The holidays are fast approaching and with it comes excitement and anticipation.  No matter what faith or beliefs you hold close to your heart each of us have a few times a year where we are preparing for some type of holiday.

We celebrate Christmas, and I still get excited much like I did when I was a child.  Perhaps on some level even more.  As a Mom, there is something magical about handing down family traditions as well as creating our own.

Holidays and Homeschooling

Why Bother With Tradition?

Following tradition is nothing new.

We have been following tradition since the beginning of time; mankind and our beliefs are deeply rooted in tradition.  Stories handed down from one generation to the next, everything from our beliefs to family recipes. 

Having and following tradition speaks to our hearts, connects us to our rich history and builds up our relationship with one another.

There is nothing like sharing good food and great stories to bring a family closer.

Preparing for Holidays

I am a list maker!

Put a pencil in my hand, pass me a pad of paper and I can write “To Do Lists” like nobody’s business; everything from shopping to baking.

As handy as lists are, they will only be as good as the effort you put into them.  After I complete each list I make a note of my “most essentials” I require in order to pull off my bigger plans.

If I head out to do my grocery shopping without taking the time consult with my baking list, then chances are my trip to the grocery store will not be successful. I am bound to forget a crucial ingredient. (Yes, it is often the eggs, butter or milk.)

Prioritizing the essentials of our day and our holiday season is what helps me stay on track and not stress about little things like perfectly baked gingerbread cookies. 

We all have our favourite traditions, so taking the time to prepare and pinpoint your most treasured traditions will help you in the larger scheme of your holiday.

Homeschooling and Holidays

We are very lucky to enjoy the flexibility of homeschooling as we prepare for our family celebrations.

People will often ask me how many days  we take off and if we follow along with the schools in town?

My Answer is that we vary our off time from year to year.

Depending what method of homeschooling you follow, what your family traditions are, and the needs of your family will depend on how many days you take off.  Many homeschoolers I know take a year round approach to their studies which allow them to plan some more time off around special holidays.

Adjusting our Homeschool Schedule

December 1st is usually the start of us adjusting how we go about our homeschool studies.

We start changing up our routine and schedule to include extra crafts, more music, trips to donate items to the less fortunate, baking, reading Christmas themed stories and even Math by the fireplace.

Other things we take time to do include helping neighbours shovel snow, building snow forts and inviting other kids on the street to jump in to help out, as well as decorating our home.

The best part about all of this is we are teaching our kids things which cannot be found in textbooks.

We are carrying on and building upon our family traditions as well as celebrating our family, friends and neighbours – we are making connections!

These are skills and knowledge you cannot find in a curriculum, but will surely last them a lifetime!

Something For Everyone

This year I have also found three great studies to add to our adjusted homeschool routine for the holidays!

Seeing as we love music in this house, I was excited to see Mary, from Homegrown Learners, offer a Nutcracker themed Unit Study! 

Nutcracker Unit Study from SQUILT Music and Homegrown Learners

Click here to view more details for the Nutcracker Unit Study

I was also excited to see Tricia, from Southern Hodgepodge, now has ”A Simple Start in Christmas Chalk Pastels” available.  I share more information about these Chalk Pastel tutorials in “Think You Can’t Homeschool Art? Think Again!”.  Now we can continue on with learning more chalk pastel techniques while making some great Christmas art to hang! (Click on the book to see more details!)

 ”Truth in the Tinsel”.  (Link listed below) is an e-book is full of crafts to celebrate the Christmas season; we also cannot wait to get started with this book!  In fact, I have planned ahead and have already purchased all my necessary supplies, my kids are so excited knowing they get to do a craft Everyday leading up to Christmas! I wrote more about it here: “Truth in the Tinsel and Homeschooling”

TRUTH in the TINSEL

Click here to visit Truth in the Tinsel.

Need more ideas on how to Homeschool and prepare for the holidays?  I was a panelist on this iHomeschool Hangout, along with other homeschooling moms who shared some great holiday preparation tips!

We are so excited to get started with ”Truth in the Tinsel, An Advent Experience for Little Hands” in just a few days!

Truth in the Tinsel

Last year was the first I had heard of “Truth in the Tinsel” Click here to visit Truth in the Tinsel. and it was already just a week before Christmas.

I decided to do some of the crafts and activities anyway, so I scrambled to get some of our craft supplies gathered the children around and made a few of the crafts.

We had fun, even my older kids got involved!

As homeschoolers we are lucky to be able to adjust our schedules and routines in order to fit our needs.

Every holiday season I do just that!

I make adjustments to our regular routine so we can truly enjoy every holiday, make new memories as well as follow some of our older traditions.

Come December 1st, I start to add in more Unit Studies and “Truth in the Tinsel” is a perfect fit for us!

Even as I write this, I have some of our supplies out beside me which my kids have noticed and now they are ready and excited to get started!

My Tips to Get You Started

• Once you download your ebook, go straight to the Craft Supplies page to write out what you need, then head to the store to purchase it all in one go if you can.  Once you are home, organize the supplies into bins/boxes and small bags  you can zip closed for any of the smaller supplies.

• If you are feeling extra energetic on the organizing side of things you can even have a bin for each child and sort the supplies needed for the next day into each of their bins the night before.

• Don’t worry if you find out about this “late” just pick up and start with it like we did last year!

• If some of your children are too young to do the crafts, there are also some picture word clues and other downloads to print and use with your own Advent calendar.

• Many older children can still enjoy making crafts with their siblings.  They can make their own and elaborate on each craft or they can help out the younger kids with their projects.

• Most of all … Have Fun! Go with the flow and do what works for you and your family each season.

This is a wonderful resource for families either as a unit study like we do, or just as your way to count down until Christmas!

To learn more about “Truth in the Tinsel” click on the link below and start up a new Family Tradition!

Click here to visit Truth in the Tinsel.

TRUTH in the TINSEL

Do you use “Truth in the Tinsel”?  I would love to hear your tips!!

Homeschool burnout, it happens.

Even when we think it can’t happen to us, it can.

I am not an expert, nor do I hold a degree in psychology, but I am a Mom.

A mom who homeschools, a mom who lives a real life.

A life where laundry never folds itself and thus sits too long in baskets, where library books are sometimes overdue, where we have days supper has to be ordered in last minute because I was too tired to run to the grocery store.

But also a life full of fun, smiles, hugs, games, toys and learning along side of my wonderful family.

We all know life has a way of throwing way to much on our already overfull plates.  It has happened to me more than once, so I thought I would share some things I do to recover from those moments of feeling tired, overwhelmed or even what we all fear:  Burnout.

This is not my expert opinion, but rather things I do for myself to help stay on track and yes…even recover in times of burnout. 

Homeschool Burnout

My Real Life Recovery Strategies:

1. Prayer/Meditation

2. Fun, Fun and More Fun; plan a Field Trip!   “Planning the Perfect Family Field Trip”

3. Coffee Shops and Book Stores – Journal some basic ideas to get back your groove   “Find Your Homeschool Groove”

4. Get Up and Get Moving   ”How I Stay Fit With Kids Underfoot”  (my guest post at Lisa Johnson Fitness )

5. Puzzles, Games and Play Dough

6. Make a trip to the Food Bank or Gather things for a Toy Drive

7. Pick a Small Corner of your House to re-vamp

8. Unplug

9. Get More Sleep

10. Take some goofy pictures with your kids

11. A good cup of tea and a good book for a family read-a-loud

12. Take a Nature walk with your kids or just you and your spouse

13. Skype with a friend

14. Play some of your favourite music

15. Say “NO thank you” to adding more into your schedule

16. Celebrate Your Family – Have a Dance Party

Bottom line is to never loose touch with what makes you smile, what energizes you and what moves you.  Time for ourselves as homeschool parents may be limited, but that just means we need to be more diligent about taking care of ourselves.

Schedule time for yourself to recover!

What do you like to do to unwind and re-focus?

Critical Thinking in Our Homeschool

Critical Thinking is an essential part of learning.  In order for us to be resilient and successful in life we need to be able to gather facts, process through them, know if we require any more information or help, and then make a decision to move forward.

Learning how to “Think it Through” helps us in all areas of life:

• Academics

• Relationships

• Business

Not to mention all the other little bits of life which happen in between the above three areas.  It is because of this I try my best to implement as much Critical Learning into our day as possible.  Although you do want to be careful not to overdo it, sometimes it is worth disguising it into the natural rhythm of your day v.s. always trying to make  a point of  “thinking it through” with your children.

This is a big topic, so I am going to give you a basic peek into what critical thinking is as well as how go about teaching it everyday in our home.

Critical Thinking…What is It?

Critical thinking is a way of deciding whether a claim is true, partially true, or false. Critical Thinking is a process that leads to skills that can be learned, mastered and used. Critical Thinking is a tool by which one can come about reasoned conclusions based on a reasoned process. This process incorporates passion and creativity, but guides it with discipline, practicality and common sense. It can be traced in the West to ancient Greece with its Socratic method and in the East to ancient India with the Buddhist kalama sutta and abhidharma literature. Critical thinking is an important component of education, politics, business, and science.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking

When we learn critical thinking, we are learning to think about things more skillfully as well as always reaching for a higher quality of thought.  Once we develop our own questions to dig deeper into a subject we can then develop and support our own conclusions.

How I Teach Critical Thinking

I ask my kids lots of questions, good process questions; some of these are in very obvious ways and sometimes it is as natural as a basic conversation.

If you are new to this concept of teaching/parenting you will have to make a conscious effort to implement some of these process questions.  After a while you will find it will start to flow as a natural teaching method.

What are Process Questions?

Process questions are questions you can ask which will:

• Focus Attention

• Force Comparison

• Seek Clarification

• Invite Further Inquiry

• Seek Reason or Explanation

Now that you see what process questions are think of the academic subjects we learn/teach.

1.  All subjects and conversations we have require us to also know how to give focused attention.

2. What subjects do you think require us to compare data? How can we then clarify that data?

3. Can you dig deeper into said data and come up with some more questions about it?

4. Now that you have dug deeper and thought about more questions and answers, what conclusion have you come to?

Breaking Critical Thinking Down in our Homeschool

You can use critical thinking in every subject area, here are some examples of questions I ask my kids while teaching certain subjects.

Math:

• Do you notice a pattern here? (Focus)

• When have you used addition other than in your Math book? (Further Inquiry and Real Life application)

• Tell me how you did that? (Seek Reason/Explanation)

Spelling:

• What other words do you know which have a “tion” ending (Further Inquiry)

• What does that ‘e’ do at the end of the word? (Seek Clarification)

• Do you notice there are letters you cannot hear when you say this word? (Focus)

Science:

• How can we find out the mass? (Further Inquiry)

• How is _____different/same as _______ (Comparison)

• What is your evidence? (Seek Reason/Explanation)

Reading Comprehension/Family Read-a-Louds

• Look at this picture, what do you think the story is about? (Focus)

• What do you think “Johnny” will do to help his friend? (Further Inquiry)

• Why do you think that? (Seek Reason/Explanation)

As you can see with some of the process questions I ask, you really can include elements of critical thinking in all that you do, don’t forget to incorporate it into your Art and Music study as well.  In fact, we often ask these types of questions in the conversations we are having with each other and don’t always recognize it as a lesson in critical thinking.

What Else Can You Use?

Every once in a while the kids and I pull out these “Mind Benders” books from Critical Thinking Co.

We get out some scrap paper, pencil and eraser and get started on solving some of these mind benders.  They can be lots of fun, but also gives us as parents a chance to guide our children through a problem.

How to Teach Mind Benders:

1. Use process questions

2. Give your child time to think, don’t rush

3. Have them support their train of thought

4. Mistakes happen, ask more questions to get back on track

5. Have fun

Like anything new, the first time you try something it isn’t always going to work or go according to plan.  Give yourself and your children time to adapt to critical thinking exercises.

End on the Positive

I also like to end anything we tackle on a positive note.  Whenever you hit a wall, do not let yourselves stop there.  Turn it around and go over 1 item you know your child will be confident in.  If it is Math, go back and do an exercise they will get correct, let them execute that, end on the positive and then close the book.  You now know where your child will need further instruction  the next day, but both you and the child end at a spot of success!

I am always reading and learning about ways to develop good thinking skills, so this post is just and example of  How I Teach Critical Thinking based on the information I have learned so far in my journey.  We have had some great conversations and I always look forward to listening to my kids point of view on a subject.

So go ahead and start to ask more questions!

After all, when we ask someone a question it shows we have faith in them and that we respect them enough to listen!

This post is part of a “How I Teach”  link up at iHomeschool Network

Click on the picture below to find other “How I Teach” posts:

“How I Teach” – a link up with iHomeschoolNetwork.com

This post contains affiliate links to a product I tried and have now incorporated into our Homeschooling schedule.

Homeschooling Art with Chalk Pastels

Ok, I’ll fess up here and say Art has never been my strong suit.

Sure, we do crafts from time to time, I get books from the library filled with famous artists’ paintings for us to look at, or use some “how to” books where I try my best to help my kids grasp the techniques laid out before them; often leaving us all a tad frustrated.

Feeling frustrated and discouraged can make it easier for us to push Art aside.

Until Now!

I took the plunge and tried “A Seasonal Start in Fall Chalk Pastels – Art for All Ages” from Tricia Hodges and Lucia Hames (Nana) at Southern Hodgepodge  (in exchange for my honest review).

What made me decide to jump in and try it?

This demo on YouTube where they use chalk pastels to draw an apple in 1 minute (or less)!

I realized one thing…

I Can Do This! 

I Can Teach My Kids Real Art Techniques!

After watching this demonstration I literally went out the very next day to purchase our own set of chalk pastels and paper!

Chalk Pastels

The first thing my kids wanted me to do (knowing how Art challenged I am) is to take the 1 minute apple challenge!

Guess what?

I did it, score 1 for Mom!

That was all they needed to dig into these tutorials and give it a shot!

Acorn

Creating Art with Chalk Pastels

“A Seasonal Start in Fall Chalk Pastels – Art for All Ages” is:

• Well laid out

• Includes tips to preserve your masterpiece

• Includes ideas for easy clean-up

• Glossary of terms

• Make sense

• Fun to do

Filling the Art Gap

After a week of not being completely prepared to start our Homeschool year, this has propelled us into our fall term with fresh enthusiasm! 

• My kids are excited to do Art again

• They have a new found confidence in their abilities

• They are going beyond the tutorials and creating on their own

• They are smiling as they work!

And Best of all I heard…

“Hey Mom! Look what I can do!”

Use chalk pastels to create real art. It is a forgiving medium which allows you to soften lines and experiment easily with blending colours.

No matter how old you are, whether you homeschool or not, these Chalk Pastel e-book tutorials are worth it!

Or Grab this bundle to save money!

 Hint:  The answer does not include pulling out your hair or giving a lecture.

Many of us et’s face it, we ourselves have subjects we love to dive in to share with our children and those we try to defer to the other parent.

While we can’t force our child to sit and apply themselves to a subject they may loathe; we can help lift parents face this teeter-totter emotion from our children throughout the year.

Lthem  up out of the doom and gloom so they can see the dreaded subject in a different light.

Homeschooling the Least Favourite Subjects

Tips to Help your Child Learn a Subject They Don’t Like

•  Everyone needs to take a deep breath and step back from the situation a little.  Don’t let a battle start.

• Try to have one on one time where you can chat with your child to help them figure out why they might be avoiding math (for instance).

• Be willing to adapt.  Adapt the curriculum you are using, or in the case where you don’t use curriculum, perhaps be willing to get some samples and give them a try.

• Be willing to be creative.  How can you approach that subject from a different view-point? Baking for fractions, figuring out your car’s mileage for division, talk about gear ratios in your truck for ratios, etc.  Find something they enjoy and go about the subject from that angle.

• Get laughing.  Why not get a little creative and silly? Shake out those nerves

• Get your other kids busy with something they can collaborate on or be independent with and then find a spot where you and your other child can work on their least favourite subject.

• Reach out to other home school parents and ask what works for them, get some fresh ideas.

• Get downright real.  Sometimes when kids see how their Dad or Aunt use Math  everyday in their careers is enough to inspire them to try a little harder. 

• Be willing to just  be available.  Sometimes they just need Mom or Dad to sit beside them.

• Always,  Always,  Always end on a positive note!  If you push further into a lesson and you feel like you are heading into that all familiar tailspin; then it is time to go back and let your child execute a question where they will get the right answer.  Finish it there for the day and make note of where it started to fall apart.

As parents we are often part detective as we try to figure out our kids and the curriculum we may use or choose not to use.

So, although I did provide you with the above tips, know that these are things we do in our house which have worked for me.  They are not absolutes, take what you can and adapt my tips to help you conquer your  home school day.

One thing I do know for sure is  none of my kids are the same and the above tips come from a few years of me taking it one day at a time.  Each of my kids have their own learning styles unique to themselves and no matter how much they love a subject area, or not, they all have times where they just need me to be there for them.

Want more?  

Head over to watch my short  HSI Coffee Break  Video- Homeschooling Your Child’s Least Favourite Subject 

What tip is your favourite?

Your kids are no exception.

In this video I chat with you about what to do when your child excels in one subject area and wants to shy away from the one which presents a problem for them.

Go ahead, grab your coffee  and take 5 with me!

Homeschool Summer Reading

Summer time, time to:

• unwind

• relax

• be adventurous

• play

• dream

• discover

What better way to check off everything on the above list than to open up a great book!

We are often sitting outside reading our books, getting lost in adventures of the future, days gone past, antics of the animal world or silly stories just for fun.

No matter what book we choose to read, the 1 thing we love to do is gather around for our family read-a-loud time, and in the summer, we take it outdoors!

Family Outdoor Read-A-Loud Essentials

1. A great book (check out what is on our reading list).

2. A blanket to sit on.

3. Sunscreen, Hats, Bug Spray.

4. Pitcher of fresh water with lemon slices, or a homemade batch of Lemonade.

5. Snacks, my kids enjoy fruits slices and some homemade goodies.

6. Bubbles, or sand toys if you have a sandbox.  This allows kids to also keep busy as I read, if they really feel the need to move around

7. An easy supper on the menu. Something in the slowcooker or something you can have pre-made like cold salads etc. Then you can loose yourselves in the adventures of your book for the whole afternoon!

8. A great discussion! There is nothing we like better to than to sit and talk about the story we are reading.

9. Room to act out what was read.  Let the kids run around the yard to “play” out their interpretation of the story.

10. A clear agenda for Mom or Dad.  Don’t let your usual “to do list” nag at you…enjoy your reading time with your kids!

G.K. Chesterton Quote

Our Reading List at the moment:

(Could you help me out? At the bottom of this post I have a question for you!)

What is on your Reading List? 

Notice I don’t have a book for myself!

What would you recommend for my summer reading? (Moms need a good book too!)

Run Your Own Race

In this age of information overload with social media sites and instant messaging our world is noisier and more connected than ever.  While it can help us learn more and even develop new friendships, it can also lead us to get caught up in what everyone else is doing.

Don’t get me wrong, it is nice to share and help one another with:

• What books we are reading

• How we handled a Math melt down

• Ideas on preparing our kids for College

• Spelling tips and tricks

• How to make learning come alive

• Organizing all the supplies

• Encouragement when the tough days hit

• etc.

The thing is we can also easily get caught up in it all and and start comparing ourselves to what everyone else seems to be doing.

We forget to run our own race!

I had a gym teacher a few years ago   (ok …it was many years ago, just humour me!)  coaching us for our track and field meet, stop us mid race because we were all looking back over our shoulders to see who was coming up behind.  He said every time we look over our shoulder, we are slowing ourselves down.

Now it didn’t feel that way, but once we got used to just powering through the race focusing on ourselves, pushing ourselves to do the best we could each do…we all got faster.  We also all became much better at being in tune to what is going on around us.

Don’t Keep Looking Over Your Shoulder

While it is necessary and great to connect with friends, to network and help one another out, it is also necessary to just be present and mindful of what you are up to in our own homes.

The time comes everyday where we just have to focus on our families and where we are at in our “race” and not slow ourselves down by looking over our shoulder.

Our Time – Our Journey – Our Race

Each and everyone of us can share similar experiences, but we also have our own unique circumstances.  We will slow down our progress if we keep looking over our shoulders and comparing ourselves to other families.

Don’t worry if  you see the other family who seems to do a lot of Art and you don’t.  Take note that you would like to start adding more Art to your children’s studies, but please don’t stress about it.

Nor should you worry if you feel like some academics are behind…

We all learn at different rates, we all have life throw different things in our path from time to time.  If in fact, you truly are behind…again please don’t stress, it’s just time to make a new plan.  A plan which is right for your family and your circumstances.

We can find a pace which works for us!  Our friends (whether in real life or via social media networks) can help us keep our pace, encourage us, and even give us a nudge from time to time.

Friends will even give us reminders, like my gym teacher, to focus on our own race should they notice we are starting to look over our shoulders.

Run Your Race-Enjoy Your Journey and Encourage One Another!

  Preserving the Why and the Wonder in our children can help them be more creative, brave and successful in life.

Who knows…it might just help keep you inspired too!