Caring for Sick Kids – Pausing Homeschool
We skipped school this week because the weather was unusually nice for May in Phoenix. It was in the 60s! Typically, we are in the 80s or even 90s in May. My plan was to enjoy the weather, relax and get some things done. However, halfway through the week, my kids all came down with a nasty head cold. We were still able to do some fun things, but we spent some days at home since everyone was tired. Caring for sick kids are some of the hardest weeks. I almost find myself wondering how to keep everyone busy and happy when four little kids are sick. The beginning of the week we did get out. We went hiking on a trail close by. My kids loved it. My daughter wore her ballet outfit. It was cute to a ballerina running around on a desert trail. No, she doesn’t take ballet lessons. She just dresses like she does. We also went to a park with a friend the day after. Then came the cold. I’m glad I planned to pause homeschooling and take a week off. We would have had to take it off or at least slowed with a cold anyway. Changing My To-Do List I had some things I wanted to get done this week – organizing toys, sorting through clothes, cleaning the fans and blinds, and other stuff. I actually did end up getting some of those things done, but when my kids are sick, instead of following my to do list, I need to change it. It should read, “Take care of sick children.” God gives me twenty-four hours in a day to do all that I am responsible for doing. He controls the circumstances of each day. If he gives me sick kids, then my manmade to-do list should fall by the wayside. I tend to consider a day a good day if I got a lot of things done, but that’s not always the best way to evaluate a day. Not all work has visible results that merit praise from others. Some work is unseen, but that doesn’t make it less valuable. God sees the mom that leaves a task unfinished in order to nurse a sick baby or to clean up throw up. The task that a mom was in the middle of doing is not what needs to be accomplished at the moment a sick child needs her. I personally don’t like leaving things undone, so that can be hard for me. Good Works Prepared Beforehand Ephesians 2:10 says, ” For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” All my good works that I will ever do are known and planned by God. Caring for sick children is work that pleases God and has been ordained by him– not matter how much throw up and snot is involved. When it seems like I am not accomplishing much, I have to remind myself that I am responsible for caring for my children, and I need to respond correctly to each circumstance that comes my way (as best I can!). My house might be a mess, but if all I did was care for sick kids, then I did what I suppose to do for that day. There’s joy in knowing that you’re in the right place and doing the right thing, even if part of the experience is unpleasant (throw up, snot, crabbiness). One day I felt like I got nearly nothing done that I had set out to do, but I did take care of everyone, made three meals, read to my kids, changed diapers, folded laundry, called AAA and got our battery replaced, picked up our groceries, and finally put everyone to bed. It didn’t seem like much at the time, especially when considering that I set out to do more, but we made it through the day and everyone was cared for. So, it was a good day. Short Activities What’s frustrating about a cold is that you’re not that sick, but you’re still sick enough you don’t want to do a whole lot. Also, everything gets thrown off because you can’t see anyone or go anywhere. I find that boys take a hard hit with a cold. That’s also tough. This past week, I found that short activities worked well with my sick children. Between helping the three-year old on the potty and holding the fussy baby, I didn’t really have time for a whole lot. Here are some short activities we did. Early Bedtime and Expectations It’s exhausting being sick. After dinner, I could just see the younger ones all slowly falling apart. Early bedtime it is! My kids usually need an extra half hour or so of sleep when they are sick. I also just want some extra quiet time for myself. Having sick kids means I have to adjust my expectations for myself and for my kids when they are sick. I show them a bit more grace when they aren’t feeling great. Afterwards, we buckle up and reset the standard. Quiet Activities Doing quiet, calming activities help a lot. I let my kids watch TV, but I have a limit. It’s not going to be one all day even if they are sick. It’s hard to strike a balance, but what worked was separating and doing something quiet. Then come back together for a read aloud, and then separate or play nicely together. Here are some quiet activities they liked. Basic Things There are some basic things that are important to focus on when caring for sick kids. Have they been drinking water? Did they eat a nutritious meal? If not, that can explain why they are very crabby even with a cold. Did they go outside? Playing outside and getting sunshine is good even if you’re not feeling 100%. Last Thoughts We get a cold about every two or three
Interesting Fiction Picture Book Authors to Include in Your Homeschool Library
In my previous posts about building a homeschool library, I wrote about including nonfiction and poetry. Today I am going to focus on interesting fiction picture book authors to include in your homeschool library. I always like it when I find a really good picture book, only to discover that the author has written even more books! I am going to assume that most of you have heard of authors like Robert McCloskey (Make Way for Duckings) and Don Freeman (Corduroy). This booklist is meant to highlight other well-known and maybe lesser well-known authors. Here are some of my favorite interesting fiction picture book authors that I am sure you and your kids will also enjoy. Jan Brett Jan Brett is an author and illustrator. She’s one of my favorites. When one of my boys was five years old, he always went straight to the section in the library with her books. He loved them all. Her most popular books are The Mitten, The Hat, and The Gingerbread Baby. She lives in Massachusetts (I always like to know where an author lives). Karma Wilson I wish I was Karma Wilson. She’s an interesting picture book author because she can write a book in a month. Her books are funny, well-written, and full of rhymes. Some of her books that we have enjoyed are Bear Snores On and Bear Says Thanks. These books are great for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. Jane Chapman is the illustrator (I always enjoy her illustrations). Karma Wilson lives in Montana. Valeri Gorbachev I never see his name on booklists, so I am adding him to mine. First of all, he’s Russian and he’s a he. Before moving to the US, he was one of the most popular Russian illustrators. One of my boys loved Nikki and the Big, Bad Wolves. I enjoyed The Lost and Found Ducklings and Red, Red, Red. His stories are short, simple, and charming. I discovered him at the library. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Katy Hudson Katy Hudson is also an author and illustrator. I love her simple plots and cozy illustrations. My kids have read her books many times. Some of our favorites are Too Many Carrots and A Winter’s Nap. She lives in England. Karel Hayes Karel Hayes writes what I call “The bear books.” She has a series of books about a bear family that lives in family’s cabin when the family is not there. The bear family and the human family was identical in many ways (mom, dad, son, daughter). Karel is also the illustrator, and she’s super attentive to detail in her illustrations. There’s a lot of consistency between her books (For example, trees being in the same spot in each book).My family has enjoyed all of her books, but my favorite is The Christmas Visitors. There are about five or six sentences in each book. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but so much of the time is spent looking at the illustrations and noticing the details. I have a lot of fun reading her books, and I am sure you will too. Karel Hayes lives in New Hampshire. Gene Zion Gene Zion is known for the Harry the Dog books. His wife, Margaret Bloy Graham, was the illustrator for his books. An interesting fact about them is that they were friends with Hans and Margaret Rey, the author and illustrator of Curious George. Gene and his wife wrote and illustrated many picture books, but I have only read the ones of about Harry. There are four: Harry the Dirty Dog, Harry by the Sea, No Roses for Harry, and Harry and The Lady Next Door. The books are set in the 1950s and have a simple, old-fashioned style. All my kids have enjoyed these stories. Gene Zion lived in New York City. Paul Galdone Paul Galdone wrote and illustrated classic folk tales. If you want a good collections of picture books like The Little Red Hen or Little Red Riding Hood, then these books would make a great addition to your homeschool library. He is also known for Anatole, the French mouse who gets a job tasting cheese. He was born in Austria-Hungary, and later lived in New York City. Jane Yolan Jane Yolan is well-known for Owl Moon, but she has also written a really funny series about dinosaurs. The illustrations, by Mark Teague, make her dinosaur books a fun read aloud. Some of her titles are How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? and How Do Dinosaurs Say I am Mad? They feature human parents with dinosaur children. One of my kids was into dinosaurs for a few years, so we read these books over and over again. Jane Yolan currently lives in Massachusetts. I hope this list helps. Knowing what interesting fiction picture books to include in your homeschool library can be hard if you are not familiar with the world of picture books. Building a homeschool library is one of the many exciting jobs that come with homeschooling. Finding good fiction picture books is hard work, but it’s rewarding when you have a bookshelf full of books your children (and you!) will enjoy. Carly from DesertHomeschoolDays.com
Interesting Poetry Books to Include in Your Homeschool Library
Over the past few years I have been slowly adding poetry books for reading aloud to our homeschool library. I read quite a bit of poetry to my children, but I actually am not crazy about poetry myself. I can appreciate Christina Rossetti and Emily Dickinson. However, when I have free time, I don’t sit down and read a poem. None of this means I dislike poetry, but it does mean that I am not naturally drawn to it. Despite that, I still think it’s good to ask yourself what interesting poetry books to include in your homeschool library. After all, you don’t want a book of poetry your children will dislike. Every two weeks I have my children memorize a poem. Currently, the poems are from the Sonoran Desert Nature Study I am making, but in the past, I pulled poems from children’s poetry books. I put them in a binder and we reviewed them every day. I should go back and get that binder out and reform that habit that I lost. Isn’t that annoying? Forgetting about a really good habit? Why Include Poetry? I used to teach elementary school, so I know how important poetry is for kids. It helps language development because children can hear the differences in the rhyming words. Children also hear rich vocabulary and the cadence and rhythm of poetry. I like to reread poetry to my kids because it slowly helps them memorize the poem, and memorizing poetry improves memory. There are all these reasons to teach poetry, and sometimes reasons like that can motivate us. However, what I have found to be more motivating than a list of reasons is when you find a poet that you like, and you kind of start to enjoy poetry. Isn’t that movitating? I have found that over time, as I read more poetry aloud to my children, I enjoy it more. Christina Rossetti’s poems always please me. They are short and simple, but yet beautiful in its simplicity. She was able to observe her world around her and paint with words. Rossetti was also homeschooled, had a bad temper as a child, and loved nature. My children also like her poems because they are easy to read and memorize. So why include poetry? You should include it because you want to enjoy reading poetry aloud with your kids. Tips and Tricks for Reading Poetry One of my best tricks is to read a few poems aloud from a poetry book and then leave it lying around. I prefer things to be cleaned up, but when I leave books lying around, I notice that my kids tend to be curious to read a few more poems when I am not looking. In fact, I sometimes purposely leave picture books in the car or lying around on the living room floor. My goal is to make it normal and easy to sit and enjoy poetry. Good Poetry Books for Reading Aloud Maybe you’re like me and you’re not crazy about poetry, but you want your kids to enjoy poetry because it’s good for them. I want my kids to be well-rounded. The good news is that you can do a great job of helping your kids love poetry by simply reading poems out loud to them and talking about them. It’s so simple. I don’t think I am great at talking about poetry, but reading it aloud is better than not reading it, right? Here are some interesting poetry books to include in your homeschool library that may be helpful and fun to read aloud to your children. have enjoyed all of these books with my kids, and some of them we have memorized. Sing a Song of Seasons National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry The Golden Books Family Treasury of Poetry 104 Poems of Whimsy and Delight A Zoo Full of Rhymes Poetry for the Babies and Toddlers Reading poetry aloud to kids is important, but when children are small, nursery rhymes are a great place to start. Mem Fox is known for this quote: “Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know eight nursery rhymes by heart by the time they’re four years old, they’re usually among the best readers by the time they’re eight.” Basically, children who memorize nursery rhymes have a better shot at being a good reader when they are older. Mem Fox talks all about these ideas in her book Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever. It’s been a while since I read Fox’s book, but I remember enjoying it. I read nursery rhymes to my three-year old. Sometimes my one-year old is nearby listening. Otherwise, I sing nursery rhymes to him when I change his diaper. I have done this with all my babies. My daughter loves the illustration in this copy of Mother Goose illustrated by Scott Gustafson Final Thoughts Can you still do something you’re not good at when you are a homeschooling mom? Of course! A lot of what I am doing now I wasn’t good at in the beginning, but I have gotten better by being disciplined. I find that discipline is the key for improving at teaching my children. Over the past few years, I have found more and more poetry books to include in my homeschool library. The more I read aloud poetry, the more we enjoy it and the more it becomes a normal part of our day. I hope you enjoy some of the poetry books! don’t forget to read my post about including nonfiction picture books in your homeschool library. Carly from DesertHomeschoolDays.com
Interesting Nonfiction Picture Book Authors to Include in Your Homeschool Library
One of the best parts of homeschooling is building a homeschool library. It sounds intimidating, but it’s actually a whole lot of fun, especially if you’re into children’s literature. I have small children, so this post is going to focus on nonfiction authors, primarily picture books about nature. My two boys can read chapter books, and I read chapter books and picture books aloud to them, but I am far more familiar with picture books than chapter books at this point in my life. I am going to share with you some of my favorite interesting nonfiction picture book authors to include in your homeschool library. Tell Yourself that You Have a Library The first step to building a homeschool library is to tell yourself that you have a library. Most people own a handful of picture books before homeschooling. Even if you have a small amount of good picture books for your kids, you in fact do have a library. It’s just really small, and may need some improvement. When I was first homeschooling, I didn’t think I had a library because I thought I needed all the picture books I saw on social media (I have social media so I can see what other people read). It’s helpful to remember that a home library is your collection of books (whatever the number of books that may be), and it takes a long time to build a good collection. I am talking years. You also don’t have to have all your books in one room and call it, “The library.” We have children’s books in almost every room of the house. It’s a good rule to have books in every room. Include a Variety of Books in Your Library If all you have are Little Critter books (probably my favorite twaddle), then it’s good to think about getting other genres such as poetry, nonfiction, and better fiction books. One purpose for building a homeschool library is to enjoy a wide variety of books with your children. Think about what kind of books you want to see lying around your house. You want bookshelves too, but it’s also about having books out and about – poetry books, picture books about nature, picture books about historical figures, books that make you laugh, classics. I think you get my point. All of those thoughts have helped me search out interesting nonfiction picture book authors to include in my homeschool library. How to Start Building a Homeschool Library The best way to begin building a homeschool library is to go slow. Don’t buy a ton of picture books by authors with whom you aren’t familiar. Go to the library and find the books you like. When you find the books you like, then purchase those books. You will slowly find the authors you enjoy reading and want to include in your homeschool library. Using booklists can speed up the process. My library has a small rack with used library books you can buy. I have been able to find a number of good books there. Thrift stores are also great places to find books. If you are curious about a book, YouTube has channels where picture books are read aloud. I have listened to people read picture books aloud so I can determine if it’s a book I want to purchase. What’s even better is to find an older homeschool mom who has good taste in picture books and ask for recommendations. Good Nonfiction Picture Book Authors I use Charlotte Mason inspired nature studies with my kids. That means we use lots of picture books to learn about science and nature. Over the past three years of reading lots of nonfiction picture books, I have come to really enjoy certain authors. Here are a few favorites! Jim Arnosky Cathryn Sill Gail Gibbons Yuval Zimmer Diane L. Burns Anne Rockwell Dianna Hutts Ashton Julia Rothman Kate Messner I hope some of these suggestions were helpful for you as you begin to find interesting nonfiction picture book authors to include in your homeschool library. Comment below if there are any books or authors you would add to the list. Carly from DesertHomeschoolDays.com
Homeschooling is Becoming More Acceptable
When I first started homeschooling, I expected negative reactions from people. I geared myself up for defending my position, but nobody asked me why I had chosen to homeschool. This was surprising to me because I was homeschooled in the 1990s and early 2000s. Back then, it was considered a questionable form of education. My parents pulled me and all my siblings out of school in the mid 1990s when the concept of homeschooling was still very new. I don’t think they knew how it was all going to turn out, but they were what is now called “homeschool pioneers.” Homeschooling in the 1990s versus today in 2025 is very different. The biggest notable change is that homeschooling is becoming more acceptable. People’s Opinion in the 1990s Back in the 1990s, homeschoolers were in the minority. By the time I was homeschooled, there were about 700,000 other homeschoolers nationwide. During the 1980s, states like Rhode Island, where I lived, legalized homeschooling, but the regulations were not formalized until the 1990s. We were part of a co-op, but I think there was only one in our area. I liked being homeschooled, but at the same time being homeschooled carried a stigma. At times, I didn’t fit in the kids at church because they all went to school together. I remember sometimes feeling awkward being out in public during school hours because I knew someone would ask the ever-so-annoying question, “Why aren’t you in school?” A friend quizzed me on math to see if I knew my math facts. My pediatrician asked me if I had friends. Homeschooling was questionable. Just in case you were wondering, I did have friends. Homeschooling Resources in the 1990s When my parents pulled me out of school, my mom had to go to a homeschool curriculum fair and buy all our books. That’s right – no internet. I am not sure when she started buying textbooks online, but I do remember her leaving the house and coming home with all our books. There were not as many options for textbooks nor variety in resources. We used Abeka and Saxon primarily. Many textbooks were made by Christian textbook companies that designed their curricula for classrooms. As for technology, I used a video series from Abeka for Spanish. The teacher was boring. Despite that, I found myself majoring in Spanish a few years later. Even though the curriculum was not the most interesting, I still found my interests easily enough. I tend to overthink curriculum because I want to purchase the best curriculum for my kids. I didn’t have the best curriculum ever, but I had a good one that taught me the basics. Homeschooling Parents in the 1990s Homeschool parents in the 1990s had to have tough skin if they chose to homeschool. It was not uncommon for people to tell homeschool families that they should stop homeschooling. Homeschool parents had to ignore the negative comments. Would I have had the tough skin parents did back then? I don’t know, but they were brave to try a new method of education that was laughed at. Homeschool families were initially seen as strange. Why teach your kids yourself when the public school can do it just fine? My mom knew that she was suppose to homeschool, so she ignored what other people said and continued homeschooling. I was a shy kid. If anything, I was probably the one everyone thought should be in school. I admire homeschoolers today, but I think the families that first took the plunge are to be truly admired. Did they ever think their efforts would amount to almost four million children being homeschooled in the US today? Now I will switch to homeschooling in 2025 People’s Opinion in 2025 I have only met one person who disliked homeschoolers. He claimed that children needed to be in school so they can be bullied and become tough. I ignored him. There are better ways to build confidence in children than to tear them down. So far, that has literally been the only negative comment I have received. Instead, I often hear people talking favorably about homeschooling. Things I have heard are from other doctors, neighbors, friends, and family are: When we sign up for the summer reading library program at our local library, there’s a box to choose your school, and homeschool is an option. That wasn’t there when I was a kid. Also, no one has ever asked me why my kids aren’t in school. In fact, I see homeschoolers out in stores and in libraries in the morning. No one bats an eye. Homeschooling Resources in 2025 The amount of resources for homeschoolers today is overwhelming. Since graduating college, teaching elementary school, getting married, and having children, I had no idea how much the homeschool textbook industry had changed. First of all, the old school textbooks, like Abeka, are still around, and are still great choices for homeschoolers, but now there are companies that make curricula that is designed specifically for homeschoolers, such as Good and Beautiful. The coolest part of the newer curricula is that a lot of them are created by homeschool moms. Good and Beautiful, Homeschool Glue, Treehouse Schoolhouse, and Five in a Row are a few examples. Outsourcing is widely available through online classes and co-op classes. There are individuals who conduct classes just for homeschoolers, such as art classes and nature classes. There are homeschool sports groups. Homeschoolers can get discounted prices at science centers and museums. Lastly, some museums offer homeschool days where admission is free. Homeschooling Parents in 2025 One of the biggest differences with homeschool parents in 2025 is that sometimes both the mom and dad work, usually the dad working full-time, and the mom working part-time. This is possible with parents being able to work from home, and with dads feeling more comfortable to help out with schooling. I find that I do not need to have tough skin for homeschooling. No one really pesters me about it and asks me why I
Homeschooling Young Children: A Four-Day Homeschool Schedule
Homeschooling young children can at first seem daunting. Thankfully, even though homeschooling can appear to be a lot of work, it hasn’t seemed like that much work to me. Maybe it’s because I like school, but another reason why is because we do a four-day homeschool schedule with only a small bit of work on Friday. For me, doing a four-day homeschool schedule has been very helpful when homeschooling young children. Currently, our schedule, which by the way is always changing, currently looks like this: Monday School in the morning Co-op in the afternoon Tuesday School in the morning Play, relax, and do chores in the afternoon Wednesday Grandma babysits School in the afternoon. Church in the evening. Thursday School in the morning Clean the house in the afternoon Friday One hour or so of school. Go somewhere fun/educational or see friends. Play, relax, and do chores in the afternoon. Piano lessons at home. A four-day homeschool schedule is great for families homeschooling young children because… The Younger Kids Need It When my boys were little, I frequently took them to the zoo, the park, and the library. Now I stay home a lot due to homeschooling, but I still want my younger ones to have those same experiences. I reserve Fridays as our day do something different. Sometimes we go to a park or the library. Other times we invite friends over to play. Occasionally, we might do errands. Fridays are the day when I make sure I am ready the night before so that it isn’t a circus trying to get everyone ready. We need routines and rhythms to our days because most people find them helpful. My kids do, but there’s also a need to just get out. Part of being a kid is having time to play at the park, running errands with mom, picking out books from the library, and seeing friends. My younger ones both nap in the morning and the afternoon. That certainly makes getting out more difficult, but having a shorter nap one day a week (actually two days because church also cuts a nap out) is at this point doable. Usually, the baby takes a longer nap in the afternoon when he’s extra tired. My Older Kids Need It What I like about going to parks in Phoenix is that they usually have better trees to climb. We have small trees in our backyard that we planted a few years ago. Our trees are not ready to be climbed. Taking a day off from school gives my boys the chance to climb and take risks. Also, a lot of our nature study observation sometimes happens at parks. We see birds we learned about, and we hunt for nests. More importantly, it gives my shy kids a chance to play one-on-one with another child or children. I Need It I think I like to go to the park more than my kids. It’s because I want to talk to another mom. Having a four-day schedule is beneficial for mom too, especially if she hasn’t seen anyone for a super long time. Since I am the one in charge of homeschooling my crew, I don’t want to burn out. I have seen homeschool moms who are burnt out – tired, crabby, hates the sight of a textbook, dreams of summer. Maybe that will be me someday, but I really would like to avoid it. Although, I could never find myself dreaming of summer in Phoenix. A lot of emphasis on homeschooling is making sure the children are getting the proper education they need. That makes sense, and it’s right to focus on that. However, the mom needs to be considered too. When my kids are older, I will switch to a five-day week. For now, they are all young and need a lot of attention. That means I need time to rest from all the good work that I do. Others Need It Giving up a day of school benefits my family, but I also think it can benefit those with whom I get together. It benefits other moms because we can encourage one another. After spending time with another mom, I can usually find something I know they would like prayer for. Sometimes it’s awkward to ask How can I pray for you? It’s not a bad question. It’s a perfectly good question to ask another mom, but it can also come about naturally in the midst of a good conversation. I can learn how to better pray for a particular friend after spending time with her. Speaking of praying for others, I have found it really helpful to write down peoples’ names. I have a list of my family, friends, and people from church. I pray for different people, or groups of people, each day. It helps me remember to pray for them. Have you ever told someone you would pray for them, but then you ummm…forgot? I have. My list keeps me from doing that. Year-Round Schooling I do year-round schooling, which is why I don’t have any problem with doing a four-day homeschool schedule. Sometimes we take a week off here and there, but for the most part, I don’t usually feel like I am dying for a break. I think that means this four-day homeschool schedule thing is working for me. Final Thoughts Initially, I decided to keep Friday mornings open because I wanted my kids to get out and play with friends, but I also really like that my conversations with other moms have been encouraging. What first started out as a desire to give myself rest from the daily work I do, ended up showing me that friendships for myself and for my kids are even more refreshing than simply relaxing. It takes work to build a friendship. For related blog posts read Being a Good Friend When You’re a Busy and Starting a Playdate. Carly from DesertHomeschoolDays
Homeschooling Young Children – Accepting Messes
Have you ever met someone who instantly liked? I certainly have. How about a character in a book? Or what about a picture book? One of my kids read The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman aloud to me for his reading time, and I instantly loved the mom, Mrs. Peters. The book is about a family with seven kids who all insist on eating one particular food all the time, and it must be homemade. The book doesn’t say whether the family homeschools, but they sure look like homeschoolers to me – messy house, seven kids, and they live out in the middle of nowhere. Whatever their schooling choice is, it reminded me of homeschooling young children and all the messes that it brings. Accepting a Messy House When I had my first baby, my house was always clean. Always. These days….ummm…I really try my best. We clean the house once a week – vacuum, dust, mop, organize misplaced things, but it still looks messy to some degree most of the time. We also pick up at the end of the day, but by 8:30 am the next morning, it’s a mess again. In the book The Seven Silly Eaters, the house is a mess on almost every single page. The only page where it isn’t a mess is when they have their first child. As more children are added to the family, the house gets messier. For some reason the messy house made me like the Peter’s family even more because you could tell that they lived there. There’s life in their small home with their seven children, and you can tell by all the toys that are on the floor, the mess from baking, and the piles of laundry. Often times, I think my house shouldn’t be a mess. However, the reality is that a family that spends a large portion of the day at their house will inevitably have a messy, or lived-in, home. I’m not saying toss out the cleaning routines and begin living as a hoarder. What I am saying is that it’s good to relax a little bit when it comes to having a clean house, especially if you’re homeschooling young children. Otherwise, I find it hard to enjoy my time with my children. Some people don’t see messes, or the messes simply don’t bother them, so nothing really gets cleaned up. I am the opposite. I see every mess. There’s something inside of me that compels me to clean it up. In fact, it seems wrong to not clean up a mess. That leads me to my next point. Relaxing in The Mess In the beginning of the book, Mrs. Peters is playing her cello, something she clearly enjoys doing. Later on, Mrs. Peters is playing her cello right beside a basket of laundry. If I had to take a lesson from Mrs. Peters, it’s to do something enjoyable even if the area around me is messy and slightly chaotic. I have to discipline myself to leave the mess alone and do something like read a book or write for a few minutes. Otherwise, I never get around to doing to reading because I am tried by the end of the day. Moms do a lot for their kids – working moms and moms homeschooling young children. I said earlier that it seems wrong to leave a mess alone. I would also argue that it seems wrong to never do anything that is relaxing. Moms need a break too. Playing the cello is how Mrs. Peter’s relaxes, and she does it with all her kids around her. I used to think I can only relax when it’s quiet and peaceful, but I have learned how to relax for a few minutes in a messy home with my kids all around me. Relaxing doesn’t always mean lying down. I find it relaxing to be out in my garden with my kids. Also, I can read a book and write with my kids around (there are quite a few interruptions though). It’s relaxing to take a walk with my kids. I hope I am making sense. You can find moments to recharge (in whatever way you like) even if you have a lot of kids right next to you. Of course, peace and quiet is also nice. I think moms who are introverted like me have to be aware of their limitations. I get tired if people talk to me all day long. And guess what little kids do? They talk all day long! Sometimes it’s the same conversation over and over again. Over the years I have gotten a lot better at being patient with the constant chatter. It doesn’t wear me out so much now. My mother-in-law watches my kids often. Sometimes she takes them for a walk, and when I come back home, the house is filled with daylight, empty, and quiet (I am used to the quiet at night). I enjoy it for a while, but at the same time, it also doesn’t feel natural. Don’t worry. My kids come tumbling in soon enough. And Mrs. Peters…. The book ends with the family finding a recipe that works for everyone. That must have been a relief to Mrs. Peters!. I really like one of the last pictures. Everyone is making the cake, and there’s Mrs. Peters,, relaxing and playing her cello with her favorite people all around her. You can tell that she’s a happy mom. I think that’s why I like her: She’s got a lot of kids, her house is a mess, and she’s happy. So, whether you have a lot of kids, or are homeschooling young children, enjoy the mess because years from now your house will be very clean….so hard to imagine. You might find yourself missing the messes. Speaking of messes, I have three laundry baskets waiting for me, a book to read aloud to my kids, and markers all over the floor (with the caps on). Off I
Homeschooling Young Children: Making Sacrifices
Some days it seems like the only time I get to sit down is when I read aloud to my children. Fortunately, most days aren’t like that. I normally sit down to eat, and I sit down to do a lesson. But there are those times when it feels like I am up and down helping someone every five seconds. It could be I am actually sitting down more than I realize I am. To some, I might sound like I am crazy. To others who are in my situation, homeschooling young children, I am sure you can understand why am I running from one thing to the next. Homeschooling is a wonderful thing to do, but it’s also a very hard job. And it’s also hard when all your children are young. They all need you for what seems like everything. While it can be a hard stage to be in, it’s also a really life-giving stage. It sounds like I am contradicting myself, but I’m not. Just keep reading. Whenever I am in a hard stage of life, I find that it’s good to stop and reflect. This past week I thought about how homeschooling young children means everyone in our family has moments when they have to make a sacrifice in order to care for someone else. Making Sacrifices No one in our family has a schedule that is perfectly catered towards them. It’s hard having nap times, and also wanting to get out and do older kid things. Despite the difficulties with having a “large” family (four kids doesn’t seem large, but I have been told we have a lot of kids. People at Costco always tell that every time I go), I think it’s good for our family to make sacrifices and give up what we want for the sake of someone else. My boys can’t go out and do as many fun homeschool field trips or activities because their younger siblings need naps. I can’t stay at church very long and talk because my one-year old is exhausted and crying. Sometimes we end up leaving an event because someone is melting down. We often skip church potlucks because it’s someone else’s turn to be tired. In our case, having little children limits what we can do. Despite all that, we are not always heading home every time someone is tired. It’s not always the older kids that make sacrifices. Other times, my younger ones are stretched to stay awake longer than they would like because their brothers have a sports practice or a game. My husband will take the fussy baby with him so I can talk to people. There’s no hard rule about whose turn it is to give up something. Rather, it’s based on what’s going on in each circumstance. Sacrifices Are Not in Vain Philippians 2:4 says, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” This verse has been helpful for me because it reminds me that the sacrifices my kids have to make for each other does not make the day worse because the fun ended early. I don’t have to feel guilty if they miss out. After all, it’s good training for real life. They are learning how to adjust and place someone else’s needs before themselves. My boys did a field day with their co-op last fall. October is a tricky month because the weather can fluctuate. Sometimes it’s nice, and sometimes it’s still hot. It was hot that day. I couldn’t keep their baby brother out in close to 100+ weather for very long. I felt bad leaving early because they wanted to stay. They were disappointed, but it was also an opportunity for them to recognize that their baby brother has needs too. In this case, his needs were more important than theirs. Homeschooling young children is hard, and missing out on activities can be challenging, but there’s always fruit with hard situations It’s harder to be patient, kind, and sacrificial with your family. Homeschooled siblings know each other so well. They know the most subtle ways to get under each other’s skin, but they get some of the best practice when they learn how to live peacefully with each other. My kids aren’t perfect. They have arguments for sure, but they are learning. When Sacrificing is Good For You My kids make sacrifices, but what about me? I give my energy and love to my children all day long. Sometimes I am worn out, but I found that when I give up my desires, such as reading in peace in quiet or having a uninterrupted conversation, and focus on caring well for my children, I am happier. There’s joy that comes from knowing I am doing a good job caring for my kids. While sacrificing what I want to do can be hard, it can also be the best thing for me because it deepens my love for my children and it makes depend on God more rather than being satisfied with getting what I think I need. One thing that has helped me have a better perspective on giving up my will, especially in the context of homeschooling young children, is to figure out what I lack (joy, patience, peace….) and then ask God for that. While that sounds very simple, it has been helpful because He does answer me. I am not a naturally patient person, but God has made me more patient. I regularly pray for patience and joy in parenting. Slowly, over time as I continue to homeschool all young children, I have become less dependent upon time alone and can tolerate more noise and mess. On a side note, I am someone who needs alone time, so I get the genuine need for it. I sometimes hide away and read for five minutes until someone finds me. Those five minutes can help! I am also someone who needs to talk to
Learning About Butterflies in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona
The past two weeks have been all about butterflies here at my house. We ordered some painted lady caterpillars from Amazon. My kids loved watching them molt, form into their chrysalides, and then emerge as butterflies (Yes, we actually saw one come out. They always seem to emerge whenever we are gone. Bummer, right?). In Arizona, there are over 300 species of butterflies. We had a lot of fun learning about butterflies in Arizona – we read lots of good books, learned a great song, looked at a cool painting, memorized a poem, and made coffee filter butterflies. Fun fact, about two or three years ago (maybe four years ago), there was a huge increase in the butterfly population here in Phoenix. Butterflies were everywhere – splash pads, backyards, parks. They were even seen flying over the freeway. Does anyone remember that? Butterflies in Arizona Some topics, such as butterflies in Arizona, are hard to find in the format of a picture book, but we found some helpful information online at azstateparks.com . They listed butterflies here in Arizona, plants to attract butterflies (I am already looking into planting some desert milkweed this April), and even provided a butterfly booklet for kids. Tuscanbirds.org also had information and pictures about butterflies here in Arizona. Picture Books about Butterflies There are not any picture books specifically about butterflies in Arizona, but general picture books about butterflies worked just fine. Here are some of our favorites. Are You a Butterfly by Judy Allen What’s Inside a Caterpillar Cocoon? by Rachel Ignotofsky The Mystery of the Monarchs by Barb Rosenstock Where Butterflies Grow by Joanne Ryder A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hurts Aston Monarch Butterflies Monarch butterflies are seen in Arizona between October to April as they migrate to and from Mexico or California. I have only seen one Monarch butterfly in the wild here in Arizona. Believe me, I was rather excited. As you probably know, monarchs are attracted to milkweed. I looked up what plants are needed for a butterfly garden in Phoenix. Desert Milkweed, Baja Fairy Duster, Desert Senna, and Globe Mallows are a few host plants for monarchs. The best time of year to plant a butterfly garden is mid-April. It is currently the beginning of April. I love it when things like that all work out. It makes me feel more organized than I really am. I am hoping to a butterfly garden going in the next few weeks. Coffee Filter Butterfly Charlotte Mason encouraged children to do handicrafts for a variety of reasons – fine motor skills, creativity, hand-eye coordination, and pure enjoyment of making something beautiful. We made coffee filter butterflies. It was an easy handicraft for my kids (ages 8, 6, and 3). First, we colored two coffee filters using markers. Afterwards, we sprayed them with water and let them dry. Then we folded them up like an accordion and used a pipe wire to keep them together in the shape of a butterfly. I was thinking of sticking a magnet on the back so that we could see them on the fridge (but I haven’t done that yet). Butterfly Wonderland Naturally, a trip to Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale would follow after a butterfly unit. We went with another homeschool friend, but the place was overcrowded about four or five field trip groups. We left and plan to go back with our original tickets another day. If you are interested in going, but do not want a huge crowd all around you, then I would recommend going in the afternoon after the field trip groups have left. I have been the Butterfly Wonderland a number of times. My kids have always enjoyed the butterfly room where butterflies fly around and land on you. They also do a short film about the monarch butterfly. Final Thoughts We have fun learning about butterflies in Arizona. I get so distracted when I am outside. If any of us see a butterfly, we make a big deal and shout, “Hey, look a butterfly!” Then we run after it and try to identify it. I’m am sure this is all very normal behavior. This week we started learning about plants in the Sonoran Desert before summer comes in a few days. I will share what books we are reading for that unit in another post. Carly from DesertHomeschoolDays.com
How to do a Picture Study
I am a fan of Charlotte Mason, but there’s an area of instruction that in the past I have pushed aside. I am all for living books. In fact, I really need to get more bookshelves. My kids love notebooking. We use watercolors to paint and colored pencils to draw. Then my boys write what they have learned. I also have my kids do copywork. They copy poems and Bible verses. That’s easy to do, right? But what I have found intimidating is doing a picture study. Why? Well, because I am so unfamiliar with art. In fact, in college I was relieved to know that I didn’t have to take an art appreciation class. At the time, I had little knowledge of artists. It seemed better to stay away from the unfamiliar world of art. Fast forward twenty years later (yes, I am rather old now), and I am homeschooling and making brave attempts to appreciate art with my kids. Maybe there’s a fellow mom out there who likes Charlotte Mason, but finds it hard to go about teaching art appreciation to her children. I have had practice with picture study, but I wouldn’t say I am much good at it. It sounds intimidating to hold up a fine piece of artwork and hope that my children will have some remote interest in it. However, I have learned that even the minimal effort of just looking at artwork with my children and talking about what we see does increase their appreciation. Here are some things I have learned. Look and Share Charlotte Mason has a really simple method for looking and talking about artwork. First, you show the artwork to your child or children. All they do is look at the painting for a few minutes until they have studied all the details and can picture the image in their head. One challenging aspect is lengthening the amount of time spent looking at a portrait. At first, it was only a few seconds, but we have made steady improvement. Also, if the painting is interesting, then it’s easier to stop and stare. When we studied hummingbirds, we looked at John James Audubon’s Anna’s Hummingbird. It caught my kids’ attention because you see a female and two male hummingbirds, a nest, and one of the male hummingbirds flying upside down. There was a lot to talk about. They had trouble being quiet and looking at it because they immediately wanted to talk, but not everything will be perfect, will it? Remembering Paintings We did Treehouse Schoolhouse Nature Study a few years ago, which includes picture study. That’s actually where I first learned how to do a picture study. I don’t think I did a great job, but we have pulled some painting from that nature study and my kids always say that they remember this painting and that painting. It surprises me because I know I didn’t do a great job, but somehow my instruction kind of worked. My point is this: You don’t have to be good at picture study to grow your child’s appreciation of art. You can do a picture study even if it’s out of your area of expertise, which is probably most homeschool moms. You can grow into your role. Creating a Replica The hardest part of a picture study is making a replica. I am currently working on getting my kids to make replicas of paintings we study. Perfectionism runs strong in my family. When you tell a perfectionist that they are to create a replica of a masterpiece, they know they can’t live up to Rembrandt or Monet, right? Why bother if it won’t be perfect? That’s such a hard mindset to break out of, but a picture study is great tool to break that way of thinking. We aren’t great at making replicas yet, but we might be in a year or two….or three. I have found that letting my boys copy one part of the painting can help make the whole ordeal seem less scary. Increased Attention I said earlier that I have seen an increased ability in my kids to stare at a painting for a long time. We started at about ten seconds to about a minute and a half. That’s improvement! Staring at something not on a screen AND taking note of all the details, well that’s certainly discipline. What an age we live in where we can scroll on our phone and hardly pay attention to much of anything. I think a picture study fights against the inattention problems phones and screens have created. Final Thoughts Homeschooling takes you out of your comfort zone. Moms (and dads) begin teaching content that weren’t actually trained to teach. I have never taken an art class, but I can still talk about art with my children. Doing picture study with your kids may take time to get the hang of, but it’s pretty neat when your kids can name famous works of art. Even if picture study doesn’t go as planned, keep at it. Fruit doesn’t come quickly. Carly from DesertHomeschoolDays.com