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"I always look forward to your
newsletters because I'm always so blessed by the encouragement
and, well, just the overall good advice you all give ... but
this last issue was ESPECIALLY encouraging.
You all
seem so grounded and calm, so it was great to get good advice
about managing work and school better. But the most positive
part of your writing is that you never say anything is "how it
should be done." This newsletter was especially strong on that
point, but all of your newsletters give that same message, now
that I think about it. You just keep hammering away at us,
letting us know that it's OK to be individuals and to do
what we have to do the best we can in the Grace of the Lord,
and not to compare ourselves to anyone else.
I doubt
that you all realize how unique you are within the
homeschooling community, but I sure pray that you continue and
that God blesses you for it!"
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several years now I've read TOS and it has always been right
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Reader
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If
you like The Homeschool Minute, you won't want to miss a
single issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine!
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"I just
signed up for your newsletter and WOW! did it hit home.
This is my first year home with my two boys, ages 5 and 2.
We knew it would be tough
going to one salary, but it seems to be hitting especially
hard with the holidays approaching.
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me up and reminded me of what is important. We have accepted
that Christmas won't be a huge production this year, but the
rewards of being home together far outweigh toys that will
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THM Reader
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"I just read The Homeschool Minute and I just have to
thank you for being so strong biblically (I've noticed this in
your magazine and your emails). It seems in this day,
that that is becoming so rare.
So, I wanted to
thank you for encouraging me and countless others and to
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pray that the Lord will bless your work
abundantly."
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The Old Schoolhouse
Magazine
Home Where They
Belong
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November 28, 2007
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 Allowances - To Pay or Not
to Pay? THAT is the question! And I'll just go ahead and warn
you that you're going to read differing opinions on the
subject today.
On one hand it's a great hands-on way
to teach money skills and on the other hand, you don't want
them to think that you "have" to pay them to help out with
things around the house.
Personally I couldn't afford
to pay our kids for all they do around our house. When they
were younger we did use reward systems to encourage a job well
done. I'd put a list on the refrigerator of things they needed
to do each day and would put a sticker in each little box when
they completed those tasks. (It was a shining moment for me,
folks!) Then at the end of the week if they had gotten a
certain number of stars, we treated them to an ice cream,
movie rental or the such - just a little something to show
that we appreciated what they were doing.
Now that
they're older though they don't expect that kind of
recognition. As they've grown more responsible, they've earned
more freedom and privileges. They may not be able to take
those to the store like spending money, but they have value
anyway.
If allowances are working for your family,
that's fabulous, but there's more than one way to skin a cat.
You don't HAVE to use allowances in order to teach
responsibility, stewardship, and money management
successfully. Every family is unique and the heart of the
matter is much more important than the method that you use to
accomplish it.
Enjoy every minute!
THM Editor
PS - Have you heard about our
special Buy One, Get One for $5 subscription sale? Now's a
great time to subscribe or renew your subscription to The Old
Schoolhouse Magazine and give the gift of a one-year
subscription to TOS to a friend for just $5. Click HERE for details.
PSS - There's another great contest going on at the
HomeschoolBlogger Front Porch. Just leave a comment there for a chance to
win a So Smart King Otis DVD for your 3 - 6 year old.
| |
 Mercy Every Minute
Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor
We teach our children
that they are part of a team and we all work together to make
the household function properly. Therefore, they are not paid
for normal daily chores. However, we sometimes have pay jobs
if and when their own chores are done.
We also give the
children one dollar a week as an allowance, but it is not
attached to chores. It is a gift of grace in order to teach
them the proper handling of money. From that one dollar, ten
cents ALWAYS goes to tithe, at least ten cents ALWAYS goes to
savings in the bank and they are free to save or spend the
rest.
It is really important
to start when they are young in teaching them how to spend
only what they have and to stay out of dangerous debt. Giving
them little bits of money rather than larger amounts teaches
them to save up for what they want and to find the best deal.
These are important life skills to teach!
By the time they are
teens and are making money mowing lawns or baking bread, they
know the importance of where their money comes from (hard
work) and where it should ALWAYS go (God first, savings next,
taking care of business expenses, etc.)
My husband has also
taught the older boys to keep track of their money coming in
and going out on a computer software. And, since their lawn
mowing business doesn't bring money in the winter, they are
taught to put aside a little spending money during the rest of
the year for the lean times. Can you see how this would help
them if they are on an irregular pay schedule when they are
adults?
Start young and be
consistent and they will learn the wise management of money by
the time they are ready to fly out on their
own.
If therefore ye have not been faithful in the
unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true
riches? Luke 16:11
~Deborah |
Contest Central
November Contest Deadline - November 30,
2007
Kimberly
Garcia's classical copybooks are designed to provide writing
practice for students based on the method of copying classical
material. She has generously gifted us with two copies of her
Classical Reading and Writing
Copybook: Covering Early Modern History 1600 - 1850.
One is manuscript and the other is cursive. These are HUGE -
396 pages, 8.5" x 11" spiral binding and excellent resources
for copy work. Read our TOS review HERE and visit www.ClassicalReadingandWriting.com to
see their other products.
TO ENTER:
Email SeniorEditor@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com
with your name and mailing address and the subject, "Copybook"
for a chance to
win.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First Snow in the
Woods
 Email Deb with your name and
address for your chance to win your very own copy of First Snow in the
Woods. Contest deadline is November 30, 2007. Be sure to
put First Snow in the subject line!
Disclaimer and
Legal Notice:
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC
("Company") is sponsoring the Classical Copywork November 2007
Contest and the First Snow November 2007 Contest running from
November 1, 2007, to November 30, 2007. You must be 18 years
of age or older and follow all rules to participate. Entering
the contest constitutes full and complete acceptance of, and a
warranty that the entrant has read, understands and agrees to,
all contest terms and conditions, including without limitation
all of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC Contest Rules
("Official Rules") and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Writer
Guidelines and Terms and Conditions
for Submitting Queries. All Official Rules apply. Entry also
constitutes full consent and unlimited permission for Company
to print, publish, broadcast and use all intellectual property
and personal information submitted as part of the Contest
entry on the Internet and in any and all Company publications
in accordance with the Rules. Entries become the sole property
of Company and will not be returned. Employees and independent
contractors of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, Contest
sponsors, individuals or entities furnishing Contest prizes
and their family members may not participate in this contest.
Company reserves the sole, discretionary right to determine
contest winners and to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend
the contest or the Rules at any time with or without notice or
cause, subject to applicable law. See Official Rules for
details.
No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by
law.
For a full copy of the Official Rules, please send
a self-addressed, stamped envelope to The Old Schoolhouse
Magazine: Official Rules Request, PO Box 8426, Gray, TN
37615.
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Schoolhouse Spotlight
Dena Wood, Schoolhouse Store Manager
Chores and allowance usually go
hand in hand. Here are a couple items to help you get
your kids doing chores!
The Choreorganizer -
The time to get children involved in helping out around the
house begins long before they are able to read. And even
children who can read have been known to walk past
their
assigned chores without taking notice. Choreganizers
help children of all ages remember which chores they have to
do, and which chores are already done. And with the unique
Chore Store, Mom Money & Dad Dollars, children have a
tangible goal to work toward and parent have a great way to
say, "Thanks for helping."
Clean N' Flip Zone &
Room Cleaning Combo - No more vague and overwhelming
instructions to "clean your room". This heavy-duty laminated
chart allows children to check off tasks as completed and
leaves room for mom to add extra daily zone
tasks.
While you are at the Store, be sure to check out
our Summer 2007 issue of
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine for an article on chores and
homeschooling.
~Dena
|
 It's Just Common Sense
Ruth Beechick, Curriculum
Specialist
Allowances? Either you
do them or you don't. I don't. Growing up in the Great
Depression, we never thought of allowances. At the lake:
"Daddy, may I have a nickel for cotton
candy?"
"No, cotton candy is
mostly air."
"But it's only a nickel."
"Well, I don't
have a nickel."
Later we children
picked berries and earned money, but we didn't spend it on
airy cotton candy. We had to buy clothes. Or fabric to make
clothes that cost much less.
So what would an
allowance have taught me? That spending money arrived
regularly and I could budget some of it for cotton candy? Not
receiving an allowance taught me many frugal ways. I think I
can handle money as well as anybody who received an allowance.
It doesn't take years of placing coins in a tithing jar to
learn what tithing is all about. Same for the rest of
budgeting.
That's a few points on
my "don't" side. I'll leave it to the other writers to argue
the "do" side.
--Ruth |
The Familyman
Todd Wilson, Familyman Ministries
I'm all for
allowances. I think husbands should get a few bucks a week to
blow on Starbucks, Coke machines, and the occasional Dunkin'
Donuts. Oh, oops, my wife just said this article is supposed
to be about allowances for
children, not husbands.
In that case, you've
got to be kidding. My children already get everything FREE. I
pay for their food, clothes, and the occasional bag of candy
when we run to Menard's. Why would I want to give them more
money just for pulling their own weight around the
house?
We're a family. We
work together for the good of the family, enjoying the
benefits of our teamwork. I don't get extra money for taking
out the trash, and they shouldn't either just for throwing
their underwear in the clothes hamper instead of leaving them
on the floor.
We need each other,
and I make it clear at our house that everyone has a vital
role to play. I want the motivation for cleaning up the
schoolroom to be a willingness to serve, not a chunk of change
at the end of the week.
That said, I do
believe in letting our kids enjoy the fruit of their labors.
From time to time, we do have extra projects (beyond normal
chores) that I pay the children for doing. I want them to
learn how to manage money, that hard work has rewards, and
that they can enjoy the benefits of work, not only by spending
but also by giving to others.
That's different than
allowances...I think.
Still, I could use a
couple of bucks a week.
Be
Real,
Todd
PS - As my son, Abe
(6) reminded me this morning, "Only 29 days 'til
Christmas."
|
 Homeschool Freebies
Jamin!, Freebie
Finder
I am a big believer
in allowances! We start our children on an allowance at the
age of 3. They get $1 a week for each year old they are. We
figure if you don't have any money how can you learn to manage
it?
One thing I LOVE about our allowance system
is that my kids NEVER ask me to buy them anything. Of course
we supply their basic needs - food, clothing, shelter,
etc..., but when it comes to things they want, they have to save up
for them! They completely understand the system and know that
the only toys they will get from Mom and Dad will be on their
birthdays or Christmas. My oldest son is 13 and I can tell you
this system works! Sometimes I have to borrow money from
him! LOL
Here are some great free resources
I found online to help you make decisions about allowance for
your children:
The allowance calculator
helps you to calculate how much to pay your kids. Allows
you to put in what they are currently getting and what you got at their age.
Calculates what kind of purchasing power they have compared to
what you had as a child. This is a fun tool!
PayJr is an online
chore chart connected to a debit card. You are able to
track their chores online and they get rewarded for completing
them.
Values Driven Family
even has a downloadable chore chart that you can edit and
decorate with clip art.
Happy
Homeschooling!
~Jamin
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Meet Some of Our Friends
Precious
Moments, the company behind the beloved figurines,has created
a website to help mothers celebrate their family's blessings.
The site offers celebration planning tools, inspirational
messages and practical advice from real world moms, as well as
an e-newsletter. Visit Precious Moms
today!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Visit www.NotebookingPages.com for lots of
FREE and affordable notebooking pages perfect for notebooking,
copywork, unit studies, narrations, and more! Great for any
subject, activity, or style of homeschooling! Find an
assortment of FREE homeschooling charts, printables, tips, and
ideas too! Visit the online store for $5
free to new customers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spanish
curriculum with a personal tutor that is affordable. Spanish Luna offers
free Spanish classes with no strings attached. We focus on
homeschool children K-12 and they love our program.
Children learn Spanish online, one-on-one, in real
time, in our virtual classroom. Learn more online at: www.SpanishLuna.com/TheOldSchoolhouseMagazine.html
or call 201-984-9200.
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