Tag Archives: Home school organizing

Hints for Home Schoolers – Field Trip!

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The past three hints have been a rough idea on how to squeeze it all into your day without losing it! Our next topic is the ever popular field-trip, and some ideas for making the most of it. One of the great advantages a home-schooling family has, is the freedom to adjust schedules.

  • If you have a zoo within reasonable driving distance, consider purchasing an annual family pass. Our zoo included parking with our pass, as well as entry into other zoos around the country.
  • Science and history museums also offer annual passes, with similar reciprocal entry to related venues.
  • State parks offer an annual car pass, usually consisting of a vinyl, dated sticker for your windshield.

Our home school had a field trip every month. By watching the weather closely – we would cancel school for that day – and go to the zoo! By taking our field trips during the week, we were able to avoid large weekend crowds. On nicer field trip days – we visited an outdoor interest. During brutal winter weeks, we still took a field trip, but spent the day roaming around a museum. I will stress, that our field trip schedule was never scheduled. Sometimes, the kids would wake up, and while they were eating breakfast – I would announce it.

If you are following an accredited curriculum, the missed school day will need to be made up for. Our schedule from A Beka Academy allowed for a large block of vacation time during December. I would shave days from that block of time, and use it for field trips. I discovered that if we had too much time off in December, it was too hard to get back in the swing of things.

If we brought lunch from home (almost always) we would get a treat like ice cream, or something from the historic bakery at the museum. The scene above is from the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

Don’t overlook large outdoor museums, usually consisting of historic buildings. Often the employees and docents are well versed in the lore of times past, and will regale any children you have that are willing to listen!

The image above is from the Henry Ford Greenfield Village Museum in Michigan.

Important field-trip tips to remember:

  1. One field trip a month
  2. Watch the weather
  3. Watch the runny noses! No fun going anywhere unless everyone is feeling well.
  4. Spontaneity can add to the experience and reduce stress. If I told them ahead of time we were going – and something went wrong (ie: one waking up with a sore throat, severe weather) there would be disappointed faces all day.
  5. If you bring lunch from home, allowing the kids a treat from the venue will quiet any quests for the other stuff. It’s a kind of bribery, but heck – it works!! And can save a heap of money over buying lunch out. Especially teen and preteen boys can eat so much, you could regret taking them anywhere!!!
  6. By buying annual memberships to places you like to go, it will save money and the necessity of budgeting every month for the field trip. The annual passes are always a better deal over individual ticket prices.

In spring, we often opted for the metro-park, which had a farm.

Babies everywhere!

She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

Proverbs 31: 26

sage

Hints for Home Schoolers – Helpful Handmaids #1- Dishwasher

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Yes, we are living in the 21st century, and we may not feel like we can relate to the Proverbs 31 woman – even though just 100 years ago, most people of modest incomes would have had a least one servant.   But, praise God – we do have handmaids of a sort – and they are our electrical appliances.  Every homeschool mom should thank God, and then her husband,  (in that order) for supplying these wonders. 

The first handmaid we will address is the dishwasher.  Are you wondering how I can devote an entire post to the dishwasher?  I do it because it is that important, and usually not utilized properly.  I am not going to make any suggestions on how to clean your machine – because there are tons of sites out there devoted to that.  What I am going to discuss is timing for efficiency, and the use for sanitary purposes.

bucket

Even though I have a dishwasher – I always have a bucket like this for adding dishes to as I’m working.  Since our home has an old farm sink – I do not have the convenience of double sinks.  The soaking bucket does the job, and can be stashed under the sink when not in use.  This pre-soaking makes scrubbing largely unnecessary, which saves the home school family precious time. 

Why then do I run those soaked dishes through the dishwasher?  Aren’t they clean already?  Visually they are clean – but I’m afraid they would not pass muster under a microscope.

handwash

Most people don’t know that hand washed dishes should be placed in hot bleach water, and then air dried to kill bacteria.  The dishwasher eliminates the need for this – but only if done with that intent.  If not done correctly – the average dishwasher is full 0f really icky invisible things. 

  1. Make sure the water is hot enough.  Run hot water in the sink first to make sure that only hot water enters the machine.  It should be a scalding 140 ° for germ killing.  Most water heaters are set to 120 °.
  2. Use a detergent with bleach.  Vinegar is not as efficacious, though it has its purpose in mineral removal. 
  3. Heated drying goes nothing towards disinfection.  Air drying is fine, and will save a little money. 
  4. If you have a garbage disposal, run it before running the dishwasher to clear the drain.  The dishwasher drains into the garbage disposal – and if clogged – will actually cause dirty water to backwash into your dishwasher. 

Develop a schedule for running your machine.  For example – I run mine three times daily:  10:00 am, 2:30 pm, and 10:00 pm.  The reason for the schedule is to prevent the pile-up.  The spacing leaves plenty of time for air drying.  The times were arrived at by working around the shower and laundry loads that compete for hot water.  And – I put everything into the dishwasher that could possibly go – and some things that might surprise you. 

  • All machine safe plates, cups, pots etc.
  • The filter basket, lid, and stem from the electric percolator
  • Pet dishes
  • Plastic and ceramic houseplant pots
  • Reflector bowls and knobs from my electric stove
  • Oven racks
  • Plastic compartments from the refrigerators (I know they say hand wash – but I put them in)
  • Toothbrushes
  • My silicone pastry mat
  • Microwave plate and plastic turntable
  • Toaster oven rack, crumb tray, and broiler pan
  • Ceramic tea pots
  • Ice cube trays and buckets

About home- made dishwasher detergent – this is one area where I do believe the commercial product is superior.  Borax and vinegar do kill some pathogens – but truly can not compare to plain old bleach.  Additionally, for whatever reason, powdered products do not dissolve properly for me.  I use generic SAM’s club dishwasher gel with bleach.  Some of the big brands like Cascade carry lines with bleach, but I do fine, and very frugally with the SAM’s stuff.  On top of that – your dishwasher will never have a funny smell after time, like many home makers complain of – because the odor causing bacteria are killed by the hot water and bleach. 

If you try to develop your own schedule and find you don’t have enough to run a load – look for things to stick in there.  This is when that sticky refrigerator compartment gets a whirl through the machine.  We have two refrigerators – and I never have trouble finding something that needs cleaning.  The idea is to prevent the pile-up of dishes that can be so disheartening as it seems to never stop.  For instance – if you wait too long between loads – you will come to the time, even every day, where you can’t get everything in there and are stuck with dishes still in the sink.  If this happens repeatedly – it means you need to adjust, and add another load time to your dishwasher schedule, so that you are never faced with that. 

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE!

Proverbs 31:29

Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.   

Hints for Home Schoolers – De-clutter!

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Is your lifestyle making homeschool more difficult than it has to be? Do you spend precious time looking for things when you could be being productive? I’m going to share a few of the things I learned over the years that kept me sane. We’ll go through each letter of the word de-clutter.

snail

D – is for determination and discipline. Both are required to go the long haul in your successful homeschool. If you are bogged down with too much stuff, too many activities, too little space, too little money . . . now is the time to determine in your mind to change things. Make a firm decision to pare down to the truly necessary, which will make room for things like time for meal planning, organized shopping, cleaning, and school work! Don’t wait for a special day to make the determination decision – it should be a life long commitment.

mess

E – is for excavate and eradicate. You may say, “Well. that should be obvious!” But you might be surprised to know how many families have a home school that looks something like this or even worse. Holding onto garbage, yes – some of your kids drawings are superfluous – will overrun you in no time. If you are schooling more than two, the paperwork alone can pile up dreadfully in just a week or two. Determine what is necessary to keep, and pitch or recycle the rest. Eradicate the unnecessary stuff. This also applies to clothing and groceries.

containers

C – is for categorize and contain. Even if you are blessed to have a dedicated room for school, its a very good idea to keep a separate container for each child’s work. Especially records that need to be kept to satisfy state requirements. One mom I know has a laundry tub for each of her kid’s books and paraphernalia because they do their school at the kitchen table. The baskets are slid behind the couch when school is over. No one will spend time looking for their science book if it is in their special container.

L – is for lists and labels. One of the greatest pieces of advice I can give you is the notepad one. Get in the habit of carrying a small notepad and pen in your pocket all day (I wear an apron with pockets) and you will never have to rely on memory again. It will be so simple to just jot down whatever it is, and not even skip a beat while you are pushing someone on the swing, or working fractions, or making dinner. Write it down! The other point to this section is labeling. Labeling everything, will make organizing a breeze. Even if your kids have a juice cup to drink from during the day – label it. This goes for their lists of chores as well. Each one should be written down with their name on it.

U – is for utilize and unburden. That may sound contradictory, but the two terms are connected. If you follow the ideas listed before, you will better utilize your time. By taking advantage of time saving devices like shower sprayers, certain household chores can become self cleaning. In addition – using an accredited curriculum can save hours and hours of lesson planning and stress.

timer

T – is for timers and tempers. This is another item I have in my apron pockets. By timing everything, from tidying the kitchen, to gardening, to reviewing flashcards – using a timer prevents overload. Specifically, when a child is not understanding a concept, by limiting the time to 15 minutes, you can circumvent frustration, – both yours and the child’s. In the same way, anything from ironing to penmanship practice will seem much more manageable when the timer is set. You simply don’t go past it! Even morning chores become less arduous when a simple timer is set.

technology

T – is also for taming technology. I am not one of those parents that shuns technology. But using it wisely can only be done through diligence and applied balance. IPads are being used as toddler babysitters!  One family has a beautiful tree-house which sits empty, as the children while away the hours playing video and computer games. Technology can be an incredible help in our home schools, and it can also be our greatest enemy.

swans

E – is for energize and emphasize. At the risk of sounding like your mother, I’m going to recommend that you go to bed much earlier than you think you should. When my kids were younger, I tried to hit the hay around the same time they did, because I found it was much easier for me to get up very early in the morning, while they would sleep much easier at night, not thinking they were missing out on something. There is a ton of evidence to support the idea of adults getting to sleep before midnight. Most research indicates that the hours of sleep you receive before midnight are twice as valuable as the ones after. If you do this for two weeks, you will be astounded at how much energy you have, and how much you can accomplish with half as much effort. http://www.drlwilson.com/Articles/sleep.htm

organized

R – is for rigid and relax. If you are rigid about purging you will be able to relax in your home. Rigidly purge paper, clothing, toys, and whatever else is cluttering up your mind and house. You can see by this picture that the home school can be very organized with very little money. That goes for the kitchen, attic, basement, and wherever else the stuff tends to pile up. Hooray for de-cluttering your life!! Amen!!

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My favorite basic bread recipe. 


1-1/2 cups water

1 Tbl. light olive oil

3 Tbl. honey

1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt

2 – 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour (preferably King Arthur)

1 – 1/4 cup bread flour

1/3 cup vital wheat gluten

2 tsp. active dry yeast

Add all ingredients in the order listed to the pan of bread machine which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Use the whole wheat setting. Good for sandwiches, toast, etc. I make this more than any other kind of bread. At least three times a week. Great with just about anything, including peanut butter and jelly.

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Forasmuch as there is none like unto Thee, O Lord; Thou art great, and Thy name is great in might.

Jeremiah 10:6

Hints for Home Schoolers – Handling the Allowance Question

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counting-money

Money, money , money – how do we teach our children the value of honest work? Today’s society is obsessed with instant gratification and reward. We’ve all encountered people with the entitlement syndrome.

Weekly allowance? There are a couple of reasons why that is not the best approach. Giving kids money, just because they are your kids, is akin to the entitlement theory. Allowance goes nothing towards teaching them the virtue of labor, and may actually cause behavior problems.

What about per diem, or daily allowance in accordance with daily chores accomplished? Again , this is not ideal. Per diem falls in the category of instant gratification. If the child feels he/she has enough money, or something more important to do – the chores will not get done. After all – why not do it tomorrow? It is amazing how quickly children can learn to manipulate their parents this way.

jar

Money for good grades? Not a good idea. The reward for academic achievement can be praise, perhaps celebration of some sort for spectacular scholarship. But the real reward for good grades should come from within the child. Knowing that you have done your best, means that the good grades are the reward.

Other things that are probably not a good idea to reward with money – self care and basic hygiene (self respect) including:

  • brushing teeth
  • bathing
  • making bed
  • putting away clothing
  • putting away toys and sports equipment
  • cleaning up after oneself in general
  • eating balanced meals (I’m not kidding, some parents pay their kids to eat vegetables)
  • good manners and courtesy
  • cleaning their own rooms, and desk area
  • taking care of any personal pets, that are theirs alone
  • setting table and clearing /washing dishes

Many home school parents feel that children should not be paid for house and yard work, reasoning that kids are obligated as family members because they live in the home, but I disagree. If I would pay a maid or lawn service, I can certainly pay my kids for doing the work while helping them learn a valuable lesson at the same time. Once you have enforced the above required list (which isn’t always easy) you can progress onto the next (paying) list.

PAYING JOBS FOR 2-3 YEAR OLD’S

  • daily emptying household waste baskets (ones that contain paper)
  • dusting low tables and book shelves ( again, I’m not kidding, their little fingers can get in all the crevices and do an amazingly thorough job)

PAYING JOBS FOR 4-5 YEAR OLD’S

  • dusting reachable surfaces
  • running a small vacuum over an assigned area
  • spraying and wiping vinyl floors with non-toxic cleaner and paper towels or bar mop towels
  • include previous list

PAYING JOBS FOR 6-7 YEAR OLD’S

  • watering outside vegetable garden
  • feeding and watering pets
  • include all of previous lists

PAYING JOBS FOR 8-9 YEAR OLD’S

  • include all of previous lists
  • brushing pets
  • scrubbing bathtubs, sinks and mirrors
  • folding laundry
  • raking
  • weeding

PAYING JOBS FOR 10-11 YEAR OLD’S

  • include all previous lists
  • cleaning pet ears and teeth
  • mopping
  • grass cutting
  • ironing
  • organizing
  • cleaning car interior

PAYING JOBS FOR 12-13 YEAR OLD’S

  • include all previous lists
  • baby sitting if you have little ones
  • laundry sorting and washing
  • washing windows
  • outside painting (picnic tables, fences, etc. )
  • garage and or barn/shed cleaning
  • this child may be responsible enough by now to “hire out” (do these things for other people ie: baby sitting, yard work)
  • inventory groceries and supplies

PAYING JOBS FOR 14-15 YEAR OLD’S

  • include all previous lists
  • food preservation (canning, freezing)
  • car maintenance (check oil, tire pressure, etc.)
  • many home schooled kids at this age will have steady outside work

By the age of 16, kids should know how to run a home smoothly, and take care of a vegetable garden and yard. Some rural kids will also know how to take care of large animals and properties. Very likely, the 16-17 year old will be working at least a part time job, and will cease being your right hand helper! And employers will be amazed at your teenager’s work ethic!

alotting-funds

How much you pay your workers is entirely based on your budget. My preference was to pay them their age weekly – $12 for a twelve year old, but some parents I know pay their kids double their ages. (they only have two kids) It really depends on how many kids you are paying! Don’t think a two year old is too young to understand the concept of money. It’s not too early to begin good saving habits as early as two. The illustration of the glass jars is to emphasize the importance of saving. Experts advise that three to four jars/banks be labeled for each child, and the earnings divided properly. Especially for giving back to the Lord.

My favorite resources dealing with money –

money-matters-for-kids

Money Matters for Kids is a wonderful book for sound money treatment based on the Bible for the 6-12 year old group.

money-matters-for-teens

Money Matters for Teens continues on for older kids, and author Larry Burkett has added another one for the 15-18 year old’s.

We used these books for book report books!

For parents that are clueless about money – I recommend Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover. It could change your life, and help you live more fully for Christ. All four of the books mentioned here can be found on Amazon.

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3: 23-24

Housekeeping tip! 

When our boy was four years old, he was obsessed with mechanical things, even vacuums.  We bought him a vacuum like this for his birthday, and a trip to the dollar store later – it was festooned with dinosaur stickers from top to bottom!  He was my volunteer vacuum vigilante!  He loved it until it broke, and his fascination with vacuums seemed to have died along with it.  But – I sure enjoyed it while it lasted! 

p.s. After dissection, he determined that some of the parts could be used for other things. . .

Hints for Home Schoolers – Afternoons

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The second installment in this series will deal with the second part of the day. We left off with the mid-morning break after Bible study. If you have little ones, ideally it could be timed with their morning nap.

racoons

The time right after the snack in the morning, is the best time to tackle your child’s most challenging subject. Different kids will grasp things at different speeds. One child may be a prodigious speller – but may resist long division. If you are schooling more than one child at the same time – give each one their toughest subject at this time. If you have the space, have them sit as far apart as possible, but not so far as to make it difficult for you to see them at all times. In this way, you can move between them, giving assistance where needed.

The curriculum we used from A Beka,  had plenty of “seatwork,” which I gave to each one to work on independently while teaching another one. This seatwork had to be completed every day, before any free time.

6. Present and assign most challenging subject to each child. Start to finish, this could take 30 – 45 minutes.

7. Take a stand up and stretch, jumping jacks, bathroom break. Depending on age, some nappers may be up now too.

8. Now would be the time for the second most challenging subject – depending once again, on the individual child. I always gave preschoolers a coloring page at this time, so they could “do school” too. This could take around 20 – 30 minutes.

9. Lunch! I always felt celebratory at this point in the day. Conquering their tough stuff first – made them feel good too. Lunch usually takes 30 – 45 minutes including cleanup.

10. Free play time. Only during the very worst weather did they stay inside. This varied, from 30 – 45 minutes. 

crockpot

Yes,that’s a crock-pot! This single device is a home-school helper extraordinaire! It can be loaded up in the morning and started before the kids wake up, or there is my method. At night, I would put everything in the crock-pot (even meatloaf) and then put the crock into the refrigerator overnight, to be started in the morning. It made the mornings a lot less hectic. Sometimes I actually started it at night, in the case of baked beans, which  cook all night.   Using the crock-pot was, and is, a life saver, seriously! Because of the crock-pot, I was able to do some things I like to do in the late afternoon, like playing the piano.

Fool proof crock pot brown rice:

  • 10 cups water
  • 4 cups brown rice (rinsed)
  • 1 Tbs. butter
  • 4 tsp. salt

Spray inside of crock with cooking spray.  Put all the ingredients into crock, give it a stir and turn on high for approximately 3 hours. 

This recipe makes a ginormous pot of brown rice, which is eaten hot as a side dish, with cheese and re-fried beans for lunch, stirred into pancake batter and muffin batter,  and remade in the crock pot in the form of rice pudding.  This method will even give good results to some of those “tough” rice mixes, containing wild and red rices, that never seem to cook by ordinary methods. 

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

Proverbs 31:25

Next week we look at the third part of the day, and in upcoming posts are the goodies like pets and field trips!