My Homeschooling Tree of Knowledge (A very small but growing tree)

You know, there IS a reason I never write on this blog any more - and it's the same reason I quit photography a few months back.  And that reason is that everything has caught up with me and I no longer have any time.  I don't know how but I don't feel like I am doing things differently that I did six months ago but somehow everything has swollen up and filled every nook and cranny in my day.  I find I can barely keep my eyes open after ten o'clock at night and that Mike and I are only able to catch a movie on the couch on rare occasions.  It's really kind of mystifying how instantaneous the change was, but needless to say things like this blog have fallen very low on the totem pole.

One of the things that has taken huge amounts of my limited brain capacity of late is HOMESCHOOLING.   After the move, just about everything that was running smoothly in our normal school day in Utah fell apart.  Andrew hated school and everyday it was such a struggle to get him to continue - and while I was in that struggle Elijah would slip out and find something better to do than school.  I felt like I was herding cats trying to get those two boys to stay at their studies at the same time.  Not to mention the toddlers that were sneaking away to pour dried beans all over the kitchen floor or nibbling on 5 pound blocks of cheese.   And so, I too, hated school.  It all came to a head in January when after a few phone "counseling" conversations with friends I decided I was done and was enrolling them in public school the coming Monday.  (If your heart just leaped within you because you thought I'd finally come to my senses - shame on you!)  I did come to my senses - later that night at a church activity, while I was pasting together valentines and dipping Oreos in chocolate I realized it wasn't time to give in but to get going! 

So I did the same thing I do whenever I am at a loss.  I started reading.  A lot.  I started with The Way They Learn by Cynthia Tobias.  Somehow I got this far in the game without REALLY knowing my own learning style or my children's.  I began to understand that a good deal of the frustration that Andrew was feeling was that the methods I use on Elijah don't necessarily work on him.  Meanwhile I was doing some soul searching and making lists of why I homeschool and what I really want out of it.  What would my perfect homeschooling day look like anyhow?


Next I met with the seriously knowledgeable owner of The Homeschool Bookshop  , Amber, for a one on one homeschooling consultation.  I took my lists, my dream day, and my troubles and she began to help me sort it all out.  But what really made a difference was the books she recommended.  First she had me read The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman.  I had heard the ideas presented in this book a million times over.  I was also pretty sure I knew my and Michael's love language.  But since when does hearsay ever really tell you anything?  Reading this book as well as this one has been the perfect pairing with my first read.  I now feel so much better equipped to love and understand my husband and children.

And then came this recommendation.  It's been a long time since a book has energized me as much as this one has.  It has not only given me the hope that I can run my home beautifully well but also given me the practical tools to make that hope a reality.  It's a lovely lovely gift Amber gave me.  It's called Managers of Their Homes by Steven and Teri Maxwell.  Not only do they teach you how to run your home - they spend a good deal on the why - with MANY references to the Bible.  It was like the balm of Gilead for me - reminding me that the Lord will qualify me for the "ministry" he has called me to - motherhood, marriage, etc.  While you can get the other books I've suggested from the library this one is a must buy.  See, it's not just a book but more of a workbook - with lots of things to fill out - all culminating in a big detailed schedule.  I love it.   Seriously - I love it.

Another thing we've been focusing on is getting our house in order.  I am not one of those woman who is gifted in the art of housekeeping - yet.  In the last ten years Michael, who is gifted in that respect, has been patiently teaching me how to run a house.  And as I've matured and as my children's abilities to participate in the cleaning and not just the messing has grown - we've begun to get a slight handle on it.  One thing that has been AWESOME is the app that goes with this site.  It is soo helpful.  Suddenly I don't have to have a myriad of answers to questions about treats, game time, staying up late, watching movies, etc.  I have one answer, "Do you have the points for it?"  And it's out of my hands.   They earn these points doing their chores, eating their dinners, clearing their dishes from the table, etc.  And they love it as much as I do.  We have lower rewards on their game time and treats and then big rewards like camping trips and iPods.  It's taken away the idea that they are entitled to candy and movies just for breathing and has helped them remember to do what is asked of them.

And for their chores I bought some plastic name card holders with lanyards and put cards with their chores on them in it. Each tag is labeled with their name and so they grab it at chore time and take it with them.  The cards are detailed with information like this:

Laundry:
1. Gather dirty laundry from baskets around the house.
2. Sort into piles of white/colored.
3. Wash and Dry
4. Fold and put away(with Mom)

That way they know exactly what is required with that chore instead of just saying Laundry on that card.  And they can take it with them as they do it.  When they are done with a task they move it to the back and work on the next card in their pouch.  Some cards have notes for different days of the week - for chores that only need to be done once a week.  It's awesome.  I even have one for myself.

I have soo many other things I have discovered that are helping in my schooling but I'm pretty sure I've already bored you to tears - so I'll save that for another post. AND I hope that the scheduling and the chore helps will enable me to start to write on here a little more often!  So, until then...

p.s.  Here is Amber's list of books she believes every homeschooler should read:


The Five Love Languages of Children
Manager's of Their Homes
The Well-trained Mind