanksgiving is gratitude and thanking God for all things. Christmas is for giving the way our Lord was given to us by God the Father. We celebrate by the awe of the Nativity and give to others. Easter is for the grace given to us by the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and the blessing this is for our life as a Christian. All three major holidays reflect the theme of gratitude, thanksgiving, awe, grace, and ultimately joy! Doing things for others will increase this feeling of joy — and by serving we receive so much more! What needs planning? <ol> <li>Homeschooling – still need to school right?</li> <li>Baking/Cooking—sure if you plan on cooking</li> <li>Shopping – budgeting</li> <li>Decorating house?</li> <li>Clothing—church service? Or family party.</li> </ol> Of course, there are many subdivisions in each of these points. So, what I’d like to share is ideas for different age children dealing with your homeschooling. <ol> <li>Don’t change your schedule for the first two weeks of Nov. but consider adding topics dealing with the holiday – whether it is Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter.</li> <li>If you have little children, replace their fun time activities with crafts and things you can use with decorations.</li> <li>For older teens, they will more than likely school up to Thanksgiving week, although I always took off the week of Thanksgiving. Kids could catch up with their work, or finish us their assignments or help!</li> </ol> Okay, here we go! 10 Holiday Planning tips that won’t break the bank and will get a jump on whatever season you are approaching. <ol> <li>The list. What does your list look like? If you have our planners try the 4-Square approach. That is my go-to for a one-page list of everything that needs to get done. Each month I give away a planner to our subscribers at the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network. These planners are so helpful! I break a sheet of paper into 4 grids (2 across and 2 down) with the headings of faith, kids, school and household. For the holidays you may add a planner that says the specific goals you want to achieve. My headings for Thanksgiving look like this: Faith, Menu, Buy/Make ahead, That Day</li> <li>Next is to plan on doing things incrementally. As homeschool moms, you can’t do everything at once. Your plans need to be realistic. Make a list, and circle things you might get done today – the rest leave for another day! Organize your time and start early. If you haven’t don’t worry — I working on another podcast with last minute holiday tips! If you can bake a casserole, let’s say mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, au gratin or scalloped potatoes, that freezes very well. Make ahead rolls or cookie mix. Pull it out of the freezer the day before and thaw in the refrigerator. For roll,s you may want to take them out of plastic bags and allow them to thaw at room temperature.</li> <li>Keep decorating cost down by making it yourself. I used cheap plastic shower curtain rings and wrapped them with ribbon. A craft the kids helped me with and glued the end down. These were our napkin rings. If you have cloth, great. If not paper works well. They can do this while you read to them.</li> <li>Four weeks before if possible Who is coming? Figure out your guest list so you can plan. OR if you are going to someone’s house what are your bringing?</li> <li>Three weeks before planning your menu if you are hosting a meal. I’ve had Thanksgiving at my home for the last 15 years or so, with a big crowd. This year it is immediate family only. Only 15 counting grandkids. I will use one big table with added smaller tables attached and have a buffet. My meal is the same each year, a small ham, lasagna, and a small turkey with plenty of sides, fruit tray, cheese, and cracker tray. My family loves appetizers and one of the only times they have them is on the holidays. These I buy frozen or make my own. Spinach dip, mini-hotdogs, mini-pizza bites, and a baked cheese (recipes in November planner!)</li> <li>Two weeks before shop for your ingredients, look for sales and buy ahead whenever you can.</li> <li>One week before (or sooner) prepare the baked casseroles and the items you can easily freeze and thaw. For example, my lasagna is already made and waiting in the freezer! You can keep lasagna for six weeks although ours never lasts that long.</li> <li>Room arrangement. Do you need to bring extra chairs (or have guests bring them or tables?) Do you need to move back the couch or other furniture? Decide how you will set your table. Are you fancy or simple? I have tablecloths I purchased after the holiday and keep that year after year for events. I like fresh flowers my one big splurge but I can keep the cost under $20 easily with foliage from outdoors and baby’s breath. I love that stuff! I also reuse glass flower containers. This year since I’m not going fancy I’ll use mason jars with festive ribbon.</li> <li> One day ahead. When will you begin your bigger roasts? I’ve cooked the ham the day ahead and it has been fabulous heated up. I wrap it tight and place it in a warm oven so it doesn’t dry out. Prepare your turkey the day before. Did you brine it? Or do you need to prep it for baking? I do it ahead of time and place it in the baking dish so all I have to do is put it in the oven. This year I may add stuffing to the turkey since it is way smaller than years past. I also chop or get any dips or cheese ready. My husband loves this job because he eats as he does it. So nice to have the cheese in little cubes and ready to toss on a tray.</li> <li>The day of the event. Smile, pray to the Lord that all goes well and dig in! Get the kids to help with setting the tables or arranging things, putting out crackers, etc. Put the turkey in at the right time to allow it to rest about 30 minutes or more before carving and serving. Be sure to pull out your casseroles and leave them on the counter. Cold lasagna will take two times as long to bake as cool lasagna!</li> </ol> Enjoy your holidays, it’s all about the friends and family — remember that. The food is an added blessing and we must be thankful in all we do. Be sure to look at our free planners available each month with your subscription to the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network. Please share this epsiosde with a friend! The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/10-holiday-planning-tips/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">10 Holiday Planning Tips</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

10 Holiday Planning Tips

Homeschooling with Vision and Purpose Episode 320 It is often said that homeschooling is not for the faint-hearted. Homeschooling with Vision and Purpose is the topic of today’s podcast with a very special guest and new podcaster at the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network, Lisa Nehring. She will share her vision and you will learn more about the True North Academy as well. Welcome to Lisa Nehring with True North Academy – Need help with your vision &amp; purpose? Contact True North Homeschool Academy; we will be happy to help!  True North Homeschool Academy is committed to coming alongside parents to provide an exceptional on-line learning experience that exceeds the highest academic standard for for 6th-12th grade students in a flexible and affordable learning environment. Our sponsors make these broadcasts free to all of you – so please stop by and check out their live homeschool classes! As homeschoolers often we don’t think about homeschooling with vision and purpose. In this episode we discuss:  What is the difference between reactive homeschooling vs. proactive vision How to create a vision and make it plain – Habakkuk 2:2 Envisioning a bright and successful future – we are called to be obedient – and succeed. Proactive – visions different for everyone. Consider your child’s talents. Shore up their weakness. Create a bridge between present and future – could be and possibilities Look at your child’s spiritual development, physical emotional development. Digital dark ages, they were more interactive and engage in humane and kind. How to communicate well with people. A unique time in life – our kids grow up in a digital age.  Lisa shared how to develop a vision vs mission.  A vision is the big picture dream, about what you want at the end of, for example, homeschooling, life, etc. Use adjectives, verbs, and nouns to create your vision. The mission consists of the steps that you take to get to your vision. When developing – nouns and adverbs Goals are small incremental steps to get to your … small, manageable and realistic and timely Smart goals -Set goals and create a mission for our year – saves us time and money. We can change the specifics we need to get done and a sense of what we need to accomplish. Blended learning and online learning is the secret weapon of homeschool. True North Academy does this for you!   The post Homeschooling with Vision and Purpose appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Homeschooling-with-Vision-and-Purpose-1.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Homeschooling with Vision and Purpose Episode 320</h3> It is often said that homeschooling is not for the faint-hearted. Homeschooling with Vision and Purpose is the topic of today’s podcast with a very special guest and new podcaster at the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network, Lisa Nehring. She will share her vision and you will learn more about the True North Academy as well. Welcome to Lisa Nehring with True North Academy – <a href="http://truenorthhomeschoolacademy.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Need help with your vision &amp; purpose? Contact <a href="http://truenorthhomeschoolacademy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">True North Homeschool Academy</a>; we will be happy to help!  True North Homeschool Academy is committed to coming alongside parents to provide an exceptional on-line learning experience that exceeds the highest academic standard for for 6th-12th grade students in a flexible and affordable learning environment. Our sponsors make these broadcasts free to all of you – so please stop by and check out their live homeschool classes! As homeschoolers often we don’t think about homeschooling with vision and purpose. In this episode we discuss: <ol> <li>What is the difference between reactive homeschooling vs. proactive vision</li> <li>How to create a vision and make it plain – Habakkuk 2:2</li> <li>Envisioning a bright and successful future – we are called to be obedient – and succeed.</li> <li>Proactive – visions different for everyone.</li> <li>Consider your child’s talents. Shore up their weakness.</li> <li>Create a bridge between present and future – could be and possibilities</li> <li>Look at your child’s spiritual development, physical emotional development.</li> <li>Digital dark ages, they were more interactive and engage in humane and kind.</li> <li>How to communicate well with people.</li> <li>A unique time in life – our kids grow up in a digital age.</li> </ol> Lisa shared how to develop a vision vs mission.  A vision is the big picture dream, about what you want at the end of, for example, homeschooling, life, etc. Use adjectives, verbs, and nouns to create your vision. The mission consists of the steps that you take to get to your vision. When developing – nouns and adverbs Goals are small incremental steps to get to your … small, manageable and realistic and timely Smart goals -Set goals and create a mission for our year – saves us time and money. We can change the specifics we need to get done and a sense of what we need to accomplish. Blended learning and online learning is the secret weapon of homeschool. <a href="http://truenorthhomeschoolacademy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">True North Academy</a> does this for you! The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/homeschooling-with-vision-and-purpose/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homeschooling with Vision and Purpose</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Homeschooling with Vision and Purpose

Josh Harris

Five Things Josh Harris Forgot Episode 368 This is not a show that will bash Josh Harris, a previous bestseller, Christian pastor and evangelical leader and author of books that many Christians and many homeschoolers loved. What I will do is point out the five things I believe he forgot in his journey from seeking what people thought about his book. Thanks to our sponsor – CTCMath.com  My heart grieves for Josh Harris and I will share why in a bit, but as I think about his situation there are some major points I feel he completely forgot. I have not watched his entire documentary that was filmed with clips from the people he interviewed that were harmed or liked his book, mostly it was the latter as the title is, “I Survived I Kissed Dating Goodbye.” He apologizes in the film and I think apologies are always good, they are freeing but he is personally taking responsibility for a movement that flamed within many Evangelical churches that he truly had no idea would happen. Point #1 – People Have Free Will. Sorry. God gave us free will. Each person who read your book made a decision to follow your advice or not. People need to take responsibility for their own actions – there is a lacking of this in our society. As an author I have first-hand experience with this, having written many books from 1994 to the present day. Years ago, my daughter and I co-authored the Truth Seekers Mystery Series. These are action-adventure novels, that focus on archaeology, paleontology, and anthropology. We called them Truth Seekers because we wanted our readers to seek truth in their lives, the dialogue contained both sides of an argument with both teens and adults. I taught my children to learn by investigating, asking questions and research from three primary sources. I didn’t want them to read someone else’s interpretation of what happened, which is why I will give a link to the statement Josh Harris made about his book. Here is his official statement. Point #2 – Do Not Throw Out The Baby With The Bath Water We had two books that Josh Harris wrote. The first is, “I Kissed Dating Goodbye,” and the second one “Boy Meets Girl,” a quick search shows the Kindle version received 366 stars on Amazon that resulted in a rating of 4.6 stars. Not bad. He had good information to share and I think what I liked about his books is his authenticity in sharing his struggle and his ultimate victory in what he believed was an ideal method for dating. Josh wrote an apology in his statement that said, in essence, if I hurt you I’m sorry and if I helped you I am happy. But, because I think this is flawed, I’m pulling sales of the book. We read the books and felt that parts of the books made great sense. The part, we as a family liked is that teen dating and breaking up had become an epidemic that set kids up for heartbreak at a young age. We never told our kids, you have to do this, or this is our family rule. We said, “What do you think.” Of course the twelve-year-old thought it was great advice and then as she matured and was eighteen, she asked for some leeway which we gave her. My parents were super strict, they didn’t let me date in high school other than one prom date (that my father accepted for me) when I was a Senior in High school–and not with the person I wanted to go with, you have to read my book, One More Child to hear that story.) However, I didn’t want to be as strict as my parents but I did want some parameters and I thought Josh’s book did that well. I would never credit him for my success or failure in parenting because I read his books and encouraged my kids to read them. I think his book contained caution for a world that is hurting. Why not put out a revised edition with some cautions? Why ax it totally? I can’t answer that question. Point #3 – Love Comes From Above First Before It Comes From Within The source of all love comes from above and once we know God we can have this love within and then share it with others. We have to pray and search our hearts for what God calls us to do, should we marry, go into ministry, be celibate. It is a personal relationship. I know that some people, some churches took his information as the gospel truth without looking at the gospel. A book can guide but it can not make someone do something, point number one! Point #4 – No One In This World Can Always Make You Happy I think a bunch of criticism is that his book taught a method that people followed and had a disastrous outcome, while some said his method worked. But the main point is that no person on earth can fill that void that belongs to God. God created us to love Him, and if we do not love Him first, we will always seek for that true love that will never be fulfilling. Point #5 -Applying The Bible To Dating Is A Good Idea God gave us life and we, as thankful Christians should look to the Word of God in the Bible for advice. God said, “…go forth and multiply…” He didn’t give us a direct path, but if we proceed based on the love of God and His will for our life no matter what happens we will always have God. That makes no sense to someone who is not a Christian or who doesn’t have a relationship with God. When Harris wrote the book he was committed and he loved the Lord and wrote what he felt the Lord was teaching. It is up to each individual (read point one above) to pray, discern and seek God. Even life’s rejections can be a learning tool and healing for all of us. Unfortunately, I read that Josh and his wife are getting a divorce and for this, I grieve. I will pray for him, for her, for their children. Divorce is heartbreaking no matter who it happens to and is never a cause to rejoice or point fingers. Friends, what we can learn is that while books are great for teaching and even sermons, teachings, podcasts, etc., it is important to have a spirit of discernment (which is free by the way, just pray for it!) and critical thinking, and making up our own decisions. I pray that a new generation of young people do not think his apology means that everything is wrong with waiting to date, to kiss and to have intimate relationships until we get married. I’ll leave you with one thought before we point to others with blame take a hard look at yourself. Take responsibility for your own actions! Look at your relationship with God and your hopes and dreams. Do you even know what you believe? Do you have a firm foundation in Christ. If not, get on your knees and pray. It begins with one person. You. And it begins today.     The post Five Things Josh Harris Forgot appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Josh-Harris.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Five Things Josh Harris Forgot Episode 368</h3> This is not a show that will bash Josh Harris, a previous bestseller, Christian pastor and evangelical leader and author of books that many Christians and many homeschoolers loved. What I will do is point out the five things I believe he forgot in his journey from seeking what people thought about his book. Thanks to our sponsor – <a href="http://www.CTCMath.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CTCMath.com </a> My heart grieves for Josh Harris and I will share why in a bit, but as I think about his situation there are some major points I feel he completely forgot. I have not watched his entire documentary that was filmed with clips from the people he interviewed that were harmed or liked his book, mostly it was the latter as the title is, “I Survived I Kissed Dating Goodbye.” He apologizes in the film and I think apologies are always good, they are freeing but he is personally taking responsibility for a movement that flamed within many Evangelical churches that he truly had no idea would happen. Point #1 – People Have Free Will. Sorry. God gave us free will. Each person who read your book made a decision to follow your advice or not. People need to take responsibility for their own actions – there is a lacking of this in our society. As an author I have first-hand experience with this, having written many books from 1994 to the present day. Years ago, my daughter and I co-authored the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Felice-Gerwitz/e/B004L7UDQE?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Truth Seekers Mystery Series</a>. These are action-adventure novels, that focus on archaeology, paleontology, and anthropology. We called them Truth Seekers because we wanted our readers to seek truth in their lives, the dialogue contained both sides of an argument with both teens and adults. I taught my children to learn by investigating, asking questions and research from three primary sources. I didn’t want them to read someone else’s interpretation of what happened, which is why I will give a link to the statement Josh Harris made about his book. Here is <a href="https://joshharris.com/statement/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">his official statement.</a> Point #2 – Do Not Throw Out The Baby With The Bath Water We had two books that Josh Harris wrote. The first is, “I Kissed Dating Goodbye,” and the second one “Boy Meets Girl,” a quick search shows the Kindle version received 366 stars on Amazon that resulted in a rating of 4.6 stars. Not bad. He had good information to share and I think what I liked about his books is his authenticity in sharing his struggle and his ultimate victory in what he believed was an ideal method for dating. Josh wrote an apology in his statement that said, in essence, if I hurt you I’m sorry and if I helped you I am happy. But, because I think this is flawed, I’m pulling sales of the book. We read the books and felt that parts of the books made great sense. The part, we as a family liked is that teen dating and breaking up had become an epidemic that set kids up for heartbreak at a young age. We never told our kids, you have to do this, or this is our family rule. We said, “What do you think.” Of course the twelve-year-old thought it was great advice and then as she matured and was eighteen, she asked for some leeway which we gave her. My parents were super strict, they didn’t let me date in high school other than one prom date (that my father accepted for me) when I was a Senior in High school–and not with the person I wanted to go with, you have to read my book, One More Child to hear that story.) However, I didn’t want to be as strict as my parents but I did want some parameters and I thought Josh’s book did that well. I would never credit him for my success or failure in parenting because I read his books and encouraged my kids to read them. I think his book contained caution for a world that is hurting. Why not put out a revised edition with some cautions? Why ax it totally? I can’t answer that question. Point #3 – Love Comes From Above First Before It Comes From Within The source of all love comes from above and once we know God we can have this love within and then share it with others. We have to pray and search our hearts for what God calls us to do, should we marry, go into ministry, be celibate. It is a personal relationship. I know that some people, some churches took his information as the gospel truth without looking at the gospel. A book can guide but it can not make someone do something, point number one! Point #4 – No One In This World Can Always Make You Happy I think a bunch of criticism is that his book taught a method that people followed and had a disastrous outcome, while some said his method worked. But the main point is that no person on earth can fill that void that belongs to God. God created us to love Him, and if we do not love Him first, we will always seek for that true love that will never be fulfilling. Point #5 -Applying The Bible To Dating Is A Good Idea God gave us life and we, as thankful Christians should look to the Word of God in the Bible for advice. God said, “…go forth and multiply…” He didn’t give us a direct path, but if we proceed based on the love of God and His will for our life no matter what happens we will always have God. That makes no sense to someone who is not a Christian or who doesn’t have a relationship with God. When Harris wrote the book he was committed and he loved the Lord and wrote what he felt the Lord was teaching. It is up to each individual (read point one above) to pray, discern and seek God. Even life’s rejections can be a learning tool and healing for all of us. Unfortunately, I read that Josh and his wife are getting a divorce and for this, I grieve. I will pray for him, for her, for their children. Divorce is heartbreaking no matter who it happens to and is never a cause to rejoice or point fingers. Friends, what we can learn is that while books are great for teaching and even sermons, teachings, podcasts, etc., it is important to have a spirit of discernment (which is free by the way, just pray for it!) and critical thinking, and making up our own decisions. I pray that a new generation of young people do not think his apology means that everything is wrong with waiting to date, to kiss and to have intimate relationships until we get married. I’ll leave you with one thought before we point to others with blame take a hard look at yourself. Take responsibility for your own actions! Look at your relationship with God and your hopes and dreams. Do you even know what you believe? Do you have a firm foundation in Christ. If not, get on your knees and pray. It begins with one person. You. And it begins today. The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/josh-harris/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Five Things Josh Harris Forgot</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Five Things Josh Harris Forgot

Best Homeschool Scheduling Advice Episode 285 The Best homeschool scheduling advice I ever received actually came from my daughter. She said, “Mom if we are going to duplicate the school system then why homeschool?” With that in mind, I looked at the way I scheduled my homeschool year. I made time for those special events that make homeschooling stand out from the conventional school cuWhetherum. Whether it is a field trip, a family trip that is planned or one-to-one mentoring with a talented person. In this episode of Vintage Homeschool Moms, I’ll explain the best homeschool scheduling advice, ever! Thanks to our sponsor – The Well Planned Gal!!  Questions to ask yourself before you begin scheduling!  What are your state laws — are you compliant? Are you part of a support group? This network IS part of your support! What are your goals and objectives for the year?  What method of homeschooling do you lean toward? If you don’t know listen to this podcast on the topic HERE PUT LINK How long are you planning to homeschool? 4, 5, or 6 hours or more per day? Check out your homeschool laws here if you don’t already know them: https://hslda.org/content/laws/ Are you flexible? Do you like check off lists? For you? For the kids?  These questions will set the groundwork for how you’d like to set up your homeschool year. What I might consider best homeschool scheduling advice may not allign with your homeschool philosophy. However I hope you can take what you need and make it work for you! With this clearly in mind, here is some of the best advice I can share with you about homeschool schedules and ways to have a stress-free year. Best Homeschool Scheduling Tips:  Keep your eyes focused on your family needs. What Sally Jo uses for her kids may not work for yours. Look at your goals. What do you hope to accomplish this year? What subjects do you want to cover this year? Is it important to develop your child’s creativity and imagination and encourage them to think? What character qualities do you want to work on? If you want to strengthen family relationships, select reading materials or read aloud the books that will do just that. Read the Little House on the Prarie (younger) or Anne of Green Gables (older). Each child is unique, consider your child’s needs. Never recreate the public/private classroom at home. Don’t forget about you. Do you have help scheduled, whether that is a chore chart so everyone can pitch in, or a park day so you can visit with friends. Never – and that means never answer the phone while you are homeschooling. Set special ring tones for important people – others go to voice mail. This goes for checking Facebook or social media in general. Never and that means never -unless it is absolutely impossible go on an errand during school time. No grocery store shopping, doctor appointments – until after school or on a day off if you take one, etc.  Best Homeschool Scheduling Advice — Ever!  Tools &amp; Supplies:  Three Inch Binder: Use a three-ring binder. I began a master homeschool binder when I first began homeschooling and it contains ALL the must haves… First, copies of their schedules, important information: everything from blanks I could duplicate to things I always had to look up previously. I have the children’s evaluations in this binder from the beginning of our homeschooling in Kindergarten through twelfth grade! I also keep a copy of their evaluations in their grade/year notebook. Master Lists: Subjects, books, reading books, grade level goals, etc. I think through this once, add to it if a particular child needs more information and then file it in my book. I also have a file in a Word Doc. in my computer that corresponds. Master lists can include a supply list for school, birthdays, and a calendar of events. File cabinet. Throughout the years I kept files on each of the kids and work. As we ended a year, the binder was emptied, the information for the year filed under the child’s name (and grade labeled), and the binder was then ready for the next year. School Supplies: Notebooks: Look for sales. We get lined, spiral notebooks for less than 20 cents during back to school sales. I buy enough for all year. Use a sharpie (or a nice label from the computer) to label the subject. Notebook paper: This is one of those things we always ran out of when the children were younger. Wide-ruled notebook paper for the little kids and college ruled for older ones. Pencils: We prefer the #2 pencils and some of the kids liked the mechanical pencils, but there was one brand, in particular, they liked best that we could only purchase at an office supply store. Yes, friends, this was “pre-Amazon” days! Of course, depending on your child’s needs there are crayons, markers, erasers (the ones that fit on the pencil and the bigger ones), colored pencils, pens and sharpie and highlighters. Don’t forget the 110 lb paper to make your own dividers. Best Purchases: Large Dry Erase Boards and erasable markers, an electric three-hole punch, a laminator, laminating sheets, a stapler, a heavy duty stapler (to make those books kids love to make), and a heavy duty tape dispenser. I loved sticky notes and tabs to create my own dividers with 110 lb paper.  Best Homeschool Scheduling Advice:  Know Your Kids: Do you know or have you evaluated your children? Our sponsor has these wonderful books for Placement and Evaluation. Organized: Get your books organized. Half the battle if finding the books you need when you need them. School supplies and additional resources. Everything has a place! Freebies: There are lots of sites that say you can get free curriculum, downloads, printables, etc. If you have these – organize them! Scope and Sequence: This states what your kids need to know and as homeschoolers you can be flexible. Here is a scope and sequence from Abeka as well as Bob Jones that goes from K-12. I’m not endorsing this one way or the other, you have to make your own determination. Flexibility: Build flexibility into your schedule – how can you do this? (Listen to the podcast for tips) Input: Get input from your older children. One year my kids wanted to study oceanography and space. Talk about diverse! Yet those became their favorite subjects. Routine or Schedule? What works for you a routine or schedule? The best homeschool scheduling takes into mind your lifestyle and only you can decide if you want to do things daily with a set schedule or perhaps have a routine that includes daily activities but more loosely scheduled. Rotate your schedule – doing the same thing all the time can be boring and cause kids to zone out. Maybe you do math every day, but what about history or science? You can do history two times a week and science two times for 6 weeks, and then change it to history three times and science two. 180 Homeschool Days: Get a year’s calendar and circle the days you will school each month. Yes, this can change but it is nice to have it set out before you – so you can plan. 180 days of homeschooling is what my state requires. Check your state information here: https://hslda.org/content/laws/ Homeschool Planner: Well Planned Gal planners are my favorite – there are digital, printed and even a prayer planner.  There is also a smaller size to keep in your purse or backpack! Use Checklists: Checklist with pictures for little kids and a checklist for you. It is an easy way to keep records. Breaks: Be sure to highlight birthday’s, events, holidays, and field trips. Do you have a catch-up/ planning day? If you can’t have one every week, try for one a month. Field Trips: Be sure to use the resources available to homeschool families in your area. Plan your week: Look at your books and divide the number of homeschool days or weeks by chapters. If there are 30 chapters you may need to do one per week. Etc. Some books you can take two weeks to complete one chapter. Teach Kids Together: Group ages and books/subjects as much as possible. Kids like working together or if they are competitive use it to their advantage. Projects: Plan early. Science fair ideas begin in the summer, papers signed as soon as school starts (grades six and up). I wrote the book, “An Insider’s Guide to Successful Science Fair Projects available on Media Angels Membership or Amazon here. High School: Planning for high school? Plan a 4-year schedule of required subjects for graduation. The scale is different for a high school diploma vs. a high school diploma with college in mind. Also if your kids are planning to attend college listen to College Prep Genius for ways to ace the SAT and ACT as well as get scholarships. If your kids play sports – know the rules. If your kids are approaching high school and have an eye to playing sports in college read up on the NCAA.org eligibility information about classes that count for high school for college play.  Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor – Well Planned Gal  Rebecca from the Well Planned Gal understands the challenges of working within a budget, managing multiple children, and trying to keep up with a variety of information. That is why she created popular planner bundles! Combine organizational tools with year long encouragement by bundling Well Planned Day planners with the popular Family Magazine. For a limited time, Save 30% with one of her  popular planner bundles. Each bundle contains 2 planner products with a one-year subscription to Family Magazine.   Click Here to Go to Well Planned Gal The post Best Homeschool Scheduling Advice appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3>Best Homeschool Scheduling Advice Episode 285</h3> The Best homeschool scheduling advice I ever received actually came from my daughter. She said, “Mom if we are going to duplicate the school system then why homeschool?” With that in mind, I looked at the way I scheduled my homeschool year. I made time for those special events that make homeschooling stand out from the conventional school cuWhetherum. Whether it is a field trip, a family trip that is planned or one-to-one mentoring with a talented person. In this episode of Vintage Homeschool Moms, I’ll explain the best homeschool scheduling advice, ever! Thanks to our sponsor – <a href="http://www.wellplannedgal.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Well Planned Gal!! </a> Questions to ask yourself before you begin scheduling! <ol> <li>What are your state laws — are you compliant?</li> <li>Are you part of a support group? This network IS part of your support!</li> <li>What are your goals and objectives for the year?</li> <li> What method of homeschooling do you lean toward? If you don’t know listen to this podcast on the topic HERE PUT LINK</li> <li>How long are you planning to homeschool? 4, 5, or 6 hours or more per day? Check out your homeschool laws here if you don’t already know them: <a href="https://hslda.org/content/laws/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://hslda.org/content/laws/</a></li> <li>Are you flexible?</li> <li>Do you like check off lists? For you? For the kids?</li> </ol> These questions will set the groundwork for how you’d like to set up your homeschool year. What I might consider best homeschool scheduling advice may not allign with your homeschool philosophy. However I hope you can take what you need and make it work for you! With this clearly in mind, here is some of the best advice I can share with you about homeschool schedules and ways to have a stress-free year. Best Homeschool Scheduling Tips: <ol> <li>Keep your eyes focused on your family needs. What Sally Jo uses for her kids may not work for yours.</li> <li>Look at your goals. What do you hope to accomplish this year? What subjects do you want to cover this year?</li> <li>Is it important to develop your child’s creativity and imagination and encourage them to think?</li> <li>What character qualities do you want to work on? If you want to strengthen family relationships, select reading materials or read aloud the books that will do just that. Read the Little House on the Prarie (younger) or Anne of Green Gables (older).</li> <li>Each child is unique, consider your child’s needs.</li> <li>Never recreate the public/private classroom at home.</li> <li>Don’t forget about you. Do you have help scheduled, whether that is a chore chart so everyone can pitch in, or a park day so you can visit with friends.</li> <li>Never – and that means never answer the phone while you are homeschooling. Set special ring tones for important people – others go to voice mail. This goes for checking Facebook or social media in general.</li> <li>Never and that means never -unless it is absolutely impossible go on an errand during school time. No grocery store shopping, doctor appointments – until after school or on a day off if you take one, etc.</li> </ol> Best Homeschool Scheduling Advice — Ever!  <h4>Tools &amp; Supplies:</h4> <ol> <li>Three Inch Binder: Use a three-ring binder. I began a master homeschool binder when I first began homeschooling and it contains ALL the must haves… First, copies of their schedules, important information: everything from blanks I could duplicate to things I always had to look up previously. I have the children’s evaluations in this binder from the beginning of our homeschooling in Kindergarten through twelfth grade! I also keep a copy of their evaluations in their grade/year notebook.</li> <li>Master Lists: Subjects, books, reading books, grade level goals, etc. I think through this once, add to it if a particular child needs more information and then file it in my book. I also have a file in a Word Doc. in my computer that corresponds. Master lists can include a supply list for school, birthdays, and a calendar of events.</li> <li>File cabinet. Throughout the years I kept files on each of the kids and work. As we ended a year, the binder was emptied, the information for the year filed under the child’s name (and grade labeled), and the binder was then ready for the next year.</li> <li>School Supplies: Notebooks: Look for sales. We get lined, spiral notebooks for less than 20 cents during back to school sales. I buy enough for all year. Use a sharpie (or a nice label from the computer) to label the subject. Notebook paper: This is one of those things we always ran out of when the children were younger. Wide-ruled notebook paper for the little kids and college ruled for older ones. Pencils: We prefer the #2 pencils and some of the kids liked the mechanical pencils, but there was one brand, in particular, they liked best that we could only purchase at an office supply store. Yes, friends, this was “pre-Amazon” days! Of course, depending on your child’s needs there are crayons, markers, erasers (the ones that fit on the pencil and the bigger ones), colored pencils, pens and sharpie and highlighters. Don’t forget the 110 lb paper to make your own dividers.</li> <li>Best Purchases: Large Dry Erase Boards and erasable markers, an electric three-hole punch, a laminator, laminating sheets, a stapler, a heavy duty stapler (to make those books kids love to make), and a heavy duty tape dispenser. I loved sticky notes and tabs to create my own dividers with 110 lb paper.</li> </ol> Best Homeschool Scheduling Advice: <ol> <li>Know Your Kids: Do you know or have you evaluated your children? Our sponsor has these wonderful books for <a href="https://shop.wellplannedgal.com/index.php/shop/start.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Placement and Evaluation.</a></li> <li>Organized: Get your books organized. Half the battle if finding the books you need when you need them. School supplies and additional resources. Everything has a place!</li> <li>Freebies: There are lots of sites that say you can get free curriculum, downloads, printables, etc. If you have these – organize them!</li> <li>Scope and Sequence: This states what your kids need to know and as homeschoolers you can be flexible. Here is a <a href="https://static.abeka.com/Abeka/InteractivePDF/ScopeSequence/HomeschoolSS/downloads/AbekaAtAGlanceHomeschoolScopeandSequence.pdf?update=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">scope and sequence from Abeka</a> as well as <a href="http://www.bjupress.com/product/513705" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bob Jones</a> that goes from K-12. I’m not endorsing this one way or the other, you have to make your own determination.</li> <li>Flexibility: Build flexibility into your schedule – how can you do this? (Listen to the podcast for tips)</li> <li>Input: Get input from your older children. One year my kids wanted to study oceanography and space. Talk about diverse! Yet those became their favorite subjects.</li> <li>Routine or Schedule? What works for you a routine or schedule? The best homeschool scheduling takes into mind your lifestyle and only you can decide if you want to do things daily with a set schedule or perhaps have a routine that includes daily activities but more loosely scheduled.</li> <li>Rotate your schedule – doing the same thing all the time can be boring and cause kids to zone out. Maybe you do math every day, but what about history or science? You can do history two times a week and science two times for 6 weeks, and then change it to history three times and science two.</li> <li>180 Homeschool Days: Get a year’s calendar and circle the days you will school each month. Yes, this can change but it is nice to have it set out before you – so you can plan. 180 days of homeschooling is what my state requires. Check your state information here: <a href="https://hslda.org/content/laws/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://hslda.org/content/laws/</a></li> <li>Homeschool Planner: <a href="http://www.wellplannedgal.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Well Planned Gal</a> planners are my favorite – there are digital, printed and even a prayer planner.  There is also a smaller size to keep in your purse or backpack!</li> <li>Use Checklists: Checklist with pictures for little kids and a checklist for you. It is an easy way to keep records.</li> <li>Breaks: Be sure to highlight birthday’s, events, holidays, and field trips. Do you have a catch-up/ planning day? If you can’t have one every week, try for one a month.</li> <li>Field Trips: Be sure to use the resources available to homeschool families in your area.</li> <li>Plan your week: Look at your books and divide the number of homeschool days or weeks by chapters. If there are 30 chapters you may need to do one per week. Etc. Some books you can take two weeks to complete one chapter.</li> <li>Teach Kids Together: Group ages and books/subjects as much as possible. Kids like working together or if they are competitive use it to their advantage.</li> <li>Projects: Plan early. Science fair ideas begin in the summer, papers signed as soon as school starts (grades six and up). I wrote the book, “An Insider’s Guide to Successful Science Fair Projects available on <a href="http://www.mediaangelsmembership.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Media Angels Membership</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Insiders-Guide-Successful-Science-Projects/dp/1931941033/ref=sr_1_12?m=A2MPGTB0LC22HB&amp;s=merchant-items&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1532108105&amp;sr=1-12" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon here.</a></li> <li>High School: Planning for high school? Plan a 4-year schedule of required subjects for graduation. The scale is different for a high school diploma vs. a high school diploma with college in mind. Also if your kids are planning to attend college listen to <a href="http://www.collegeprepgenius.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">College Prep Genius</a> for ways to ace the SAT and ACT as well as get scholarships. If your kids play sports – know the rules. If your kids are approaching high school and have an eye to playing sports in college read up on the <a href="http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/eligibility_center/1718_Initial-Eligibility_Brochure.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NCAA.org</a> eligibility information about classes that count for high school for college play.</li> </ol> <h3>Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor – Well Planned Gal</h3> Rebecca from the Well Planned Gal understands the challenges of working within a budget, managing multiple children, and trying to keep up with a variety of information. That is why she created popular planner bundles! Combine organizational tools with year long encouragement by bundling Well Planned Day planners with the popular Family Magazine. For a limited time, Save 30% with one of her  popular planner bundles. Each bundle contains 2 planner products with a one-year subscription to Family Magazine.   <a href="https://shop.wellplannedgal.com/index.php/shop/planners/bundles.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click Here to Go to Well Planned Gal</a> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/best-homeschool-scheduling-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Best Homeschool Scheduling Advice</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Best Homeschool Scheduling Advice

Ultimate Holiday Checklist Advice &amp; Homeschooling Episode 379 with Janice Campbell Are you ready for the holidays? Here is holiday checklist advice from two homeschool veterans, Felice Gerwitz and Janice Campbell. Both have homeschooled during the holidays for many years and have much to share with you! Thanks to our sponsor – A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood! Visit my special guest’s website! Get to know Janice Campbell: Bookstore: Everyday-Education.com Literature resources Excellence-In-Literature.com Blog: DoingWhatMatters.com Product page: Doing What Manners Printable Planner About Janice Campbell and her husband Donald homeschooled their four sons from preschool into early college using a lifestyle of learning approach influenced by Charlotte Mason and classical education. A lifelong reader and learner, Janice has been sharing her joy in homeschooling at conferences since the 1990s. She is the author of the Excellence in Literature curriculum for grades 8-12, Transcripts Made Easy, and other resources, and she writes for various homeschooling magazines, as well as online at EverydayEducation.com, Excellence-in-Literature.com, and DoingWhatMatters.com. Holiday Checklist Advice &amp; Homeschooling Here is a blog post on Holiday Checklist Countdown  My business tagline has been “Making time for things that matter” from the very beginning. Homeschooling and caregiving made me aware of the value of time. My grandmother’s influence: weekly routines, lists, twice-yearly home plan, etc. Tried all the planners  . . . at least once. Tried to be my grandmother . . . but not for long. Lifelong planning plus four boys turned me into a planning realist. Created my own forms which have become my Peaceful Planning System. The newest item is the oldest and longest used — the weekly planner, a printable, customizable, quarterly planner. Flexibility, the big picture, knowing what matters, and just do the next thing. It all comes back to making time for things that matter and Charlotte Mason’s point that “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life.”  Thank you to our Sponsor – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Movie!  Tom Hanks portrays Mister Rogers in A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, a timely story of kindness triumphing over cynicism, based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. After a jaded magazine writer (Emmy winner Matthew Rhys) is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about kindness, love and forgiveness from America’s most beloved neighbor.  Click here to watch the trailer and find a theatre near you! The post Ultimate Holiday Checklist Advice appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/holiday-checklist-advice-and-homeschooling.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Ultimate Holiday Checklist Advice &amp; Homeschooling Episode 379 with Janice Campbell</h3> Are you ready for the holidays? Here is holiday checklist advice from two homeschool veterans, Felice Gerwitz and Janice Campbell. Both have homeschooled during the holidays for many years and have much to share with you! Thanks to our sponsor – <a href="http://www.abeautifulday.movie" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood!</a> <h4>Visit my special guest’s website! Get to know Janice Campbell:</h4> Bookstore: <a href="http://www.Everyday-Education.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Everyday-Education.com</a> Literature resources <a href="http://www.Excellence-In-Literature.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Excellence-In-Literature.com</a> Blog: <a href="http://www.DoingWhatMatters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DoingWhatMatters.com</a> Product page: <a href="https://everyday-education.com/product/doing-what-matters-printable-planner/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doing What Manners Printable Planner</a> About Janice Campbell and her husband Donald homeschooled their four sons from preschool into early college using a lifestyle of learning approach influenced by Charlotte Mason and classical education. A lifelong reader and learner, Janice has been sharing her joy in homeschooling at conferences since the 1990s. She is the author of the Excellence in Literature curriculum for grades 8-12, Transcripts Made Easy, and other resources, and she writes for various homeschooling magazines, as well as online at <a href="http://EverydayEducation.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EverydayEducation.com</a>, <a href="http://Excellence-in-Literature.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Excellence-in-Literature.com</a>, and <a href="http://DoingWhatMatters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DoingWhatMatters.com</a>. <h4>Holiday Checklist Advice &amp; Homeschooling</h4> Here is a blog post on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/holiday-checklist/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Holiday Checklist Countdown</a> <ul> <li>My business tagline has been “Making time for things that matter” from the very beginning.</li> <li>Homeschooling and caregiving made me aware of the value of time.</li> <li>My grandmother’s influence: weekly routines, lists, twice-yearly home plan, etc.</li> <li>Tried all the planners  . . . at least once.</li> <li>Tried to be my grandmother . . . but not for long.</li> <li>Lifelong planning plus four boys turned me into a planning realist.</li> <li>Created my own forms which have become my Peaceful Planning System.</li> <li>The newest item is the oldest and longest used — the weekly planner, a printable, customizable, quarterly planner.</li> <li>Flexibility, the big picture, knowing what matters, and just do the next thing.</li> <li>It all comes back to making time for things that matter and Charlotte Mason’s point that “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life.”</li> </ul> <h3>Thank you to our Sponsor – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Movie!</h3> <a href="http://bit.ly/beautifulday2019" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Tom Hanks portrays Mister Rogers in A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, a timely story of kindness triumphing over cynicism, based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. After a jaded magazine writer (Emmy winner Matthew Rhys) is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about kindness, love and forgiveness from America’s most beloved neighbor. <a href="http://bit.ly/beautifulday2019" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click here to watch the trailer and find a theatre near you!</a> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/holiday-checklist-advice/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Holiday Checklist Advice</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Ultimate Holiday Checklist Advice

The Best Ever DIY Christmas Gifts Episode 311 I know, we’ve heard it before the best ever DIY Christmas gifts often are more expensive than buying something on sale at the store. But, when you have a large family or many additional family and friends to consider these gifts are a life saver. Thanks to our sponsors – The Truth Seekers Mystery Series – brought to you by Media Angels, Inc. Do it yourself or DIY is all the craze, but only when it is simple and the gifts are truly worth giving. One year I received bath salts that smelled great and were different colors. When I looked at them closer I noticed the coloring was actually food coloring and could turn my skin the bright yellow, green and purple of the bath salts! Needless to say, this item was not used for baths at all. Here are my go-to rules for DIY Christmas Gifts:  Must be tried and true. This is not the time to experiment. Nice presentation. No one wants to open a box to see a hot-glued mess. Something someone would actually want. Think cheesecake vs. fruitcake. Take into account dietary needs. These days there are gluten, dairy and nut allergies. Stay away from these offenders if at all possible. Gift certificates do not need to be impersonal. Stay tuned to learn more!  The best every DIY Christmas Gifts can be every bit as charming as a high priced item that more than likely will break, wear out or possibly be something that is returned or regifted. Think about the person you want to gift an item. What are their likes? Dislikes? Take these into account. Here are a few of the favorite gifts I have given and received:  Recipe book: Tried and true family recipes. Think about making these into a book online that can be duplicated. Coupons: The kids have gifted me with coupons for the following and all were much appreciated! Car wash, make beds, wash dishes, babysit, neck rub, vacuuming, organizing. DIY personal: Bath Salts, Homemade Sanitizer, Rag rug, Food: Applesauce + recipe for muffins; Tomatoes + recipe for sauce; Pumpkin + recipe for pie; Fat Bombs + recipe; Baked goods + recipe; Mixes + recipe and decorative containers Gift Certificate to a: nature center, zoo, museums, amusement parks, Amazon, bookstore, coffee store, etc. Make it personal by going with the person whenever possible to enjoy their gift. Slide presentation with pictures Prayer audio Painting or other art projects Decopauge – a favorite saying or special memento on a wood plaque. Experience: Rooftop star gazing, impromptu road trip, see hot air balloons, country visit or city visit, camping  Thank you to our Sponsor -The Star Movie    The Star Is Coming Back To Theaters for a Limited Time! Experience The Star again December 7 and 8 in select theaters! Back by popular demand, you and your family can celebrate the true meaning behind the season. Be sure to check out all of the great resources for your family to use this holiday season! There are discussion guides, along with tons of FREE downloadable activities! Don’t wait, get your tickets today! Click here to find a theatre near you! The post Best Ever DIY Christmas Gifts appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

<h3><a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/DIY-Christmas-Gifts.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>The Best Ever DIY Christmas Gifts Episode 311</h3> I know, we’ve heard it before the best ever DIY Christmas gifts often are more expensive than buying something on sale at the store. But, when you have a large family or many additional family and friends to consider these gifts are a life saver. Thanks to our sponsors – The Truth Seekers Mystery Series – brought to you by Media Angels, Inc. Do it yourself or DIY is all the craze, but only when it is simple and the gifts are truly worth giving. One year I received bath salts that smelled great and were different colors. When I looked at them closer I noticed the coloring was actually food coloring and could turn my skin the bright yellow, green and purple of the bath salts! Needless to say, this item was not used for baths at all. Here are my go-to rules for DIY Christmas Gifts: <ol> <li>Must be tried and true. This is not the time to experiment.</li> <li>Nice presentation. No one wants to open a box to see a hot-glued mess.</li> <li>Something someone would actually want. Think cheesecake vs. fruitcake.</li> <li>Take into account dietary needs. These days there are gluten, dairy and nut allergies. Stay away from these offenders if at all possible.</li> <li>Gift certificates do not need to be impersonal. Stay tuned to learn more!</li> </ol> The best every DIY Christmas Gifts can be every bit as charming as a high priced item that more than likely will break, wear out or possibly be something that is returned or regifted. Think about the person you want to gift an item. What are their likes? Dislikes? Take these into account. Here are a few of the favorite gifts I have given and received: <ol> <li>Recipe book: Tried and true family recipes. Think about making these into a book online that can be duplicated.</li> <li>Coupons: The kids have gifted me with coupons for the following and all were much appreciated! Car wash, make beds, wash dishes, babysit, neck rub, vacuuming, organizing.</li> <li>DIY personal: Bath Salts, Homemade Sanitizer, Rag rug,</li> <li>Food: Applesauce + recipe for muffins; Tomatoes + recipe for sauce; Pumpkin + recipe for pie; Fat Bombs + recipe; Baked goods + recipe; Mixes + recipe and decorative containers</li> <li>Gift Certificate to a: nature center, zoo, museums, amusement parks, Amazon, bookstore, coffee store, etc. Make it personal by going with the person whenever possible to enjoy their gift.</li> <li>Slide presentation with pictures</li> <li>Prayer audio</li> <li>Painting or other art projects</li> <li>Decopauge – a favorite saying or special memento on a wood plaque.</li> <li>Experience: Rooftop star gazing, impromptu road trip, see hot air balloons, country visit or city visit, camping</li> </ol> <h3>Thank you to our Sponsor -The Star Movie</h3> <a href="http://bit.ly/starpromo2019" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> The Star Is Coming Back To Theaters for a Limited Time! Experience The Star again December 7 and 8 in select theaters! Back by popular demand, you and your family can celebrate the true meaning behind the season. Be sure to check out all of the great resources for your family to use this holiday season! There are discussion guides, along with tons of FREE downloadable activities! Don’t wait, get your tickets today! <a href="http://bit.ly/starpromo2019" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click here to find a theatre near you!</a> The post <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com/diy-christmas-gifts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Best Ever DIY Christmas Gifts</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ultimateradioshow.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network</a>.

Best Ever DIY Christmas Gifts

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The best philosophy podcast episodes. Asking questions about how to live a better life, what it means to be and do good, to the idea of God. This topic includes episodes that bring about important questions that everyone should be asking themselves. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!