This school year I have joined a local homeschool co-op. Last year, I felt like I squeaked by quite nicely as a Kindergarten homeschool teacher. I bought this kit that told me what to do and say for the entire school year. It was pricey, but since it was my first "official year" homeschooling it was perfect. But truthfully, I don't know that much about homeschooling. I know when my daughter turns 8 I have to register with the school district. I have no idea if she has to take tests each year. … [Read more...]
How to Raise Addiction Free Kids
There is a controversial law that treats teens like adults if they commit certain crimes. The idea behind it is that if you do an adult crime, you serve the adult time. Many people are vehemently opposed to this line of reasoning. There are passionate arguments on both sides of the issue. While it is understandable that many wish to shield children from the more harsh consequences of ill-advised behavior, life often has other ideas. All behaviors have consequences. Whether or not we add … [Read more...]
Keeping Kids Active and Healthy
Have you noticed that health and lifestyle is often passed down from one generation to the next? Living on a Native American reservation for most of my life, I have witnessed first hand how health and lifestyle is passed down. How we parenting our children really does affect their adult life and how they will raise their own children. What an awesome responsibility we have as a parents! I have noticed in my own life that I get so busy that I often ignore my own health. That is not the example I … [Read more...]
Top 10 Educational Shows on Netflix
We love Netflix. We have been faithful customers for about 8 years. Back then we didn't stream but received two DVDs at a time in the mail. (Remember those days?) Now we stream only. We dumped cable and haven't been sorry. One reason I love Netflix is the abundance of education entertainment available. My six year old can navigate and find the shows we let her watch and she loves educational entertainment. That makes this mommy quite happy! School is out for most kids, so educational … [Read more...]
Encouraging Children to Give to Charity
Doing good for others can have an incredible effect on one’s soul and health. Studies suggest that volunteering can actually increase your lifespan. There has been evidence of lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure through philanthropist activities, as well as reduced stress levels and an increase in protective antibodies. Aside from health benefits, it should go without saying that doing good for your fellow human makes you a happier person and improves your quality of life, but so … [Read more...]
My Kid is in Speech Therapy (and that’s ok)
My daughter has had speech delays since she was a toddler. She talked a bit later than I expected her to and then some of her sounds weren't correct. I didn't worry. Most toddlers have difficulty saying certain letter sounds and blend sounds. When she was preschool age she was making progress on her own and was mastering some of the letter sounds and blend sounds that she previously couldn't say. When we started Homeschool Kindergarten this year and officially began learning the blends in … [Read more...]
Ways to Protect Your Family: Outside the Home
There are some obvious things we think of when it comes to securing our families. Make sure all the doors have deadbolts. Install double paned, double locking windows. Make sure every one in the house has access to a panic button. If you can (and depending on where you live you should), have a security system installed and pay the $30 per month monitoring fee. These are the basics. We shouldn’t need to have to talk about these things anymore. It's not difficult to find home security systems … [Read more...]
