Mom Is Teaching

Today’s question for the homeschoolers is an interesting one. Mostly because the answers will be so different, and yet so much the same. For those who have beenhomeschooling for a while I’m sure it will seem silly, but for brand new homeschoolers this can be one huge hurdle.

There are so many choices out there. I’m feeling overwhelmed by all the styles, methods, curriculums, and themes. How do you know what curriculum to use???

Think back to when you first started homeschooling. How did you know you had found “the way”? I am certainly looking forward to everyone’s answers on this.

And remember, if you have a question about homeschooling feel free to ask. You can either leave me a comment or contact me. Every Friday a new question will be posted and you can sit back while a buzz of answers comes your way.

homeschool, curriculum

Some of you might have noticed that my giant blogroll thereon the side is shorter. With recent changes that have allowed us to add more fun (scroll down the right for my “flair” box) the blogroll had to be cut short to 15 blogs. I’m sure that for many that’s more than enough. But not for me. How could I pick and choose only 15 blogs when there are so many I adore?

So a few blogs had to be left off. And I’m a bit sad. I still have them in my feed on my computer, but they’re gone for all of you who stroll in.

I jsut wanted to say that if you noticed you were no longer on my blogroll please don’t take it personally. I still love you all.

blogging, blog roll

Just a friendly reminder that tomorrow, Friday the 31st, is the last day you can enter to win What You Can Do Right Now to Help Your Child with Autism. Winning is easy. Just leave a comment telling me why you would love to have that book or write about the contest on your own blog. Do both and get two entries into the contest. Then on Saturday the 1st i’ll announce the winner.

And be sure to come back on Monday when I’ll have another contest starting for all the homeschooling moms out there. It’s a treat you won’t want to miss.

contest, book, autism, homeschool

• The Carnival of Homeschooling is up at The Common Room.
• The Carnival of Family Life is going on at Sandier Pastures.
• Make It From Scratch is up and running at Summer’s Nook.
• The Carnival of Education is going on at Matthew K Tabor.

Any other great carnivals worth mentioning? Let me know!

Ever wonder what those crazy homeschoolers do all day? What are your assumptions on what they do all day? What really happens might just suprise you. I found this hilarious video on youtube on a homeschool girl’s day. And while it’s meant to be funny, there are a lot of true moments in it. And a lesson in buoyancy using root beer and ice cream. Now that’s a science lesson no child would forget!

homeschool, homeschooling

I was curious to see what were the top 10 homeschooling books right now. I found several great sites with top 10 lists, such as this one from A-Z Homeschool and this one from Homeschool.com’s bookstore. With so many great books out there and so many differing lists I thought it would be fun to compile my own list. So with some research (i.e. Google) I’ve put together a list of 10 books that every homeschooling parent should read.

(more…)

Welcome to the August 27, 2007 edition of Carnival of SAHMs here at Mom Is Teaching. Many homeschooling families do so by having one parent stay home with the children full time, and most of them are the mothers. Because of this help for stay at home moms is important for homeschooling families. I hope you will find lots of tips and advice here to help you out.

We like to go to school in our pajamas, but Millionaire Mommy Next Door has an even better idea. Check out How I Became a Millionaire While Working In My Pajamas posted at Millionaire Mommy Next Door, saying, “From minimum wage to millionaire, here’s the story of my entrepreneurial journey.”

Believe it or not there are some single moms out there who manage to stay home and homeschool. But no matter how single mothers choose to raise their children they all need support. Amanda Harris shares a great resource for that support Single Moms posted at Pajama Mommy.

We could all use some great hints to help us get through the day. Annette Berlin shares some in Mary Ellen’s Best of Helpful Hints posted at Frugal Journey, saying, “As part of an ongoing effort to pare down my belongings, I was going through an old box of books the other day. Among the out-of-style craft books and boring cookbooks, I found an old torn up copy of Mary Ellen’s Best Of Helpful Hints.”

I’ll admit it, I’m a clutter junkie. I jsut cannot seem to keep my house clutter free no matter what I try. Luckily Julie Bonner has the answer in Top 5 Tips to Make This an Organized School Year posted at Declutter It!, saying, “Getting back into the groove of the school year can be tough. Starting it out in an organized way can help things go a little more smoothly.”

They say we learn the best when we’re having fun. So how about a little fun poetry to help sink in an important lesson?Alta presents Not NASCAR posted at Love Country Living.

Being a stay at home mom means budgeting your money wisely. When you do get a little extra to splurge don’t waste it on something you’ll regret. Stephanie has one helpful solution on Don’t Waste Your Time or Money on Bad Movies posted at Stop the Ride!.

I know there are many families who choose to stay home because they have children that need special care. I want to remind you of the free book I have offered called What You Can Do Right Now to Help Your Child with Autism posted at Mom Is Teaching.

Community serve doesn’t have to be a huge production. Stretch Mark Mama shows us all how to have fun while teaching our kids an important lesson in Trash Mash posted at Stretch Mark Mama.

Where do stay at home moms fit into society? Mommy Babble talks about this in Stay at Home Moms and Our Place in Society posted at Mommy Babble.

Ever have one of those trips? So has Jenny. Commiserate with her in Honey, I’m Home! posted at the so called me.

Moms need some goodies too! Amanda Harris shares the wealth in Fun Stuff Just For Moms! posted at Pajama Mommy.

For parents of children with special needs and diets back to school time can be even more tricky. pickel offers some help with Gluten Free and Casein Free School Supplies posted at My Two Boys.

Looking for some great tips? Crystal Unrau presents Today’s Parenting Tips posted at Two Moms In A Blog.

Unexpected company coming? Sometimes people seem to think that because we’re home all day that must mean the house is spotless. Wrong! Carissa offers some tips for a last minute quick tidy inGOYB Challenge: Company’s Coming! posted at SAHMmy Says.

For some stay at home moms the way that their children came into the world can be something that weighs on them long after the fact. Kendra Dahlstrom shares on examplein Baby Taken? posted at vbacadventure.com.

Helping our children understand money can be one of the most imporatnt thigns to teach them abut how the world works. Rachel shares her thoughts on Teaching Children about Money posted at A Juggling Mum.

I hate spiders. There I said it. Luckily I’ve never had to deal with whatKimC has. If it makes you feel better, daddy longlegs are actually beneficial to have around. Aranchnophobia? Texas is not for wimps. posted at Life in a shoe: the methods and madness of one mother of 8, saying, “We all have days like this every now and then…or am I fooling myself? Have you ever taken on thousands of daddy longlegs with just a shop vac?”

What’s my nightmare? Taking the boys to the store when I absolutely have to and they really shouldn’t be in public. Stephanie knows what I’m talking about, and she has a plan. Running Errands with Kids posted at Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood.

Can we get personal a moment? If you don’t like TMI (too much information) it’s best that you scroll on now. We use a lot of reusable products around here, both for frugality and the environment. cloth diapers and cloth wipes for the babies, and yep, you guessed it. Reusable products for the mom too. I’m not alone. Stephanie shares some on this in Reusable Feminine Products posted at Stop the Ride!.

Summer reminds us to keep our own minds active, even when we’re home with the kids all day. Learn Something New Every Day posted at Wired For Noise.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Carnival of SAHMs using our
carnival submission form.The next edition will be up September 10th at Wired For Noise. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.If you would like to host a future edition feel free to send an email to carnivalsahm@gmail.com Thanks for stopping by!

sahm, stay at home mom, moms, motherhood, blog carnival, blogging

Technorati Profile

Yesterday’s question asked if homeschoolers should at least give public schools a chance. I got several great answers that are all well worth going back and reading. Lori D gave great advice on how to check if the local schools are worth trying.

Ask some of the local kids, what do you like about school, what are you learning about, are you excited to go back? Ask some of the parents, do you kids like going to school, when you ask them what are they learning do they grunt? That will give you your answer. You could also make a tour of the school. You’ll know by what you see and hear if it will be a fit

Carol suggested that we look at it from the other way around.

try homeschooling and if it doesn’t work for your family THEN put them in public school

Playing the Public School advocate Sarah asks

What does it hurt to try? The worst is that you KNOW it doesn’t work for you and yours. The best? Your children get the advantages of a public system (diversity, range of ideas, constant social exposure). You still teach your children at home, even if they’re attending classes in a public system.

And Christine responds

What does it hurt to try public school? Your child will get to be in a very diverse classroom (meaning about a 15 to 1 student:teacher ratio on a good day - some days, situations and times will really make the spread a lot larger), there will be a wide range of ideas (including what clothes you should be wearing, who got the most stuff for Christmas and their birthday, etc.), and LOTS of social exposure … LOTS … with a big, giant wad of kids their own age … LOTS and LOTS of alone time in the cafeteria and on the playground with teachers who are too tired and exhausted to play with the kids and interact with them closely as they discuss issues that are well beyond their scope of understanding.

To read the rest of the great responses, and add your own, read on about giving public schools a chance.

school, education, public school, homeschool

This week’s question is an interesting one. It is one that wasn’t sent in here but I had to post it anyway. A friend of mine asked me my thoughts on this a few weeks ago, and even though I gave her my ideas the question stuck with me. So with her permission I’m putting her question up here for everyone to answer. I’m looking forward to reading your responces.

We are planning on homeschooling when the year starts in September. It is something we’ve always planned to do, especially since we lived in a poor area that did not have a lot of funding for the schools. However since moving over the summer we’ve ended up in a very nice area with great schools. I’m still in love with homeschooling, but my mother-in-law hates the idea. And now she keeps saying that we should at least try to local schools before pulling out completely. My husband is on the fence, but I worry that even a short time in public schools will be enough to wear our son down. I don’t want to have to fight with him, I want him to continue to love learnign as much as he does now. Is it not fair to write off the local schools, especially since they are better funded and seem to be really great? Or should I stick to my guns on this and tell her to butt out?

school, education, homeschooling, public schools

We hear over and over again the disadvantages of homeschooling, so when Valerie at Home Education Magazine took on the disadvantages of public schooling I had to read it. And I’m glad I did! It’s hilarious, and true.

Hat tip to Henry Cate at Why Homeschool for pointing this out.

homeschool, public school, education

I just wanted to remind everyone of the fun things I’ve got going on around here.

For parents of autistic kids I have a book give away. Just leave me a comment and you’ll be entered to win, or write about the contest on your own blog for an entry. Do both and you’ll get two entries for double chances to win this great book.

Every Friday (when I can) I put up a question asked about homeschooling for anyone to answer. Stop by to add your own input, or feel free to contact me and ask a question of your own.

On September 3 I’ll be having another give away, this one a treat package for homeschooling moms. I won’t give away all the details yet, but come back then and find out what fun stuff I have put together. The entry process will be a little different, but it should be fun.

contests, homeschooling, fun

Here’s your weekly round up of all the fun carnivals you should check out this week.

The Homeschool Buzz has a Magical Carnival of Homeschooling going on. The great retro images used makes it worth visiting alone, but don’t forget to check out the great posts submitted.

Why Homeschool is hosting the Carnival of Family Life this week. This is one of my favorite weekly carnivals, there are alsways great posts to enjoy.

The Carnival of Education should be up over at The Red Pencil.

blog carnivals, blogging

One of the dreams that we have around this house is to buy an RV and travel. Just drive back and forth across this country exploring every inch of it. Yes, I know how much gas that would take. That’s why it’s a dream and not a reality.

But someone else is making that a reality for them. Welcome to Homeschool Across America. Where one lucky little girl and her mother are taking to the open road to explore and learn about America from a hand’s on perspective.

Like millions of other children around the country, 9 year old Caroline Haroldson of Lake Oswego, Oregon will start school the day after Labor Day. But unlike most fourth graders, she won’t enter any school doors.
Instead, Caroline will begin a six week trek homeschooling (or “travelschooling”) across the contiguous United States with her mother in a quest to learn about our nation’s history, geography, and government. She’s on a mission to find the best learning adventures in the country for families looking for enriching travel destinations.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous. But while I can’t take the voyage with her, we all can at least travel vicariously with her. Check out the itinerary to see where she’s be going. Look at the curriculum they will be using along the way. And of course don’t forget to find out more about them and why they are taking this great adventure.

homeschool, homeschooling, travel

I thought it would be fun to go through and see what posts of mine have been the highest crowd pleasers. Which ones get the most visits by readers. It’s interesting to see which ones are the top posts, as it shows a snapshot of what people are looking for when they come here.

• My post Intolerant of Intolerance has been in the top 10 list ever since I wrote it. It’s a short post talking about how some have intolerance for homeschoolers, while at the same time claiming that homeschoolers are intolerant themselves.
• A more recent post about pre-Planning For Homeschooling has also been getting a lot of attention. It’s a favorite of mine because it talks about finding your family’s rhythm before worrying about planning your day.
• Negative Influences and Homeschooled Kids is another short and sweet post that a lot of people seem to like. In it I discussed facing negative influences from peers and society on homeschooling kids. I also got a lot of great comments on that post that are worth rading as well.
• This fun post probably gets most of it’s hit thanks to another post that I linked to. Parental responsibilities and schools Links on to a great post with an interesting name, How To Turn Your Daughter Into A Whore In Two Easy Steps. In my post I talked about shifting parental responsibilities to the schools.
• Top 5 Mother’s Day Gifts for a Homeschooling Mom was a fun psot that I wrote mainly because of a contest at Problogger to write a top 5 post of any kind. Monthes later and I still get lots of people linking to and visiting this post.
• Is homeschooling better than formal education? was quite an exciting post meant to stir up some conversations. And it must have worked because it’s remained in the top 10 list month after month.
• Can schools teach entrepreneurship? It’s an interesting question that many of you must be wondering as well. In my post I asked “How can you teach the masses to be individuals?” What do you think the answer is?
• The purpose of education is… (fill in the blank) It’s a post where I asked you to think what the meaning of education is to you. What do you think the purpose of education is? It’s something that all parents should think about before making educational choices for their children.
• One of the Friday questions seems to have drawn in a crowd. The Lonely Homeschoolers and the follow-up post Answers for the Lonely Homeschoolers are nearly dead even in hits. They are great posts for anyone worried about not having a huge homeschooling community around them. Also, I’m still taking questions if you’ve got something to ask. You can find out about that here.
• And lastly is a great post on how homeschooling can be viewed by some. Is homeschooling anti-feminist? tackles the idea that choosing to homeschool our children mothers are wasting themselves and their talents. It’s worth a thought as much now as when I wrote it.

best of, best posts, homeschooling, blogging

We’re pretty excited around here as my oldest is finally getting to do some outside activities. And so is mommy.

First there’s a great library program for kids. There’s books, art projects, and games. the best part is that this year’s theme is Dragons, something my son (and his mom) loves. Now before I start sharing photos of my dragon figurines I’ll restrain myself. But it is a big deal around here. Last year we tried and failed, he just wasn’t ready for any kind of scheduled play like that. He’s wild and free and nothing can tame him. LOL But this year we talked about it and he seems really excited and eager to go. And it’s free, so if he decides it’s not for him no skin off my nose.

The other activity, however, he better love. LOL I’ve enrolled him in gymnastics this year. He has an older cousin who has taken it for a few years and he’s always been eager to join her. This year another cousin just a month older will be doing the beginners class, so I signed him up to. Unfortunately it will cost a small chunk, and we have to apy even if we don’t show up. But I think (hope) that after begging and begging and having a cousin that he’s close to there with him he’ll be excited to go and stick with it.

Mommy is getting a little education too. This year I’ve enrolled to take a class at the local community college: knitting. I’ve never knitted before, though I can crochet. But I’ve been easger to take it up and trying (badly) to teach myself at home. It’s a six-week evening course. So I not only get to learn to knit, I get to not be the one dealing with “But I’m not tired!” one night a week. Double bonus for mom.

Anything new going on in your house this year?

education, homeschooling, kids, learning, fun