HOME Where They Belong

Our kids have always worked (age appropriately of course), since they were two years old, actually.

When my son Paulie was two, he was all too eager to take his folded up clothes and put them in his proper dresser drawers; he was helping Mommy who NEEDED him. By the time he was six, he was the best bathroom cleaner in the west (we lived in Calif). Kids need to feel needed, not spoiled.

If Mommy does everything for them, then what we're really saying is that their "help" is not required. How sad.

Put them to work; give them responsibility (and the privileges that come from it!). They are a part of the TEAM - an important family player! Give them a taste of real life so that they can grow up and serve others, too.

Smothering them with servitude which only goes in one direction equals the wrong kind of "sheltering." Let it flow both ways and enjoy a happy, well-balanced household.

- Gena

Homeschool Heart

With this week's theme of the Importance of Work, I just had to share this poem that my son memorized when we were doing First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind.

We have spent a lot of time teaching the boys that they should always do their best at each task and not to just hurry through and do things halfway.

In fact my son practically thought his dad had written the poem when it showed up in his lesson! In the book, they attribute the poem to Anonymous, but I think it may be adapted from a poem called "One Thing At A Time" by M.A. Stodart.

Work while you work,
Play while you play;
This is the way
To be happy each day.
All that you do,
Do with your might;
Things done by halves
Are never done right.

I'm so thankful for the freedom to homeschool and for the freedom to choose the curriculum that best suits our needs and affirms our values. That poem has stuck with my son, he can still say it 3 years later now. So even while we were working on his memory and language skills, we were planting even more seeds about being a good worker!

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." Colossians 3:23-24

- Nancy

Homeschool Freebies!

I used to sing that Barney song with my kids when I needed them to clean up. Oh come on - you know the one. "Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere, Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share." Now if I sing it, they think I've lost my mind. It was truly a great motivator when they were...um...younger. I still sing the one from the Steve Green scripture memory series. "Do everything without complaining. Do everything without arguing..." They're never too old for THAT one.

Even though I'd love my kids to be "moved" to hard work by only a pat on the back or the pure joy of serving ALL the time, occasionally they need a little more motivation. The true motivator now? Cold hard cash. Yep. My nine year old still goes for the candy, but he is learning the value of the dollar bill.

How do you encourage chores or helping around the house? Need some help making out a chore chart? Check out the resources below and you'll be well on your way...and you might not even have to sing the Barney song.

Customizable Chore Chart

Free Printable Chore Charts

Chore Contract

Scripture Memory Cards related to working/serving

- Julie

Schoolhouse Store Spotlight

Take some time to browse our extensive Home Ec/Homesteading Category in the store and you’ll be sure to find many educational and inspirational items to help train your children in the area of work.

Marmee’s Kitchen Primer and Just-My-Size Tool Kit is a great resource for the young ladies in your family. Every little girl loves having tools just like Mom’s! (And the Primer is available without the tool set for older girls as well.

The Boy Joiner & Model Maker, reprinted from 1874, introduces boys to hand tools and includes a good many useful projects to get them started. In addition, The Young Man’s Handybook – Preparing Your Sons on the Home Front is a guide for boys 9-15 to learn a little about many subjects: simple home repair, budgeting, whittling, knot-tying, cooking, cleaning, gardening, tools, woodworking, safety, manners, hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, dressing, laundry, and first-aid. Complete with illustrations and simple directions for great projects.

You can also inspire your children to develop the habit of a good work ethic by sharing Stories of Great Americans for Young Americans. It focuses on Great Americans and depicts their natures and habits as young people, and relates scores of incidents of their childhood days, trials and difficulties, and how they came to be great and famous.

-Dena

Jeneric Jeneralities

You guys have all heard the same lame question from non-homeschoolers: “What about socialization?” What they really mean is, “How will your child learn how to function properly in society?”

One of our “homeschooling goals” is to teach our children to become responsible, productive, useful citizens who will work well in (non-age segregated) group settings. And one of the best ways to teach these important lessons is to work together as a family.

Working at our home business, raising goats, hatching chickens, building fences, planting a garden, construction projects, even household chores are all worthwhile endeavors that accomplish much more than just the physical task at hand. And an added benefit (which we did not expect) is that it turns out that our family’s best memories are the ones where we have worked hard on a project and completed it. The key is doing it together.

Start when they are young. Yes, it will take longer to get through the laundry or dishes with your two year old “helping”, but you are laying a foundation of relationship and community-mindedness that will last a lifetime.

– Jen Ig

Christian Victory Academy "An Accredited Non-Traditional K-12 Private School" . Selected Classes Taught Twice Weekly 3-12th . Independent Study Program . Curriculum Consultation . College Dual Enrollment Guidance . Yearly Standardized Testing . Moms Monthly Encouragement Meetings . Yearbook Committee . Annual Graduation Ceremony 407-281-6244 www.cva-homeschool.org

Out of the Nest & Beyond is a Proverbs 31 ministry designed to encourage and equip ladies in the areas of homemaking by sharing devotionals, tips, ideas, quotes, and quick & easy recipes. Sign up for our free monthly e-newsletter, "News from the Nest." Come visit us at www.outofthenestandbeyond.com.

"Dear Friends at TOS,
You make me laugh, get outside myself, and see things from a godly and fresh perspective. I take myself and our studies so seriously sometimes, and you help me to look at my so VERY different but wonderful kids as custom-made, heaven-sent blessings who need me to be more energetic, flexible and fun rather than stuffy and boring. Thanks SO much and please keep up the wonderful work you do!"

~Irene, THM Reader ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Thank you for making play ok. I have kids that are learning yet I bite my lip over the lack of table “school” time. Thank you for validating that the work with my husband the boys do is good. Hauling wood, changing oil, feeding horses etc. Thank you for reminding me that when the kids are figuring out a program on the computer that is school. When they are learning new ways to help in our home that is school. When they are helping us clean the guest ranch we manage that is school. WHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! I appreciate your encouragement – all the talk about the right curriculum for every subject is overwhelming to me. God bless you for encouraging a different approach."

~Shelley, THM Reader ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Thank you for this week's Homeschool Minute. It has been an extremely stressful week for us and I found my voice being a little louder, my actions being not-so-Christlike, and my attitude being in the pits. This is just what I needed to lift me up. The next time my 7-year-old wants to play "war" exactly like it was done in the Revolutionary War, I'll try to remember that he's learning - and playing!"

~Tammy, TOS Subscriber and THM Reader

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"I LOVE receiving the Homeschool Minute and my TOS magazines. You have been such a blessing and encouragement for me. Thank you! But I had to stop and tell you that I felt truly loved when Julie sent the website for the comic strip design. That was a real God-send for my son and I! I can hardly wait for him to have time to see it. I can already hear his reaction. My only problem will be shoving him off my computer so that I read next weeks Homeschool Minute! Thank you!!!"

~Laurie, TOS Subscriber and THM Reader