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 God Bless Your Holiday!
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Lorraine Curry's
Easy Homeschooling Eletter
Issue #68 December 2005
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In this Issue
- Review: The Home
Educator's Tutor
- MORE Ways to Get
Your Kids to Talk to You
- The Seven Keys to
Child Obedience
Holiday Ideas
- Giving Homemade Mixes
in a Jar
- Making Your Frugal
Gifts Look Special
NOTE: We do not necessarily
endorse any of the sites in this newsletter.
*****************************
 Update from
Balad, Iraq
Ezra and the Chinook
crew fly night missions. Without visibility, helicopter crash
is unavoidable. One night they approached a big bank of fog.
The chinook was at capacity, as they were transporting TX National
Guard troops for departure to the USA. Thank the Lord, they were
able to turn around, go back to the base and delay departure.
Ezra said that if they would have crashed, the government would
have had to pay out 6 million in life insurance.
Review: The Home Educator's Tutor
"Educational Tools Based on Classical and Charlotte Mason Ideals"
115 page publication by JR and Paula Augustine
Review by Lorraine Curry
The Augustines say: "This
magazine will bring to your home a new way to get beyond the
educational basics and begin to give your children a liberal,
or generous, education. Ideals of a liberal education are shared
by Charlotte Mason advocates and Classical educationists alike."
The contents of the "...Tutor"
include nature notes, stories and tips; character readings, including
Bible and Bible memory verses; fine arts biographies, prints
and handcraft; and literature - poetry, The Tempest, fairy tales,
Tales of Asgard and letters from US History. In the back of the
high-quality booklet, there is a description of important teaching
techniques, such as copywork, dictation, narration, notebooking
and recitation.
The issue I reviewed
(September 2005) features a Bible reading schedule, Bible verses
in KJV and Latin for copywork, hymn lyrics (PLUS a CD with
hymns and selections from the month's featured composer), readings
from Ourselves by Charlotte Mason, Famous Men of Rome,
others about St. Benedict and Poplicola. There are biographies
of Hadyn, and William Adolphe Bourguereau, along with six full-page
size Bourguereau prints. They have included a "button mosaic"
handcraft, lyrics to folk tunes, a sample schedule from a subscriber,
a logic game, poems for young students, as well as a large number
of selections from Longfellow including the lengthy and charming
Evangeline. Next is "The Tempest" from Tales
of Shakespeare, East O' the Sun and West O' the Moon,
Tales of Asgard by Shakespeare, and "In Their Own
Words" (selections from 6 people from history). The stories
are not snippets but continuations or complete works.
As you can see, this
publication is packed and could be used as curriculum (with a
math text). I like this idea, because it gives the parent some
direction and yet is not so controlling or time consuming as
other curriculums.
See more:
http://pyxispublishing.com
For special discount
use PayPal button at following site (mention you saw it at this
site).
http://pyxispublishing.com/hetutor/special.html
MORE Ways to Get Your
Kids to Talk to You
By Sintilia Miecevole
Being a parent isn't easy. Some days just getting everyone in
your family all together at the same time for dinner can seem
like the "impossible dream". Between after school sports
and
clubs and working and errands and carpools, it's not surprising
that almost half of the parents in a recent survey said they
feel a growing distance between themselves and their children.
Today's children have more things to deal with than kids did
even twenty years ago. Drugs, violence, mixed messages in
advertising, peer pressure, packed schedules and outside
activities all add to the pressure they face.
So how, in the midst of all this chaos, do you find time to
talk to your kids -- and more importantly, have them talk back
to you?
Here are several ideas that can help:
1. Eat dinner together as a family at least three times a week.
Conversations flow easier when they happen around the dinner
table. If your family is conversationally-challenged in the
beginning, think of conversation starters before each meal.
Plan a family vacation, letting each child talk about where
they'd like to go, or what they'd like to do. Talk about
current events, the latest movies or upcoming special events.
Ask your children open-ended questions that have to be answered
with more than yes or no.
2. Turn off the outside world. Set aside "family time"
each
night and have everyone turn off their phones, the computers
and the television. Let your friends and extended family
know
that you won't be available during that time, and stick to it.
Your kids (especially teenagers) may joke about it, but
secretly they'll probably be delighted. Use this time to
reconnect with each other. Watch a movie, play board games,
take turns reading out loud, but whatever you do, do it
together.
3. Cook at least one meal a week together. Even your youngest
children can do something to help. If your kitchen is too small
for everyone to fit, schedule a "helper" or have your
children
be responsible for different parts of the meal. Your family
will grow closer during this time, and your kids may even start
the conversations themselves. (You can always get the ball
rolling by talking about things you did with your parents.
While you may not be cool, chances are your kids think your
parents are, and will be impressed).
4. Make it safe for your kids to talk to you. Let them know
that you won't get angry or upset if they talk to you about
what's going on. If they tell you something "off the
record"
then let it stay that way. (Emergencies and dangerous
situations aside).
5. Listen to what they have to say. If you're working, or doing
something else when your child starts to talk to you, they may
give up if they know your attention is really somewhere else.
Give them your undivided attention when they're speaking.
6. Use active listening skills. Make sure that you understand
what your child is telling you. Repeat what they told you
and
ask questions.
7. Set aside special time to spend with each child. It
may be
nothing more than taking one child at a time with you when you
run errands, but let each child know that you value spending
special time with them.
8. Be patient. Don't expect a "perfect" family.
If you're not
June Cleaver and your husband isn't Howard Cunningham, it's
okay. Just remember that perfect families really don't exist
outside of television re-runs.
Just keep trying, and you'll learn the art of conversation with
your kids isn't as hard as you thought!
About The Author: Sintilia
Miecevole, host of
http://www.arbfamily.com has a most interesting resource site
about family including home, fun, genealogy, vacations,and
planning to the family unit and reunions. Be sure to visit
http://www.arbfamily.com and enjoy!
The Seven Keys to
Child Obedience
Anthony Kane MD
Learning obedience is
an important part of child development.
This is the tool that allows you as parents to train your child.
Through obedience your child will learn self-control and develop
other positive character traits that he will need as an adult.
However, obedience cannot be forced upon the child. Parents who
simply command their children will foster resentment, which
will eventually lead to rebellion. In fact, some researchers
feel that poor parenting techniques contribute to the development
of oppositional defiant disorder in some children. Although you
can punish a child for not obeying, this will not foster any
long-term obedience. When the child reaches his teen years and
becomes more independent, punishment will only serve to destroy
the already faltering parent child relationship.
Our goal then is not
to force our children to obey us, but to
get them to want to obey us. This willingness to obey will only
come about if the parent's commands are based upon seven
principles.
1-Loving Concern for
the Child
A child knows quickly
whether a parent's demands are for the sake
of the child or for the personal convenience of the parent. If
the parent's primary motive for giving orders is to make his
own life easier, then the child learns to place his own
interests first, also. If you want to be successful in raising
your child, then your reason for giving orders must be for
the
benefit of your child. When your child senses that your demands
are for his sake, he will much more readily obey you. He knows
that it is for his own good. He will know that any demands made
of him, no matter how unpleasant, come from a genuine concern
for his welfare.
2-Sincere Respect for
the Child
Parents must respect
their children. This
is a concept that
is not well practiced by our society. Western society focuses
on possessions. Somehow in the back of many parents' minds their
children are counted among those possessions. We must remember
that our children are not objects, but people. As people, they
are deserving of respect. We must remember to give respect to
our child to the same degree we would like others to respect
us.
3-Patience
Very often our children
do things that bother us. This is usually
unintentional on their part and is just a reflection of their
immaturity. However, if we show our children that we are annoyed
they will begin to resent us. This resentment feeds their
desire to rebel against our wishes. One of our goals as parents
must be to try to keep our negative emotions in check.
4-Speak Softly
Nothing gains a child's
cooperation more than a gentle tone
of voice. Speaking softly helps us to control our negative
emotions, especially anger. A soft voice soothes and is more
likely to be met with cooperation. It creates a relaxed
atmosphere and is reassuring to children.
When we speak in a soft
voice it also conveys strength. We
show our children that we are in control of the situation and
not merely reacting to it. If the only step you take is to
control the volume of your voice, particularly in stressful
situations, that alone will foster better child compliance.
You will find that everything around you goes more smoothly.
5-Make Moderate Demands
No one likes having
demands placed upon him.
Children are
no different. Yet we are constantly commanding our children.
We feel that as parents we must take steps to correct every
misdemeanor that we see. When the orders become excessive or
arbitrary the parent becomes more like a dictator that an
educator.
If you place a lot of obligations on your child, then your
child is going to resent and resist your authority. One of
the most important steps in getting your child to listen to
you is to reduce the amount of demands that you place upon
him.
This will require you to stay calm and overlook a lot of
childish behavior. Commands should be made thoughtfully and
be within reasonable limits. The general rule is that if a
certain behavior is not something your child will be doing
as an adult and if it is not dangerous, then you should not
make it a priority to correct.
6-Follow Through
Even if you do all that
has been mentioned so far, you will
still need to give your child orders. When you do so, you
must be firm and make sure that your child obeys. If you
give your child an instruction you must insist that he
fulfill it. Often it will be easier or more convenient to
just overlook disobedience. This is the end will erode your
authority as a parent.
You should only make
moderate and well thought out demands
on your child. However, when you do make those orders your
child must fulfill them. If we want our children to take
our words seriously, then we must show them that we are
serious.
7-Be Free with `Yes',
but not with `No'
We must try to grant
every reasonable request our children
make of us. They should feel that we are giving to them
freely and in overflowing abundance at all times. You
should make it a rule to give your child whatever he wants
unless you have a good reason not to do so.
In addition, we should
try to temper our use of `no'. Try
not to avoid saying `no' whenever possible. For example, if
your child wants to have a treat before dinner and you want
him to eat first, rather than say `no' or `not now'
say, `yes, after dinner.' This small change in the way you use
the words `yes' and `no' will change your child's perception
from the
feeling that most of his desires are being denied to that most
of them are being granted.
Conclusion
It is natural for a child
to want to obey his parents. It is
also necessary for his proper growth and development. Applying
these seven keys will help you to make it easier for your child
to obey you. If you want to see how you are doing as a parent,
see our Parenting Quiz at http://addadhdadvances.com/parentquiz.html .
If you want more information on ways that you can teach
even the most difficult child to obey you, please see our Child
Behavior Program at http://addadhdadvances.com/child-behavior.html
Anthony Kane, MD
ADD ADHD Advances
http://addadhdadvances.com
Giving Homemade Mixes in a Jar
By Monica Resinger
Mixes in a jar are thoughtful
and inexpensive gifts to give to anyone for any occasion. The
idea is to layer dry ingredients of a cookie, cake, biscuit,
muffin, beverage or other recipe decoratively in a jar and add
directions of how to complete the recipe. The jar can be a mason
jar or a recycled, clean mayonnaise or other large jar that has
a lid and can then be decorated with fabric, ribbons, paint,
etc.
I have seen these jars
of mixes sell in retail stores for around $8.00!
Imagine the savings if you were to make your own! A few inexpensive
ingredients like flour, brown sugar, chocolate chips and a jar
don't cost very much! Gift recipients will love receiving a homemade
mix from you so they can easily prepare a treat to enjoy and
when they prepare the treat, they'll be thinking of how thoughtful
you are.
Mixes in a jar are excellent
for gifts that need to be shipped because you
don't have to worry about baked goods getting smashed or getting
stale. A mix will allow the gift recipient to freshly prepare
the treat when it is craved or needed. They are also great to
give to children's teachers, neighbors and acquaintances because
of the ease and money savings involved.
Here is a delicious mix
recipe for you to try:
Peanut Butter Chocolate
Cookie Mix in a Jar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups packed confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a separate bowl, mix
together the flour, baking powder and salt. Layer
ingredients in order given in a 1 quart wide mouth canning jar.
Clean the
inside of the jar with a dry paper towel after adding the confectioners'
sugar and after adding the cocoa powder. Be sure to pack everything
down firmly before adding the flour mixture, it will be a tight
fit. Store in a cool dry place away from a heat source so condensation
and clumping does not occur.
Instructions to attach
to Jar:
Peanut Butter Cookies
Empty jar of cookie mix
into large mixing bowl. Thoroughly blend mix.
Add:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla.
Mix until completely
blended. Shape into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart
on a parchment lined baking sheets. Press balls down with a fork.
Bake at 350F degrees for 9 to 11 minutes until edges are browned.
Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a cooling rack
to finish cooling. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
If you'd like more mix
recipes, find out about our Creative Mix Recipe E-book here:
http://homemakersjournal.com/mixes.htm
Get Monica's FREE e-zine
for homemakers 3 times per week that includes home & garden
articles, delicious recipes and poses fun questions to readers
about organizing, crafting, gardening, frugal living and other
homemaking subjects; readers can respond to the questions and
receive the resulting, very informative 'tip sheet'. To subscribe,
just send a blank e-mail to: HomemakersJournal-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Check out the 56 home, garden
and recipe e-books full of reader tips that
have been published here: http://homemakersjournal.com/ebooklets.htm
Making Your Frugal
Gifts Look Special
By Cyndi Roberts
A big part of most families'
treasured Christmas traditions
is the ritual of opening the presents. A big part of getting
ready for Christmas is Buying the Presents! Most of us must
do our best to save money where we can when doing our
shopping.
It's always been my belief
that even the most inexpensive gift
is made special by the wrapping. It's an added pleasure
to be able to admire a package before opening.
These are some of the
ways I have made our frugal,holiday packages
beautiful and special.
This year, I have discovered
"Tulle". Tulle is available at
discount and craft stores by the yard--in many different colors
and in many different widths. I happened to find a spool of
white tulle in a 6-inch width (on the clearance rack)and used
it for a bow on a birthday present recently. I cut it into a
3-inch width and
just wrapped it around
the box like ribbon and tied it into
a big bow and I was astounded at how good it looked! It's kind
of stretchy and is easy to work with, plus it doesn't crush if
a gift is going to be mailed.
My other favorite ribbon
is the curly ribbon. After Christmas,
it's usually available very cheaply and it's so easy to use.
Just cut several lengths and curl and glue to the package.
No need to buy separate bows! It also makes a gift bag look
really festive.
During the year, when
a merchant bags my purchases in a paper
"gift" bag with handles, I always save them. Even though
they
may have a store logo or name on them...just cut the front
off an old Christmas card and glue it over the logo. Cover the
edges with flat ribbon or dimensional paint or glitter if you
wish. And there you have a FREE gift bag!
Children (and adults,
too!)love to see candy on their packages!
Candy canes are fun to use. Place two candy canes flat on the
package with their tips together and the curved end at the
bottom...you have a Christmas tree shape...top with a star cut
from self-adhesive felt or gold paper. Or use the mini-candy
canes and make a trio of Christmas tree shapes.
Another idea is to spell
out a child's name in small candies.
If you don't use wrapped candies, be sure children understand
the candies aren't to be eaten.
Wrapping packages can
be a fun part of your holidays, if you
just let your imagination lead the way!
Cyndi Roberts is the
editor of the bi-weekly e-newsletter
"1 Frugal Friend 2 Another", bringing you practical,
money-saving tips, recipes and ideas. Visit her online at
http://www.cynroberts.com to subscribe and receive the
Free e-course, "Taming the Monster Grocery Bill".
Reprint Information for Lorraine Curry's articles. You
are welcome to use ANY articles from this newsletter or from
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use byline (By Lorraine Curry) and the following:
Lorraine Curry is the
author of the 5 Star Easy Homeschooling books. See more articles,
FREE copywork, subscriptions, ebooks and much more at
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