Wednesday, January 28, 2015
A Day in Our Life Homeschooling
Today I overslept and Ilyana came to wake me up telling me they had already ate breakfast and started their workbooks.
Let me tell you this makes me proud, not that I overslept, that even without me they get started on school work.
They did a few pages in their workbooks and then it was individual reading.
Time for lunch and they chose Ramen.
After lunch they read aloud to each other a book on Turkey (the country not bird) and a book on Ecology.
I found if They read it aloud then they remember more than if I just read it to them or made them read it to themselves.
3pm run to the Library to get more books and our day is done.
kids have free time, they are reading while they wait their turn on their Sega. Yep we are old school.
5:30 they are bored of the books and games, now they are outside playing while mom starts supper.
So as you can see our days are simple but effective for us. Every Homeschool family is different, No two do it the exact same.
I got soo excited today. I already knew about Khan Academy on youtube as a great math resource for helping the kids get through their math assignments when they don't understand the concept. But then today I discovered English grammer classes on youtube, science lessons, Art lessons and more.
My kids learn more with the videos than books, Visual and auditory combined really clicks for them.
I hope you enjoy a peek into our day homeschooling.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
The Attitude of Gratitude
How good does it make you feel when someone thanks you or gives you a compliment?
Do you thank those around you for what they do?
Have you noticed someone looking nice?
Tell them! You could be making their day.
I always feel good after helping someone or complimenting them. So its good for me and them.
We need to be thankful for what we do have instead of bemoaning what we don't have.
I am not saying settle for what you have. Always strive to reach the next level on your path.
I am saying don't get so wrapped up in what you want that you miss what you do have.
Bless the things you have and the things you want.
There is always more coming to us if we are ready and open to receive them.
By blessing and being grateful for what we have it sends a clear message to the universe that we are ready for more.
If we complain and focus on the lack the universe will send us more of the same.
Be careful which one your thoughts draw.
If you catch a thought of lack stop it and think of the blessings already in your life.
After a while this will become a habit.
Life will not always be rosy but if you are able to see past its challenges to the lessons and blessings.
It will take the sting out of some situations making it easier to handle.
Does anyone have any questions or anything to add to this?
Do you thank those around you for what they do?
Have you noticed someone looking nice?
Tell them! You could be making their day.
I always feel good after helping someone or complimenting them. So its good for me and them.
We need to be thankful for what we do have instead of bemoaning what we don't have.
I am not saying settle for what you have. Always strive to reach the next level on your path.
I am saying don't get so wrapped up in what you want that you miss what you do have.
Bless the things you have and the things you want.
There is always more coming to us if we are ready and open to receive them.
By blessing and being grateful for what we have it sends a clear message to the universe that we are ready for more.
If we complain and focus on the lack the universe will send us more of the same.
Be careful which one your thoughts draw.
If you catch a thought of lack stop it and think of the blessings already in your life.
After a while this will become a habit.
Life will not always be rosy but if you are able to see past its challenges to the lessons and blessings.
It will take the sting out of some situations making it easier to handle.
Does anyone have any questions or anything to add to this?
Monday, January 26, 2015
Sir Ken Robinson on Educating the Heart and Mind
I am a big fan of his idea's on education. We need to leave the standardized McDonalds model and go to a Quality customized for our area model.
How to make Extra Money Fast
If you are serious about wanting to earn more there are an unlimited number of ways.
You can have a service based business.
cleaning, yard work, babysitting etc.
You can teach just about anything.
How to work a computer,a language, to cook, a skill, tutoring, guitar, its endless.
You can sell a product.
Direct sales gives you a chance to:
spread your wings
learn the art of networking
how to sell
self confidence
discipline (you only get paid as much as you work it).
The best part is someone else did the hard part, come up with the idea, come up with a product, stocking it, marketing to a large extent, taxes, all the headache.
You just sell and get paid without going to an office or fast food joint 8 hours a day.
I sell candles and tarts thru Jewelry in Candles to earn extra income for my family.
For more on Jewelry in Candles in here is a previous post working the hustle and selling
Sell baked goods but follow the laws found here its easier than you think If your baked goods taste good.
Decide if to you want to do reselling.
Go online or locally and find out the price for you to buy it and the retail price.
You can order a lot of things on ebay that can be resold on eBay or locally in a store ,flea market booth ,facebook group, or even a kiosk in the mall.
You just need to decide what you want to sell and go after it.
Advertise / Market
For a service business you can put out flyers, advertise on radio, facebook groups or in newspapers.
Word of mouth also works wonders and is the best form of advertising.
A magnet on your car with your service and information advertises for you everywhere you go.
With Direct sales you have catalogs, samples,home parties, business cards, facebook fan pages, ecommerce sites, networking, car magnets with your information on them, flyers, chatting people up, its endless
For product sales you can do the same as above as well as online advertisements and magazine advertising, ebay, etsy, and lots more
There are some great free websites to create your own web store.For example www.weebly.com .
Just don't forget to get the see if you need any legal permits such as a sales tax permit or possibly an EIN number from the IRS.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Why Homeschool? Won't they be Socially Awkward?
This topic has been brought to my attention again from someone asking me why I made the choice.
I have 3 kids in home school. Henry age 12, Ilyana age 8, and Acheron age 8.
It started when my oldest son Henry was bullied so badly by a teacher he stopped learning. I fought the good fight,Parent/Teacher conferences, meetings with the Principle, Meeting the Superintendent. They would not let us transfer to another teacher.
Henry learns fast, gets bored with review, I told the first grade teacher this and suggested he be the teachers helper or receive extra worksheets.She didn't want to do this or listen. When it happened he didn't start talking, getting up and making a scene. He played with his pencil at his desk. She labeled him a troublemaker and wanted me to medicate him. She was ruthless with him. Any little thing she could try to call him out for she did. I got phone calls wanting me to come to the school and beat him (they couldn't) because he was suppose to be in the Gym waiting for the bus to go home, and was found in the parking lot almost getting run over on 3 separate occasions.
Now if I told my 6 year old to stay in this room and he wound up in a busy parking lot, the Department of Child Protective Services would have taken my child away. However when the teacher did this it was the child's fault and he needed to be Beaten (her words to me and him). Yes I refused to beat him and told her to do her job and watch him.
It got so bad that no kids would be his friend for fear of getting in trouble by association. Then she tried the coup de grace, I was informed at the end of the year they wanted to hold him back. I was shocked, He was on the A B honor roll. Why? She told me he was emotionally immature, he doesn't like to sit still and shut up. I informed her no 6 year old child does.
And so we began homeschooling. He is now doing Advanced Algebra that I can't even do. He hates English class but looks forward to school. We incorporate what he is interested in. He wants to own a restaurant when he grows up. So he is learning Business, Cooking, and Finance.
Ilyana is doing multiplication and division at 8 years old.She is an Extremely sensitive child. She cries if she thinks she failed a paper or has trouble getting it. I know how cruel children would be and see no point to dampen her spirit with their teasing and mocking. She is a pleaser, wants to know if we need anything. She cares about everyone. We watched the lion king and when Simba's dad died, it ruined the whole movie for her. She cried and cried imagining how it would feel if her dad died. So no she will not be sent to school to be teased and tortured out of this.
Acheron is adhd diagnosed. He is behind what the schools say he should be at. If he was in public school he would be placed in Special Ed and I am sure you can remember how the kids in that class were and still are treated. Even when he was on medication he was still disruptive, unfocused, and active. We took him off the medication. I don't agree with pumping him full of, a schedule 2 controlled substance, Amphetamine. We beat our heads against a brick wall trying to teach him to read for months with no success. Then we discovered a site called Starfall. A free educational website. In less than a month he was reading!! So we got him a program called Jump start 1st grade. Now he is doing great in all subjects. Those programs turned the lessons into games and It Clicked for him. What school would have taken the time to find his learning style and actually used it?
We are able to have a broader curriculum by teaching at home. We have Home Ec. where they learn to cook, clean, and handle finances.
Yes they are a bit socially awkward with kids their age when they play with the kids in our neighborhood. However they are well able to converse with adults and use their manners. They do not understand why kids throw tantrums, talk back or otherwise disrespect authority. They know that good behavior will gain them more than bad. They don't have peer pressure telling them what to do, who to like, what to wear, etc. They are not bullied. They are who they were meant to be without someone squeezing their joy and individuality out of them.
I hope this explains why we home school and why my children love it. Ilyana asked if she can home school through college and I explained online school. For my family it was about protecting my children and providing the best education we could for them tailored to each child.
I have 3 kids in home school. Henry age 12, Ilyana age 8, and Acheron age 8.
It started when my oldest son Henry was bullied so badly by a teacher he stopped learning. I fought the good fight,Parent/Teacher conferences, meetings with the Principle, Meeting the Superintendent. They would not let us transfer to another teacher.
Henry learns fast, gets bored with review, I told the first grade teacher this and suggested he be the teachers helper or receive extra worksheets.She didn't want to do this or listen. When it happened he didn't start talking, getting up and making a scene. He played with his pencil at his desk. She labeled him a troublemaker and wanted me to medicate him. She was ruthless with him. Any little thing she could try to call him out for she did. I got phone calls wanting me to come to the school and beat him (they couldn't) because he was suppose to be in the Gym waiting for the bus to go home, and was found in the parking lot almost getting run over on 3 separate occasions.
Now if I told my 6 year old to stay in this room and he wound up in a busy parking lot, the Department of Child Protective Services would have taken my child away. However when the teacher did this it was the child's fault and he needed to be Beaten (her words to me and him). Yes I refused to beat him and told her to do her job and watch him.
It got so bad that no kids would be his friend for fear of getting in trouble by association. Then she tried the coup de grace, I was informed at the end of the year they wanted to hold him back. I was shocked, He was on the A B honor roll. Why? She told me he was emotionally immature, he doesn't like to sit still and shut up. I informed her no 6 year old child does.
And so we began homeschooling. He is now doing Advanced Algebra that I can't even do. He hates English class but looks forward to school. We incorporate what he is interested in. He wants to own a restaurant when he grows up. So he is learning Business, Cooking, and Finance.
Ilyana is doing multiplication and division at 8 years old.She is an Extremely sensitive child. She cries if she thinks she failed a paper or has trouble getting it. I know how cruel children would be and see no point to dampen her spirit with their teasing and mocking. She is a pleaser, wants to know if we need anything. She cares about everyone. We watched the lion king and when Simba's dad died, it ruined the whole movie for her. She cried and cried imagining how it would feel if her dad died. So no she will not be sent to school to be teased and tortured out of this.
Acheron is adhd diagnosed. He is behind what the schools say he should be at. If he was in public school he would be placed in Special Ed and I am sure you can remember how the kids in that class were and still are treated. Even when he was on medication he was still disruptive, unfocused, and active. We took him off the medication. I don't agree with pumping him full of, a schedule 2 controlled substance, Amphetamine. We beat our heads against a brick wall trying to teach him to read for months with no success. Then we discovered a site called Starfall. A free educational website. In less than a month he was reading!! So we got him a program called Jump start 1st grade. Now he is doing great in all subjects. Those programs turned the lessons into games and It Clicked for him. What school would have taken the time to find his learning style and actually used it?
We are able to have a broader curriculum by teaching at home. We have Home Ec. where they learn to cook, clean, and handle finances.
Yes they are a bit socially awkward with kids their age when they play with the kids in our neighborhood. However they are well able to converse with adults and use their manners. They do not understand why kids throw tantrums, talk back or otherwise disrespect authority. They know that good behavior will gain them more than bad. They don't have peer pressure telling them what to do, who to like, what to wear, etc. They are not bullied. They are who they were meant to be without someone squeezing their joy and individuality out of them.
I hope this explains why we home school and why my children love it. Ilyana asked if she can home school through college and I explained online school. For my family it was about protecting my children and providing the best education we could for them tailored to each child.
Relaxing and Earning Money by Baking Bread
I found a recipe for baking sandwich bread from scratch that my family Loves.
(sorry the date on my camera is way off. I am not motivated enough to figure out how to fix it)
Every time I make it the first loaf is gone immediately, sliced and buttered. The kids start drooling when the smells start drifting out.
I found that baking bread is relaxing for me.
(yes another misdated photo, lol)
I later found that others loved my bread too. So now I sell it locally under the Texas Cottage Food Law. It allows me to make extra money selling locally without the hassle of the health department. I do have my food handlers permit though.
I offered the bread for sale on local facebook trade sites and now I have people messaging me wanting to know when I will be making more. One customer ordered one loaf the first time, two the second time, and four the next.
It makes me so happy that my relaxation technique can help my family out financially. Next I am going to see how my cupcakes go over.
Next month I am going to use the money made from the bread to take the kids out to the movies! We don't go very often due to the high prices. Taking my son Acheron for his birthday to a matinee cost me over $20.00.
What hobby or skill do you have that you could turn into an income producing adventure?
What would you use the extra money on?
Every time I make it the first loaf is gone immediately, sliced and buttered. The kids start drooling when the smells start drifting out.
I found that baking bread is relaxing for me.
I later found that others loved my bread too. So now I sell it locally under the Texas Cottage Food Law. It allows me to make extra money selling locally without the hassle of the health department. I do have my food handlers permit though.
I offered the bread for sale on local facebook trade sites and now I have people messaging me wanting to know when I will be making more. One customer ordered one loaf the first time, two the second time, and four the next.
It makes me so happy that my relaxation technique can help my family out financially. Next I am going to see how my cupcakes go over.
Next month I am going to use the money made from the bread to take the kids out to the movies! We don't go very often due to the high prices. Taking my son Acheron for his birthday to a matinee cost me over $20.00.
What hobby or skill do you have that you could turn into an income producing adventure?
What would you use the extra money on?
Friday, January 23, 2015
How to succeed in Life
We are so used to being told that doing anything for ourselves is selfish but that is wrong.
If you consistently invest in yourself you are happier, calmer, more resilient.
Basically able to be a better person, mom, employee, boss, or spouse.
If you implode from lack of self care you will be useless to others.
So take time for that pampering, seminar, day to do what drives you or makes you happy.
You will be happier and more productive when you do.
*Invest in your skills
Always, always continue learning in your field, this is how you get promotions and raises.
If you always do, what you have always done, you will alway get, what you always got.
Doing it better will get you greater results.
Learning and researching what is current in your field and what is coming up helps you to be more productive and more of an asset to the company.
*Eliminate debt
Quit watching your money run away from you!
Pay off all your debt to release yourself from the stress it brings.
Cut up credit cards before they are paid off to help prevent the temptation to keep spending money you don't have.
You don't need one.
Cut your spending on things that don't matter to you like shampoo, clothes, whatever.
Buy those at the lowest cost or second hand depending on the item.
This frees up your money to spend it on what does matter. Debt, savings, vacation, whatever
*Imagine after you do this the freedom you will experience of not being in debt, money in savings, and enough to go on vacations.
Knowing you are the best you can be emotionally and financially.
Always Be the best You that you are capable of.
I hope this has helped you. If you have any questions or comments please leave them in the comments section below. I do read them and will respond.
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