These five factors make a big difference in any homeschool. Some times the most important things are the simplest and they tend to be overlooked

#1 – Be Positive. I cannot stress this enough. Smile. Let the child know you are happy for every improvement no matter how small. Give suggestions in a positive tone. The child will pick up your attitude quickly. If you’re having fun your child will have fun too. Even if everything goes wrong, which it will at first, if you stay calm everything will smooth out.

#2 – Be organized. Start on time. End on time. Stay focused. If it’s school time, it’s school time. Even if you can only get in three hours a day, make those three hours count. Do those same three hours every day. Have a designated place to do school work. School stays at school. Don’t scatter it all over the house.

Have an opening routine. Look at the date. Mark the calendar. Count the day. Sing a song. Write a memory gem on the board. What ever opening routine you choose stick to it. The same with the closing routine. Put away books. Clean up area. Review successes. What ever the routine, this marks the end of school.

#3 – Be creative. Make up games activities. Younger children can be entertained by very simple means. Use resources to give you ideas.

#4 – Be simple. Don’t spoil them with a lot of expensive games, fancy pencils, flashy note books, etc. While all the flashy stuff will make school seem fun for that day, the next day it’ll all be old. Let it be a once in a while surprise to brighten up the school experience rather than the purpose of school.

#5 – Let the child’s interest be your guide. That doesn’t mean forget math because your son hates it. But if he’s just not interested, try a different teaching strategy. This is where your creativity comes in.

Take clues from the kind of questions he asks. If he wants to know why there is a arrow after 100 on the number line, take the time to explain that numbers go on forever. Tell a story about how we use numbers. If he loses interest, go on to something else.

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Lily Ann is a mother to six bright children. She has enjoyed great success in the area of homeschooling. She is always looking for ways to improve and loves to learn new things.

Homeschooling is an education option that is widely debated by comparing and contrasting it to public school. There are always two sides to every story, and there are many topics that always seem to come up in these discussions. This article will focus on one of the popular topics, by sharing our family’s experience as it relates to it. We hope to address more in future articles.

Debunking the Myth: Homeschooling takes a lot of time

The public schools where we live begin around 8:00 am and let out around 3:00 pm. That is 7 hours each day that the child is away from home and in the public school building. When you add the time to get to and from school its closer to 8 to 9 hours per day. This is equivalent to someone working full time. Plus the kids we know that attend public schools have homework nearly every night. This adds another hour. Then there are the extra-curricular activities that they may choose to stay late to participate in.

Our experience has been that we spend an increasing amount of time on “school” as the child gets older. One hour per day is plenty for kindergarten, two hours per day for 1st through 4th grade and about four to six hours for junior high and high school grades. This includes all homework and research papers, etc.

Our kids have done well on the standardized tests and their annual evaluations with this approach. So I’m confident that we covered everything required and more. This has allowed time for other priorities like household chores, helping with the family business, helping a friend and free time.

Homeschooling does not require as much time for the student as the public education system requires. Then there is the teacher or parent’s perspective. As homeschool parent you will need to spend the times listed above with your child daily plus about another 30-60 minutes per day to prepare, review, plan, etc. When you have clear goals and work together, it doesn’t need to take that much time. Once you get through a grade with one child it gets even less time consuming with the next.

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Randall & Karen Webster have been homeschooling their 5 children for over 10 years. They offer advice and encouragement through a Free 5-part Mini-Course at Frustration Free Homeschool.

Psalm 127:3-4
“Lo children are the heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward, as arrows are in the hands of a mighty man: so are children of the youth”(Psalm 127:3-4).
The cost of training God’s heritage is very high. But they are worth of the price. Besides, nothing worth having come cheap. To raise up children properly, we require the very best that we can give of our time, efforts, and resources. This is not a simple job at all. Yet, there is nothing as rewarding for a parent as watching the little child of yesterday begin to grow, learn, love and blossom to become a responsible, godly, man or woman. When a child is able to blend well, he becomes an asset, a praise to his family and a powerful weapon in the hands of both God and man. This is both rewarding here on earth and eternity. God testified of Abraham thus: ”For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him”(Genesis 18:19). My Christian parents and preachers, how about you? What is going to be the Lord’s testimony about you and your household?

1. GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN CHILD TRAINING
Romans 2:21; Proverbs 22:6; Isaiah 54:13.
Child training is the God’s appointed and only method which can be reckoned upon with certainty to develop godly men and women. If you prune, subdue, eradicate the evil, and develop, strengthen, and encourage, the good, inspiring him with the love of the truth, holiness and benevolence, he will grow up a good godly and benevolent person.
Training up a child in the way of the Lord involves, teaching, giving instruction and discipline. Which must be appropriate to the development stages of the child for it has the desire result.
Teaching a child the word of God is of more value than giving them good education and earthly inheritance.
The parents’ exemplary life for the children at home is very importance in child training. The time spends with them on daily quiet time and family devotion, Bible reading and Bible study, prayer life daily Christian living should be worthy of emulation. Most importantly, our practical Christian living must be pointing them daily to the saving Jesus more than our sermons. Hear what a preacher says, “if you want a garden of good fruits, get the trees young”. “Today’s unchurched child is tomorrow’s criminal”

2. DISCIPLING YOUR CHILDREN
Proverbs 13:24; 22:6

“He that spareth his rod hateth the son; but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes”(Proverbs 13:24).
Discipline must be viewed as having two functions; that of building up cherished habits in the child, and of modifying and changing habits.
Punishment may be necessary at any age, but if a parent or teacher must resort often to punishment, there is something wrong in his method of discipline. Reward and substitution are the two most effective means of securing desirable behaviour

3. TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE DISCIPLINE

(1) . Consider the differences in guidance and control

(2) Remember to commend the child for desirable behaviour.

(3) Be sure to explain instructions and demands properly to the child. Do not give vague information.

(4) When he flagrantly disobeys, discipline him.

(5) Give punishment commensurate to offence.

(6) Avoid anger in corporate punishment.

(7) Match discipline with the age of the child.

(8) Reassure the child of your love after punishment.

(9) Rewarding the child to stop him from misbehaviour is destructive to discipline.

(10) Avoid using false incentives,

(11) Treat all children equally.

(12) Optimism does wonders. Nothing helps as much as seing the bright side of life, therefore, hope for the better.

“The well mannered child is his parents’ best advertisement” say Meridoth Nicholson

“And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children” (Isaiah 54:13)

Akinbowale Isaac Adewumi
www.devinehome.blogspot.com

The tongue is such a tiny little organ. Yet, it can be one of the most powerful weapons
James 3 has a lot to say about the tongue…
I suggest that you read the entire chapter. (It’s very short)…
Anyway, verse 6 says; And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is a world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body…
Whew, those are some strong words…but, wait, that’s not all. Proverbs 18:21 tells us; Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it for death or life. It is scary to think that my mouth has that much power.

As Christian Mothers we have a great call on our lives to train our children up…Are we speaking life to them? If not, it is never too late with God. He makes all things new.
I know that in my own life…I do not always choose my words wisely. I get angry and say stupid things. Do you?
Proverbs 29:11 says; A self confident fool utters all of his anger, but a wise man holds it back and stills it. The original Hebrew word for “utters” is ruwach (roo’vakh). It means a violent exhalation, anger, unsubstantiability, blast, and whirlwind.
That means, when we lose our temper and spew out our anger…it’s like what a hurricane does when it hits land. It destroys everything in its path. I don’t know about you, but I can have some pretty nasty storms come out of my mouth at times…

Ephesians 4:26 says; When angry do not sin; do not let your wrath last until the sun goes down. This tells me that it’s OK to get angry…it’s normal. We don’t have to walk around holding everything in. We do however, have to express our anger without yelling, cursing, violence, name calling, etc. That is where the anger becomes sin. How do we accomplish getting angry without sinning?

Well, before we can learn that, we must explore the subject of anger more deeply.

There are two types of anger mentioned in the Bible; justifiable and unjustifiable. Here are some examples of both:

UNJUSTIFIABLE ANGER

Cain – in Genesis 4:5-6: His anger came from not getting praise and approval that he felt was deserved. He thought too highly of himself and, was filled with jealousy.

Jonah – in Jonah 4:1-9: His anger came from rebellion. First, he ran from doing what God told him to do. Then, when he finally did, he had distain and apathy towards the people that he was called to minister to. He thought too highly of himself and lacked pity.

The Sadducees – in Acts 5:17: They were filled with jealousy, indignation, and rage. Why? Because, the Apostles were held in high regard, for the signs and wonders God gave them the power to perform.

JUSTIFIABLE ANGER

Moses – in Exodus 32:19: Moses was up on the mountain pleading with God, not to destroy the Israelites. And, there down below building a golden calf to worship. When he came down and saw their disobedience, he got very angry…and burned it!

Samuel – in I Samuel 15:16-31: Samuel was angry with Saul because, he had disobeyed the Lord. He had become rebellious and stubborn. Samuel then told Saul that God had rejected him as king…high price for disobedience.

Jesus – in Mark 3:5: Jesus became angry with the Pharisees because, of the hardening of their hearts. He was going to heal a man on the Sabbath. They had a religious spirit.

When I looked at these examples, it became clear to me what sinful anger is…

Cain wanted praise for himself. Jonah was a snob. He looked down on others who didn’t perform the way he thought that they should. And, the Sadducees were jealous because they wanted to have the admiration and respect of the people.

What do they all have in common? They all had a selfish, self-centered anger.

On the other hand, Moses got angry at the lack of faith and the disobedience to God’s ways. Samuel was angry for the exact same thing. And, guess what? Jesus was too! They all had a righteous anger. Anger at sin and disobedience.

Now, we will look at a couple of examples of unjustifiable anger…. how it begins…and how to counteract it.
(I have left out justifiable anger, because, we just learned that justifiable anger has to do with a righteous indignation at sin. None of the examples are rage filled.)

Example One:

Your child spills a drink for the twentieth time, on the carpet that you just cleaned from the last spill. Grrrr. You explode. You begin a full verbal attack with questions the child is unable to answer, and comments that will leave them in tears. This is selfish anger. It is about you. Who cares about a rug, tablecloth, or broken dish? Are they going with you when you go to Heaven?

In this example you need to stop…bite your tongue…and leave the room. Take a deep breath, and think; “OK, this is my beloved child. God gave me this child to love and care for. I must show grace…after all, God has shown me more Grace than I could ever deserve. I love this child. I love my child. Thank you Lord, for this wonderful and precious child.”
I know what your thinking. “Yeah, right!” What you need to understand is that you must train yourself to do this…write it down, and keep it near by. Pull it out when you feel the anger building up inside. If you continue to do this over and over again, it will become your natural response…instead of an outburst of anger.

Example Two:

Your husband comes home from work and plops down in front of the television. He puts on some program that he enjoys
(or in my case plays Nintendo;). Grrrr. You begin to think: “Doesn’t he know how hard I work to keep this house clean and take care of his kids?” “I wish I could just plop down on the couch…but, noooo, I can’t even go to the bathroom without an audience!” You blow up. Look out…here comes Hurricane Mom!

As you can plainly see in this example, you have thought your way right into a melt down. Does any of this sound familiar? I’m sure you can think of some of your own examples. In a situation like this, it would be a good time to start thinking about how thankful you are to have a husband that goes out and works, so that you can stay home (if you’re a stay at home Mom)…or how you love his smile, laugh, whatever. ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE!

Any time that we feel rage, for any reason, we need to think about what we’re thinking about. The Word says in
Colossians 3:2 – …set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on the earth. In verse 13 of the same chapter it says; Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference, a grievance, or a complaint against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has freely forgiven you, so you must also forgive. I encourage you to read the whole chapter. It is very good.

“But, I cant do all this!” you say. Yes, you can! You have the Mind of Christ (I Cor. 2:16). “How” you ask. The Word tells us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2). You must get into the Word…and, study the Word. That is the only way that you can renew your mind.

Can you see how the mind affects the tongue? First, it becomes a thought. Then, we allow that thought to pour out of us, and…BOOM! The mind is the root of most of our fears, low self esteem, some forms of depression, doubt…it all starts in the mind…then we speak it into existence. Renew your mind!

Please, understand that if you truly want to gain victory in your life, and you begin to pursue it, the enemy WILL attack! When he does…you must go straight to the Word. Fill your mind with Truth. And, when you fail, don’t beat yourself up. Pick yourself up, and press on!

Here are some Weapons to get you started:

II Chronicles 7:14

Psalm 103

Psalm 139

Proverbs 3:5-6

Proverbs 14:1

Proverbs 15:4

Proverbs 16:24

Proverbs 31:26

Isaiah 54:17

Mark 11:24

Romans 8:31-39

Philippians 4:13

I hope that these Scriptures are helpful to you in the battle of your mind and mouth. As you study the Word for yourself…you will find more. Write them down. Keep them with you. Memorize them. I know that you and I can overcome this battle!

If you need prayer, please feel free to contact me any time. I will stand in prayer with you. Simply fill out a prayer request at this address; http://www.momsoffaith.com/prayerrequests.html

God Bless You!

Note: All Scripture references were from the Amplified Translation

Lara Velez
Lara@momsoffaith.com

Copyright ©

About the Author: Lara Velez is a Christian Homeschooling Mother of two. She owns two websites. Moms of Faith – a community of Christian Moms who love the Lord, support each other, and pray for one another. Here you will find valuable resources for Homeschoolers, WAHM’s, New Moms, and much more! Visit today! http://www.momsoffaith.com
She also owns, The Recipe Finder – an Online cooking and recipe magazine. http://www.therecipefinder.com

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I grew up raising my sisters and brother since Mom left us with an alcoholic father. As a young girl, there were many times I’d pour water into Dad’s Vodka bottles in the attempt to keep him somewhat sober. I can also recall sneaking into Dad’s checkbook to pay the bills so the utilities wouldn’t be shut off.

It was the ultimate miracle when God took me from my world of utter darkness into His world of brilliant light! Through the midst of it all, I was led into salvation and accepted His love and forgiveness in my later teen years.

Spending most of my past as a child adult, I was oblivious to the world around me as I struggled just to get by one day at a time. So ignorant was I that I barely even knew that in order to attend college, a person had to PAY or makes some sort of financial arrangement. I assumed it was “free”, like going to high school.

God opened the door for me to attend a private Christian university by providing most of the funding through scholarships, grants, and work study.

It was my last semester in college when I discovered that I was pregnant. With the
stress of full-time college hours, work study, and poor eating habits (due to my background issues, I had developed full-blown bulemia), my health suffered tremendously as my body fought to nurture the child that I was carrying. I was
in such a state that my hair was falling out in clumps and my fingernails were coming out of their nailbeds!

Reluctantly, my husband and I made the choice for him to finish college, since he would be the breadwinner. Not only was I so ill but we were beyond poverty and my financial funding had run out yet his education was being compensated
by the military since he joined the Army National Guard to provide income and medical insurance for the delivery and care of our new baby.

When my oldest was eight, God called me to homeschool. The timing could not have been worse. I was working fifty plus hours per week, nine months pregnant, and physically, mentally, and financially, homeschooling would be impossible! Let’s not forget all the issues regarding homeschool versus public school. I didn’t want to be the controversial one. I didn’t want my kids to be in the middle of such scrutiny. I didn’t want to be different! Why couldn’t God just leave me alone and pick on someone else??

Feeling like Sarah in the Bible upon hearing that she would bear a son in her old age, I laughed at God and told Him of the 1001 things that would have to occur in order for me to homeschool.

Three years later, God not only fulfilled my dream of homeschooling but He provided a way for me to finish the last semester that I did not complete in college! Eight years later I was going back to get my degree!

This time, I did not attend a Christian university but a state college. I was
devastated when my childcare situation fell through. By now I had three children all
under the age of eight and we went from babysitter to babysitter. For one reason or another, I had no childcare.

Praying for a solution, I still struggled with the impossibility of the situation. There was no doubt that homeschooling was God’s will. Many thoughts jumbled in my head. Taking classes at night and homeschooling during the day was an option but many times, my husband worked into the evenings.

Just when I was about to give up the dream of completing my degree, God whispered to me, “Ask your professors if you can bring the children into class and they can do their homeschool while you finish your degree.”

REALLY feeling like Sarah in the Old Testament this time, I laughed at how absolutely impossible this would be. To HOMESCHOOL my kids in a PUBLIC school, a state-funded college. Talk about all the controversy, criticism, and maybe even investigations this will involve! I’ve read about all those homeschooling versus public schooling battles. I didn’t need any more issues in my life especially not legal issues! God must be out of his mind!

Well, now looking back at it all, I have to say in amazement that only God could have softened the hearts of the professors to let my children come to class. Only God could have taught my children as they worked so intently on their homeschool for two straight hours while I concentrated on my lessons. Only God could have babysat my one-year-old as she played quietly in her stroller. And only God could have calmed the battles of homeschooling versus public schooling.

There are some issues which are clear cut. You want your students to have a firm understanding of Biblical principles, math processes, and scientific fact.

There are also some issues that can be viewed in more than one way. Is fall better than spring? Should children always eat healthy foods, or is it okay to have the occasional less-healthy treat? In order to get the most from a study of these interesting issues, try this fun and thought-provoking project!

Use bulletin board paper for this project, or tape together smaller sheets of paper to make a larger piece. Cut a strip of paper ten inches by 48 inches. Fold it into an accordion. You will be able to open the book and turn the pages from either side without seeing the other side of the paper.

Begin at one side and make a title taking one side of the issue: “Children Should Receive Allowances,” perhaps. Write the title on the outside cover and add an illustration. Now gather as much evidence as possible for this side of the argument. Interview people, collect newspaper articles on the subject, find relevant Bible verses, and gather facts that support the claim.

As you collect evidence, you’re bound to find some counter-evidence as well. Turn the book over and make a cover for the other side of the story: “Children Should Not Receive Allowances.” As you find evidence for that point of view, fill the pages of that side of the book with support for that side of the argument.

Once the book is complete, compare the evidence for each side, and have your student decide which side of the argument was more convincing.

This project gives practice in following directions, writing, analyzing and synthesizing information, and critical thinking.

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Mimi Rothschild is the Founder of Learning By Grace, Inc. the nation’s leading provider of online PreK-12 online Christian educational programs for homeschoolers.

Before a child can develop these important qualities, he must have deep within himself the assurance of basic acceptance by those closest to him, usually his parents. The success of adolescent and adult with will be jeopardized if a sense of identity, of belonging, first of all to the family group, has not been firmly established in childhood. Children who are unwanted and rejected, what ever the parental defect or situation. Responsible for it, may suffer serious personality, distortion. Such children tend to be sick clues to, detached, apathetic, and unable to respond to the affection extended to them by others. They may be restless, fearful, and insecure. Sometimes they become aggressive and rebellious, as though they are out to snatch for themselves. The feeling of being wanted, of belonging, of being recognized, which is the basic to the building of a healthy personality.

Closely linked with the need for a sense of belonging is the child’s development of self-confidence and self-reliance. These are important pillars upon which growth toward maturity rests. Self-confidence is the awareness one has that he is in the world for a purpose which he alone can fulfill. That duty requires that he applied himself to the God-given task self-assurance. “I can” are two magic words which are the “open sesame” to life. At the same time, we must remember that, although it is important for a child to be in himself, it is also important for him not to be too easily convinced. We want our children to know that they are not the only people of importance in the world.

Frequently the amount of confidence a child has in itself is not determined so much by his real abilities as by his attitudes towards himself and his abilities. Faith in one’s self begins with the feeling, “I am all right”, “I am a person of worth”. “I do have assets.” “I do have strengths as well as weaknesses.” “I am a person worthy of respect.” Children first learned these attitudes from the parent’s attitudes towards them. The parental attitude is not always expressed in words that may be communicated to the child long before he can understand the meaning of words. A parent smile of approval, the tender way in which he handles the baby, but parents efforts to make the telecom triple, he’s responding to the child needs, his expressions of love for the child, the tone of voice in which he speaks to the child. These are all the ways in which the parent tells his child how he feels about him. These actions, as well as the parent spoken word, provide the primary source from which the child learns his attitudes towards himself.

In a process of growing up, inevitably the small child encounters many failures and mishaps. He spills his drink, he break the glass, he takes his mother’s cherished roses on her most prized Roche rose bush, thinking that he is doing her a favor. In the midst of such happenings, even the most well-meaning child may become discouraged and feel that everything he does is wrong. It’s such accidents as these are minimized, if they are treated as casually as possible by adults who understand that the child has not made these the state to the Britney or with malicious intent, the child will bounce back and will soon recover his self-respect. He will find that his 17-year-old put it, everybody spills his milk sometimes.

No factor is more important in successfully teaching the child’s self-confidence than the example set by parents who have flexibility in self-assurance, who know how to savor the sweet experience success, as well as how to bow to the bitter experience of defeat. Small child who has observed that his parents are not snobbishly dependent upon the favorable opinions of others. And that they know how to admit failure is receiving a first class method in the art of building self-confidence. Children naturally imitate parents ways of dealing with problems. The child who has legitimate reason to believe that his parents attacked their problems enthusiastically and with verve, even though they do not always succeed, has his own self-confidence reinforced. Albert Schweitzer. When asked how he could best pass on to their children the proper attitude toward self-confidence and responsibility, said there are three ways. One example to example and three example.

Some have raised concerns that the founding self-confidence can cause the child to become egotistical and prideful. Experience with children seems to show that this is not usually the case, unless there has been inculcated in the child a false concept of his abilities and of itself. On the other hand, it is the bully, the boastful braggart, was most likely to have feelings of inadequacy. His overbearing manner is simply his way of concealing his belt inapt myths and insecurity. Usually the competent child does not have to wage campaign to convince itself, and others, of his abilities. Of course, all children are given to bragging at times. The times when they’re most likely to post, however, come one errantly self-confident. Listen to your own children. If you hear them say such things as I don’t know whether I can do this or not, but I’m going to try hard: let’s think about it and maybe we can find a way to do it: let’s talk it over with daddy. Maybe he can give us an idea about how we might swing it, you know you are busy growing self-confidence.

em>Mimi Rothschild is the Founder and CEO of Learning By Grace, Inc., the nation’s largest provider of online K-12 Christian homeschooling programs and homeschool Christian curriculum. For more information about how online homeschooling is revolutionizing homeschooling, please go to www.LearningByGrace.org today.

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