Manners. We're talking about more than just please and thank you. We're talking about being considerate of others ~ a matter of the heart.

We had the neatest thing happen at TOS the other day. A single mom subscribed and wrote us the most wonderful encouraging letter. And that wasn't all, she also paid for a one-year subscription that she wanted us to donate to another single homeschooling mom. If you know of a single homeschool mom who would appreciate a subscription to TOS, please email Gena and let her know.

Also we want to make sure that you don't miss out on our special offer with Answers in Genesis. Our It All Begins With TWO package will give you a one-year subscription to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine AND a one-year subscription to Answers Magazine for one low price. You'll save over 33%! But we've gone even further. This offer ends Thursday, March 15 and we don't want anyone to miss out. So we've also added in 6 FREE ebooks to the package as well. Be sure to take a look at them.

Want to see the magazines first? Look at these sample articles online. They're on stem cells and sheltering your children. It's so great to be able to read a biblical perspective on these things.

Oh, and we didn't want to leave out our international friends either. We even have a special promo for you all just for these last days of the sale!

Enjoy every minute!

Nancy Carter and The Homeschool Minute Team

HOME Where They Belong

How important are good manners? Well, it depends on what you are using them for.

If they're simply for show, they're a clanging gong, useless. If we use them to express our interests in others' feelings and well-being, then they're lovely, a sweet scent to the Lord.

Are we others-oriented? Do we consider others above ourselves? And do we love ALL people in our lives or are we a "respector of persons?" God's word tells us to love our neighbor as ourself. It teaches us to esteem others. How does this play out in a practical way?

It starts with simple acts of kindness, manners. Our children should be taught to love (and esteem) others from an early age. They should also be instructed in the "why" behind it all, lest they get the wrong idea. It's not for show. It's not for the sake of appearances. Genuine manners are the result of genuine, Christ-like love.

May you have a lovely week, full of sincerity, without partiality, and with the love of Christ ruling our hearts. And may our children learn the same from our example.

- Gena

PS - We have a new link that shows our Home Where They Belong video even better. Enjoy!

Homeschool Heart

Manners Matter

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 1 Tim 6:18

I can still remember going to a friend's house when I was a teen and how the siblings there offered food or drink to everyone else first before getting anything for themselves. And it wasn't just for show. I was there quite often. ( I guess it's kind of sad that it was so unusual that it stuck out in my mind so much.) Their parents had succeeded in teaching their children to think of others first and it made a lasting impression on me.

Never underestimate the importance of manners. Be a role model to your children and take the time to teach and practice common courtesies. It may take some time, but it will make the world a nicer place.

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Gal 6:9

- Nancy

Homeschool Freebies!

When we moved to the midwest 11 years ago, I quickly learned the "proper" thing to do when entering a home. Up here in Chicagoland, you take your shoes off as soon as you walk in the door. Being the Louisiana girl that I am, this was the weirdest sight to see. I'm sorry, but that was just strange. I have since conceded to this Midwestern social grace.

Another thing I found out? No one teaches their kids to say "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am" or "yes sir" and "no sir" in response to questions. Boy howdy, if I didn't do that when I was young...whew...I would be in super-de-duper big trouble. And answering a parent's call to me with "what?" or "huh?" instead of "ma'am" or "sir"? Oh my word - unheard of! But up here, no one says these things...except my kids of course. Sorry guys - that's the price you pay for having a southern mother.

Seems to me it's all in where you're from and how you were reared. The hard and fast rule in our home is to love God and love others. How is that translated into "manners" for your kids?

It was hard finding some free resources for you this week, but I managed to dig up a few...

Etiquette Tips from Manners International

Table Manners Quiz

A free Manners Game to do with your kids!

I leave you with some food for thought...

Children are natural mimics who act like their parents despite every effort to teach them good manners.
~Author Unknown

- Julie

Schoolhouse Store Spotlight

Our new E-Book: 55 Songs & Poems for Kids is a fun and memorable way for your K-3rd graders to learn about manners as well as recycling, safety, animals and more! Be sure and check out the sample on our product page to see just how fun this inexpensive E-Book is.

And while this wouldn’t fall specifically under “manners” I’m excited to share another family-oriented product that does focus on character. Character Quality Language Arts is a multi-level, user-friendly language arts program for second through twelfth grade students. All four levels use the same format and approach and the same character based/Scriptural topics each month for their language learning. Thus, your upper level students and your younger level students are all learning English while reading and studying the same character and Scriptural principles. As an added bonus, optional unit study topics, suggestions, and reading assignments are provided in the sidebars of each weekly lesson, based on those monthly character quality and Scriptural principles.

-Dena

Jeneric Jeneralities

One thing is for sure: good manners don’t happen naturally.

Have you ever gone out with your husband, spent extra money on a nice meal only to have it marred by a screaming two year old who insists on climbing over your side of the booth to poke you in the head with their fork? It doesn’t reflect well on the parents who just smile and shrug as if their little sweetie-pie’s fork-poking fun is more important than your dinner.

On the flipside, it is truly uplifting to see a two or three year old sitting properly in their chair, speaking softly, saying please and thank you. It is amazing that such a little person has the ability to be a blessing or a canker sore to a room full of perfect strangers. Sadly, for me, I didn’t figure that out until I was about twenty two.

Bratty, indulgent, unthankful children grow up to be surly, manipulative adults with an entitlement mentality. Good manners are much easier to learn as a child than as an adult. Trust me on this one. We do our children a great service when we teach them to be “others-minded” when they are still very young.

– Jen Ig

Carnegie Learning is one of the only true research-based secondary math curricula in the United States. We are a leading publisher of text and software mathematics programs which can be used as core mathematics curricula, or as software complement your existing textbooks. Ideal for Homeschooling or after school tutoring, our approach is modeled on Cognitive Science research into how students learn. We prepare students for college-level math by integrating interactive software sessions and text into a unique, self-paced learning platform for algebra readiness, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Integrated Math and state exam preparation programs. 888.851.7094, option 6 or
www.carnegielearning.com/homeschool

"My daughter is 10 and this is the first year of the rest of her life that I am homeschooling her. It is so rewarding to her and to me... Thank you for your emails, I love reading them! Thank you for adding to my collection of wisdoms. "

~Debbie, THM Reader ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Thank you so much for the encouragement! It was just what I needed today."

~Melody, THM Reader ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How timely that you encourage us to include chores as part of the learning process, and remind us that helping the family is important needed work! ...

Thanks for the continued encouragement and support. It's so nice to have encouragement from people who truly understand!!"

~Laurene ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Thank you for all of your hard work, what a blessing TOS is to me"

~Debbie, TOS Subscriber

Join the TOS Homeschool Nations Team

We are in search of enthusiastic people to join the Homeschool Nations Team to represent Delaware, Louisiana, Montana, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. This is a volunteer position, but you will receive free copies of The Old Schoolhouse each quarter to handout to others or to place at local libraries and homeschool group meetings.

If you are selected to become the coordinator for your state, you will be responsible for posting updates and special state information on this state blog. Information such as: events, homeschool conventions, state laws, special meetings or speakers coming to the area. The events do not have to be all inclusive, just a good overview of things that are of interest to homeschoolers. You may also post field trip ideas/reviews and places of interest in your state.

You are also allowed to gift three one-year TOS subscriptions each year to area support group leaders or new homeschoolers - those people who you think could benefit from TOS! Basically, you become a contact person for people in your state and we help you get the word out about LOTS of info related to homeschooling through our magazine.

If this is something that might interest you, please email pmills@thehomeschoolmagazine.com.